NASCAR's Top 12 Set for Chase and Letterman Pit Stop

NASCAR's "regular season" ended Sunday, and the 12-man field for the Chase for the Sprint Cup is set. The 10-race postseason begins with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 pm/ET, ABC).

The dozen drivers in contention for the 2008 title are: Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth. The Chasers will present a special "Top 12" on Late Show With David Letterman on Tuesday (Sept. 9, 11:35 pm/ET, CBS).

Busch has dominated much of the season, winning eight races and finishing in the Top 10 in 17 of the 26 points races. Edwards enters the Chase second in the standings, having with six victories and 19 Top 10s. But for ABC/ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett (the 1999 Cup champion), the man to watch is two-time defending champion Johnson. Johnson won four races, including Sunday's regular-season finale in Richmond, and is third in the standings. Says Jarrett: "The others will have to have a pretty remarkable 10 races if they're gonna keep Jimmie and his team from winning." - reporting by Robert Edelstein

UPDATE: Read or watch the full Top 12 list - Perks Of Being a NASCAR Driver - here.

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Edited by Rich Sands at 09/10/2008 11:48 AM