We’ve got four more races to go before the Chase for the Cup begins, and race #23 will take us to Michigan International Speedway for the 3M Performance 400. 

 Tony Stewart comes into the weekend on a hot streak, after having won three of the last four races, including Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, when he capitalized on a Jeff Gordon spinout with two laps to go to bag the win.  It’s a mistake you rarely see at that point of the race from a driver like Gordon, who had been holding off Stewart up to that point, and looked like he’d be able to hold off the charge until the end, even with Stewart driving his best. 

 The wn also kept Gordon from a series-leading fifth win, which might cost him when the Chase starts, due to the new format, which rewards wins more than consistent performances.

 But, expect a strong performance this weekend from the #24, who usually atones for those rare mistakes very quickly. He cost himself a win at Texas when he hit the wall late in the race, and then won three of the next four races.

Here’s a look at the standings entering this weekend’s race. Remember, the top 12 make it to the Chase this season, so right now, Martin Truex, Jr. and Kurt Busch have the new format to thank for them being in a Chase spot.

2007 Nextel Cup Standings (through 22 races)

1. Jeff Gordon (4 wins – leads series)
2. Denny Hamlin (-344, 1 win)
3. Matt Kenseth (-432, 1 win)
4. Tony Stewart (-445, 3 wins)
5. Carl Edwards (-560, 1 win)
6. Jeff Burton (-578, 1 win)
7. Jimmie Johnson (-595, 4 wins)
8. Kyle Busch (-627, 1 win)
9. Clint Bowyer (-717, no wins)
10. Kevin Harvick (-729, 1 win)
11. Martin Truex, Jr. (-797, 1 win)
12. Kurt Busch (-855, 1 win)

On the Outside Lookin’ In

13. Ryan Newman (-951, no wins)
14. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (-955, no wins)
15. Greg Biffle (-1053, no wins)

At this point, Gordon and Johnson would begin the Chase tied atop the standings with 5,040 points, while Stewart would be third with 5,030. Lucky for the defending champion that wins count more now, considering he got his four wins under his belt by early may. So, even with his recent drought, he’ll likely be in one of the top two or three spots come Chase time. He does need to build off the momentum of consecutive top-fives to go into the Chase on the right track.

 And, as far as the guys who are on the outside right now, time’s running out to make up the deficits they face.  But, with a little luck, a bunch of points can be made up in a quick period of time (just ask Jimmie Johnson), so nothing’s out of the question.

It should be yet another exciting race, and the weekend gets started today with qualifying.  Last year’s winner was Matt Kenseth, but a couple of guys to watch for (outside of the usual suspects) are current Chase outsiders Newman and Biffle, who are both past winners at MIS. 

I’ll be here all weekend with updates, and I’ll also be providing in-race updates and post-race recap and analysis on Sunday, so keep it locked here.