NASCAR@Bristol: Still waiting for a favorite?

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Jimmie Johnson is the favorite to win a fifth consecutive Sprint Cup Series championship.

No, Kevin Harvick should be considered the favorite.

Oh, and there is Denny Hamlin with five wins and 50 bonus points to start the Chase.

What about Kyle Busch? He has two wins.

With three races left before the 12-driver Chase field is set, the ups and downs of this season have produced several championship favorites. Or none, depending on your perspective.

And no driver seems to be claiming the mantle as favorite title entering Saturday night's Irwin Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

“I still think (Johnson’s) team is the team to beat,” said Harvick, who leads the series standings and has three wins this season, including last weekend's at Michigan.

“No matter how good somebody runs, I still think that those guys are the ones to beat just for the fact that they have won it the last four years."

Jeff Gordon hedged, giving two answers.

“They step it up in a way that you can’t compete with,” Gordon said of Johnson’s team. “And so, until they don’t do that, you’ve got to keep them as a favorite.”

But he also likes Harvick.

“I think that (Richard) Childress has really stepped it up, especially with Kevin and that No. 29 team,” he said. “I think that last weekend they kind of solidified themselves as the favorite, in my opinion.”

Johnson, who opened the season with three wins in five races, then added two more in June, was more than happy to put the burden of favorite on Harvick and his team.

“If you look at their success on all types of tracks, the No. 29 is doing a great job collecting a lot of points everywhere we go,” said Johnson, who won the pole Friday for Saturday night’s race.

“He has the talent, the team does and they have it all on the line right now, and they’re doing a great job,” Johnson said. “We’re definitely working hard to catch those guys.”

The pole is Johnson’s first of the season and first at Bristol in his Cup career. Carl Edwards will start second, Joey Logano third, Tony Stewart fourth and David Reutimann fifth.

The ability several teams have shown with multiple wins this season appears to open the door a little wider for championship contenders.

“Personally, the race fan in me says I’m as excited for the championship this year as anyone,” said Hamlin. “Other than Harvick, who’s been rock-solid, there’s nobody that has really stepped up and been on it every single week.

“I have a lot of faith in our race team. I feel like we could go on a run. But there are, honestly, eight guys that can do that.”

And possibly more.

In the past two months, the Roush Fenway Racing teams have started running up front again and contending.

Edwards has scored more points than anyone in the last six races, but has yet to win. And Greg Biffle won at Pocono in July.

“I think the Chase is going to be real interesting, really up in the air,” Biffle said. “I feel like we have a strong chance of doing well in the last 10 races.”

Edwards agreed, but is hesitant to cast doubt on Johnson.

“Jimmie could re-emerge like he is always somehow able to do and he could win five of the 10 races in the Chase,” Edwards said.

“I just hope the wheel stops and comes around the right way for us. I hope it works out.”