Dale Earnhardt Jr. is making a strong run toward the Chase. Credit: Autostock

Chase getting close as Chase gets closer

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Series points leader Jimmie Johnson and Sharpie 500 race winner Matt Kenseth on Saturday night became the first drivers to officially clinch a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup, and with only two races remaining until the 10-race playoff begins the pressure is mounting on 11th-place Kasey Kahne.

"We have [momentum] but it could be lost at any time," Kenseth said after his fourth victory of the season. "This is important for our guys to be operating at a championship level. I was worried about going to the Chase and not running well.

Jimmie Johnson became the first driver to clinch a berth in the Chase. Credit: Autostock

Race to the Chase After Bristol Pos. Driver +/- Behind 1. J. Johnson -- -- 2. M. Kenseth -- -7 3. K. Harvick -- -321 4. Ky. Busch +3 -402 5. J. Gordon +1 -408 6. D. Hamlin +2 -429 7. J. Burton +2 -435 8. T. Stewart -3 -443 9. D. Earnhardt Jr. +1 -448 10. M. Martin -6 -450 11. K. Kahne -- -540 12. G. Biffle -- -701 13. C. Edwards -- -711 Note: All others eliminated • Unofficial Standings, click here

"If we can go to the Chase [with momentum], we'll have a shot at the championship. A lot of teams are running awful good right now, and it sure feels good to win here. It's an unbelievable feeling."

Coupled with his victory at Michigan last week, Kenseth now has won two consecutive Cup races and is tied with Johnson and Kahne for the series lead with four wins.

With the 400-point barrier out the window, only the top 10 in points will make the Chase for the third consecutive season. Kahne entered Bristol only 49 points behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. and despite a 12th-place finish, Kahne lost significant ground in his quest for a spot in the top 10.

"There are so many good race teams right now," Kahne said. "We've got to figure out how to be better than them. We've got to finish in the top two or three in the next two races if we want to get in [the Chase] if nobody else has a bad race.

"I said two or three weeks ago that the 8 [Earnhardt] is not going to be the guy I'm going to pass [in the point standings]. I knew he was going to be good at Michigan; he was good there at the start of the year. He was good at California and Bristol and he's always good at Richmond.

"We're good everywhere, too," Kahne said. "We just need to put it together and have some real good races and see what everybody else does."

Kyle Busch posted a second-place finish Saturday night and moved up three spots to fourth in the point standings, while defending Cup champion Tony Stewart dropped three places to eighth after finishing 22nd.

"I wish I could have got to Kenseth," Busch said. "That would have been a heck of a show. I've got plenty of door dings out there and I'm not sure I could have done it clean.

"So I'm probably glad I didn't get there, really."

So how tight was the points race through 500 laps at Bristol?

Matt Kenseth celebrates at Bristol. Credit: CIA Stock Photo

Sharpie 500 Official Results Pos. Driver Start Make 1. M. Kenseth 4 Ford 2. Ky. Busch 19 Chevy 3. D. Earnhardt Jr. 40 Chevy 4. S. Riggs 23 Dodge 5. J. Gordon 13 Chevy 6. D. Hamlin 6 Chevy 7. C. Edwards 39 Ford 8. R. Newman 21 Dodge 9. J. Burton 2 Chevy 10. J. Johnson 18 Chevy • Complete Results, click here Victory LaneMatt Kenseth celebrates his Sharpie 500 victory at Bristol! Top FinishersBusch, Dale Jr, and Gordon talk about their race at Bristol Final lapsMatt Kenseth drives away from the field down the stretch Flying WheelJ.J Yeley involved in spin and Clint Bowyer loses front wheel Tire downKevin Harvick's front right tire goes down Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

• At Lap 150, Nos. 4-10 in the point standings were separated by 92 points, with Kyle Busch in 10th place only 72 points ahead of Kahne.

• One hundred laps later, Nos. 4-10 were separated by only 69 points, with Mark Martin holding a 71-point advantage on Kahne.

• With 100 laps remaining, the points race tightened to a mere 41 points between Nos. 4-10 -- while Kahne trailed 10th-place Tony Stewart by 88 points.

• In the end, Johnson, Kenseth and Harvick remained at the top of the heap, but the other seven drivers changed positions. Nos. 4-10 are separated by only 48 points.

Martin spent a majority of the race at least one lap down and suffered a six-spot drop in the standings, moving from fourth to 10th, 90 points ahead of Kahne. Martin was penalized early in the race for pitting outside his pit box and then crumpled the front clip after slamming into Scott Wimmer on a restart.

Martin leads all full-time drivers with 21 top-10 finishes in 40 starts at the .533-mile bullring, but he did not run a single lap in the top 10 under the lights. He eventually finished 28th, four laps down.

"We had a car good enough to get back and have a reasonable finish and recover and rebound," Martin said, "but it wasn't our night. I've got to take the blame for that one."

Burton, who led a race-high 263 laps, was dominating at times but while his car was strong it never got a late-race boost to hold the field at bay. He finished ninth and moved up two spots to seventh in points.

Meanwhile, Kenseth loomed and ultimately took the lead for the final time with about 100 laps remaining to complete the weekend sweep.

"It looked like we were going to be nothing for the No. 31 [Burton], but it looked like he got tight there at the end," Kenseth said.

Kenseth also chased down Kevin Harvick in the waning laps Friday night to win the Busch Series race. On Saturday night, Harvick finished 11th and remained third in the point standings.

Gordon, who failed to make the Chase last year, finished fifth and now is fifth in points and looks to be a lock to make a run at his fifth Cup championship.

"We had a great car at times," he said. "We just lost the handling there at the end. We just got way too tight.

"I'm probably just more frustrated that we weren't able to keep up with those front guys more than anything else."

Kenseth's Cup Series victory marked back-to-back wins in the Bristol night race. He is the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1987-88 to win consecutive night races at the track. Darrell Waltrip holds the record with three in a row in 1981-83.

Rookie Denny Hamlin finished sixth and moved to sixth in the point standings. His finished marked the 24th time at least one rookie has posted a top-15 finish this year.

"We didn't put a stretch on it," Hamlin said of the No. 11 Chevrolet. "We stayed in the top 10 and that's the key to keeping the car clean -- just make sure that you are in good track position.

"This team is gelling," he said. "When you talk about this Chase and everything, we're not backing our way in there. We're doing this because we're running well and that's the most important thing."

Kurt Busch, who won the inaugural Chase in 2004, officially was eliminated from contention. The No. 2 Dodge suffered transmission problems that resulted in a 37th-place finish. He is 14th in points.

Third-place Harvick is 219 points ahead of Kahne entering next week's race at Fontana. Any driver leading the 11th-place driver by 191 points after California is guaranteed a spot in the Chase. Only three drivers outside the top 10 are mathematically in the hunt for a berth in the Chase: Kahne (90 points out of 10th), Greg Biffle (-251) and Carl Edwards (-261).