Raceday in Richmond...

What was supposed to be a race night in Richmond is now a race day in Richmond thanks the Tropical Storm Hanna. After a relaxing day off (I did walk for a couple of hours around Richmond), we got up at dawn's crack, well before the sun, and are prepared for a great day of racing.
I believe I left off in the points standings with 7th place driver Kevin Harvick. If Kevin just starts the race, he, too, is locked into the Chase. The 8th through 12th positions are as follows...8th place, Tony Stewart...9th, Matt Kenseth...10th, Jeff Gordon...11th, Denny Hamlin...and 12th, Clint Bowyer. There are only 2 other drivers who are also in the hunt for the top 12 spots. They are David Ragan, who is currently 17 points out of 12th and Kasey Kahne who is 48 points out of 12th. Since there usually is no more movement than a couple of places in either direction each week, Stewart, Kenseth, and Gordon are pretty certain to make the Chase...basically, they just need to finish to lock in. 11th and 12th are up for grabs. In my own humble opinion, I would love to see Bowyer and Ragan in with Hamlin falling out. Clint Bowyer and David Ragan are two genuine guys who only have good things to say about their teams, their owners and other drivers (except for Bowyer's comment on his radio in Bristol when he said "Michael Waltrip is the worst driver in NASCAR! I don't know why NAPA signed on with him again!" OUCH!). David Ragan has improved so much over the last two seasons. Tony Stewart once described him as a dart with no feathers. That has changed and he has 12 top ten finishes this year including 5 top fives. I am not a Denny Hamlin fan. When something goes wrong with his race, he blasts his crew, his engine builders, his crew chief...everyone but himself. He's not a real team guy. If he wins, or finishes high, he says that "we" had a good day. If not, it is everyone else's fault. A couple of weeks ago, he said that his team is so bad they don't deserve to be in the Chase. That's not the kind of attitude you want your driver, the face of the team, to have, especially as you are in the stretch run trying to make the Chase. I hope he drops out and Bowyer and Ragan jump up to finish out the top 12. It would be great if Kasey made it in, too, but I think it is just too far out of his reach to make the cut.
Predictions for today:
3). Carl Edwards
2). Kyle Busch
1). Jimmie Johnson
Have a great Football day...I mean Raceday!