1. Jimmie Johnson — Johnson finally broke through and was victorious in his first race since Richmond in May. He now leads all drivers with five wins, and, should the Chase start now, Johnson would start with a 10-point lead over Jeff Gordon.
"It was great to come home to California," says Johnson, "and see all of the great fans of NASCAR in this great state. I just wish they would have been at the track."
2. Jeff Gordon — On lap 179, Gordon got loose and spun Jeremy Mayfield, who then clipped David Reutimann and Ricky Rudd. Gordon came to rest in the infield, and eventually finished 22nd. Gordon still holds a handy, if meaningless, 317 lead in the points.
"I've been spending so much time in the infield lately," says Gordon, "that I feel like I should be sitting atop a camper drinking myself into oblivion. But, luckily, it really doesn't matter to me. I've got such a huge points lead that I've really got nothing to race for. That's why I suggest a slight change in the Chase format when the points are reset. For every 100 increment that the leader holds in the points, he should be given 10 bonus points."
3. Carl Edwards — Pushing for his second-straight win, Edwards couldn't run down Johnson at California and had to settle for second place. What could have been Edwards' third win of the year instead was Johnson's fifth, meaning Johnson will likely start the Chase with a 10-point cushion.
"Two wins in a row and I would have been like Michael Waltrip," says Edwards. "On fire. Burn, baby, burn. Toyo inferno. Seriously, I'm just glad Michael made it out okay and will live to do more commercials and model silly footwear on Nextel Cup Live."
4. Tony Stewart — Stewart led a lackluster Joe Gibbs Racing effort, finishing 13 along with Denny Hamlin's 19th and J.J. Yeley's 29th. The biggest news out of the Gibbs' camp was the announcement that their cars would run Toyota engines in 2008.
"You know, I'm sick of these announcements that don't involve me," says Stewart. "First, there was the news that Kyle Busch would be joining the team. Then, I hear that we're dropping Chevy for Toyota. What's next? Is Joe Gibbs going to start coaching the Dallas Cowboys?"
5. Kurt Busch — Busch finished ninth in the Sharp AQUOS 500 in California, and moved up one spot in the points to tenth with a spot in the Chase all but clinched. He needs only to finish 36th or better at Richmond to ensure his spot.
"No problem," says Busch. "I could even pull that off with Stevi Wonder as my spotter."
6. Denny Hamlin — Hamlin finished 19th in California, one lap down, but his Chase ticket had already been punched. So, he's looking forward to the Chase, but not necessarily to next year, when he'll be the voice of reason among temperamental teammates Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch.
"With emphasis on the 'mental' part," says Hamlin. "I can see these two banging heads and me getting stuck in between. They'll make the Rusty Wallace/Ryan Newman relationship look like a love affair."
7. Matt Kenseth — Kenseth started 36th, but worked his way up to the second position by lap 23, making a sweep of the California races this season a distinct possibility. However, with track and air temperatures factoring into grip and tire wear, handling problems became a race-long issue. Constant adjustments allowed the No. 17 Roush Fenway Chevy to come home in seventh.
"It's nice to come away from California with a top-10 finish," says Kenseth, "but we were looking for something a bit more substantial — a tan."
8. Kyle Busch — The younger Busch outdid his older brother in California, finishing third for his sixth top-five finish of the year. Earlier in the week, Busch leaked the story of the Joe Gibbs move to Toyota.
"Look, my ears haven't been surgically altered," says Busch, "so I'm still blessed with the Busch family jackrabbit ears. I don't need to be told things; I hear them."
9. Martin Truex, Jr. — Truex scored his 10th top-10 of the year with a seventh in California. He now sits 10th in the points, and clinches his place in the Chase by simply starting Saturday in Richmond.
"I guess Dale, Jr. is on the outside looking in," says Truex. "But all hope is not lost. He's only 128 points behind Kevin Harvick in 12th place. Sure, he'll need Harvick to crash early, but I've noticed Dale getting chummy with Juan Pablo Montoya lately. If we see Harvick and Montoya shadow-boxing in Richmond on Saturday night, Dale could be in luck, assuming he wins the race."
10. (tie) Clint Bowyer/Kevin Harvick/Jeff Burton — Bowyer can clinch a spot in the Chase by just starting Saturday night in Richmond, while Harvick will have to work a bit harder to qualify for the 12-man field, needing a result of 32nd or better. Burton is in no matter what.
"I can finish 32nd in my sleep," says Harvick, "assuming Juan Pablo Montoya doesn't appear in my dream. I guess then it would become a nightmare. Then we could slug it out in a dream state, which would have the same result as our real fight — no one getting hurt."
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