Ladies and Gentlemen, NASCAR finally has a Chase

KANSAS CITY, KS - OCTOBER 06: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, climbs from his car after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 13th Annual Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 6, 2013 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KS - OCTOBER 06:  Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, climbs from his car after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 13th Annual Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 6, 2013 in Kansas City, Kansas.  (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 06: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, climbs from his car after an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 13th Annual Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 6, 2013 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

For awhile it appeared that Matt Kenseth was going to run away with NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.  After winning five races throughout the course of NASCAR’s first 26 races then adding two more in the first two rounds of the ten race Chase, it looked like it might be a runaway for Kenseth.

In his first season with Joe Gibbs Racing Kenseth the 2003 champion, who many say is the reason NASCAR invented the Chase after he ran away from the field in 2003, was on a tear throughout the regular season and into the start of the Chase.  But after a seventh place run at Dover followed by a 11th place finish Sunday at Kansas Speedway Kenseth finds his lead in the standings at only three points.

It could have been worse for Kenseth. Sunday Kenseth was running in the top five but a speeding penalty during pit stops sent him to the rear of the field in 30th place. As he tried to move forward, Kenseth seemed to have lost the handling on his Toyota causing him to tell his crew that it was the “evil-est” car he had ever raced. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.