Now that NASCAR’s “playoffs’’ start this weekend, here’s a look at the key issues for Chase _ and non-Chase _ drivers in the next 10 weeks.

 

 

Denny Hamlin – The key, he says, is simply the beginning of the Chase. Let Hamlin explain: “I feel like the last five races of the Chase always seem to be really good for us, and we always gain points those last five. But the problem is we race ourselves, or something like that, right out of it the first two or three (races), so for me it’s about damage control at beginning and trying to get the best finishes we can and see where we end up. If we are within shouting distances with five to go, then I’m pretty confident we’ll have a good shot at it.’’

 

 

Jimmie Johnson – Prove he’s not vulnerable. He’s using the same car that won at New Hampshire in June. Go out and be fast and win or finish near the front this weekend and he puts pressure on other teams. The longer he stays near the front, the more the aura of the 48 team plays on other teams, thus there’s no need for Johnson and Knaus to play head games because their performance will do that.

 

 

Kevin Harvick – Focus on himself. He said as much last weekend at Richmond. Let’s be honest, considering he led the points for much of the regular season, if he falters early in the Chase, people will begin to discount him and this team. If that happens, the team can’t let that affect it. Remember, Jimmie Johnson finished 39^th at New Hampshire in 2006 and still won the title. It took a Herculean effort but he did it. Point is that a bad race early doesn’t help, but one can bounce back. Said Harvick on the matter: “You don’t go thinking about things that you don’t need to think about. It is so easy to beat yourself in this sport and there are so many things you can’t control. Whether we win or lose, I think it is the best chance we have ever had and it is the best prepared we’ve ever been going into the Chase.’’

 

 

Kyle Busch – Forget the hype and focus on the job. The last time Busch was in the Chase, he came in as a favorite but mechanical issues in the first two Chase races ended any title hopes. It’s hard to pinpoint a mechanical issue as a driver’s fault but Busch needs to show he can handle the stress, highs and lows of 10 weeks of the Chase. That’s always been an issue with him, although not as much this year. Still, he needs to prove it that he can thrive when things go wrong and overcome. If not, it will be the same result he’s had in the Chase: 10^th in 2006, 5^th in 2007, 10^th in 2008 – nothing impressive.

 

 

Kurt Busch – He’s got to get better at the intermediate tracks. He was strong on the 1.5 to 2-mile tracks earlier this year but has struggled lately. That won’t do with half of the Chase races on such tracks. Said Kurt: “The mile-and-halves are definitely the most important ingredient in the Chase. We have slipped off a bit. I talked to (owner) Roger (Penske) and our team engineers about it. We have a few conclusions. We’ve noticed that we struggled at some of the summertime races where it’s really hot out and the tracks rubber-in. When we unload, we’re pretty good, but when the practices wear on and as the races wear on, we lose a little bit of overall grip. With the fall, months approaching and heading into a little bit cooler weather, we know that will help us. We just seem to run better when it’s cooler out.’’

 

 

Tony Stewart – Keep the momentum going. He has 11 top-10s in the last 15 races. Included in that stretch is a second at New Hampshire in June and a ninth at Dover in May. With the Chase opening at New Hampshire and then heading to Dover, this could be a good sign for Stewart. Five of the past six years of the Chase, the champion finished sixth or better at New Hampshire. The lone exception was Jimmie Johnson, who finished 39^th at New Hampshire in 2006 but rallied to win the title.

 

 

Greg Biffle – Find consistency. Since his win at Pocono, Biffle has finished 24^th (Watkins Glen), 4^th (Michigan), 8^th (Bristol), 36^th (Atlanta) and 32^nd (Richmond). Admittedly, none of those are Chase tracks. The point is he’s got to run better. Certianly the Roush cars are stronger than they were earlier this season, so they’re headed in the right direction but Biffle seems to lack consistency the most among the Roush teams in the Chase.

 

 

Jeff Gordon – Just win, baby! He’s winless in his last 55 races, a career long. What’s also striking is how he’s made mistakes (Phoenix), been doomed by a pit call (Las Vegas) and undermined by a late-race restart (Martinsville) during the drought this season. These weren’t the issues you used to see with Gordon. Times have changed. Can he turn back the clock and win races again and win a title for the first time since 2001?

 

 

Carl Edwards – Keep it going! No one has been better in the last 10 races than Edwards, who has rocketed into contention after only leading six laps in the season’s first 24 races. Edwards admits he was not a big believer in momentum but after seeing what he and his team has done since Daytona in July, he’s convinced it can help him in the Chase and give him the advantage over the rest of the field.

 

 

Jeff Burton – Learn from past mistakes. This team was fast early in the season and was in position to win several races but things went against them, sometimes their fault, sometimes not. Now, it appears Burton is not as dominant as he was earlier this season. They’ve got to right the ship quickly. Said Burton: “I believe that every time that we’ve done something wrong that was an opportunity to learn. I feel like we’re prepared to know how to put 10 races together. It is about being mentally prepared. We’ve got to be as good as we can be every single week, every single race track and every single lap. When we’re not, we have to be willing to address it and fix it right now because everything is not going to right. It’s just now. We’ve got to be able to do address it and fix it.’’

 

 

Matt Kenseth – How well does he and the team adjust to new cars. They’ll start the Chase with a new car. Early in the season, Roush Fenway Racing was busy building cars for Richard Petty Motorsports, which made the move to the Ford camp late last year. That took away some from the effort of the Roush teams, which were running older cars that weren't always as strong as the competition. With the Petty fleet set and the adoption of the new engine, Roush cars picked up this summer and the turnaround has been noticeable. Can Kenseth continue to make progress and how much does he make?

 

 

Clint Bowyer – He’s talking big, calling Jimmie Johnson Superman but noting how Superman isn’t as strong as he once was. That’s all well and good but the focus needs to be with his team. Often overlooked, Bowyer has third and fifth in the two years he made the Chase. He comes into the Chase with a three-race streak of finishing seventh or better. Of course, he had to be strong late to assure a spot in the Chase. The key is if he and his team can continue to run as well over the next 10 races.

 

 

 

Non-Chase Drivers  

 

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – He’s got to quit falling down. Since a June surge that carried into early July and put him in the top 12 in points, he’s been awful. In the eight races since Daytona (when he was fourth), Earnhardt has finished in the top 15 once, and only finished on the lead lap half of those eight races. And, he’s only qualified in the top 10 once. The heat is on this team. It’s got to get better. If not, it will become more challenging for car owner Rick Hendrick to keep Lance McGrew as crew chief.

 

 

Jamie McMurray – Consistency. Gotta find it. Yes, he’s been the best in the sport’s majr events, winning the Daytona 500 and at Indy, along with second-place finishes in the Southern 500 and Coca-Cola 600 but 3 DNFs and nine finishes of 24^th kept him from making the Chase. The car has the speed, it’s just got to handle well and stay together. If the team can find that consistency, McMurray could be a threat next season for more than just a couple of wins.

 

 

Juan Pablo Montoya – He faces the same issues as his teammate, Jamie McMurray. Gotta find some consistency. Montoya has failed to finish seven races this season _ no one in the top 20 in points has had as many DNFs and yet Montoya is 16^th in points. Tells you what he’s been able to do when he’s finished races.

 

 

Mark Martin – Find the speed that’s missing. Martin’s team has been spinning its wheels like teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. at times this season. Said Martin: “Our focus is to get back up on the level that we were on last year. In one way, missing the Chase will allow us to go out there and take chances on different hardware and different setups and those kind of things that we wouldn’t necessarily if we were in the hunt for the championship.''

 

 

David Reutimann – He’s won each of the past two seasons at Michael Waltrip Racing and that’s an accomplishment but the organization has not been able to provide him the equipment to make the Chase. Two blown engines didn’t help early in the season. It’s time for this team and organization to go from winning one race to being stronger more often and turn into a Chase-caliber team. Look at how Richard Childress Racing improved this year from last year. It’s time for MWR to make the same step for Reutimann and Martin Truex Jr.

 

 

AJ Allmendinger – The lead driver at Richard Petty Motorsports next year with Kasey Kahne leaving. This is his time to step it up and lead by example with performance. A driver can set the mood so much for a team. Now is his time to do so with this team as it prepares for next year.

 

 

Brad Keselowski – Gain experience and respect. While some veterans grouse that Keselowski races too hard all the time _ a point Keselowski brushes off _ the point is there’s a way to race and Keselowski either has to learn to adjust or continue his ways and remain headstrong. If he does it his way _ and it's right to do so _ he has to understand he might be taught lessons by veterans. While he’s angered many veterans since last year, the question people should consider is if he’s changing the sport more than the veterans like with his driving style or are the veterans right and that Keselowski needs to race, as they might say, smarter?