AVONDALE, Ariz.—Jimmie Johnson has such a stranglehold on the championship that it’s out of reach for every driver besides Mark Martin. And his only chance likely would require a major stumble by the points leader. So what incentive does that leave for the rest of the drivers the final two races of the season? Quite a lot. Everyone in the field has motivation to finish the season strong. Some drivers want a win, while others are trying to improve their spot in the final standings. There are opportunities to test new ideas for next year, as well as a chance to make personnel changes before the offseason.

FORT WORTH, Texas—Mathematically, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon still have a chance to win the Sprint Cup championship. The reality with three races left? “We’ve still got a great battle going for second in points,“ Gordon said yesterday. “If for some crazy reason those guys had trouble, we’ve got to make sure we capitalize on them. Our focus right now is winning races and trying to get to second in points.“

TALLADEGA, Ala.—Jimmie Johnson last started from the pole at Talladega Superspeedway in 2002, as the points leader, lined up next to Mark Martin. He didn’t even make it to the first lap. In a bizarre prerace mishap as the drivers were warming up their tires, a problem with Martin’s steering box caused him to run into Johnson. The two cars skidded into the infield grass, Johnson suffered damage to the front of his Chevrolet, and had dropped to the back of the field when the race began.

Martin Montoya MARTINSVILLE Twice in the first five races of NASCAR’s season-ending, 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, Juan Pablo Montoya’s frustration because of something that happened on the track has been aimed at Mark Martin, a fellow contender for the title. The first time he was annoyed that Martin, running just ahead of him, faked him out on a late restart. And last week, Martin ran into him from behind, denying both a solid finish.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Longtime NASCAR fans deride the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship as manufactured drama that has ruined the racing. Try telling that to the five drivers who used Kansas Speedway to gain points on leader Mark Martin. “I think that’s why they made the Chase,“ four-time series champion Jeff Gordon said after chipping 19 points off his deficit Sunday.

Tony Stewart found himself in danger of letting a title slip away after just two rounds in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. The two-time champion wasn’t exactly in a must-win situation yesterday at Kansas Speedway, but a rocky start to the Chase put him in search of some very big finishes before leaders Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson put the title out of reach.

KANSAS CITY, Kan.—Mark Martin has another pole in his race to win the Chase. Martin turned a lap of 175.758 mph on a cool, windy day on the 1.5-mile oval at Kansas Speedway, earning his career-best seventh pole of the season. The 50-year-old will start on the front row with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in tomorrow’s Price Chopper 400, the third of 10 races in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

With his win last week, Mark Martin joined Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson as the only active drivers with at least 40 victories. DOVER, Del. The oldest driver in Sprint Cup happens to be the best one in the sport this season. He’s won more races than Tony Stewart. Has more poles than Jimmie Johnson. He has earned more respect than any other driver in the garage and is the sentimental favorite to win his first Cup title.

Mark Martin held off Denny Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya on a late frantic restart to win the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It was Martin’s series-best fifth victory of the season and spoiled what could have been a blockbuster day for Montoya. Making his 100th career start on his 34th birthday, Montoya won the pole in record-breaking speed and led every practice session while setting the stage for just his second career Sprint Cup Series victory.

LOUDON, N.H. It’s been seven years since Mark Martin legitimately challenged for the championship. Now he’s got his best shot at the title that’s so painfully eluded him over 27 years in NASCAR. He’ll only have to deal with Jimmie Johnson. And Jeff Gordon. And Tony Stewart. Oh, don’t forget Denny Hamlin. Or Juan Pablo Montoya.

Who’s the favorite this year in the NASCAR title race? Only one driver, Tony Stewart, has won the regular-season and the championship since the playoff system began five years ago.

Mark Martin admits he’d rather play it safe than risk a little slip when it comes to qualifying. But not yesterday. With a lot on the line, the 50-year-old Martin let it all hang out and captured the pole position for tonight’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Martin turned in a lap of 126.808 mph in qualifying. Starting beside him will be Martin Truex Jr. (126.731). Former Chesterfield resident Denny Hamlin (126.630) will start third, followed by Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne.

As he sits on his pit-box perch tonight deciding whether to take four tires, two tires or no tires, crew chief Drew Blickensderfer will have another decision to make on his radio calls to Matt Kenseth. Aggressive or cautious? Try to win if the car is strong, or do just enough to beat the other Bubble Boys for one of the 12 spots in the Race to the Chase?

Kyle Busch sits on the Chase bubble despite being tied for the Sprint Cup Series lead in victories this year. Kyle Busch, wunderkind of a NASCAR driver, doesn’t always leave the best impression with other drivers and fans. That does not appear to bother him. “I feel like I’ve got a lot of fans who like who I am and how I drive,“ Busch said. “There are, of course, the legion of fans that may not like me for what I say on TV, for what I do on the racetrack or whatever, sometimes.

Above: Mark Martin has made 39 trips to victory lane—including this one at Chicagoland Speedway in July—since beginning his Cup career in 1981. Below: Fans at Bristol Motor Speedway commemorate Martin’s 1,000th NASCAR start. The life of a NASCAR driver involves racetrack after racetrack week after week, an exhilarating finish one time, a disappointing finish the next.