The points chase (the race to 20-23)...

Realistically, we should at the very best be pulling for top 23 type of seasons from our two drivers this year. Those who think Chase, come on...

So in order to make it up to the 20-23 range, here are the guys we are racing against on weekly basis:

18 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1352 -501 13 0 0 1 3 1,765,590
19 -1 Martin Truex Jr. 1338 -515 13 1 0 0 3 1,895,640
20 -- Marcos Ambrose 1319 -534 13 0 0 1 2 1,587,240
21 +1 Casey Mears 1306 -547 13 0 0 0 2 1,594,410
22 -1 Jamie McMurray 1289 -564 13 0 0 0 3 1,673,890
23 +2 Joey Logano* 1263 -590 13 0 0 0 3 2,093,830
24 -1 Kevin Harvick 1261 -592 13 0 0 2 2 2,900,840
25 -1 Reed Sorenson 1259 -594 13 0 0 0 1 1,883,380
26 +4 Sam Hornish Jr. 1237 -616 13 0 0 0 2 1,740,210
27 +1 Elliott Sadler 1216 -637 13 0 0 1 1 1,678,710
28 -1 Bobby Labonte 1213 -640 13 0 0 1 1 1,829,380
29 -3 David Stremme 1206 -647 13 0 0 0 0 1,814,110
30 -1 A.J. Allmendinger 1202 -651 13 0 0 1 2 1,864,810
31 +1 David Ragan 1180 -673 13 0 0 0 1 1,560,090
32 -1 Michael Waltrip 1153 -700 13 0 0 0 1 1,526,960
33 -- Paul Menard 1100 -753 13 0 0 0 0 1,765,250
34 -- Robby Gordon 1031 -822 13 0 0 1 1 1,646,620
35 -- Scott Speed* 917 -936 12 0 0 1 1 1,380,290

Race by race I'm going to keep tabs on the two Yates cars to see where we stand in relation to the top 20.

Labonte - 106 points (of 20th place)
Menard - 219 points

18 +2 Marcos Ambrose 1469 -574 14 0 0 1 3 1,695,240
19 -- Martin Truex Jr. 1447 -596 14 1 0 0 3 2,003,080
20 -2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1434 -609 14 0 0 1 3 1,850,590
21 -- Casey Mears 1432 -611 14 0 0 0 2 1,683,060
22 -- Jamie McMurray 1418 -625 14 0 0 0 3 1,759,040
23 +3 Sam Hornish Jr. 1371 -672 14 0 0 0 3 1,839,870
24 +1 Reed Sorenson 1362 -681 14 0 0 0 1 1,994,260
25 -2 Joey Logano* 1357 -686 14 0 0 0 3 2,211,280
26 -2 Kevin Harvick 1352 -691 14 0 0 2 2 3,008,920
27 -- Elliott Sadler 1309 -734 14 0 0 1 1 1,757,610
28 -- Bobby Labonte 1292 -751 14 0 0 1 1 1,926,860
29 +1 A.J. Allmendinger 1275 -768 14 0 0 1 2 1,931,860
30 -1 David Stremme 1267 -776 14 0 0 0 0 1,912,430
31 -- David Ragan 1265 -778 14 0 0 0 1 1,638,590
32 -- Michael Waltrip 1265 -778 14 0 0 0 1 1,607,710
33 -- Paul Menard 1176 -867 14 0 0 0 0 1,864,850
34 -- Robby Gordon 1101 -942 14 0 0 1 1 1,732,780
35 -- Scott Speed* 984 -1059 13 0 0 1 1 1,458,590

Labonte - 142 points (of 20th place for a net loss of 36 points since last week)
Menard - 258 points (net loss of 39 points since last week)

18 +2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1555 -634 15 0 0 1 3 1,947,310
19 +3 Jamie McMurray 1548 -641 15 0 0 0 3 1,852,140
20 -2 Marcos Ambrose 1539 -650 15 0 0 1 3 1,788,210
21 -- Casey Mears 1523 -666 15 0 0 0 2 1,776,710
22 -3 Martin Truex Jr. 1502 -687 15 1 0 0 3 2,111,990
23 +3 Kevin Harvick 1461 -728 15 0 0 2 2 3,127,100
24 -1 Sam Hornish Jr. 1447 -742 15 0 0 0 3 1,936,360
25 -- Joey Logano* 1445 -744 15 0 0 0 3 2,336,060
26 -2 Reed Sorenson 1444 -745 15 0 0 0 1 2,109,880
27 -- Elliott Sadler 1436 -753 15 0 0 1 1 1,849,540
28 +3 David Ragan 1383 -806 15 0 0 0 1 1,730,270
29 -1 Bobby Labonte 1371 -818 15 0 0 1 1 2,032,510
30 +2 Michael Waltrip 1338 -851 15 0 0 0 1 1,693,760
31 -2 A.J. Allmendinger 1321 -868 15 0 0 1 2 2,005,600
32 -2 David Stremme 1316 -873 15 0 0 0 0 2,018,710
33 -- Paul Menard 1237 -952 15 0 0 0 0 1,969,380

Labonte - 168 points (of 20th place for a net loss of 26 points since last week)
Menard - 302 points (net loss of 44 points since last week)

18 +2 Marcos Ambrose 1704 -660 16 0 0 2 4 1,963,700
19 -- Jamie McMurray 1669 -695 16 0 0 0 3 1,947,190
20 -2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1640 -724 16 0 0 1 3 2,040,360
21 -- Casey Mears 1617 -747 16 0 0 0 2 1,872,310
22 -- Martin Truex Jr. 1590 -774 16 1 0 0 3 2,226,910
23 +4 Elliott Sadler 1570 -794 16 0 0 1 2 1,949,960
24 +1 Joey Logano* 1551 -813 16 0 0 0 3 2,462,750
25 -2 Kevin Harvick 1537 -827 16 0 0 2 2 3,241,910
26 -2 Sam Hornish Jr. 1496 -868 16 0 0 0 3 2,028,300
27 -1 Reed Sorenson 1487 -877 16 0 0 0 1 2,220,160
28 +1 Bobby Labonte 1474 -890 16 0 0 1 1 2,144,560
29 +2 A.J. Allmendinger 1467 -897 16 0 0 1 3 2,104,300
30 -2 David Ragan 1447 -917 16 0 0 0 1 1,812,460
31 +1 David Stremme 1362 -1002 16 0 0 0 0 2,124,270
32 -2 Michael Waltrip 1338 -1026 15 0 0 0 1 1,693,760
33 -- Paul Menard 1337 -1027 16 0 0 0 0 2,081,810

Labonte - 166 points (out of 20th place for a net gain of 2 points since last week)
Menard - 303 points (net loss of 1 points since last week)

Labonte actually gained ground this past week while Menard stopped the heavy bleeding by losing only 1 point.

Starting in Daytona, we need to start gaining serious ground each week.

Let's hope for a solid run this weekend in New Hampshire as well! Bobby seems to be pretty good on the flat tracks like Martinsville and NH, so maybe he can make up some ground.

18 -- Marcos Ambrose 1798 -726 17 0 0 2 4 2,057,780
19 +1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1764 -760 17 0 0 1 3 2,138,310
20 +1 Casey Mears 1747 -777 17 0 0 0 2 1,971,710
21 +3 Joey Logano* 1741 -783 17 0 1 1 4 2,738,960
22 -3 Jamie McMurray 1733 -791 17 0 0 0 3 2,028,990
23 -- Elliott Sadler 1660 -864 17 0 0 1 2 2,035,610
24 -2 Martin Truex Jr. 1642 -882 17 1 0 0 3 2,333,920
25 +1 Sam Hornish Jr. 1638 -886 17 0 0 0 4 2,141,810
26 +1 Reed Sorenson 1604 -920 17 0 0 0 1 2,337,630
27 -2 Kevin Harvick 1598 -926 17 0 0 2 2 3,351,920
28 -- Bobby Labonte 1579 -945 17 0 0 1 1 2,251,270
29 -- A.J. Allmendinger 1534 -990 17 0 0 1 3 2,177,350
30 -- David Ragan 1496 -1028 17 0 0 0 1 1,892,290
31 -- David Stremme 1441 -1083 17 0 0 0 0 2,233,790
32 -- Michael Waltrip 1429 -1095 16 0 0 0 1 1,780,010
33 -- Paul Menard 1410 -1114 17 0 0 0 0 2,188,720

Labonte - 168 points (out of 20th place for a net loss of 2 points since last week)
Menard - 337 points (net loss of 34 points since last week)

Another bad week. If the rain had stayed away and those 3-4 who didn't pit, eventually had to, Labonte would have been around 16-18 or so.

Menard on the other hand, I don't know what happened for us to go 5 laps down. During every green flag run, he was moving forward. Then boom. We end up in 35th.

If we can't recover to finish top 15 or so in Daytona, I will be spending my Sunday's doing something other than watching Yates struggle the second half of the season. I feel better about these two guys than I did with what we had last year, but this is getting old.

Hurts me to see the team struggling too after so many years of running up front and contending...

i think kvapil was running better than both bobby & menard. its a shame they lost sponsorship on him (travis).

It is a shame. Travis had been doing quite well, and the 28 has a lot of history behind it, so it was sad beyond belief.

However, Bobby does have a Cup championship on his resume, and he did get a top-5 at Vegas. I wouldn't say Kvapil did better than him, but I'll have to agree with you on the fact that Bobby has not been doing so hot this year.

i forgot about bobbys past championship, thats a good point.

18 -- Marcos Ambrose 1948 -771 18 0 0 2 5
19 +3 Jamie McMurray 1863 -856 18 0 0 0 3
20 +1 Joey Logano* 1847 -872 18 0 1 1 4
21 -2 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1810 -909 18 0 0 1 3
22 -2 Casey Mears 1808 -911 18 0 0 0 2
23 -- Elliott Sadler 1794 -925 18 0 0 1 3
24 -- Martin Truex Jr. 1730 -989 18 1 0 0 3
25 -- Sam Hornish Jr. 1705 -1014 18 0 0 0 4
26 +1 Kevin Harvick 1683 -1036 18 0 0 2 2
27 +1 Bobby Labonte 1679 -1040 18 0 0 1 1
28 -2 Reed Sorenson 1668 -1051 18 0 0 0 1
29 -- A.J. Allmendinger 1646 -1073 18 0 0 1 3
30 -- David Ragan 1620 -1099 18 0 0 0 1
31 +2 Paul Menard 1504 -1215 18 0 0 0 0
32 -1 David Stremme 1499 -1220 18 0 0 0 0
33 -1 Michael Waltrip 1481 -1238 17 0 0 0 1
34 -- Robby Gordon 1468 -1251 18 0 0 1 1

Labonte - 168 points (out of 20th place for no change in points since last week)
Menard - 343 points (net loss of 6 points since last week)

that isn't a good thing who their competition are

Sadler, Hornish Mears, Sorenson, Allmendinger, Stremme, Waltrip...... definately not good if those are the ones you are close to in the standings

18 -- Marcos Ambrose 2078 -806 19 0 0 2 5 2,313,650
19 -- Jamie McMurray 1960 -924 19 0 0 0 3 2,241,640
20 -- Joey Logano* 1956 -928 19 0 1 1 4 3,020,760
21 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. 1928 -956 19 0 0 1 3 2,353,840
22 -- Casey Mears 1887 -997 19 0 0 0 2 2,178,840
23 -- Elliott Sadler 1881 -1003 19 0 0 1 3 2,246,890
24 -- Martin Truex Jr. 1820 -1064 19 1 0 0 3 2,592,430
25 +1 Kevin Harvick 1789 -1095 19 0 0 2 2 3,612,000
26 +1 Bobby Labonte 1779 -1105 19 0 0 1 1 2,495,570
27 +2 A.J. Allmendinger 1770 -1114 19 0 0 1 3 2,374,550
28 -- Reed Sorenson 1759 -1125 19 0 0 0 1 2,590,060
29 -4 Sam Hornish Jr. 1754 -1130 19 0 0 0 4 2,348,580
30 -- David Ragan 1708 -1176 19 0 0 0 1 2,102,090
31 +2 Michael Waltrip 1584 -1300 18 0 0 0 1 1,976,010
32 -- David Stremme 1584 -1300 19 0 0 0 0 2,473,920
33 -2 Paul Menard 1562 -1322 19 0 0 0 0 2,427,680
34 -- Robby Gordon 1529 -1355 19 0 0 1 1 2,237,890

Labonte - 177 points (out of 20th place for a net loss of 9 points since last week)
Menard - 394 points (net loss of 51 points since last week)

Might be more realistic to start making Menard's target the No. 25 spot starting next week.

Dog wrote:

that isn't a good thing who their competition are

Sadler, Hornish Mears, Sorenson, Allmendinger, Stremme, Waltrip...... definately not good if those are the ones you are close to in the standings

And the sad thing is, even Elliott Sadler is ahead of Kevin Harvick in points.

ya Harvick is usually a good one to be competing with, but not this year