I'm sticking with him because of performance. When I was driving, I used to always ask my crew chief, "What can we do to help you give me a fast car?" That's what Kyle has had all year long at just about every place they go.

However, the one downside this team has to deal with is what happened to them at Richmond where Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. accidentally got together and it cost Kyle dearly. He's going to have to keep that in the back of his mind.

One of the most important people on the No. 18 team right now is spotter Jeff Dickerson. That spotter must keep Busch updated whenever anybody gets on his inside, like Dale Jr. did at Richmond, so he doesn't get in trouble again. When you are trying to win a championship, you have to play it cautiously. It'd be a whole lot better to move up or slow down to let somebody by in those types of situations and get back to him later instead of trying to race him early on and get in trouble. The spotter really has to be smart and tell him "Let him go," so Kyle doesn't get himself wrecked early.

You don't want to race people that can't beat you, and there are times in every race that there are cars that are faster than you at a certain point, but you know they can't beat you because you have a better car, pit crew, driver, etc. There's all different types of ways to win, but you have to know when to race and when not to race. So that's why that spotter is so important — he's gotta work hard to keep Kyle out of trouble because Kyle has some issues with some drivers. Remember, we are going back to New Hampshire this weekend and that's where he and Juan Pablo Montoya got into it earlier this year.

Busch has to keep his emotions in check and has to stay focused so he doesn't lose his temper on or off the track. This is it, this is the big picture. These guys have 10 races and they have to play it smart the rest of the way. Kyle doesn't have to do anything differently than he has this year, he just has to race smarter. He's got an advantage with all those bonus points he picked up throughout the year. If he can build onto that lead it's going to be really hard to beat him at the end.

Johnson's the guy you want to imitate when it comes to your race strategy, how you drive, and how you look at these final 10 races — just look at what he and Chad have been able to accomplish the last couple years.

I don't see this team being too good at Martinsville and Talladega is an unknown, so it's up to the team to get Carl a car so he can get the job done in the rest of the races and work with him on the two toss up races.

Based on performance, Carl joins Jimmie and Kyle as the three best right now. But these three guys, notably Carl and Kyle, need to stay out of trouble, avoid mechanical failures, avoid problems in the pits and hope that other guys stumble a little bit so you can take advantage of it. That's how Jimmie has won his two championships.

From there on back, it's a crapshoot.

I like what Kevin's doing right now and he is my darkhorse pick for this championship. I know some of you don't want me to say that he's a darkhorse, but based on performance I really think he could sneak up on the competition.

Tony's a lame duck driver, but this team is going to have to suck it up and Zippy is going to have to do the best psych job he's ever done on Tony to get that team in a position where they not only can win the championship but also win a race. That's a frustrating thing for Tony. He can't imagine going through a season and not winning a race and that's why coming so close at Richmond was annoying. Tony's high strung, so Zippy is going to have to work hard to keep him focused and keep his emotions in check if they are going to have any shot at all at trying to pull off a championship.

Just like Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte, Eury has to step up on top of that pit box and make some great calls to get the driver's confidence back. Gordon may not admit it, but I think in his own mind he wonders if Letarte is really doing the job he needs to do, and I think Dale Jr. feels the same way.

I'm not saying either one needs to be replaced, they are both very capable crew chiefs. The driver and crew chief have to start encouraging each other.

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Like I said earlier about Edwards, Roush cars don't seem to run well at Martinsville so that's a race they all have to watch out for and Talladega is a wild card for everybody.

It's going to be a surprise if anybody can come out of the pack and win the championship ahead of those top three horses in Busch, Johnson and Edwards.

I'll put my money on Kyle. I like that team and I like how they've raced all year. They just have to work on a few things and they'll be great.

But don't forget about my longshot Kevin Harvick.

Oh by the way

Back to my "win to be in" argument, I still think that's the right way to go.

Just think about this: If you had to win to make the Chase, there'd be three Dodges in the Chase field. Dodges have won this year, they just happened to not be high enough in the points standings.

I've read your comments and I know some people are saying, "What about a fluke win?" Alright, I'll go along with that. I'll say you have to be in the top 20 in points and have a win under your belt to be in the Chase. That way, if somebody like Joey Logano slips in and wins a race despite only running a handful of races this year, they can't make the championship Chase.

So again, I think you should be in the top 20 in points and have a win in order to make the Chase.

I just don't think there's enough emphasis week in and week out on winning. I know those 10 bonus points are huge, but NASCAR should add some excitement and make it so that you have to get a win to make the Chase.

I bet if you go ask Gordon, Stewart or Kenseth they may say my plan is ridiculous, but it would have made them think twice throughout those first 26 races and they may have gambled and picked up their win.

One final oh by the way

When you watch qualifying this weekend, remember that New Hampshire Motor Speedway always gets faster the further you get into qualifying. Going out first during qualifying is the kiss of death because the track has no grip to it. I'm not sure if it's because of the sealant they have put on it through the years or what, but the difference in qualifying is like no other track I can think of.

That's why a surprise driver like Patrick Carpentier, who is a go or go homer and got to go out late, may get the pole again like he did earlier this season.

This isn't just about qualifying though. Track position is critical at New Hampshire because passing cars is very difficult. It's a tight track and there's usually only one groove, so if you get out of that groove, it gets really hard to pass. The track has improved it over the years, but that's why track position and having a good pit selection is so important — even more so than at Martinsville.

Just keep that in mind when you check out the qualifying draw.