NASCAR Tickets - The Chase Is on for 2010 Championship

August 24, 2010 by Stub_Hub

Sept. 19, 2010 is circled in red on the calendars of most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers. The Sept. 19 Cup race at Loudon marks the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, and the target is on Jimmie Johnson yet again this year as the driver to beat for the Cup championship. The final 10 races of the season will determine which driver takes the crown for the 2010 campaign, and it's up to some of NASCAR's elite to stop Johnson from snagging his fifth consecutive championship title.

Going into the Aug. 14 race at Michigan, all the usual suspects have snatched the top 12 spots for the Chase, though nothing is secure until after the Sept. 11 race at Richmond. Kevin Harvick is currently (as of Aug. 13) leading the pack in the Cup and is followed closely by Jeff Gordon at No. 2, Jeff Burton at No. 3, Kurt Busch at No. 4, Jimmie Johnson at No. 5, Denny Hamlin at No. 6, Kyle Busch at No. 7, Tony Stewart at No. 8, Carl Edwards at No. 9, Matt Kenseth at No. 10, Greg Biffle at No. 11 and Mark Martin at No. 12.

While these drivers have been consistent sellers of NASCAR tickets this season, the top 12 isn't finalized by any means for another month. Wild cards like Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya have been sneaking up the ranks and still have a shot at making the Chase, and right now it's drivers like Kenseth, Biffle and Martin who have everything to lose.

At this point in the season, it looks like the team to beat this year is Roush Fenway Racing. Roush's Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards are heating up going into the tail end of racing season, and all eyes are on Carl Edwards to post his first Cup win for the year - which would also mark his 50th career win split between NASCAR's three series.

Biffle and Kenseth are on the cusp of making the Chase in mid-August, but if they can post solid Top Five finishes at Michigan (Aug. 15), Bristol (Aug. 21), Atlanta (Sept. 5) and Richmond (Sept. 11) they'll make the cut and help make Roush Fenway a powerhouse in the Cup.

While Kevin Harvick has been leading in driver standings points for much of the season so far, the Cup is ultimately still Jimmie Johnson's to lose. Johnson is notorious for come-from-behind wins and he's a consistent front-runner in Cup races. Can Harvick keep his lead after the Chase begins or will the level playing ground allow Johnson to zoom into No. 1 yet again?

That's just one of the questions left to answer from the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Another storyline to follow going into the Chase is the emergence of Jeff Burton, who has snuck into Chase contention as a dark-horse competitor. Burton hasn't won a single race this year, yet his numerous Top Five and Top 10 finishes have helped him land a spot at the top of the pack going into mid-August.

For drivers like Clint Bowyer (No. 13), Ryan Newman (No. 14) and Jamie McMurray (No. 15), the next few races will determine the postseason for NASCAR's most popular series, and racing fans can find tickets to these races and more from StubHub.