BLOG: Darth Racer Returns

Jimmie Johnson won at Dover.

There’s a big surprise. He’d only done it seven other times, and by winning Sunday he passed guys with names like Pearson and Petty and Allison…you know, those pikers.

What he also did was start making those eerie breathing noises that Darth Vader used to make when he was about to pronounce something evil was headed for the rebels, like the Death Star.

Well, maybe he didn’t, but work with me here.

Matt Kenseth is certainly feeling and hearing that, as Five-Time crept within eight points of his championship lead with seven races left. It’s not like Kenseth ran bad at Dover; he finished seventh. But it wasn’t a lot of comfort when Johnson leads 243 laps and just kills you at the end.

Kyle Busch has to be shaking his head. He’s finished second, second and fifth in three races and still sits third, 12 points out. He was 14 off the lead when the green flag waved and finished fifth.

From there, it’s a few parsecs back to Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon, who trail Kenseth by 39 points each. That’s almost a full race in points, and they are hanging on like Luke Skywalker after dear old dad sliced his hand off in the third sequel.

Greg Biffle is 41 out, and that’s about as far as he can get behind and still have a chance at this thing come Homestead.

The rest? Stick a fork in them. Ryan Newman is 48 points back, Clint Bowyer 51 and Kurt Busch 55. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 57 out despite running second on Sunday, and Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne are just toast.

Well, Talladega looms and Martinsville as well, so it probably isn’t over all the way, but it’s getting there.

Johnson traditionally runs OK at Kansas, but Kenseth if flat-out spectacular. So is Biffle. Harvick and Gordon are pretty good. Plus, you’re just a broken hub away from going from the penthouse to somewhere near the outhouse at this juncture…just ask Cousin Carl.

Johnson did win at one of his best tracks, and he’s generally money at any of the Chase tracks, but Kenseth has been routinely strong and steady. Of course, they had engine woes at times this past year, so let’s not count on Title #2 just yet for Matty Ice.

Besides Johnson, the guy I’d keep an eye on is Kyle Busch. He’s never had two top-five finishes in the Chase before this year, and he has three of them in three races. One of the top two stumbles, and Rowdy will be on them like white on rice.