With just seven races left in the season, pretty much nothing has been decided. (Well, except that Kyle and Junior aren't winning.) So we continue with our Chase Watch series, breaking down who's up, who's down and who's on the way out.
Standings (movement): Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya, Tony Stewart (+1), Kurt Busch (-1), Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon (+1), Greg Biffle (+1), Ryan Newman (-2), Carl Edwards (+1), Kasey Kahne (+1), Brian Vickers (-2).
Who's up: Somewhere in the midst of all that sponsorship gunk up there -- somebody count the number of different companies represented -- is Tony Stewart, who won the race and tightened up the Chase hunt once again. Not too many positions changed hands, but the distance between Martin/Johnson and everybody else isn't quite so vast anymore. And once again, Smoke looks like a legit championship contender. Gordon and Biffle also moved up in the hunt, and while both are a long way from the Cup, both are also proving that they've still got some game.
Who's down: Brian Vickers is pretty much toast at this point, but he's got nothing to hang his head about. Kahne and Edwards needed a big move this weekend to get themselves back in the mix, and neither one did so. And Newman's low finish probably doomed whatever chances he might have had at making any noise this year.
Outlook: Martin and Johnson remain the favorites, but they're not prohibitive like they were as recently as Saturday. And all it'll take is an unfortunate wreck at the wrong time to change the total complexion of this Chase. It's still anyone's race.
All right, your turn. After Kansas, who's your pick to win the Chase?
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