Top-10s, not tires, matter most to those on bubble

Their names are Kahne, Montoya, Busch, Martin, Kenseth, Biffle and Reutimann.

And tire wear isn't foremost on their minds going into Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (1 p.m. ET on ESPN).

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And although that might put them in the minority after last year's tire debacle in the annual Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when you are fighting for a spot in the Chase, you have more pressing matters.

The spread from No. 8 Kasey Kahne to No. 14 David Reutimann is 117 points. Kahne is 51 points ahead of 13th-place Greg Biffle, and Reutimann is 76 points behind 12th-place Matt Kenseth, who holds the last Chase-eligible spot by 10 points over Biffle.

"The pressure is on if we want to contend during the Chase," Reutimann said. "I know [we're] capable of getting back in the top 12 and we're very close. Each top-five finish will get us closer to that goal."

Reutimann spent eight weeks in the top 12 early in the season but has been in only once since; he has ranked from 11th to 15th in the past 10 races but always been in the hunt.

Mark Martin has been in and out of the top 12 twice since his first appearance after his victory at Darlington in May. His fourth win of the season -- in the most recent Cup race two weeks ago at Chicagoland -- lifted him from 13th to 11th but a scant 11 points ahead of Biffle.

"We've definitely accomplished good things this year," said Alan Gustafson, Martin's crew chief. "Winning four races, we're obviously very happy about that. We've just got to keep it up if we want to make the Chase. If we don't make it, I will be really, really disappointed."

Kyle Busch, who is second to Martin in wins with three, is in 10th, 13 points ahead of Biffle. And Juan Montoya, who finished second at the Brickyard two years ago, is ninth, 36 points inside the top 12.

FIVE TO WATCH

Denny Hamlin, No. 11: Hamlin has done everything but win this season. His driver rating at Indy is second to Tony Stewart. A win Sunday would be a breakthrough on multiple levels.

Tony Stewart, No. 14: Stewart has won the Brickyard two of the past four years. Emotionally and strategically, this is a big race for Smoke.

Jeff Gordon, No. 24: Gordon's record in this race is phenomenal. He has started all 15 Brickyards and is No. 1 in wins (four), top-fives (nine), top-10s (12) and poles (three).

Clint Bowyer, No. 33: Bowyer is 15th in the standings, 126 points back. His margin for error is slight. He picked up a spot at Chicagoland and must continue moving forward at Indy if he is to make the Chase for the third consecutive year. His best Brickyard finish in three starts is fourth as a rookie in 2006.

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48: The two races Stewart didn't win in the past four years were won by Johnson. Johnson and Stewart each have two wins this year and are locked into the Chase. They are racing for wins and nothing else druing the final seven races of the regular season.

TRACK CHATTER

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "Flat tracks are always the toughest for me. At the flat tracks, the middle is the toughest part. The corners at Indy are like 90-degree corners. We don't run on any other track that's like this, so it's a real challenge knowing what you need your car to be doing to go fast. It's fun. It's a great race track. I like it. I enjoy it. But it can be frustrating. It's really, really hard to pass."

Jeff Burton: "I think it's an honor to go to Indy every year. The history is unbelievable. There is nowhere we go where you get the sense of people like you do at Indy with the grandstands on both sides of the front straightaway. When you walk out on Sunday afternoon to start that race, it's like nothing else. The drivers' introductions there are pretty cool. It's amazing to see that many people, and the excitement at Indy is cool. It's an open-wheel, sacred-ground race track, and the fact that we can go there and race is truly an honor."

Carl Edwards: "Last year finishing second at the Brickyard was close enough to give me a taste of what it would be like to win there. That's a race that is at the top of every driver's list. It would be spectacular to win it. It's an extremely important points race, and as we get closer to the Chase, it's crunch time. We need to go there and perform flawlessly."