Wide-open Kansas next stop in wide-open Chase

Two races into the 2007 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and drama appears unceasing.

Expect another dose as the Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway and Sunday's LifeLock 400 (1 p.m. ET, ABC) -- the third Chase event.

Snarled standings set the stage: Miniscule margins -- a total of four points -- separate the top three drivers. Ten points divide the top four and only 18 separate the top-five drivers.

Official Standings

Pos.	Driver	Behind
1.	Jeff Gordon	--
2.	Tony Stewart	-2
3.	Jimmie Johnson	-4
4.	Kyle Busch	-10
5.	Clint Bowyer	-18
6.	Carl Edwards	-28
7.	Martin Truex Jr.	-46
8.	Jeff Burton	-75
9.	Kevin Harvick	-115
10.	Matt Kenseth	-116
11.	Kurt Busch	-151
12.	Denny Hamlin	-158

• Complete Standings
• Inside the Chase

The logjam continues down to seventh, where only 46 points separate seventh-place Martin Truex Jr. from leader Jeff Gordon. The impact? All 12 eligible Chase participants remain a title threat.

"There's still eight races to go and many more points to be gained and lost," Gordon said.

The 10-point gap between first and fourth is the closest such margin -- after two events -- in the Chase's four-year history.

The top four were separated by 18 points following the first two Chase events last year. That margin was 21 points in 2005 and 57 points in 2004.

With eight races remaining, expect more excitement and shifting fortunes. This week at Kansas Speedway? Stay tuned for more ups and downs.

With its place on the schedule, the 1.5-mile oval just west of suburban Kansas City, Kan., has contributed to several championship battles in the past six years.

• In 2001, then-standings leader Gordon won the first series event at Kansas, regaining 10 points he'd lost the previous week. He departed with a 222-point lead over then-second-place Ricky Rudd, the closest anyone got until he clinched his fourth series crown two months later.

• In 2002, then-standings leader Sterling Marlin saw his title hopes derailed by an accident that sidelined him for the remainder of the season.

• In 2003, then-standings leader Matt Kenseth finished 36th due to engine problems, allowing then-second-place Kevin Harvick to creep within 259 points.

• In 2006, Tony Stewart didn't qualify for the Chase -- he finished 11th in the final standings -- but his first victory at Kansas also was the first of three in 10 Chase events.

Stewart will try to become the first driver to win consecutive races at Kansas since Gordon in 2001 and '02. Gordon is ahead of Stewart in the Chase by two points.

Sunday's event will be the seventh series race at Kansas, which resembles its sister facility, Chicagoland Speedway.

"They're about as close as you can get to being the same," Stewart said. "The only difference between the two tracks -- the backstretch at Chicago is a little bit rounded while Kansas' is straight."

Both 1.5-mile tracks debuted in 2001, but subtle differences exist due to climate.

• Expect multiple grooves: As track surfaces mature, racing grooves widen, giving drivers more lane choices.

"It just makes you confident that you know you have options when you go into the corner where you can help yourself out as a driver," Stewart said. "It makes this place a lot more fun to race when you're able to move around and find different grooves. (Continued)