Top 10 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup Races

1. Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway

This relatively flat one mile oval hosts the first race of the 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup races. The racing is tight and fast as the flat corners force drivers to make their cars work on the bottom to be fast. More than anything, this is a handling race track.

In 2004 Kurt Busch won this race to set the tone for his Championship winning run. Drivers need to build momentum here to set the tone for the nine races that follow.

2. MBNA America 400 at Dover International Speedway

Dover Downs is a high-banked one-mile concrete oval. The high-grip surface lets drivers really get aggressive and push the car, but at the expense of tire wear.

This grueling race is a survival race. 400 miles at Dover makes for a long day on the gritty concrete and the last 100 miles typically has some surprises. In order to have a good day at Dover you need to watch out for the other guy as one person's mistake here can easily collect half a dozen other cars.

3. UAW-Ford 500 at Talladega Superspeedway

Talladega is a restrictor plate race track which means that the engines are intentionally cut way down on horsepower. This increases the importance on drafting and aerodynamics versus handling and driver skill. The cars are stuck in a big pack all day long and a mistake by any one driver often causes the scary multi car wrecks known as "The Big One." This is one race where a driver's fate is not in their own hands.

4. Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway

As one of NASCAR's "cookie-cutter" tracks there's really not a lot to say. Have you ever seen a race in Las Vegas? Charlotte? Texas? How about Michigan or California? Then you have a good idea of what to expect in Kansas. This race does a good job of representing the grind through the bulk of the NEXTEL Cup schedule. If nothing else this "regular" race track is a welcome relief from the previous week's race at Talladega.

5. UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway

Located in the Charlotte North Carolina area Lowes Motor Speedway is the home track of most NASCAR teams. Often considered the lesser race to the Coca-Cola 600 in May. This race is more important to the Chase as it will help determine a Championship.

In 2004 Jimmie Johnson won this race to start his tear of three in a row and four out of five races on his charge to a second place points finish. Jimmie left Lowes 8th in points 227 back but would end the season only 8 points from the title.

6. Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway

This race is the only short track in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Martinsville is the shortest, slowest race track on the NEXTEL Cup schedule. Racing here has been compared to driving up one lane of a dragstrip turning around and racing back up the other lane.

The tight racing guarantees bent fenders and short tempers as Martinsville truly defines the phrase "Rubbin is racing." An aggressive driver can move to the front if his crew can make the car turn without getting loose off the corners.

7. Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway

For years Atlanta Motor Speedway hosted the final race on the then Winston Cup series schedule. Alan Kulwicki, Darrell Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt won their Championship titles in Atlanta.

That all changed after the 2000 season but Atlanta still plays a critical role in the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. This is the fastest race track on the NEXTEL Cup schedule and is wide enough to really host some great racing. If you are faster there is room to go door-to-door.

8. Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway

Texas Motor Speedway has a well earned reputation for being fast and tough. The qualifying record stands at over 194 MPH making it one of the fastest speedways on the schedule yet the tricky track also averages almost 9 cautions per race. The frequent cautions keep the field racing close together which, in turn, makes for exciting finishes.

By this time in the 2005 Chase the contenders will have sorted themselves out and there will be three or four favorites battling it out at the top.

9. Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway

The NEXTEL Cup drivers make one last trip across the country for the next-to-last race of the 2005 season. Phoenix International Raceway is a challenging one mile oval with a kink in the backstretch.

Turn one is tight while turns three and four are wide and sweeping. These unique corners make it very difficult to get the car to handle correctly. Get it working well in turn one and you'll mess up three and four. It's a delicate balancing act, get it right and you'll have a leg up on the title.

10. Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The 2005 Chase for the NEXTEL Cup comes to a close at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This south Florida speedway limped on to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup scene in 1999 with a race track that was way too flat for the heavy stock cars. A dramatic redesign in 2003 created beautiful two and three wide racing truly worthy of deciding the Championship.

The Chase format guarantees that a close points battle where the Champion will not be determined until the final lap is complete.