Pressure builds on the trio racing for final Chase spot

RICHMOND, Va. -- All emotions are not equal when it comes to the three drivers trying to squeeze into the 12th and final spot in the 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Clint Bowyer sits in the 12th position heading into the Chevy Rock & Roll 400, which, weather permitting, will be held Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. But he didn't wear the look of a man holding the advantage Friday.

"I'm just ready to go," he said. "It's challenging, but it's time to see what we're made of."

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Bowyer is a mere 17 points in front of David Ragan heading into the race, the 26th and final one of the Sprint Cup series "regular season." The Chase is comprised of the final 10 races, when the top 12 to survive the regular season battle it out for the points championship.

In contrast to Bowyer, whose answers were clipped and seemed on edge Friday, Ragan appeared relaxed and confident. Ragan agreed with the notion that more pressure rests on Bowyer and Kasey Kahne, who is 14th in points (31 behind Ragan and 48 behind Bowyer), than on himself.

In only his second full-time Cup season, the perception is that Ragan is more or less just happy to be here in this position. Expectations were higher for Bowyer and Kahne coming into the season, and seem to remain so.

"Some of that is accurate," said Ragan, who posted the second-fastest time in the final practice Friday before the rains hit, trailing only Jeff Gordon. "I'd say that we are definitely just happy to be in this position. I think the pressure is probably on Clint more than anybody because it's his spot to lose and it's ours to gain. We all have a lot of pressure on us to go out and get the job done and try to get in the Chase.

"But, yeah, I can imagine that there's probably a little more pressure on Clint not to mess up. We can go out and just race as hard as we can and whatever happens happens."

Kahne has been in a similar position previously. He arrived at Richmond in 2006 needing to race his way into what was then a 10-driver Chase, and did so by finishing third to make up a 30-point deficit, knocking two-time points champion Tony Stewart out of the Chase in the process.

"We have a little bit further to go this time against two really good cars in Ragan and Bowyer, so it's going to be difficult," said Kahne, who struggled during the final practice Friday, with his fastest lap time ranked only 29th out of the 46 drivers who participated. "It's going to be an interesting race. Hopefully we'll be good enough to keep it interesting."

Bowyer was 23rd-fastest in the final practice. He said he is tired of talking about being on the bubble for the Chase, and insisted he will not worry too much about what Ragan and Kahne are doing once the green flag drops on the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

"You just race your own race. You try the best you can, you expect the same out of your team -- and if we do that, we'll be just fine," Bowyer said. "I'll know where they're at. This is my favorite racetrack. I love racin' here, and what better race to come to where you're trying to put yourself in the Chase than one that you love to race at."

But while Ragan insisted that his season is a success whether he makes the Chase or not, Bowyer said that he doesn't feel quite the same way.

"It's just been a struggle all year," said Bowyer, who was fourth in the points standings after the last race at Richmond, the 10th of the season, in the spring. "It definitely started off the way we wanted it to, the way we expected it go. But then we had a tough summer. Making the Chase could save it, though."

Ragan clearly stated that his season doesn't need saving. No one expected him to get this far.

Furthermore, Ragan candidly admitted that merely getting in the Chase wouldn't mean his No. 6 Ford team for Roush Fenway Racing is ready to contend for the title.

"I think where we're at, we're not a championship-caliber team now," Ragan said. "No matter how good we run in this race, and if we make the Chase, no matter how excited we are, the bottom line at the end of the day is you can't win the championship without winning some races. And you can't win without getting a lot of top-five finishes and leading a lot of laps -- and we're not quite there yet. I think we know that."

Kahne and Bowyer, on the other hand, insist that anything can happen once a team is in the Chase. Kahne said he is looking forward to the opportunity to put himself in that position in his No. 9 Dodge.

"If there is pressure at the end of a race where I'm battling for a win or something like this, I've always enjoyed that. I enjoy trying to step up," Kahne said.

Bowyer insisted that the pressure he feels going into this race is less than what he faced last year after surging to third in the points standings behind eventual champion Jimmie Johnson and runner-up Jeff Gordon during the Chase (after qualifying 12th for it). Regardless, he welcomes whatever this race will bring.

"Probably last year trying to figure out how to beat Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson for a championship was more pressure than something like this. But you know, I like pressure. Pressure is good," Bowyer said. "The pressure is there and there ain't no way getting around it. But I'd rather be me in the Chase right now, rather than be them out of the Chase trying to figure out how to beat me at one of my favorite tracks."