Avoid at the top: four-time champion failed to make the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup for one simple reason: He can't count on his cars

Some teammates work together better than others. Several times this year, a Roush driver leading a race slowed down to let a teammate temporarily take the lead and get a five-point bonus. At the other end of the spectrum of drivers in the Chase is Penske Racing. Its drivers, Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman, might as well not even be teammates. Rounding out the Chase drivers, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson and Jeremy Mayfield all have teammates who failed to qualify for the Chase. and Matt Kenseth--do in the Chase? They won't cooperate as much as they have been, at least not on the track. Think of it like this: If Roush drivers were college students, they would study together. But once the exam starts, it's every man for himself. "When you get on the track," Kenseth says, "if you're going to do something that might help Greg, but it's going to cost me--I'm not going to do that, and he's not going to do that either."--M.C.

Turn, turn, turn

Cars are fast, and then they're not. Cars are slow, and then they're not. Nextel Cup racing is nothing if not cyclical, this season perhaps more than others. Jeff Gordon. Top five finishes in the first 10 races: five. Since then: zero.

Matt Kenseth. Top five finishes in the first 14 races: zero. Since then: six.

Tony Stewart. In the first 12 races, he had four finishes of eighth or better. He currently has 12 straight top eight finishes.

Elliott Sadler. Sat third in points. after 16 races. His best finish since then: 12th.

How they've done

If histiry is an indicator, Jimmie Johnson will win the championship
this season. Of the drivers in the Chase, he has the best career
avarage finish at the remaining 10 tracks.

                     Average
                      finish      30    25    20    15    10    5    1

   Tony Stewart     102 starts                                   11.8
    Greg Biffle     44 starts                                    20.0
  Rusty Wallace     281 starts                                   15.3
 Jimmie Johnson     59 starts                                    11.5
     Kurt Busch     77 starts                                    17.1
    Mark Martin     254 starts                                   14.1
Jeremy Mayfield     154 starts                                   21.6
   Carl Edwards     16 starts                                    19.3
   Matt Kenseth     90 starts                                    17.3
    Ryan Newman     61 starts                                    15.9

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