Checking out the Chase | How the top 12 fared at Martinsville Speedway

DAVID POOLE and JIM UTTER

The Charlotte Observer

Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007

Noting NASCAR's Chase as we put Martinsville Speedway in the rearview mirror and look toward the next one:

1st – Jeff Gordon (6,055 points) There is only one more car of tomorrow race this season, and points leader Jeff Gordon isn’t unhappy about that.

“I am still not a fan of this car,” Gordon said. “You put me back in 26th with one of the best cars and it’s everything I can do to pass the 25th-place car. To me, that is a problem.”

2nd – Jimmie Johnson (53 back) Jimmie Johnson knew he was going to get everything he could handle from Ryan Newman. “He has been working hard to get back to victory lane, so I knew he wasn’t going to cut me and slack,” Johnson said.

3rd – Clint Bowyer (115 back) Clint Bowyer’s ninth-place finish was his career best at Martinsville, but he still fell 38 points further behind in the Chase standings.

4th Tony Stewart (249 back) Tony Stewart worked his way up from his No. 34 starting spot into the top five, but when Kyle Petty wrecked on Lap 466, Petty stopped right in Stewart’s path. Stewart wound up 13th.

5th – Carl Edwards (285 back) Carl Edwards had a nice save late, keeping his car out of the wall in turns 3 and 4 when he got up in the marbles. He also had switch batteries at one point, but still finished 11th.

“That’s one of the longest ones I’ve ever had,” he said. “The thing was overheating and I didn’t have my fan on in there.”

6th – Kyle Busch (290 back)

Kyle Busch made a last-ditch effort to snatch a victory, taking the high line around the track on the green-white-checkered restart. He ended up fourth – his fourth top-five finish of the Chase thus far. He also led 106 laps.

“If we didn’t have two wrecks (in the Chase) I think we’d be right there challenging for this thing,” Busch said.

7th – Kevin Harvick (369 back)

Kevin Harvick avoided flat tires this week and finished 10th. Harvick had three flats last week at Charlotte.

8th – Denny Hamlin (374 back) Denny Hamlin rebounded from a disappointing run at Charlotte to finish sixth, his second top-10 finish in the past three races. He is 86 points outside the top five.

9th – Jeff Burton (409 back)

Burton was edged by Carl Edwards for the 11th-place position following a post-race review of film. Burton led the race at one point but got set back when NASCAR called him for a commitment-line violation.

10th – Kurt Busch (420 back)

Kurt Busch complained early that he had lost a cylinder then got caught up in an accident in Turn 1 on Lap 167. He ended up 31st, five laps down.

11th – Martin Truex Jr. (447 back)

Martin Truex Jr. ran in the top 10 much of the day before being caught up in three accidents, including consecutive ones on Laps 466 and 477. He finished 19th.

12th – Matt Kenseth (462 back)

A late-race two-tire pit call by crew chief Robbie Reiser helped Kenseth finish fifth, his first top-five finish of the Chase.

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