September 22, 2008
By Matthew Pizzolato
Matthew Pizzolato
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Any of the drivers currently in the chase are capable of winning the championship this season, but the driver most likely to come out on top of the standings will be the one with the most consistent top five finishes.
Kyle Busch suffered mechanical problems at Loudon, posting a 34th place finish and forfeiting all of the bonus points he’d earned from his series leading eight wins this season, and dropped from first to seventh in the championship standings as a result.
Common belief is that a driver can have a bad race and still win the title in the current chase format, but more than one will put a driver in an impossibly deep hole.
The key to winning the championship under the current format is the same as it was under the old format: Consistency.
What driver has consistently finished races in the top 10 or top five this season? While having posted only one win so far this season, Dale Earnhardt Jr., began the Chase in strong fashion, finishing fifth at Loudon.
When asked his opinion on who the winner of this year’s championship will be, Earnhardt responded positively.
“I feel I’m the best and there’s no one even close,” he said in a newsday.com article written by Katie Strang.
Having made the transition from DEI to Hendrick Motorsports, Earnhardt’s fortune seems to have changed. He consistently runs toward the front for the entire race and hasn’t been caught up in as many accidents this season.
After finally snapping his 76 race winless streak this year at Michigan, Earnhardt has lost several races due to poor pit strategy. And several of Earnhardt’s loyal fans have been calling for a new crew chief as a result.
However, Earnhardt remains faithfully committed to Tony Eury Jr.
“The fan’s have been pretty tough on him this season. But I lean on him,” Earnhardt was quoted as saying in an AP article on ESPN.com.
But that doesn’t keep them from squabbling with each other over the radio during some of the races. Car owner Rick Hendrick has even had to serve as a referee recently in some of their disputes. Earnhardt isn’t the only driver to verbally lash his crew chief over the radio recently.
Regardless of the name-calling or finger pointing by some of the fans, Earnhardt remains in a very good position to win his first Cup championship. And consistent finishes will certainly deliver one to his trophy case.
The pressure is on Earnhardt because his huge fan base wants him to win a title, especially now that he is racing with the best equipment in the garage, and he would be only too happy to oblige them. Perhaps one of the reasons he made the recent change from his father’s racing team to Hendrick Motorsports was to put himself in a position to win.
Earnhardt certainly believes he’s capable, and he has the confidence to win a title.
“There’s no reason why we can’t win this thing.”
If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at matthew-pizzolato.com.
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