Who will win the Cup?

Well, lets break it down into teams...Hendrick Motorsports gets Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch into the chase 3 of its 4 drivers, Joe Gibbs gets bids with Tony Stewart Denny Hamlin, and Clint Bowyer all three of his drivers. Richard Childress gets two of three drivers in with Chevrolets: Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. Martin Truex is the lone man at DEI making it in the chase as the 9th Chevy. For Ford we have teammates Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards for Roush Fenway racing, and making the lone Dodge appearance for Penske we have Kurt Busch. Just from this information and not knowing the races of the year its obvious Chevy has been dominant, but look at the season totals and they have been the dominant race winner as well. I think it's safe to say that the winner is going to be driving a chevy, just because of the technology and their ability to get information from each other. So im ruling out Kurt Bush, Edwards and Kenseth. I also think that You're going to have to be from a multicar team to win and I think that the pool of information there is going to be a key factor, but now that its "play off" time there is going to be a bit more of Every man for himself. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is bound to be a spoiler in the Chase as he is going to be the front runner of the non chase drivers, and if he can ever hold an engine together for a whole race i look for him to get a win or two in the rest of the season. Earnhardt is wanting to go out with a bang from DEI, and He's gonna give it all he has like he has all season. So far on the track he hasn't been in position to give Truex much help and I don't think that's gonna change. Truex is slated to be DEI's lead guy next year and they are bound to push him, but I'm counting him out for his lack of experience in the Cup series compared to the other drivers, and because he's the only one car team in it for Chevy. Richard Childress has a decent chance, but they have a deal to contine supplying engines and chasis to DEI, so I think they are a level playing surface with DEI, and we see how the engines have worked out, so I think Harvick and Burton will be competitive but in the end will fall short from what it takes. Gibbs now fielding all three of his cars into the Chase has a good chance...EXCEPT for the fact he's got a lot of work to do to start preparing for the switch to Toyota next year. I know he wants to make the switch as seemless as possible and I know he wants to have all the preparation done to have the Toyotas running up front by the Daytona 500 which means he's going to have to start now. Stewart, Hamlin, and Bowyer may even start testing some Toyota's before the end of the season. Gibbs has always been strong and obviously Tony Stewart is but I'm afraid the upcoming switch in car makes might take away from the rest of the season. I'll say out of Gibbs Tony has a chance to make a top 3 in the Chase. As for Hendrick, they have dominated everything this year, and as much as I am not a fan of Gordon or Johnson and especially Kyle Busch, I can't knock their talent...well Gordon's and Johnon's at least. I don't believe Kyle Busch will make the top 6 at the end of the year I believe his ousting from Hendrick along with his still immature attitude will play a role in him not being able to make something out of being in the Chase. So that leaves Gordon and Johnson. With Johnson winning Richmond it gives him six wins compared to Jeff's 5 so Johnson will start the Chase 10 points ahead of Gordon. Those ten points will not decide the Chase, and even the 60 points back to Clint Bowyer starting in 12th since he didn't win at all yet this year will not decide the Chase. Johson is a previous Champion winner, but still no active driver is going to compare to the experience of Jeff Gordon. Henrick has had the most solid cars and program week in and week out and also a lot of luck. I believe that will continue and I look for it to be a shootout between Gordon and Johnson, and I do believe Gordon is going to take it. Johson and Stewart will finish second and third respectively Jeff Burton will grab 4th, Hamlin about 5th and Kyle Busch will luck his way into 6th. Kenseth will pick up 7th and Martin Truex will get 8th Edwards will come in 9th and Kurt Busch will round out the top ten. Clint Bowyer will advance to eleventh and Kevin Harvick will be the victim of bad luck and come in 12th. Jr. will win at least once probably at Talladega and will clinch the award for getting 13th the highest spot outside the chase, and that's how they'll all go to New York in December.

Well, I'm a Dale Earnhardt Jr fan and I'm a bit disappointed that he didn't make the Chase this year. Let's hope that he has better luck at Hendrick next year! As for winning the Chase this year, I think it will come down to Gordon and Johnson battling it out. After all Hendrick has been the team to beat this year so it wouldn't surprise me if that happened.