NASCAR.COM - Choosing between Gordon, Earnhardt a risky decision

AUCTIONS

Bid Now

Learn More | Sign Up

Auto Service | Angels

QUICK LINKS

type size: + -

Choosing between Gordon, Earnhardt a risky decision (cont'd)

The Real Champion

Here is all you need to know about Jeff Gordon's overall season and what he is doing in this "Real Champion" concoction I've been posting. The massive gulf between him and the second place driver, Jimmie Johnson, without the chase reset is, in fact, greater than the divide between the 24 team and the 12th-place driver in the Chase, Matt Kenseth.

Nextel Cup Series

Standings (If Chase didn't exist)

Pos.	+/-	Driver	Points	Behind	Poles	Wins	Top-5	Top-10

1.	--	Jeff Gordon	4689	Leader	6	6	19	25
2.	--	Jimmie Johnson	4191	-498	3	6	16	19
3.	--	Tony Stewart	4189	-500	0	3	10	22
4.	+1	Carl Edwards	4017	-672	0	3	9	13
5.	-1	Denny Hamlin	4011	-678	1	1	11	16
6.	--	Clint Bowyer	3981	-708	2	1	5	15
7.	+1	Kyle Busch	3892	-797	0	1	9	17
8.	-1	Matt Kenseth	3858	-831	0	1	8	17
9.	--	Jeff Burton	3832	-857	0	1	8	14
10.	+1	Kurt Busch	3705	-984	1	2	5	11
11.	-1	Kevin Harvick	3697	-992	0	1	4	12
12.	--	Martin Truex Jr.	3652	-1037	0	1	6	11

Finally, for my money, the Chase is a three-horse race with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as huge favorites. In fact, it's my guess that it will take a major incident for the Hendrick guys to fall back. Now, flash back to Martinsville earlier in the year where if ever the tensions between the circuits top-two drivers rose to the surface it was at the paper clip in Virginia. If they are again running one, two down the stretch, get ready for some interesting in-car audio.

Enjoy the race.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the writer