NASCAR: Going to California (Inside the Game from Bet Jamaica)

[Dr. Jack]

NASCAR: Going to California


He's already locked up a spot in the 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup, but Matt Kenseth can push his way into first place in the driver standings this weekend with a third straight Nextel Cup victory when the circuit hits California Speedway for Sunday's Sony HD 500.

Kenseth is coming off victories in both the GFS Marketplace 400 and Saturday night's Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch finished second at Bristol, while Dale Earnhardt Jr., Scott Riggs, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Jeff Burton, and series points leader Jimmie Johnson rounded out the Top 10.

Kevin Harvick finished the Sharpie 500 back in 11th spot, Kasey Kahne was 12th, Greg Biffle was 19th, Tony Stewart was 22nd, and Mark Martin ended up way back in 28th.

Kenseth's victory reduced Johnson's lead in the standings to a mere seven points as the Chase for the Nextel Cup grows nearer. Kyle Busch jumped three spots in the standings with his second-place finish. Gordon, Hamlin, Burton, and Earnhardt Jr. also improved their position in the points race on the weekend. Stewart fell three spots in the standings to eighth with his result, while Martin plummeted six big spots to tenth place.

Here's how the 10 current Chase contenders sit in the standings heading into California:

01 - Jimmie Johnson - Leader (clinched spot in Chase)
02 - Matt Kenseth - 7 Points Behind Johnson (clinched spot in Chase)
03 - Kevin Harvick - 321 Points Behind Johnson
04 - Kyle Busch - 402 Points Behind Johnson
05 - Jeff Gordon - 408 Points Behind Johnson
06 - Denny Hamlin - 429 Points Behind Johnson
07 - Jeff Burton - 435 Points Behind Johnson
08 - Tony Stewart - 443 Points Behind Johnson
09 - Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 448 Points Behind Johnson
10 - Mark Martin - 450 Points Behind Johnson

And here are the three drivers below the cutoff who are not mathematically eliminated:

11 - Kasey Kahne - 90 Points Behind Martin
12 - Greg Biffle - 251 Points Behind Martin
13 - Carl Edwards - 261 Points Behind Martin

All other Nextel Cup drivers have no shot at getting into the Chase this season. Kurt Busch was eliminated after finishing 37th at Bristol on the weekend, while both Biffle and Edwards are likely to be dropped from the contenders' list after the Sony HD 500. Kahne needs a big result in California, and a poor result from one of the other drivers.

Kenseth won at California earlier in the season, taking the checkered flag in the Auto Club 500. Biffle and Kyle Busch won on the Fontana track in 2005, while Gordon and Elliott Sadler visited victory lane there in 2004. In fact, Gordon has three career victories at California Speedway (the others came in 1999 and 1997). Johnson, Martin, Kurt Busch, and Jeremy Mayfield are the only other active drivers with California victories.

Here are the press-time odds for each of the listed drivers to come out on top Sunday:

Vegas Odds to Win Sony HD 500

J Johnson --- 7/1
T Stewart --- 7/1
J Gordon --- 8/1
M Kenseth --- 8/1
K Kahne --- 10/1
G Biffle --- 12/1
J Burton --- 12/1
Kurt Busch --- 15/1
Kyle Busch --- 15/1
D Earnhardt Jr. --- 15/1
M Martin --- 15/1
K Harvick --- 18/1
D Hamlin --- 20/1
C Edwards --- 22/1
J McMurray --- 25/1
E Sadler --- 25/1
R Newman --- 30/1
B Vickers --- 30/1
C Mears --- 35/1
S Riggs --- 35/1
R Sorenson --- 40/1
C Bowyer --- 50/1
R Gordon --- 50/1
B Labonte --- 60/1
J Nemechek --- 60/1
D Jarrett --- 75/1
D Gilliland --- 75/1
M Truex Jr. --- 75/1
J.J. Yeley --- 75/1
Field --- 20/1

Here are the press-time odds for the contending drivers to come out on top this year:

Vegas Odds to Win Nextel Cup Championship

J Johnson --- 2/1
M Kenseth --- 9/2
K Harvick --- 5/1
J Gordon --- 11/2
T Stewart --- 11/2
D Earnhardt Jr. --- 7/1
D Hamlin --- 8/1
J Burton --- 9/1
Kyle Busch --- 10/1
M Martin --- 10/1
K Kahne --- 18/1
G Biffle --- 20/1
C Edwards --- 22/1

The 2006 Chase for the Nextel Cup begins on September 17 with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. The final race before the Chase begins is the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, which goes September 9 at Richmond International Raceway.

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