jeff gordon Tag

That's right folks!  We are quickly approaching The Chase for the Cup in NASCAR's Sprint Cup and things are really starting to heat up.  And speaking of heat, what better place for a late season playoff race than Texas Motor Speedway.  Like its sister track Atlanta, TMS features incredibly fast speeds and 3-wide racing.  This is what I like to call a recipe for great racing.

With the new race schedule the way it is, I truly believe that the fall race at TMS is the best of the bunch.  Don't get me wrong.  I enjoy all the Chase tracks.. cough.. cough [under my breath] except for Homestead, so nothing against those other tracks.  However, TMS just creates the right combination of excitement and drama.  Speeds will approach 200 mph and sometimes you can see cars 3-wide on this amazing track.

Did you know? 
Carl Edwards has the most career victories at TMS since the track hosted its first NASCAR race in 1997.

We are currently about a month and a half away from the start of The Chase.  2012 will be the second consecutive year that Chicagoland Speedway will play host for the first race of The Chase for the Cup.  With just six races left before The Chase, Dale Jr. currently leads the standings for the first time since 2004 and might be in position to capture his first ever points championship.  Junior has put himself in a good spot and he seems to be driving with the more confidence than ever before.

Last week Jimmie Johnson returned to his winning ways with his fourth career victory at the Brickyard.  Junior and JJ are in good position but the final few spots are still up for grabs.  If The Chase were to start today, this would be the list of qualified contenders for the Sprint Cup championship.

The 2011 NASCAR season prepares for night racing at Bristol this weekend and the field for The Chase is just about set.  This is an exciting time of the season for NASCAR fans everywhere.  This Saturday the Sprint Cup will pack 43 cars into Bristol Motor Speedway to race under the lights, and in just a few weeks the NASCAR "playoffs" will open up at Chicagoland Speedway (GEICO 400) for the track's first Chase appearance.