Who Will Win?
Gordon
Jeff Gordon: Jeff Gordon, with only three races remaining, finds himself in a need-to-win situation to keep his slim championship hopes alive. Competing at the track where he collected his only win thus far in 2009, combined with the strength the 24 car has shown of late – not to mention the fact you should never count out the four-time champion – I'm picking Jeff Gordon to sweep Texas. – Ricky Craven
Denny Hamlin: Were it not for a couple of pesky blown engines, Denny Hamlin would be right in the heart of this Chase. Since he's pin-balled between greatness and misery, and since he left half his engine in pieces at Talladega, he's due for a good run. Plus, he's had success at Texas, with five top-10s in eight races there. So there you go … not that it matters. – Jay Busbee
Greg Biffle: Being that Jimmie Johnson can coast from here on out, I figure the winner of the next three races will be about who's hungriest, and the winless Biffle has to be jonesing for a win. He's won at Texas before and has nothing but a win to race for, so why not? – Jay Hart
Three winless drivers to keep an eye on at Texas, by Ricky Craven
Craven
1. Juan Pablo Montoya … of all drivers without a 2009 win, has been most impressive. Montoya's improbable run through the first seven races of the Chase has been very entertaining, at times appearing the greatest challenger to defending champ Jimmie Johnson. The driver fourth in points has the speed and determination to pull off the win this weekend – the only thing missing in this outstanding 2009 effort.
2. Greg Biffle … has been hit or miss most of the year, but if a sweet spot exists for this team, its 1.5-mile tracks. Biffle was very impressive a month ago when he nearly won at Kansas. Like that track, Texas offers drivers several lanes to choose from through the turns. Biffle ran best on the high side of the track and performed better with two fresh tires as opposed to four. Watch for the same situation this weekend, with better results.
3. Carl Edwards … was a preseason pick by many to take this year's title – a reasonable prediction considering he won nine races in 2008. But the year-to-date results have been a bust, at least as it relates to the wins column. So why include the No. 99 in this week's drivers to watch? Because drivers cling to history, and Edwards has history on his side at this Texas track. Every driver has tracks he likes or dislikes, and the fact Carl has won three of his nine Sprint Cup series starts at Texas means he will more than likely enjoy the weekend.
Top story line
Johnson
• Will Jimmie Johnson earn enough points to put himself in a position to clinch a fourth-straight title next week at Phoenix? Johnson needs to leave Phoenix with a 162-point lead to clinch the title. He currently sits 184 points ahead of Mark Martin. Considering Phoenix is one of Johnson's best tracks, it stands to reason that if he leaves Texas above the 162-point barrier, the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be little more than a victory parade. – Jay Hart
• Is it over? Three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson has the largest points lead (184) with three races remaining since the creation of the Chase. Johnson is the only driver in position to control his own destiny; he needs to finish 10th or better in the final three events to secure title No. 4. In the first seven playoff races, Johnson finished seventh or better. Sure, the law of averages says he is due for a DNF, but you could have said that for the last 33 Chase races, because you have to go all the way back to 2006 to find the last time the 48 team finished outside the top 15 in a Chase race. – Ricky Craven
• All eyes will be on Kez. Look, let's be honest – assuming Jimmie Johnson can locate Texas Motor Speedway, he'll probably run away with the Chase. So we need to dig a little deeper into the field. And this weekend represents the first official start for Brad Keselowski as part of the Penske Racing team. Jet Ski runs in Sprint Cup with all kinds of baggage, and he's raising some eyebrows among the crustier vets of the circuit, so it'll be interesting to see how well he gets along with the field going forward. – Jay Busbee
From The Source
Brad Keselowski, on making his Penske Racing debut: "I think the biggest hurdle for me is to look around and see how everything works on the No. 12 Penske Dodge team. I need to be very observant and try to understand how we do things. There are a million little things that are going to be different. The most challenging part will be adjusting to how things are done, but I feel we are all up to the task."