Going for the Championship
By: Andy Kondratick
When you take a look at the standings you can't help but have a smile slide across your face as you gaze at the history that could be made at the end of this season. Will Jeff Gordon get his fifth championship? Can Rookie Jimmy Johnson or Ryan Newman be the first ever to win the ROTY and Winston Cup championship all in the same year? Will Rusty make his big come back and win his second championship? All of these are good questions and all of them can become the answer. Yes it is possible. Mark Martin is certainly trying to get out of his slump. If you want to call finishing third or second in the standings a slump. Matt Kenseth is looking at his first championship also along with Martin and they could help their team owner, Jack Roush, be the first owner to win the Busch Series championship and Winston Cup championship in the same year. Now, how is that for some history making. As long as Biffle holds up his end of course.
Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd are down right now but certainly not out. Elliott still has every shot in the world as does Ricky but to be reasonable, the Dodge camp in general has fallen off and I think it will take some change in order for Elliott to keep gaining on the rest. I am a faithful Dodge owner and it really pains me to say that but just as painful is Ricky Rudd chances of reaching the championship. With all the termoil in his crew, leaving at the end of the year, and the way both Yates teams fell down here at the end of the year, I don't see how it can be possible. Stranger things have happened though.
Sterling Marlin led the points for most of the year and is still in a position to win this thing. He has been the strongest and most consistent out of the Dodge drivers and his team seems to really have a handle on the cars. He is his own worst enemy. Still, this year for Sterling has got to be his best by far and he seems to be enjoying his success.
That leaves me with my pick for the Winston Cup Championship this year. Tony Stewart is only 36 points out of first right now and has the experience to make his presence known. The few remaining races left are all about Tony. They are all tracks he has done well at such as Phoenix, Atlanta, Homestead and just about all the rest of them. After all his trouble this year his best motivator right now is payback. To show all the critics and bad wishers that he took the shots and could still rise to the occasion. Stewart is ready to be a Winston Cup Champion. He thought his chances were over but these past few weeks everything came back into focus and I feel he will go on and win the championship this year. This has been just one man's opinion.
September 30, 2002 -
This year in NASCAR has been one wild ride. That is putting it lightly. With only seven races left on the Winston Cup schedule we are looking at the closest point chase that NASCAR has ever seen. The excitement for the fans is at an all time high and the drivers are all still feeling confident about their chances of winning the championship. Now it is true that most of them don't stand a chance but for the top 10 to still be numerically eligible at this point in the season; that is an amazing feat all in its self.