NASCAR NNCS (LOUDON) - Competition For 2007 Title Should Be Fierce

The Chase Is On; Storylines Are Abundant

New Hampshire Site For Opening Chase Event

Owners’ Championship Battle Lines Are Drawn

Chase Drivers Set For “Big Apple” Media Blitz

Car Of Tomorrow Tests At Talladega Superspeedway

Chase Field Set;

The stakes are high. Ten races; 12 drivers competing for one prize: The 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series championship.

This year’s lineup for the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup could very well deliver the most wide open and competitive championship race in recent memory. Consider these top-line stories:

* Defending series champion Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) is the top seed in the Chase with 5,060 points. Johnson’s season-best sixth win came last Saturday night at Richmond and was also his second straight victory. Johnson took advantage of the revision to the Chase format with the additional emphasis on winning over the first 26 races, racking up 60 bonus points, or 10 points per win. Johnson attempts to become the first driver since Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet - 1997-98) to repeat as series champion.

* Gordon, the second seed in the Chase, seeks his fifth series championship. Only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt (both with seven) have won more series championships than Gordon. In a season that has seen him as a poster boy for consistency with four wins, 15 top fives, and 21 top 10s, Gordon led the point standings for 22 straight weeks this year. He is scheduled to start his 500th consecutive NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race on Sunday at New Hampshire, the longest active streak on the circuit. Gordon’s first career start came in the 1992 series finale at Atlanta (Richard Petty’s final race) and he hasn’t missed a race since.

* Four of the top-five seeds have won series championships, including Gordon (1995, ‘97-98, 2001); Tony Stewart (No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet – 2002, 05); Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge – 2004); and Johnson (2006). Stewart and Kurt Busch both return to the Chase field following a year’s absence in 2006.

* There are two first-year participants in the Chase – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) and Clint Bowyer (No. 07 Jack Daniel’s Chevrolet). Truex won his first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race earlier this year at Dover and his performance (one win, five top fives, 10 top 10s) has overshadowed that of his more recognizable DEI teammate, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet), who is 13th in points and did not qualify for this year’s Chase. Bowyer is the lone Chase participant without a victory on the season, but he has been in the top 12 for 22 straight weeks and is the only Chase driver without a DNF through the first 26 races.

New Hampshire Site Of Opening Chase Race

The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to New Hampshire International Speedway for the second time this season and the 1.058-mile oval is the first of 10 races in the Chase to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup.

* Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet) is the defending race champion. Harvick, who has 11 career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup victories, won the 2007 Daytona 500 and the 2007 NEXTEL All-Star Challenge. Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Chevrolet) won at New Hampshire back in June to post his third career victory and his lone victory thus far in 2007. Hamlin’s average finish at New Hampshire is a stellar 3.7.

* Kurt Busch won the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire in 2004 and used that victory as a springboard to garner that season’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup championship. Busch swept both of the New Hampshire races that year.

* Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford) are the only two drivers that have qualified for the Chase all four years. Johnson won the 2006 title. Kenseth is a former series champion (2003) and his best finish in the Chase format is second in 2006.

* Johnson has been in the top 12 for 24 straight weeks this season, while Gordon has led 17 races on the year, most of any driver.

* Tony Stewart won three races in the Chase last year, despite not being in the Chase field. The 2002 and 2005 series champion posted Chase wins at Kansas, Atlanta and Texas a year ago.

* Johnson and Stewart have led the most laps on the year – 863 of a possible 6,999 laps.

* Carl Edwards (No. 99 Fenway Sports Group Ford) is back in the Chase after missing it last year. Edwards has come on strong the second half of this season, winning at Michigan (June 17) and Bristol (Aug. 25). Edwards’ best finish in the series championship is third in 2005.

* Eight of the 12 Chase drivers have won at New Hampshire and seven of the top 12 are in the top 10 of the Driver Rating standings at New Hampshire.

* Jeff Burton (No. 31 AT&T Mobility Chevrolet) leads all active drivers with four wins at New Hampshire. Currently the #10 seed in the Chase, Burton has one victory (Texas), seven top fives, and 12 top 10s in 2007.

* The Car of Tomorrow, NASCAR’s new race car that features improved safety systems, has shown to deliver a competitive level of performance, and has provided teams with the opportunity to run the same chassis at multiple tracks, will race for the 12th time this Sunday at New Hampshire. The new car will race at a total of 16 events on the season; including five of the 10 Chase races (New Hampshire, Dover, Talladega, Martinsville, and Phoenix) before running the entire NASCAR NEXTEL Cup schedule beginning next year.

* Kyle Busch (No. 5 Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevrolet) is in the Chase for the second straight year. Kyle has performed well at New Hampshire, with one win and two top fives.

* Stewart is a two-time winner at New Hampshire, to go along with his nine top fives and 10 top 10s.

Owners’ Championship Heats Up This Week At New Hampshire

While the majority of the attention is directed towards the 12 drivers that are competing in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, there is an owners’ championship at stake over the next 10 weeks, as well.

Just as with the drivers, the top 12 owners had their points reset to 5,000 and 10 bonus points added for each victory. Jeff Gordon, owner of the No. 48 Chevrolet, sits atop the leader board with 5,060 points. The rest of the top 12 consists of Rick Hendrick (No. 24 Chevrolet, 5,040 points); Joe Gibbs (No. 20 Chevrolet, 5,030 points); Georgetta Roush (No. 99 Ford, 5,020 points); Roger Penske (No. 2 Dodge, 5,020 points); J.D. Gibbs (No. 11 Chevrolet, 5,010 points); Teresa Earnhardt (No. 1 Chevrolet, 5,010 points); John Henry (No. 17 Ford, 5,010 points); Rick Hendrick (No. 5 Chevrolet, 5,010 points); Richard Childress (No. 31 Chevrolet, 5,010 points); Richard Childress (No. 29 Chevrolet, 5,010 points); and Richard Childress (No. 07 Chevrolet, 5,000 points).

Johnny Sauter’s (No. 70 Yellow Transportation Chevrolet) career-best fifth-place finish last Saturday at Richmond, allowed that team to move up a notch from 34th to 33rd, while Kyle Petty’s No. 45 Victory Junction Gang Camp Dodge slipped from 33rd to 34th following the Richmond race.

2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Owner Points – After 26 Races

Position Points Team Owner Driver

30th 2,206 No. 38 Ford Robert Yates David Gilliland 31st 2,169 No. 66 Chevrolet Joe Custer Jeff Green 32nd 2,096 No. 88 Ford Robert Yates Kenny Wallace 33rd 2,075 No. 70 Chevrolet Joe Custer Johnny Sauter 34th 2,013 No. 45 Dodge Kyle Petty Kyle Petty

35th 1,944 No. 21 Ford Glen Wood Ken Schrader

36th 1,925 No. 22 Toyota Bill Davis Dave Blaney 37th 1,743 No. 10 Dodge James Rocco Scott Riggs 38th 1,711 No. 83 Toyota Dietrich Mateschitz Brian Vickers 39th 1,564 No. 00 Toyota Cal Wells David Reutimann 40th 1,547 No. 13 Chevrolet Jay Frye Joe Nemechek

In The Loop: Data Analyzes All 10 Tracks In The Chase

Two angles need dissection when handicapping the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup: the present and the future.

There’s this weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway, the first test in the 10-week playoff.

The Driver Rating leaderboard at New Hampshire (compiled over the past five NHIS races) is littered with Chase contenders. Tony Stewart, with two wins at NHIS, leads the bunch with a Driver Rating of 116.9. But, close behind are teammate Denny Hamlin (109.5), Jeff Gordon (106.4) and Kevin Harvick (104.4).

Jimmie Johnson, the top seed who has a 20 points lead on second place Gordon, is only 10th-best in Driver Rating with 93.0.

The gap from first to second could significantly close if Gordon continues his New Hampshire magic. Along with his third-best Driver Rating, Gordon holds the top mark in Average Running Position (7.4) and Laps in the Top 15 (1,321). He also has 122 Fastest Laps Run over the past five races, second only to Stewart’s 173.

The other angle is much broader. A 10-race sampling gives the edge to Johnson. In combining statistics from the 10 tracks in the Chase since 2005, Johnson earns a Driver Rating of 106.0. Stewart comes in second with a Driver Rating of 100.2, the only other driver with a rating over 100.

Arguably more impressive, is Johnson’s Laps in the Top 15 percentage. In the 10 tracks represented in the Chase, Johnson has spent 81.3% of the Laps in the Top 15. That’s 10 percentage points ahead of second-place driver Stewart (71.5%).

At the 10 tracks, Johnson, the defending NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion, also leads the top 12 in Average Running Position (9.9) and Fastest Laps Run Percentage (8.4%).

Keys To Victory

New Hampshire International Speedway leads off the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. Sunday’s race marks the second time for the Car of Tomorrow to be featured at this 1.058-mile oval. Denny Hamlin won here in the new car back on July 1, holding off Jeff Gordon by .068 of a second. Some things for the drivers to consider:

• For the Chase drivers, get off to a good start: If you’re a Chase driver, it’s important for you to have a solid performance and come out of this race still in the hunt.

• Pit Stops: With a 300-lap race, teams must think ahead, reserving final adjustments for their final stop. Track position is too crucial to forfeit in the closing laps.

• Qualifying: A good qualifying position is important at New Hampshire.

• Braking: maneuvering through the corners means more speed and less worries. Going in too loose and wide means scraping walls.

NNCS, Etc. …

NASCAR Teleconference: Kurt Busch Talks About The Chase And The Talladega Test

This week’s NASCAR Teleconference featured Kurt Busch, 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion. Kurt enters the Chase as the # 5 seed, with two victories on the season.

Some highlights from Busch’s comments:

“I think the first few events of the Chase are very important. To get off to a good start is key. I just feel that you're not, I guess digging out of a hole so to speak. So it's great to start off on a good foot and I'm excited about New Hampshire and some of the success I've had in the past and just getting the Chase underway. …

“It's an incredible group of guys this year that have made the Chase, five past champions are in. And the way that everybody is running with race wins, even a guy that doesn't have a win that's in the Chase, Clint Bowyer, he's fast. So this is definitely probably the best group of drivers that I've seen in all of the Chases.”

Ragan, Sauter Turn In Career-Best Finishes At Richmond

David Ragan (No. 6 AAA Ford) came up through the field to finish third at last Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond, his career best NASCAR NEXTEL Cup finish. Ragan is in close competition with Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge) for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award. Montoya is the leader with 218 points, followed by Ragan with 204.

”We had good pit stops and everything worked out good,” said Ragan. “We’ve had good cars this year, but in Cup racing you can’t have any mistakes. Everybody on the (AAA) pit crew did an awesome job on pit road and it shows they can hang in there with top-five or top-10 teams.”

Johnny Sauter likewise turned in his career-best performance last Saturday by finishing fifth. “This is incredible,” said Sauter following the race. “We knew we were going to have a good car and everything just came together. The car was good, the Team Yellow crew was awesome, as usual, and Bootie (crew chief Robert “Bootie” Barker) made some great calls on the pit box.”

Chase Drivers Make Pit Stop In The “Big Apple” … The 12 drivers in the 2007 Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup will hit New York City this week to do a whirlwind media tour before they head to the first race in the Chase in Loudon, N.H. On Wednesday evening, all 12 drivers will tape “Late Night with David Letterman” for airing later that evening. On Thursday, drivers will do a blitz of media that will include Good Morning America, The Early Show, FOX and Friends, a taping at Regis and Kelly, a print roundtable and a general media session and interactive Q&A with fans at the ESPN Zone in Times Square.

Chase Tracker

The beginning of the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup also means the return of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Chase Tracker game. The Chase Tracker is a competition in which fans offer their Chase predictions and earn points based on each correct pick. The points are added throughout the Chase to determine the winner.

The game is being hosted by NASCAR.COM at http://fantasy.nascar.com/games/celebrity/ and is free of charge.

For the second consecutive season, the Chase Tracker game will also have a celebrity element. Several prominent NASCAR fans from across the sports and entertainment world have signed up to give their Chase predictions. Those picks will be highlighted on NASCAR.COM, allowing fans to test their prediction skills against the celebrities. Among the celebrities signed up to play are defending champion Mike Hampton (Atlanta Braves pitcher), Steve Spurrier (South Carolina head football coach), Janet Evanovich (best-selling author), Martin Brodeur (New Jersey Devils goalie) and Johnny Damon (New York Yankees outfielder).

To play, each contestant fills out the Chase Tracker grid with their predictions for the entire Chase prior to Sunday’s Sylvania 300. Each grid contains the predicted order of the Chase drivers (1-12) after each race as well as a predicted race winner. One point is awarded for every correct pick in Week 1, two points in Week 2 and so on through the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Five bonus points are awarded for each correct race winner picked. Correctly predicting the 2007 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup champion is worth 20 points.

Media are encouraged to sign up for the game through NASCAR.COM.

In addition, Sprint Nextel will be hosting the Third Annual Sprint Nextel Media Chase Tracker challenge. Media can fill out a hard copy version of the Chase Tracker and either hand deliver their picks to a Sprint PR representative at New Hampshire International Speedway, e-mail an electronic copy to Zachary.Nobinger@sprint.com or faxing it to (704) 632-7901. Please be sure to include your name, e-mail address and media outlet on submissions. A hard copy is available for downloading at www.nascarmedia.com.

Car Of Tomorrow Tests At Talladega Superspeedway

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams completed a two-day test at Talladega Superspeedway on Tuesday, ahead of next month’s UAW-Ford 500 on Oct. 7 – the first restrictor-plate race for the Car of Tomorrow.

A total of 52 teams tested the new car, NASCAR’s next-generation race car that will be run fulltime in 2008. Both Tuesday sessions were given to drafting; teams ran a slightly smaller restrictor plate than the one-inch plates used in Monday’s sessions. The Oct. 7 event will be the longest yet for the new car, which is being used in 16 of 36 events this season. Talladega’s event will be the 14th of those 16 events.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Director John Darby said he was pleased with the teams’ progress during the two-day session, citing its smoothness and feedback gleaned from drivers, crew chiefs and crew members. He added that the next step will be to fine-tune what was learned.

“Right now we're trying to focus on making it comfortable for the drivers so that they have the confidence in the car to put on the kind of show that the fans expect at Talladega," Darby said.

On Deck: Chase, Week 2

The second race in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup takes place at Dover International Speedway, Sunday, Sept. 23 with the running of the Dodge Dealers 400 at Dover. Air time on ABC is 1 p.m. (ET).

Jeff Burton is the defending race champion. Jeff Gordon was last year’s pole sitter.

The Race: Sylvania 300 The Place: New Hampshire International Speedway The Date: Sunday, Sept. 16 The Time: 2 p.m. (ET) TV: ABC, 1 p.m. (ET) The Track: 1.058-mile oval The Distance: 300 laps/317 miles The Purse: $5,319,880 2006 Winner: Kevin Harvick 2006 Pole: Kevin Harvick Series Standings Pos Driver Points 1 Johnson 5,060 2 Gordon 5,040 3 Stewart 5,030 4 Edwards 5,020 5 Kurt Busch 5,020 6 Hamlin 5,010 7 Truex 5,010 8 Kenseth 5,010 9 Kyle Busch 5,010 10 Burton 5,010 11 Harvick 5,010 12 Bowyer 5,000 Pre-Race Schedule (local/ET time): Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m.; Qualifying, 3:10 p.m. Saturday–Practice, 9-9:50 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.