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Chase for Sprint Cup not a three-man race

Biffle
Ap

Matt Kenseth has Chase perfection. Kyle Busch nailed the runner-up finishes. And no driver can touch the championship pedigree of Jimmie Johnson.

Led by Kenseth, the top three drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship standings have started to separate themselves from the rest of the field with eight races remaining.

But is the list of contenders set? Have only three drivers out of the 13-car field emerged as the favorites to win the championship?

Not so fast.

Carl Edwards is lurking in fourth, and Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick have certainly stamped themselves as drivers who can win races and wrest the top spot away from Kenseth.

“I can’t imagine with eight races to go that somebody would be willing to say, ‘Oh, this is a three-man race,’ ” Biffle said.

As the Chase shifts to Dover today, the field knows time is running short to widen the list of contenders. They’ll need that perfect blend of strong finishes and the hope that Kenseth blows an engine or Busch and Johnson wreck. Anything that takes the top drivers out of the checkered flag chase.

Kenseth, a two-time winner at Dover who has a series-high seven wins this season, leads Busch by 14 points and Johnson by 18. Edwards (36 back), Biffle (38), and Harvick (39) are still in the mix.

Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne round out the field. For some perspective, Kahne is 71 points behind Kenseth, more than a full race behind the leader.

Nationwide Series

Joey Logano, starting from the pole, won again at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, taking the checkered flag in the track’s Nationwide Series race for the fourth straight time.

Kyle Larson was second, followed by Kevin Harvick, Brian Vickers and Elliott Sadler. Points leader Sam Hornish Jr. was 17th.

Trucks Series

Timothy Peters raced to his second NASCAR Truck Series victory of the year and seventh overall, pulling away on a late restart at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Johnny Sauter was second, followed by Miguel Paludo, Ty Dillon and Darrell Wallace Jr.