Bowyer hits Chicagoland scrambling to make Chase

[July 10, 2010]  JOLIET (AP) -- After watching a win slip away in a frustrating finish at Daytona last week, Clint Bowyer is in a big group of marquee drivers scrambling to make the Chase.

Bowyer is 14th in the standings heading into Saturday night's race at Chicagoland Speedway. And he's not the only good driver who's concerned about his place in NASCAR's version of the postseason.

With eight races remaining before the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, less than 100 points separate 11th-place driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. from Ryan Newman in 15th. Stuck in between them are Carl Edwards, Mark Martin and Bowyer.

Only the top 12 drivers are eligible to compete in the Chase.

[Associated Press; By CHRIS JENKINS]

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