NOTEBOOK: For Edwards, this is the calm before the Chase

            RICHMOND, Va. - With drivers and mechanics mostly sitting around with little to except peer outside motorcoaches and transporters at the blustery weather, one would expect tension to build in anticipation of today's rescheduled Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

            Not so for the Sprint Cup runner-up, Carl Edwards, whose place in the Chase is secure.

"In a way I'm kind of glad NASCAR did it this way (postponing the race on Friday) so that we aren't just waiting around for (the track) to dry out. We know when we're racing, and I think that'll be cool."

Experience, not to mention a secure position, makes a difference. Edwards' spot wasn't so secure at this point in his first full season, 2005.

"When I was on the bubble to make the Chase, the pressure of this race, for me, was really huge," he said. "So guys like Clint (Bowyer) and Kasey (Kahne) and David (Ragan), I'm sure they want to get this over with and I can kind of empathize with them right now. (Saturday) is a long day, I would imagine, for them."

Political season

            Jeff Burton compared the Chase for the Sprint Cup - and, for that matter, the final race of the regular season today - to the presidential campaign.

"This is the same," he said. "We're in the political season; this is the primaries."

            Then he mixed in another metaphor.

"This is the last weekend (before) the playoffs," noted Burton. "That's what this is. This is your last opportunity to get yourself in the championship hunt. There's a lot riding on it. The focus all comes to this race because it's the last one. It will be the final determining factor of who gets in and who doesn't.  The reality is that it's one of twenty-six."

Yeah, right

            Bowyer, who holds the final Chase spot by 17 points over David Ragan and 52 over Kahne, nonetheless said this is just another race.

"Yeah, it really is," he said. "Just ready to go. You know, it's challenging; it's time to see what we're made out of. ... You try the best you can, expect that out of your team, and if we do that, we'll be just fine."

"This is my favorite race track, and I love racing here. You know, what better race to come to to try to put yourself in the Chase than one of your favorite race tracks. I'm just looking forward to it, trying to stay focused and go get ‘em."

A sign of weakness?

            Kevin Harvick and point leader Kyle Busch have had their differences, so Harvick's suggestion on Friday wasn't a surprise.

            Interesting, though. He was talking about the bumping incidents between Busch and Carl Edwards at Bristol on Aug. 23.

"I think you've seen the ‘18' (Busch) move a lot of people, and I don't think what Carl did was ... it's not like he wrecked him or something, and to flip out as the guy (Busch) did, I think it shows a little bit of weakness, myself."

Harvick also had a short phrase to describe his attitude next week at the first Chase race in New Hampshire: "Take, take, take, give nothing."

            You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.