We're in the heart of the Chase now, and it's time to start making some projections on who's up, who's down, who's charging and who's fading. Stop us if you've heard this before.
Standings (movement): Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya (+1), Kurt Busch (+1), Tony Stewart (+1), Denny Hamlin (-3), Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon (+2), Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers (-2), Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne.
Movin' on up: Jimmie Johnson closed the gap between second and first to 10 points, and there's nobody now who thinks that Johnson isn't one of the favorites to win this whole shebang. Also, when's it going to be time to start taking JPM and Kurt Busch seriously? Both are staying in the hunt and don't look to be fading just yet.
Bottoming out: Denny Hamlin fell three spots, a not-unexpected drop considering how much he hates Dover. Of more concern is Brian Vickers, who may have hit his peak just getting into the Chase, and Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne, who don't seem to be clicking at all.
Outlook: It's not yet closing time, of course, but if anybody south of Hamlin is going to catch Jimmie and Mark, it'd be time to start now. Tony Stewart is sweating a lot more than he has all season, and Jeff Gordon is in constant catch-up mode now. The 48 is clicking, and that should be of concern to everybody else.
All right, your turn. What's your take on how the Chase is progressing? Go!
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