NASCAR: Plenty of Chase left in tight race

With nine Chase drivers finishing in the top 10 Sunday at Kansas, the points race is as close as it has been this late in the season.

Heading to California for Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway, six drivers - half the Chase field - are within 100 points of series leader Mark Martin. That's the closest margin for the top six since the Chase debuted in 2004.

Martin isn't worried about having a posse of drivers shadowing him. He said at the start of the Chase it would take about five races to see who's left as contenders. His opinion was unchanged Sunday.

"I don't think we should be getting all hyped up about the tally right now, you know," Martin said. "We've got a lot of racing to go."

That's good for some who could use all the time they can get. Jeff Gordon, despite finishing second to Tony Stewart at Kansas, gained only one spot in the points to seventh.

"That's it?" Gordon said when told of his position, 103 points behind Martin. "Just tell me I'm fifth."

If form holds, it could be difficult for Gordon or other Chase drivers to climb up the standings at California. Ten of the 12 Chase drivers finished in the top 12 there in February. Martin blew an engine and finished 40th that race.

Shortly after Brad Keselowski and Juan Pablo Montoya made contact while running toward the front, NASCAR reminded Keselowski he was racing a Chase driver.

Keselowski is running a partial Cup schedule, as he focuses on the Nationwide circuit. Sunday was his 11th Cup start, so the reminder, in a way, was logical. Does that mean, however, that Chase drivers will get an automatic free pass to drive as aggressively as they see fit?

For example: Denny Hamlin has made it know that he's still unhappy with Keselowski after their accident in a Nationwide race at Dover. At Kansas, Hamlin said of Keselowski: "He hasn't called me to reach out to say he's sorry so, as far as I'm concerned, he needs to be worried whenever I'm around."

How will NASCAR react if Hamlin, a Chase driver, retaliates against Keselowski?

Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Brian Vickers are the only title contenders who have not yet led a lap in the Chase. Five bonus points are given to a driver for leading a lap in a race and five more to the driver who leads the most laps in a race. Jimmie Johnson has scored 20 bonus points, most in the Chase. Series leader Mark Martin has 10.

Pit road speeding penalties played a role in the struggles for two Chase drivers at Kansas.

Carl Edwards, who had not received a speeding penalty in a Cup race in more than a year, was caught Sunday. NASCAR also penalized Ryan Newman for speeding on pit road.

Edwards was racing near the top 10 when he was caught with about 200 laps to go. The penalty caused him to fall a lap behind and it took nearly 100 laps to get it back. He did finish 10th, but the penalty never allowed him the track position to move closer to the front.

Newman struggled with his car's handling and the penalty just added to his woes in a 22nd-place finish.

The future begins today. Goodyear is scheduled to do a tire test today and Wednesday at Richmond International Raceway. Goodyear will test tires for next year's race but also will hold its first test for its larger, wider tire. The tire, which is 1.5 inches taller and wider than the current tire used in Cup, will provide more grip, and some suggest that could help improve the racing.

Roush Fenway Racing drivers Matt Kenseth and Travis Kvapil will take part in the test.