OPINION

By Roger Kuznia

updated 12:15 p.m. ET Sept. 30, 2009

If you caught the New Hampshire race and missed the action at Dover, you didn't miss much when it comes to the performance of the competitors in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. However, you did miss a harrowing wreck involving Joey Logano, which I suggest you YouTube. Logano walked away frightened but unscathed.

Here's the breakdown of the top 12 after Sunday's AAA 400.

1. Mark Martin, 5,400 points
Martin said he was just a little bit off at Dover, a race he still finished second. But for a little perspective, let's turn this around a bit. He still was better than 41 other cars with less than his peak.

2. Jimmie Johnson, 5,390
Like Martin, Johnson's average finish in the first two Chase races is 1.5. The No. 48 team's ability to raise its game during the Chase four years running is utterly remarkable. And if Martin is pushing Johnson, the average finish to win the Chase may need to be better than the 5.7 Johnson posted last year.

3. Juan Pablo Montoya, 5,335
Montoya finished fourth to post his second straight top five and third in the last four races. This Brian Pattie-led team deserves significant credit for rising to third in points, especially when Earnhardt Ganassi Racing appeared to have fallen behind NASCAR's powerhouse teams.

4. Kurt Busch, 5,325
He's dealt with all kinds of adversity in his NASCAR career (his spat with Jimmy Spencer, his less-than-amicable departure from Roush Racing, his words with Roger Penske), so this latest bout with crew chief Pat Tryson leaving at season's end must seem like small potatoes to him. If he can compartmentalize for eight more races, it shouldn't be surprising.

5. Tony Stewart, 5,294
Remember Stewart's string of seven top-five finishes in eight races, beginning at Dover and ending at Indy? Stewart needs a run like that instead of the two he's posted thus far (14th, 9th) to give himself a chance. He could use a little better luck, though. He had nowhere to go when he rear-ended Joey Logano.

6. Denny Hamlin, 5,292
The top points-earner of the past 11 races entering Dover, Hamlin struggled to a 22nd-place finish with a car that just wasn't fast. Now comes a track in Kansas where Hamlin has yet to notch at top-10 finish. It's a huge weekend for him.

7. Ryan Newman, 5,290
It was great to see Newman lead 29 laps at Dover, but his car's performance was still a little bit off. He finished 10th to notch a fifth-straight top 10, but too many other competitors are dialed in for Newman to top-10 his way to the title.

8. Jeff Gordon, 5,278
A problem with an air gun cost Gordon valuable spots on pit road, but he battled to ultimately finish sixth. Thing is, the difference between finishing sixth and second, which is where Gordon felt he should have been, is 20 points. When every point is huge, this was a lost opportunity.

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Pain on the skating rink, flying high on the hardwood, upsets on the football field, and more. more photos

9. Greg Biffle, 5,262
Biffle rued the fact that Johnson and Juan Pablo Montoya were among those able to do a tire test at Dover earlier this summer, especially in light of where both finished. While there is truth in Biffle's beef, it's hard to believe it would have mattered for Biffle in the long run. Roush cars just haven't had it this year.

10. Brian Vickers, 5,249
None of the changes Vickers and his crew tried on their car worked, and the result was an 18th-place finish. A reasonable goal for Vickers now is to see how many Chasers he can finish ahead of by season's end.

11. Carl Edwards, 5,247
Edwards has 11 top-10 finishes in 28 races this year -- and none over the last five races. He had 11 top 10s after 15 races in 2008. His broken foot is not to blame.

12. Kasey Kahne, 5,211
Kahne finished a respectable eighth at Dover, but he's still last in this competition. That's what a DNF does to your Chase chances.

SportingNews.com Johnson 4-peat shadows challenging NASCAR season All Jimmie Johnson does is win In The Pits: NASCAR finales livened up with drama Hendrick turns attention to Earnhardt Yanks' Damon helps Johnson celebrate Cup crown

Also on NBCSports.com   PFT Daily: It's Vince, not Vick, who is redeemed Pompei: NFL coach the most stressful job around DeMarco: Red Sox don't need to panic this offseason   Images: Best traditions in sports Twitter: Follow us @nbc_sports

MORE FROM NASCAR / MOTORS

NASCAR / Motors Section Front

Johnson 4-peat shadows challenging NASCAR season Former Mayfield attorneys sue to recover fees Johnson celebrates crown, with Damon assist Opinion: Johnson's feat equals stacks those in other sports Opinion: Johnson isn't the best driver of all time yet   Vote: Is Johnson the greatest NASCAR driver ever? Opinion: NASCAR needs to address its issues Hendrick turns attention to Earnhardt Latest NASCAR videos Live odds NASCAR / Motors Section Front   Add NASCAR / Motors headlines to your news reader: