And Then There Were Two

Two racers. Two races. The whole, crazy season has come down to that. With two races to go, only 30 points separates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, the only two with a realistic chance at the Nextel Cup.

It’s been a crazy season. The chase was expanded. Junior left his father’s team. Toyota made the leap into the second largest sport in America. NASCAR went “green.” A new car debuted.

Easily the Car of Tomorrow and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. have grabbed most of the attention and headlines this year, but there has been plenty to keep us watching. Now, with just two races left, the two most consistent drivers all year long are going to do battle for the title. The only thing that might surprise anyone now would be if they were to end the season tied in points. Then again, maybe not.

It’s not even an easy thing to predict who might win from here. There is one CoT race left. Both drivers have fared well in CoT races this year. Both drive for the same owner, who has been dominant on CoT races. Both are fairly even on the tracks left. It’s a shame they can’t just let the two of them race head to head, no one else on the track, for the Cup.

There are still plenty of interesting stories out there, too. There’s the race for the 35th spot in owner’s points that is far from settled. Junior only has two chances to get a win this season. Positions four through ten are up for grabs, as well.

At this point, Kyle Petty, Dave Blaney and Bill Elliott are battling for the final spot in the top 35, which will ensure a starting position for the first five races next year. For those races, Bill’s advantage for the Woods Brothers will not be there. Next year, Dale Jarrett will have an advantage over Bill, being the more recent Champ, and there is speculation that Roger Penske will give Kurt Busch’s points to newcomer Sam Hornish, Jr. so he can be guaranteed. Kurt then would be the most recent Champ (2004). So, this fight is vital for all three teams.

Dale, Jr. is among a few drivers who do not have a win this year, yet were expected to have at least one. Ryan Newman would be another. Dale is leaving DEI and he doesn’t want his final year to be remembered as the year of blown motors. Getting a win would be a good substitute for not making the Chase.

Only 120 points separate positions four through ten. That might sound like a lot, but watching the movement among those drivers over the past few weeks, there can be some pretty big point swings in just one week. While those are mostly about bragging rights, there is some differences in awards as well. Finishing well for those teams can give a big boost for next season.

So, as the season winds down, there is still plenty of excitement and drama. It should make for some interesting racing and, hopefully, race coverage.

Cinch up those belts and let’s go racing.
JR