ESPN Analysts Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree Dish on the 12 Drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup

September 11, 2007 -- ESPN analysts Rusty Wallace, the 1989 NASCAR Cup Champion, and Andy Petree, two-time NASCAR champion crew chief, dish on the 12 drivers in the chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup:

JIMMIE JOHNSON

Wallace – “He can absolutely repeat his title. The team seemed to get a little lost while crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended. Now that he’s back, the consistency seems to be back and his five wins this year makes him a definite contender.”

Petree – “Jimmie Johnson is a machine. It seems like he never makes mistakes on the racetrack. He has solid strategy on the pit box with Chad Knaus. He’s a defending champion, has won the most races, is the points leader and is the absolute favorite right now. He’s got momentum on his side, having won the last two races going into the Chase. It seems like when Jimmie jumps out of his car, it’s like he has been on a Sunday drive. His stamina in the race car definitely seems to play to his advantage.”

JEFF GORDON

Wallace - “Jeff Gordon has been the dominant driver in the points standings all season until Richmond. They’ve had some bad luck the last four races, and they will have to shed that luck if they’re going to be a contender for the championship.”

Petree – “Jeff Gordon has led the points standings all year, now he is seeded behind Jimmie Johnson, his teammate, who now looks like the favorite. He is going from defensive mode to offensive mode and will have to go after the championship.”

TONY STEWART

Wallace –“Tony has been on fire this year. He’s the fella I picked at the beginning of the year to win the championship and I expect him to do so, still.”

Petree – “Tony Stewart has something to prove. He missed the Chase last year and we saw just how competitive that team got after the cut-off, extremely focused on winning races. I think this year he’s going to come out on a mission to win this championship.”

CARL EDWARDS

Wallace – “I like what I see in Carl Edwards. He’s definitely a top-five team when it’s all said and done. He’s dominating the NASCAR Busch Series, but can he maintain the aggressiveness and consistency at the Cup level to win the championship? He needs to stay incredibly focused.”

Petree – “Carl missed the Chase last year and has now gotten back to the competitive form he was in his first season. He has proved that he’s competitive, but I’m not sure that they have enough for the teams of Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. They’re knocking on the door, but will need a little more steam to win the championship.”

KURT BUSCH

Wallace – “It’s nice to see the No. 2 car back on track. With that said, Pat Tryson, his new crew chief, is exactly what Kurt needed. He brings leadership and consistency to the team. With Kurt’s dominating performance at Pocono and Michigan, he has proved to me that they got it together just in the nick of time. This also makes him a contender for the championship this year.”

Petree – “He knows how to win a championship in this format and did so the first year of the Chase. He missed the Chase last year, but has shown a lot of strength with two wins in the latter part of the regular season. The team is very fast, they’ve got a new crew chief with Pat Tryson and seem to really be clicking. He could be a threat to win the title.”

DENNY HAMLIN

Wallace - “Denny has been one of the most consistent drivers this year. With the old points system, that’s what you had to have. He’s going to have to get a little more aggressive in this new system if he’s going to win this title.”

Petree – “Denny made the Chase last year as a rookie and had a shot at winning the championship until late in the final 10 races. He learned something about what it takes in these final 10 to seal the deal. He may know some things this year that he didn’t know at this time last year to make him a threat.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR.

Wallace – “This guy could pop up and surprise everyone and win the title this year. He has been one of NASCAR’s top performers and a trusted ally of Dale Earnhardt Jr. After his win at Dover, Delaware, and his numerous great runs, he convinced me he could be a contender this year.”

Petree – “Martin Truex has been solid enough to place in the top 12, has won one race in the regular season and may win another in the Chase before the year is out. But, I’m not sure that will be enough for him to be a contender for the championship.”

MATT KENSETH

Wallace – “He’s a quiet guy who flies under the radar. He’s definitely a top-five team and can win this championship. Matt is not a flashy driver, but when it’s all said and done he’ll probably kick your butt on the racetrack.”

Petree – “He has won one race this year, but he’s so solid that he’s always there in the top 10. He’s the kind of guy who can sneak up on the frontrunners. If they stumble at all, Matt Kenseth is going to be right there. I’m not sure if he’s going to be right up front every race, but he will be solid and able to take advantage of any problems that these leaders may have.”

KYLE BUSCH

Wallace – “Kyle will be leaving his current team, Hendrick Motorsports, at the end of the season, but right now the only thing on his mind is to go out on top. He just wants to dominate and win as many races as he possibly can. He’s a little bit young and raw for me to call him a championship contender this year. In order to win a championship you need to harness aggressiveness and consistency. Down the road he will definitely be a champion.”

Petree – “Kyle is one of those threats in the top 12 because he’s so fast. I expect him to be up front in every race, but you also never know what to expect with Kyle. He will win, crash or finish in the top 10. If he can put 10 races together, he can be a champion. Nobody can drive a loose car like he can - nobody.”

JEFF BURTON

Wallace – “Jeff has been around a long time. He’s one of the smartest guys in the field in terms of getting his car handling correctly during these final 10 races. He can definitely win this title, although he’s going to have to be more aggressive as he sprints towards the finish line.”

Petree – “I think Jeff Burton is at the peak of his driving career. He has had a lot of points in his career where he has won a lot of races, but he has never been better than he is right now. I think his team with Richard Childress is on par with the Hendrick Motorsport teams, and with a little luck on his side he could win it. He led the points for a good part of the Chase in ’06, and he’s on top of his game week in and week out. He’s one of the smartest drivers on the track and can definitely be a threat.”

KEVIN HARVICK

Wallace – “After his win in the Daytona 500 and his exciting performance in this year’s All Star race in Charlotte, he has convinced everybody that he’s as good as we thought he was. Kevin has the right attitude and aggressive style of driving it’s going to take to win this championship.”

Petree – “Kevin has proved himself this year with the Daytona 500 win. You have to think that Harvick is going to win the championship, and it could be his year, but it doesn’t seem to be going that way right now. If he can get his momentum shifted in the right direction, he could win it.”

CLINT BOWYER

Wallace – “Clint’s been a pleasant surprise. He’s very consistent, always in the top 10, but hasn’t won yet. I feel like you’re going to have to win races to win the championship under the new points system. This has been a great year for Bowyer, in the future I see him as a champion.”

Petree – “Clint Bowyer has really shown what kind of driver he is by making the Chase. He did not win yet this year, and he needs to win. If he can do that and place himself as a threat, and happen to win the championship or be one of the top three guys, it will be an upset. It’s a good opportunity for him to show what he’s made of and experience what it’s like to run for a championship.”

About NASCAR on ESPN:

ESPN and ESPN on ABC have comprehensive, multi-platform coverage featuring telecasts of the final 17 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races including the 10-race “Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup” championship on ESPN on ABC. Additionally, ESPN2 is the home of the NASCAR Busch Series all season. For the first time in the history of televised motorsports, all programming is produced totally in High Definition. ESPN’s comprehensive, multimedia NASCAR coverage extends to ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes, ESPN Deportes Radio, SportsCenter, ESPN The Magazine, ESPN Classic, ESPNEWS, ESPNRadio, ESPN360.com and ESPN International, among other ESPN platforms. ESPN aired 262 NASCAR Cup Races over a 20-year period starting in 1981. The network's award-winning, live flag-to-flag coverage on ESPN was honored with 17 Sports Emmy Awards, as well as many industry honors. It is widely credited for helping to popularize the sport nationwide. NASCAR races have appeared on ABC for decades, beginning with broadcasts on the award-winning Wide World of Sports program in the 1960s.

Source: ESPN

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