I'm glad to see that almost 70% of the general traffic so far to participate in the NASCAR.COM site thinks that Dale Jr will remain in competition to the chase. With the great 4th place finish at Daytona last night, it pushed Junior to 11th in the points standings 57 points behind Greg Biffle in the 10th place of the Sprint Cup Standings. With 8 races left in the chase, there is still a lot of racing to go. I think that the #88 team has many good races left this season and will make the chase. To win the championship they need wins, not just good finishes. But I guess with good finishes that puts you in position to win the championship and that's why the chase format is fun.
Chicago:
Junior knows how to win at Chicago, which he did in 2005. He last two outings to Chicago were 15th and 16th which is around his average for this track. An improvement on this finish would continue to propel the points standing forward.
Indianapolis:
Junior's record on this track is unreliable. They did start 3rd in last years race, but had a 36th place finish due to an engine failure. So if the car's engine is in better shape this year and its fast, hopefully a good finish can be the result of this. His best finish was 6th back in 2006. So he can get around this track if given a fast car.
Pocono:
In the last race here Junior started 3rd. His finish of 19th was not a result of a slow car, but never getting the track position needed. His car was equivalent to the leaders, but could not get up front. With 5 Top 5s at this track, hopefully a good finish can be the result of this experience.
Watkins Glen:
Although not known for his road racing ability, Junior can finish well at this track. He has won there in the Nationwide Series and started 2nd in the 2008 race. He only has two finishes of 3rd and 5th, but he has led 46 laps at this track and certainly knows how to get around it.
Michigan:
Junior has one win at this track. Detractors say that it was a fuel mileage race, but he was out front when they called the race. Junior knows how to get around in the front having led 173 laps here and finished in the top 5 - 4 times. The last two outings were a 7th and 3rd place finish.
Bristol:
Junior won here in 2004. 743 Laps lead and 7 top 5 here. His last two appearances at this track end up with a 7th and 9th place. This is a track that given a good car he can win at. Who doesn't love Saturday night races anyway!
Atlanta:
Junior won the Pole in the earlier race this year but only managed a 15th place finish due to some poor changes late in the race. This race is right up there with Bristol. 1 Win and 8 Top 5s at this track. 632 laps led, so if the #88 team can get a good car out there, it'll be another fun race to watch.
Richmond:
At all the upcoming races Junior has won the most with 3 at this track. His past 3 races at this track have been very dismal with 21st being the best finish. The cars are looking better this year, so lets see if we can find those good finishes and wins at this track again. It would be a cap on a good season if Junior can finish in the Top 12 in the point standings after this race.
I think Junior has a very good chance of making the chase this year, and if he can pull of a slew of wins during the chase, he can win the Championship. He is capable of winning more than once a year, with 6 in 2004. He is capable of winning in the Charlotte through Phoenix run of the Chase. It's turning out to be an exciting 2010 season! Making the Chase and perhaps getting a win would solidify Junior's place in NASCAR.
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