The News Desk

With two races to go before the Chase for the Cup we head to California.  This will once again be a pivitol weekend for some drivers in the chase.  Most notably those near the cutoff point.  We have a driver that is making a lot of noise headed to the chase.  David Ragan, driver of the number 6 AAA Ford, has put on an impressive show.  In the last seven races he has five top tens and sits just 12 points out of the top 12.  Ragan has run well on tracks 1.5 - 2 miles.  Although his success at California Speedway hasn't been dramatic, his three starts have resulted in three top 20's and he has a driver rating of 77.4 at California. 

Clint Bowyer will be looking in his rearview mirror to see if Ragan is there to take him out of the top twelve.  Bowyer hasn't had great success at California, in five career starts he has one top five, two top tens with an average finish of 12.4.  Bowyer needs to have a very solid run to keep his hope of a place in the chase alive. 

Denny Hamlin is another driver who needs a solid run the next two weeks and California isn't a good track for him.  In five career starts Hamlin has one top ten.  More importantly in the last few weeks the FedEx team has struggled.  They don't look poised to make a run for the chase, let alone a championship. 

There are a couple of drivers that can clinch their berth in the chase this weekend.  Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Junior can both clinch if they finish 40th or better, they will not a problem.  Jeff Burton has a chance to clinch if he finishes 15th or better, he should. 

Probably the most curious thing that still hangs in the air is the fact the Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart still don't have a win this season.  Both of them have run well enough to get a win, just hasn't happened yet, and may not and that would be a shame.  Will either one of them get the win this weekend?  I doubt it. 

I don't see how you can look past Carl Edwards or Kyle Busch to pick up a victory this weekend.  They are just on top of their game and appear to be unstoppable.   I think that my pick of Kyle Busch will once again thwart his attempt to run-away with the Chase, so I will once again put my reputation on the line and ensure that Kyle Busch will not pick up anymore bonus points by picking him to win the race this weekend.  (Carl Edwards you can reach out to show your appreciation to me at sam@racereportradio.com)