NASCAR Sylvania 300 Preview
NASCAR’s regular season has come to an end and after 26 races the top 12 drivers in the point standings will now compete in the ‘Chase’ for the 2010 Sprint Cup Championship. The ‘Chase’ pits these drivers against one another over a 10 race schedule ending on November 21 at Homestead, Florida. The driver with the most points at the end of that race is declared this year’s champion.
It all begins this Sunday afternoon with the Sylvania 300 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH. starting at 1 p.m. The following is a look at the top seven drivers in the point standings along with their odds to win this week at New Hampshire.
Hamlin vaulted all the way to the top of the leader board with a win last week in Richmond. He begins the Chase with 5060 points. Earlier this season at Loudon he finished 14th after starting 20. Last year, he started fourth and ended up second, which was his best career finish in this race. Hamlin has six top 10 finishes at this track with three of them coming in this race.
Johnson starts the Chase with 5050 points putting him in prime position to win his fifth straight Sprint Cup title. In the June race here, he started 10th and took the checkered flag for the win. Last year in this race he started 16th and finished fourth. Johnson won this race in 2003 after starting eighth. He has 12 top 10 finishes in New Hampshire and six in this race.
A ninth place finish last week knocked Harvick out of the top spot in the standings for the first time this season. He starts the Chase with 5030 points, 30 points out of first. In the first race here this season he started 24th and finished fifth. Last year in this race he started 12th and finished 32nd. Starting from the pole, he won this race in 2006. Harvick has 10 top 10 finishes here including four in this race.
Busch is once again in great position for the Chase with 5030 points, just 30 points in back of Hamlin. In the June race here he started 22nd and finished 11th. Last year in this race he started ninth and finished fifth. His best finish in the race was in 2007 when he ended up fourth after starting 12th. Busch has 11 career starts at this track and has finished in the top 10 five times with one victory.
An 18th place finish in Richmond last week left Busch with 5020 points to start the Chase. Earlier this season at this track he started and finished third. Last year in this race he finished sixth after starting third. Starting seventh, he won this race in 2004. Busch has 10 top 10 finishes at this track including four in this race.
Stewart begins the Chase with 5010 points, 50 points out of the lead. He almost won the June race here, finishing second after starting 25th. Last year in this race he started second and finished 14th. Stewart has never won this race but he does have three second place finishes; 1999 starting fifth, 2005 starting on the pole, and 2006 starting 32nd. He has 14 top 10 finishes at Loudon with seven of them coming in this race.
Biffle rounds out the top seven with 5010 points, the same as Stewart. In the first race here this season he started 34th and finished 16th. Last year in this race he started 22nd and finished ninth. Biffle won this race in 2008 after starting ninth. He has six career top 10 finishes at New Hampshire including three in this race.
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