Bobby Labonte hasn't scored a top-10 finish since Daytona. Credit: Autostock

Harvick, Labonte free-fall in Chase standings

Newman, Kahne, Martin jump two spots each at Fontana

FONTANA, Calif. -- And then there was one.

When the green flag flies at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, nine drivers will be battling for the final four positions in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Kevin Harvick has finished out of the top 15 in each of the last two weeks. Credit: Autostock

Unfortunately for Kevin Harvick and Bobby Labonte, they have become the outsiders looking in after disappointing runs in the Pop Secret 500.

After finishing 28th and 20th, respectively, Harvick and Labonte were supplanted in the standings by rookie Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin. Now, only 76 points separate drivers from positions eight through 15th.

Harvick was penalized the most by his performance, dropping seven positions in the standings to 15th. Fifty-six points behind 10th-place Martin may not be insurmountable, but Harvick has only two top-10 finishes at Richmond dating back to 2001.

"The car just got loose there at the end and I couldn't pick up any spots," Harvick explained. "We had a pretty good car all day and had good pit stops, but our motor just wasn't good.

"I'd get passed on the straightaways all night off the corners. That wasn't fun at all. It just really sucks that we fell out of the top 10, but hopefully we can get it all back in Richmond."

Labonte was clearly just as frustrated by his performance as Harvick.

POP SECRET 500 Victory Lane Elliott Sadler celebrates his second win of 2004 in the Pop Secret 500 Final Laps In a Texas flashback, Kahne chases Sadler to the checkers Dale Jr. Done Dale Jr. wrecks after sliding on Ken Schrader's oil Trouble at the Top Jeff Gordon's engine expires and Dale Jr. spins on Lap 219 Getting Loose Kurt Busch gets aero-loose and spins but avoids hitting traffic Two in the Grass As Biffle dodges a loose Spencer, he spins Shane Hmiel Biffle Blows a Tire Biffle blows a tire, damaging his car as well as the Nos. 24, 17 and 88 Early Trouble Yeley spins, collects Gaughan on Lap 33 •   Results •   Standings •   "Bubble" Standings •   "Clinch" Standings

"Obviously, that's not the result we wanted tonight. It was just a really frustrating night, because we couldn't get the car to do what we needed to do," Labonte said.

"We fell out of the top 10 and that's frustrating, but we've still got one more race to try and get back in (to the Chase). It's tough, but that's where we're at. We'll do our best to get back in at Richmond."

Outside pole-sitter Jeremy Mayfield had a strong car early on, leading for nine laps, but faded as the race went on. He eventually finished 16th, dropping him one position (to 14th) in the standings.

"Sixteenth ain't bad man, but what are you going to do?" Mayfield said after exiting his car. "It is a good thing that I am still in the hunt, but we have one more race to prove it."

Talk about having something to prove. Just three races ago Ryan Newman had slid back to 13th in the standings, but after his fifth-place run Sunday, he gained back two more positions and moved up to eighth.

"We're still as much on the bubble as we were before," Newman cautioned. "We're going to Richmond to win. We can still be 13th or 14th after Richmond, but we've got two shots now.

"We're eighth and 404 out of the lead, so if we can just finish in front of the points leaders we might still have a decent opportunity no matter how everybody else does eighth to 12th."

Newman may have the best shot at solidifying his position for the Chase, but Dale Jarrett, even after gaining a spot in the standings, seemed a bit wary about his chances.

"There's not much to talk about. You go to Richmond and do what you can do," Jarrett said after posting an eighth-place finish. "That's basically where we're at. We'll go and get as many points as we can there and see what shakes out.

"I'm sure at the end of the race they'll tell me where I'm at. If we're in the top 10, great. If not, we'll race for 11th and see what we can do."

Jarrett will go into Richmond trailing 10th-place Martin by 43 points.

Jeremy Mayfield led nine laps, but he faded to a 16th-place finish. Credit: Autostock

After starting the season dead-last in the points following the Daytona 500, Martin made his first appearance of the season in the top 10, and for his team, it couldn't have come at a better time.

"The real focus is on making the top 10," Martin said. "It's a dogfight to get in. We've been fighting an uphill battle. If we don't get in, we'll just go out and win some races."

Kahne finished just ahead of Martin, notching his fifth second-place finish of the season.

"We're ninth, so that's an improvement. We did what we needed to do here today," Kahne said. "It would have been nice to win, but second is darn good. We led some laps and got five points there. We'll go on to Richmond, keep all the fenders on it and hopefully finish in the top 10. Then we'll have a shot at making that top 10."

Back in May, Kahne finished 28th at Richmond after starting 39th.

So with just 400 laps to go before the field is set for the Chase for the Nextel Cup, the drivers who still have a shot at it -- especially Martin in 10th -- know one very important thing: "It's not over."