Fast Times
A NASCAR BLOG BY Kris Johnson
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Time for some perspective, not time to crown a ‘champion’
Sep
19
It is early in this Chase For The Sprint Cup, and just for fun, we’re going to keep track of all the “favorites” to win it all as we go along. How many drivers will emerge in that role over a 10-week period, stealing the limelight for a week and all the publicity that attends a victory?
Media and fans can be equally guilty of shortsightedness at times, of remembering only that which took place most recently. Greg Biffle won at New Hampshire, and suddenly he is deemed a real threat to win the championship.
Kyle Busch falls on his face in the first race, and now folks are talking as if 70-something points is too much for NASCAR’s most talented driver to overcome in nine races. Bear in mind, that’s 25 percent of the entire Cup schedule that remains left to be contested.
This happened in the regular season, too. When Kasey Kahne won the all-star race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, then proceeded to win at Pocono on June 8, he was coronated in some circles. In between his Coke 600 win and Pocono victory, Kahne finished 31st at Dover after getting caught up in monster wreck early in the Best Buy 400. As we know, he (and every other Dodge driver) failed to make the Chase.
Biffle is a talented driver and a likeable guy. Like 10 of his fellow Cup drivers, everyone this side of Matt Kenseth, he has a chance to win the Sprint Cup title. But he’s no more a favorite now than when the Chase began.
The best three drivers and teams – given their body of work in the first three quarters of the season – remain Busch, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.
Much can happen in nine weeks.
Busch could sweep the Dover Cup events with a win Sunday.
Native son Clint Bowyer might win at his home track in Kansas the following week.
Just about anybody – Chase contender or not – can win the next event at Talladega.
What will it mean for the big picture? Who knows. For certain, it will mean one driver and team shined on that particular Sunday.
Forecasting any further than that – and trying to label one guy a favorite to win it all based on his performance in one race – is pure folly.
Media and fans can be equally guilty of shortsightedness at times, of remembering only that which took place most recently. Greg Biffle won at New Hampshire, and suddenly he is deemed a real threat to win the championship.
Kyle Busch falls on his face in the first race, and now folks are talking as if 70-something points is too much for NASCAR’s most talented driver to overcome in nine races. Bear in mind, that’s 25 percent of the entire Cup schedule that remains left to be contested.
This happened in the regular season, too. When Kasey Kahne won the all-star race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, then proceeded to win at Pocono on June 8, he was coronated in some circles. In between his Coke 600 win and Pocono victory, Kahne finished 31st at Dover after getting caught up in monster wreck early in the Best Buy 400. As we know, he (and every other Dodge driver) failed to make the Chase.
Biffle is a talented driver and a likeable guy. Like 10 of his fellow Cup drivers, everyone this side of Matt Kenseth, he has a chance to win the Sprint Cup title. But he’s no more a favorite now than when the Chase began.
The best three drivers and teams – given their body of work in the first three quarters of the season – remain Busch, Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson.
Much can happen in nine weeks.
Busch could sweep the Dover Cup events with a win Sunday.
Native son Clint Bowyer might win at his home track in Kansas the following week.
Just about anybody – Chase contender or not – can win the next event at Talladega.
What will it mean for the big picture? Who knows. For certain, it will mean one driver and team shined on that particular Sunday.
Forecasting any further than that – and trying to label one guy a favorite to win it all based on his performance in one race – is pure folly.
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