Several drivers on bubble for the Chase

When the Chase for the NASCAR championship field is finally locked up, Mark Martin might not be in it.

His title hopes are held together by a slim 32-point margin. If Martin falters, it could mean the veteran driver will never win that elusive championship.

Tony Stewart, who wrecked his primary car during Friday’s practice at Richmond (Va.) International Speedway, must depend on his backup for just the fourth time in his career. If that car is junk, the two-time series champion might not get a chance to defend his Nextel Cup title.

Jeff Burton, in the midst of a career resurgence that has also returned Richard Childress Racing to prominence, could see his comeback season spoiled with a bad run tonight.

Yes, the final Chase qualifier lacks the panache of the previous two years. But as Kasey Kahne tries to race his way into the Chase, a handful of “bubble” drivers still have plenty to lose.

Denny Hamlin, seventh in the Chase standings, won the pole for tonight’s race. Stewart, who needed almost the entire qualifying session to get his backup car through inspection, was the last car to attempt his lap and ended up a disappointing 40th.

Kahne, the only driver mathematically eligible to race his way in, sits 30 points out of contention.

Busch Series

Kevin Harvick made it three straight Busch Series victories on the Richmond (Va.) track, and moved closer to clinching his second series championship.

Harvick led five times for 154 laps in his sixth victory of the season and has a 619-point lead with just seven races left on the schedule. That means he could skip three of them entirely and still have the lead.

The victory in the Emerson 250 was the 23rd of Harvick’s Busch career, fourth all-time, and the fourth of his career on the .75-mile, D-shaped oval.

He has 25 top-10 finishes in 28 Busch races this season.

Greg Biffle finished second, Matt Kenseth was third.