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September 11, 2007

Anti-Climatic Chase Roster
Making the Grade-Richmond 2
By Dennis Michelsen
Leave it to NASCAR to subtract excitement from the Chase roster by adding two more members! Imagine the nail biting among the ninth and tenth place drivers IF the old system from last year was in place. The racing would have been fast and furious gunning for position in the closing laps with four drivers dueling for two spots! Instead we get the artificial "Junior Watch" with a huge gap between 12th and 13th place and a lot of what ifs that never happened.

Nextel Cup-Bristol

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Tony Stewart
3. David Ragan
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Johnny Sauter
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Kurt Busch
10. JJ Yeley

F for New Chase Format
So much for being the dominant driver all season. Now as the NASCAR field turns to the Chase, NASCAR's version of a playoff, Jimmie Johnson is back on top! Yes I have always felt that wins should be rewarded with more points but consistency should also be rewarded. Twelve drivers making the playoffs out of forty-three is too many too!

D for Jamie McMurray
After teasing everyone with a strong start to the season now the real Jamie McMurray has returned. While McMurray is an average driver at the NASCAR Nextel Cup level, average is not something Roush Fenway Racing will settle with for very long. This might be the worst hire by Roush Racing in many years.

C for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
This team just can't seem to prove that they are one of NASCAR's elite teams at the Nextel Cup level. Losing Junior to Hendrick Motorsports seemed to inspire their teams to do better, but finishes of 15th, 26th, and 30th at Richmond is very average performance indeed.

B for Johnny Sauter
Crew Chief Bootie Barker is one of the most under rated head wrenches in the business! This fifth place run for a team that has struggled this season should be a big boost for Johnny, Bootie, and the whole No. 70 team!

A for David Ragan
Third place at Richmond for a rookie is big news! Following in the wake of last year's dream crop of rookies, this year's rookie class has been a big drop. But David Ragan served notice that he is going to be a solid driver at the Nextel Cup level for many years!

Extra Credit for Jimmie Johnson
Once again Jimmie, Chad, and the gang have risen to the top!

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