Most of us working stiffs got to take Monday off for Labor Day. The teams on NASCAR’s Nextel Cup circuit didn’t have the same luxury.

There wasn’t much time for Kasey Kahne to savor his victory Sunday night at the Sony HD 500 in Fontana, Calif. His Evernham Racing team was one of several to take the red-eye Monday, en route to Saturday’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. Given the time pressure and the relatively small ¾-mile track at Richmond, there is an increased likelihood of chaos as qualifying for the Chase for the Cup draws to a close.

Kahne’s victory at California Speedway pulled him to within 30 points of that last qualifying spot. He also leads all Cup drivers with five wins this season, and is near the top of the odds list this week at +900 to make it six. Jeff Burton (+2000) is currently in 10th place, but he’s not the only driver in danger of falling out of Chase position. The only two drivers who have clinched are Matt Kenseth (+900) and Jimmie Johnson (+1200).

Most of the other men in the Top 10 will be racing conservatively this Sunday, more concerned with avoiding a race-ending collision than taking the checkered flag. Those closer to Kahne in the standings will be more aggressive. Mark Martin (+2000) is only two points in front of Burton, while defending Cup champion Tony Stewart (+800) is another 13 points ahead of Martin. These four drivers are essentially fighting for three spots in the Chase.

Stewart earns co-favorite honors this week with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Each man has won three Cup races at Richmond. Stewart has been the more consistent of the two with four Top-7 results in his last five appearances. Earnhardt, however, won the May event at this track, the hotly contested Crown Royal 400.

Ironically, Little E’s established skills on superspeedways come into play at Richmond. Although the track is short, the turns are a manageable 14 degrees. Lap times approaching 110 mph are the norm - when cars aren’t smashing into one another. No wonder fans love Richmond so much.

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