Top 6 Things To Watch In The 2011 Chase

With the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship beginning this weekend at the Chicagoland Speedway, fans are gearing up to watch what may well be the closest Chase to date and perhaps one of the tightest Championship races in NASCAR history. Many fans will cheer for their driver that is in the Chase or for someone locked out of the Chase looking for some wins before the end of the season. Fans will also be looking for more drama that has already been evident in the 2011 season.

Here is my list of the top 6 things to watch in this year’s Chase.

#6 - Who Will Jump To An Early Lead? In the 7 years of the Chase system, 5 times the eventual champion finished in the top 6 in the first race. With only 10 races to go, there is no time to get up to speed. Teams will have to come out of the shoots with everything they have. In three of the above years, the champion finished first or second in the first race. Look for the Chase contenders, especially those from 6th back, to aggressively push for the lead Sunday. Their Chase may depend on it.

#5 - Who Will Move To Another Team? Although the Chase beginning, “Silly Season” is by no means over. With plans up in the air at Red Bull Racing, a part time seat open at Stewart-Haas Racing, and a few drivers looking at possible rides, the 2011 Chase will also have some action from non-Chase drivers. Will any Nationwide regulars move up? Will Red Bull close their doors? Will Mark Martin retire…again? The next 10 races will tell.

#4 - How Will The “Wildcard” Drivers Do In The Chase? With the changes to this years points system and Chase format, the last two drivers in the Chase were based on win totals for drivers between 11th and 20th in the points standings. Since these drivers have been focused on winning, not points racing, and have built up some momentum, how will they fair over the next 10 races. Will they surge ahead with their momentum or will they fizzle out due to exhaustion of will and resources?

#3 - Will The Real Rowdy Busch Please Stand Up? Although some may describe him as slim (although gaining weight since being married) or shady, this season Kyle Busch has kept his frustration and anger on a tighter leash. Yes, the emphasis was on tightER. I do remember the pit road bumper cars with the 29, but he has been nowhere near as obnoxious as years past. Some say he is looking at the big picture to win a championship. Others say he will pop eventually. I’m willing to bet both might happen.

#2 - Which Car Will Get Wrecked First, The 48 Or The 22? Over the past several races, many fans have seen that Jimmy Johnson is not as “Vanilla” as most fans had thought. He and Kurt Busch, driver of the Penske owned 22 car, have repeatedly sparred, both on track and off track verbally. Both of these drivers are not likely to give up their Championship chances to wreck the other, but should both be near the back due to misfortune, look for some “have at it” to occur.

#1 - Can Anyone “Out Chase” Jimmy And Chad? For the last 5 years, nobody can deny that Chad Knaus and Jimmy Johnson have perfected the “Chase Run.” They have figured out just how to prepare in the spring and summer for the 10 races that decide the Champion, all while staying competitive and winning throughout the season. There are only two drivers in the Chase that can string wins together like Johnson, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, neither of which have shown the late season surge that Johnson has made his trademark. Will Johnson’s nickname change to 6-time? Will Busch’s new attitude pay off? Or will “Big Papa” take the 24 back to the Championship for the first time since 2001?

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