The Chase for the Nextel Cup began to heat up this past weekend at Martinsville Speedway, tightening the points so that all 10 drivers can become champions.
For the first time in four weeks, the Chase’s points lead changed hands with the engine failure of Jeff Burton, the points leader. Matt Kenseth, despite struggling during the race, took over the points lead with his 11th place finish.
He holds a 36-point lead over Kevin Harvick, who sits in second place despite three finishes outside the top 10 in the Chase.
Third place Jimmie Johnson jumped four places in the Chase standings this weekend with his win at Martinsville.
He is 41 points behind Kenseth and looks forward to going to next week’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he won in 2004.
Rookie Denny Hamlin sits in fourth place, trailing leader Kenseth by only 47 points.
He enjoyed a third place finish in the race at Martinsville, after a disappointing 22nd place finish the previous week at Charlotte.
Jeff Burton, the former points leader, dropped four places in the standings to fifth, trailing Kenseth by 48 points.
His engine failure relegated him to a damaging 42nd place finish.
Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. sits in sixth place in the standings, 98 points out of the lead, after spinning out while running in the top five during Sunday’s race.
Seventh place Mark Martin is 96 points out of the lead after finishes of 30th and 24th in the last two races.
Kasey Kahne sits in the eighth place in the point standings, 99 points behind Kenseth.
Kahne has enjoyed three consecutive top 10 finishes and looks forward to going to next week’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he won earlier in the season.
Four-time champion Jeff Gordon is 141 points out of the points lead, in the ninth place.
Gordon fell several places in the standings, due to three consecutive races that he did not finish prior to the Martinsville race.
Gordon, however, is a threat to win next week’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he has won four times.
The 10th place spot in the point standings is filled by Kyle Busch, who is 171 points out of the lead.
Busch has had his share of troubles in the Chase including a wreck and a blown engine in the first two races.
Busch’s chances do not look promising, as he has struggled at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway, two of the four tracks remaining in the Chase.
The Chase for the Nextel Cup continues on Sunday with the MBNA Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The Chase for the Cup will then visit Texas Motor Speedway on Nov. 5, Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 12 and then Homestead-Miami Speedway, where this year’s champion will be crowned.