H2H: Who's more likely to win the Chase, Harvick or Johnson?

At NASCAR.com we started kicking around the question of which of these two formidable chasers will have what it takes to win the Sprint Cup Championship this year: The defending champ or the six-time title winner?

Check out what Jessica Ruffin and Kathy Sheldon have to say on the issue then tell us who you’re picking in the comments section.

Sheldon: This reminds me of two-stepping, Jessica. Kevin Harvick has finished either first or second in 10 of this season’s 16 races. And he and Jimmie Johnson are either 1 or 2 on almost everyone’s list of championship picks. (Aside from Kyle Busch fans, who have a lot to cheer for after his victory at Sonoma on Sunday.) But Harvick’s going to be the one still dancing at the end of the party this season. He’s simply more consistent. With 14 top 10s, he can battle hard in the Chase Grid format. He could make the Contender Round and Eliminator round by doing exactly what he’s been doing. And we know he and crew chief Rodney Childers can put a hot rod on the track and get the most out of it. Chad Knaus finally has a worthy opponent, too.

Ruffin: A worthy opponent for Chad Knaus, indeed. As the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion, Kevin Harvick’s strong season has shown he hasn’t lost his title touch this year. But I’m going to have to disagree with your pick for the champion, setting my sights on Jimmie Johnson. You’re right; Harvick does boast three more top-10s than Johnson. But to me, wins trump top-10s, and with four trips to Victory Lane this year, Johnson already owns twice the amount of 2015 wins as Harvick. The playoff-style Chase format has placed an even greater emphasis on winning both in the races leading up to the Chase and during the championship run. You can talk about consistency all day long, but at the end of the day, it’s about W’s — and Johnson has proved he can do that four times this season.

Sheldon: They’re both proven winners. And I do think it comes down to Homestead. Let’s assume both can get through the Contender 12 round. I just can’t see either not making it to the Eliminator 8. That round could be interesting, though, with races at Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. Harvick won at Phoenix March 15. Johnson won at Texas on April 11. Neither had a stellar day at Martinsville on March 29, but Harvick finished eighth and Johnson had a terrible day, fighting a loose car and finishing 35th. He finished 32nd there last fall. I think this section is the No. 48 team’s Achilles’ Heel. Johnson is extremely good at Texas, but this could be where his luck runs out.

Ruffin: The Eliminator 8 is an interesting round, with a true short track and two intermediate tracks, Phoenix having a more short-track-like feel. And while the wildcard nature of the Chase could theoretically make any track a team’s Achilles’ Heel, I think you’ll have to look elsewhere for Johnson’s downfall. With eight trips to Victory Lane, the Hendrick Motorsports driver is tied with teammate Jeff Gordon for the most wins at Martinsville among active drivers, having finished first and fifth there in 2013 — the last time he won the title. The all-time winner at Texas with five wins, the Fort Worth track has served as a playground for Johnson in recent years, as he’s won four of the last six events there — including the race in the Eliminator 8 round last season. Harvick does have Johnson beat at Phoenix with seven victories, but the No. 48 team still boasts four wins at the Arizona track. The No. 48 team just seems to have rediscovered its groove this season after struggling with adjustments to the rules package last year. And he’s getting better as the season progresses — Johnson has recorded an average finish of 8.7 in the past 10 races of 2015, while Harvick’s past 10 races bring up a score of 9.8.

Sheldon: A-plus. Just seeing if you’d done your homework. Though I do think the most recent history leans Harvick’s way. He has that No. 4 car right where he wants it. That said, it’s pretty hard to pick against either of these great competitors, really. Possibly the best part of the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup will be finding out who Harvick and Johnson will have to beat in NASCAR’s version of the Final Four.

Ruffin: Recent history may lean Harvick’s way — after all, he is the reigning Sprint Cup Series champion. Nevertheless, I think history as a whole leans toward Johnson, the six-time champion and 74-time series winner. The Johnson-Knaus duo knows how to win races, as well as championships. That being said, I also look forward to watching Harvick and Johnson battle each other and the rest of the field on the race track this season. If last year’s Chase is any indication of this season’s championship run, it’s guaranteed to produce some awesome racing.