The talk is similar to the month leading up to the NCAA basketball tournament, but instead of bubble teams, it's all about bubble drivers.

Only the top 12 drivers in the Nextel Cup standings after the Sept. 8 race at Richmond qualify for the 10-race Chase for the championship, and 2004 champion Kurt Busch currently resides in 12th place with four races left before the cutoff.

Busch trails 11th-place Martin Truex Jr. by 58 points and is 96 points ahead of Penske Racing teammate Ryan Newman, who is 13th. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is 14th, four points behind Newman.

"We're in the hunt for the Chase and each week it feels like we're getting closer and closer to moving into that 12th spot," Newman said Tuesday.

Bubble drivers use Matt Kenseth's remarkable 2005 rally for inspiration. After Watkins Glen, Kenseth was 16th and 165 points out of the 10th and final Chase qualifying spot. Four weeks later, he was eighth.

Wallace leaves team

Kenny Wallace stepped down Tuesday as the driver for Denver's Furniture Row Racing team.

Scott Wimmer will try to qualify the No. 78 Chevrolet this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, but two-time Daytona 500 champion Sterling Marlin, 50, will be in town Friday to have a seat fitted for him to possibly be the team's regular driver for the rest of this season.

Wallace will remain with the team as a consultant and could be called upon to run races as needed. Wallace, however, will also be allowed to drive for other teams.

Team manager Joe Garone said in a released statement, "Kenny has been the perfect driver for us as we have looked to his veteran experience during our first year and half in the Cup Series."

The Furniture Row team has been outside the top 35 in owners' points and has had to qualify on time all season. Wallace has qualified twice in the past 10 races. Rain canceled qualifying both times and the No. 78 made the field on qualifying attempts.

He was 44th in the point standings, with his best finish coming at the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, when he finished 21st. He started sixth twice, at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega and the Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington.

Drivers' feud simmers

Juan Pablo Montoya's on-track confrontation with Kevin Harvick at Watkins Glen on Sunday was highlighted from coast to coast.

Harvick claimed Montoya caused the wreck on Lap 72. Montoya said it was not his fault.

"You don't want to be on Sports Center for things like that, but I'm pretty happy with the way I behaved," Montoya said during a Sirius Radio interview.

"I'm not going to tell you all the things he (Harvick) told me. I don't think it's got anything to do with the racing actually. You know, when somebody disrespects you personally, then you do have an issue. I mean, you've just got to stand up for yourself."

Harvick responded on Tony Stewart's radio show.

"It just makes me mad because . . . he doesn't care about anybody who races in the series."

Pit stops

• Doug Randolph replaces Paul Andrews as crew chief of Bobby Labonte's No. 43 Dodge for Petty Enterprises. Kyle Petty, who broke his hand Sunday in the garage after blowing an engine, saw an orthopedic specialist Tuesday, and his driving status hasn't been determined.

• Kyle Busch, Kurt's younger brother, agreed to a three-year contract to drive the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet. He will replace J.J. Yeley next season.

bentonj@RockyMountainNews.com

Back to Top