My Predictions Looking Solid, Plus Rookies and Owners Points Headed To Phoenix and Homestead

Coming into the November 11, 2012 - 25th Annual AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, AZ (312 Miles) (312 Laps), I am taking a look at a few other point contests aside from the driver standings battle. 

I spend a moment in terse review of Rookie of the Year, the manufacturers contest, a crew chief battle (?), and, despite next year's new qualifying rules for 2013, the top-35 in owners points will still matter in the first few races of the year.  (And there is really no contest here but I take a peek anyway.  Inquiring minds and such.)

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My Prediction

A while back (mid to late September), I made a vague prediction that this contest for the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Championship and the Chase for the Cup would come down to the following three guys and barring mechanical issues, I might have been 3 for 3 on this one:

Jimmie Johnson

Brad Keselowski

Denny Hamlin

All based on how they performed in the first 26 races of the season.  Plus, it seems that wild-cards are going to remain wild-cards... for now.

I like seeing Kes up there keeping JJ on his toes.  The only thing that makes me nervous is how Kes has driven at times, in the past.  I start to fret that he will drive straight through Johnson during one of the many laps between now and the final lap at Homestead, locking it up for himself.

I'm not accusing him of being like Carl... but Brad is pretty aggressive and won't back down.  Heck, last weekend, those last few laps at Texas saw paint being traded and smoke spitting from angry tire rubs between these two.

Regardless, it should be exciting.  At least right now it is.  (I think I heard that Brad has to finish approx. 4 spots in front of Johnson in both of the next two races...(barring bonus points)  and I'm not sure anyone is finishing in front of Johnson at PHOE.)

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES TOP 12 In Points

Driver	Points	Wins
1 - Jimmie Johnson	2339	(5)
2 - Brad Keselowski	2332	(5)
3 - Clint Bowyer	2303	(3)
4 - Kasey Kahne	2281	(2)
5 - Matt Kenseth	2267	(3)
6 - Jeff Gordon	2267	(1)
7 - Denny Hamlin	2266	(5)
8 - Tony Stewart	2259	(3)
9 - Martin Truex Jr	2259	(0)
10 - Greg Biffle	2256	(2)
11 - Kevin Harvick	2238	(0)
12 - Dale Earnhardt Jr	2188	(1)

 

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Going into Phoenix this weekend, I suspect that the Rookie of the Year title could very well be a moot statistic with Stephen Leicht having settled into a solid spot.  And that's with 14 starts, versus Wise's 28 starts.  Ouch!

SUNOCO ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Driver	Points
Stephen Leicht	97
Josh Wise	73

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And as always, it would seem that Chevy has their Manufacturer title wrapped up.

 

MANUFACTURERS' CHAMPIONSHIP
Manufacturer	Points	Wins
Chevrolet	231	13
Toyota	201	10
Ford	167	6
Dodge	149	5

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But Crew Chief of the year is still anyone's grab!  Wait... what?  It's one of the charts that press members receive.  Not sure how this works...  here's what I found on it (Awarded per race to the crew chief that demonstrates the best qualifying and race effort. At the end of the season, the crew chief with the most DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race awards receives the special award.)

 

DIRECTV CREW CHIEF OF THE YEAR AWARD

Car#

Points

Darian Grubb

11

6

Matt Puccia

16

6

Dave Rogers

18

5

 

As far as owners points go, there's such a huge gap from 35th to 36th, (in points and starts) & there's very little news going on here.  In previous years this coveted spot was important because of how qualifying needed to depend on these points.  Now the points are only useful for the first handful of races in the next year.   And these points are spread pretty far apart.  I don't know for sure, but I think this point spread is a function of the new points system.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES OWNER LEADERS
Race #34: 8TH ANNUAL AAA TEXAS "500" Race Date: 11/4/2012

POS	Car #	Owner	Points	Starts	Wins	Top5	Top10	Attempts
30	38	BRAD JENKINS	586	34	0	0	0	34
31	13	BOB GERMAIN	575	34	0	0	0	34
32	83	THOMAS UEBERALL	562	34	0	0	0	34
33	10	TOMMY BALDWIN	482	34	0	0	0	34
34	32	FRANK STODDARD JR.	471	34	0	0	0	34
35	36	ALLAN HEINKE	397	34	0	0	0	34
36	21	GLEN WOOD	325	15	0	0	2	15
37	33	RICHARD CHILDRESS	244	25	0	0	0	34
38	30	KEVIN BUCKLER	222	27	0	0	0	34
39	98	MIKE CURB	190	31	0	0	0	34
40	26	JERRY FREEZE	161	29	0	0	0	34

 

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That's all that's on my mind at the moment.  Thoughts?

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