Heading for Daytona the DEI drivers are lookin’ good for the Chase

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

July 1, 2007 11:04 pm CDT 1 Comment

With strong runs Sunday at New Hampshire International Speedway Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr. are starting to look like locks for the Chase for the Nextel Cup. That’s bad news for Ryan Newman or Jamie McMurray.

Right now, ten of the top twelve in Nextel points are Chevys. The Roush Fords of Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards are solidly in the Chase, barring catastrophe. But even with nine playoff races to go, Newman is 127 points out of 12th while McMurray is 57 further back and they are chasing two of the hottest drivers on the circuit. That doesn’t give much hope to the non-bowtie brigade.

Trying to catch the red hot Truex and resurgent Earnhardt will be even tougher at Daytona International Speedway. DEI has been dominant in the past at the restrictor plate tracks. This week, the new engine co-developed by the alliance of Richard Childress Racing and DEI is supposed to debut in all six of those team’s cars. They might just get better.

Truex is showing big-time confidence ever since the announcement that Dale Jr. is leaving DEI. But I won’t be surprised if it’s the #8 with the checker this week.

Picture credit: Beth Anne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Martin Truex Jr., Nextel Cup Series, Ryan Newman

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Comments

One Response to “Heading for Daytona the DEI drivers are lookin’ good for the Chase”

michael on July 2nd, 2007 6:11 am

You can say that again!!

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