1 Bonus points accumulated in the next five races will play a big part in crowning this year’s champion. NASCAR’s decision to give 10 bonus points to the reconfigured standings at the start of the Chase has done the intended job. It has placed a huge emphasis on winning races.
2 Penalties could play a big role in the Chase lineup. NASCAR is handing out biggies these days — 50 points, 100 points, 150 points. Martin Truex Jr. was all but eliminated from the Chase because of a penalty.
3 The smell of Kyle Busch’s blood is in the water. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that Busch would head into the Chase as the clear-cut favorite. While Busch still has to be considered one of the favorites, he has not finished better than 15th the last two weeks.
4 The look of this year’s Chase field could be very different from the Chase of a year ago. There are three drivers from the 2007 playoff who have not yet qualified for 2008 — Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. In addition, there are four others who are within 100 points of 13th place — Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin.
5 The chances for a three-peat points championship by Jimmie Johnson are looking better. He has raced to podium finishes the last three races. He also had cars that were fast enough to win all three.
