dirty
EOG Master
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>1. Tony Stewart (6,415 points)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD> Stewart finished fourth in Phoenix -- his seventh top 10 in the nine Chase races -- to stretch his lead to 52 points over Jimmie Johnson. He has earned 50 bonus points in the Chase, five more than any other Chase driver, and has led the most laps (599), more than double any other Chase driver. He can win his second NASCAR championship by finishing ninth or better during the finale at Homestead. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Stewart has two victories (1999, 2000) and four top-10s in six races at Homestead. He is the only driver to lead in five of the six races at the track. He finished fourth in last year's finale. His 8.33 average finish at Homestead is tops among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're all going fishing," Stewart said. "That's something we're all looking forward to doing together as a team, and that will get us straight into the weekend." </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>2. Jimmie Johnson (6,363 points, -52)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Johnson was better than Stewart for most of Sunday's race at Phoenix, then faded at the end to finish seventh and lose more ground to him. Though he has two victories in the Chase and Stewart has none, he'll need Stewart to falter at Homestead if he is to have any shot of winning the title. Johnson has finished second in points in each of the past two seasons. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Johnson has competed in four races at Homestead, with top-10 finishes in his past three visits. He finished second in last year's finale. His 9.5 average finish at the track ranks second among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We'll go to Homestead and put in a hard day's work there and see what happens," Johnson said.
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>3. Carl Edwards (6,328 points, -87)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Edwards tried to win his third straight race, but had to settle for a sixth-place finish. Now he's 87 points out and needs bad luck from both Stewart and Johnson for any chance to win the title. He was great at the tracks he was supposed to be great at, but didn't do enough at the venues that aren't necessarily his forte. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Edwards has made one start at Homestead, finishing 14th in last season's finale. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We have to go to Homestead with an aggressive mind-set. We can't go there and be conservative. We have to run very well to get this finished," Edwards said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>4. Greg Biffle (6,313 points, -102)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Biffle did all he could in Phoenix, leading 189 laps before finishing second. He's the last driver still mathematically eligible to win the championship, but at 102 points out, realizes it's probably not going to happen this season. His downfall? Four finishes outside the top 10 during the Chase, including three of 20th or worse. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Biffle has competed in three races at Homestead with one top-10 showing, a victory in this race last year. He has a 20.33 average finish at Homestead, eighth among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're certainly not in it any more. The reality is that next year we're going to go after it again," Biffle said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>5. Mark Martin (6,253 points, -162)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Martin finished a sub-par 14th in Phoenix to fall out of title contention. He can make up positions in the standings with a strong run at Homestead, but that's all he has left to race for. He has six top-10s and five top-fives during the Chase, but a 41st-place finish at Talladega and a 34th-place finish at Martinsville were too much to overcome. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Martin has competed in six races at Homestead, with three top-fives (13.16 average finish). His best Homestead finish (third) came in 2000. He finished 11th in last year's finale. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We have a good shot to finish inside the top five in points and we'll be going there this weekend with every intention of winning the race," Martin said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>6. Ryan Newman (6,208 points, -207)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>After opening the Chase with three top-five finishes, Newman has none since. He he has finished outside the top 10 in four of the past six races, including Phoenix where he finished 12th. He wrecked during an early practice session at Phoenix and had to go to a backup car for the second consecutive race. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Newman has competed in three races at Homestead with one top-10, a sixth in his first race there in 2002. He finished 30th in last season's finale. His 24.33 average finish at the track ranks ninth among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're mathematically out of first place, but we can always be the first loser," Newman said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>. Matt Kenseth (6,187 points, -228)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD> Kenseth lost a spot in the standings by finishing 32nd in Phoenix after mechanical problems dropped him two laps down. He can finish as high as third in the final standings. It's been feast or famine for Kenseth during the Chase. He has five top-fives, but three finishes of 26th or worse. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Homestead has proven to be a nightmare for Kenseth. In five races at the track he has never finished better than 19th. His 30.0 average finish Homestead ranks last among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We'd certainly like to finish this season on a high note, particularly because we had a problem last week and a disappointing finish," Kenseth said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>8. Rusty Wallace (6,016 points, -399)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD> Wallace finished 29th in Phoenix, two laps down. After such a promising regular season, the Chase has been an utter disappointment with six finishes of 19th or worse. He'll make the final start of his long, storied career on Sunday at Homestead, then drive off into retirement. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Wallace has only one top-10 finish -- eighth last season -- in six races at Homestead. His 14.0 average finish at the track ranks fourth among Chase drivers </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "It's the last one, and I think some of the emotions is starting to set in a little right now. When I start that race and get out of that car around 7:30 at night it's going to be, 'OK, what's next?'" Wallace said.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>9. Kurt Busch (5,974 points, -441)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Busch had a Friday night run-in with Phoenix police and was charged with reckless driving. It led car owner Jack Roush to suspend the defending Nextel Cup champion for the final two races of the season, ending his Roush career because he's scheduled to drive for Roger Penske next season. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: If Jeremy Mayfield finishes 42nd or better at Homestead, Busch will drop to 10th in the final Chase standings. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're officially retiring as Kurt Busch's apologists," Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>10. Jeremy Mayfield (5,939 points, -476)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Mayfield had another rough Chase race, finishing 24th. He has only one top-10 finish during the Chase -- seventh at Dover. The good news is he should pass the suspended Busch in the standings to avoid finishing 10th in the Chase for a second straight season. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Mayfield has competed in five races at Homestead with two top-10s (17.8 average finish). He took 35th in last year's finale, his worst finish at the track. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "It's time to go back to the drawing board, I think," Mayfield said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>3. Carl Edwards (6,328 points, -87)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Edwards tried to win his third straight race, but had to settle for a sixth-place finish. Now he's 87 points out and needs bad luck from both Stewart and Johnson for any chance to win the title. He was great at the tracks he was supposed to be great at, but didn't do enough at the venues that aren't necessarily his forte. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Edwards has made one start at Homestead, finishing 14th in last season's finale. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We have to go to Homestead with an aggressive mind-set. We can't go there and be conservative. We have to run very well to get this finished," Edwards said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>4. Greg Biffle (6,313 points, -102)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Biffle did all he could in Phoenix, leading 189 laps before finishing second. He's the last driver still mathematically eligible to win the championship, but at 102 points out, realizes it's probably not going to happen this season. His downfall? Four finishes outside the top 10 during the Chase, including three of 20th or worse. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Biffle has competed in three races at Homestead with one top-10 showing, a victory in this race last year. He has a 20.33 average finish at Homestead, eighth among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're certainly not in it any more. The reality is that next year we're going to go after it again," Biffle said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>5. Mark Martin (6,253 points, -162)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Martin finished a sub-par 14th in Phoenix to fall out of title contention. He can make up positions in the standings with a strong run at Homestead, but that's all he has left to race for. He has six top-10s and five top-fives during the Chase, but a 41st-place finish at Talladega and a 34th-place finish at Martinsville were too much to overcome. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Martin has competed in six races at Homestead, with three top-fives (13.16 average finish). His best Homestead finish (third) came in 2000. He finished 11th in last year's finale. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We have a good shot to finish inside the top five in points and we'll be going there this weekend with every intention of winning the race," Martin said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>6. Ryan Newman (6,208 points, -207)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>After opening the Chase with three top-five finishes, Newman has none since. He he has finished outside the top 10 in four of the past six races, including Phoenix where he finished 12th. He wrecked during an early practice session at Phoenix and had to go to a backup car for the second consecutive race. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Newman has competed in three races at Homestead with one top-10, a sixth in his first race there in 2002. He finished 30th in last season's finale. His 24.33 average finish at the track ranks ninth among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're mathematically out of first place, but we can always be the first loser," Newman said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>. Matt Kenseth (6,187 points, -228)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD> Kenseth lost a spot in the standings by finishing 32nd in Phoenix after mechanical problems dropped him two laps down. He can finish as high as third in the final standings. It's been feast or famine for Kenseth during the Chase. He has five top-fives, but three finishes of 26th or worse. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Homestead has proven to be a nightmare for Kenseth. In five races at the track he has never finished better than 19th. His 30.0 average finish Homestead ranks last among Chase drivers. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We'd certainly like to finish this season on a high note, particularly because we had a problem last week and a disappointing finish," Kenseth said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>8. Rusty Wallace (6,016 points, -399)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD> Wallace finished 29th in Phoenix, two laps down. After such a promising regular season, the Chase has been an utter disappointment with six finishes of 19th or worse. He'll make the final start of his long, storied career on Sunday at Homestead, then drive off into retirement. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Wallace has only one top-10 finish -- eighth last season -- in six races at Homestead. His 14.0 average finish at the track ranks fourth among Chase drivers </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "It's the last one, and I think some of the emotions is starting to set in a little right now. When I start that race and get out of that car around 7:30 at night it's going to be, 'OK, what's next?'" Wallace said.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>9. Kurt Busch (5,974 points, -441)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Busch had a Friday night run-in with Phoenix police and was charged with reckless driving. It led car owner Jack Roush to suspend the defending Nextel Cup champion for the final two races of the season, ending his Roush career because he's scheduled to drive for Roger Penske next season. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: If Jeremy Mayfield finishes 42nd or better at Homestead, Busch will drop to 10th in the final Chase standings. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "We're officially retiring as Kurt Busch's apologists," Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said. </TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR class=bg0><TD><CENTER>10. Jeremy Mayfield (5,939 points, -476)</CENTER></TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>Mayfield had another rough Chase race, finishing 24th. He has only one top-10 finish during the Chase -- seventh at Dover. The good news is he should pass the suspended Busch in the standings to avoid finishing 10th in the Chase for a second straight season. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>VITAL STATS: Mayfield has competed in five races at Homestead with two top-10s (17.8 average finish). He took 35th in last year's finale, his worst finish at the track. </TD></TR><TR class=bg2><TD>QUOTE: "It's time to go back to the drawing board, I think," Mayfield said. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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