NASCAR's 2011 All-Star Race Field

NASCAR's 2011 All-Star Race Field

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Points Standing: 1  Wins: 1   Top 10s: 9  Top 5s: 6  2011 Season: An early-season favorite to dethrone Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards has largely lived up to the hype. With a string of solid finishes and reaping the benefits of his Ford's new FR9 engine, Edwards is poised to score a Chase berth and challenge for the title.

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Points Standing: 2   Wins: 1  Top 10s: 7   Top 5s: 4  2011 Season: Though at this point last season Jimmie Johnson had already taken three trips to Victory Lane, it's certainly not time to panic for the five-time champ. He heads to Charlotte with two All-Star race victories under his belt and the chance to collect on a $1 million payday.

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Points Standing: 3  Wins: 2  Top 10s: 7  Top 5s: 6 2011 Season: A calmer, more mature Kyle Busch (sans a little fracas with Kevin Harvick) is one of three drivers this season to collect two wins, virtually guaranteeing him a spot in the Chase. Sprint Cup action aside, Busch is hoping to make Nationwide history this weekend by tying Mark Martin's all-time winning record of 49.

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Points Standing: 5  Wins: 2  Top 10s: 6  Top 5s: 4 2011 Season: Early struggles have given way to a resurgence of Kevin Harvick and the No. 29 team. A title contender last season, Harvick is nearly assured a spot in the Chase this year, joining Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth with two wins.

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Points Standing: 6 Wins: 2 Top 10s: 5 Top 5s: 4 2011 Season: A victory at Dover marked Matt Kenseth's second win of the year and showed just how well the union with crew chief Jimmy Fennig has worked.

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Points Standing: 7   Wins: 0  Top 10s: 5  Top 5s: 4 2011 Season: A Richmond dust-up with Juan Pablo Montoya may have been the biggest news to come from the No. 39 camp this year, but Ryan Newman's consistent finishes have landed him in the top-10 in the points.

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Points Standing: 8  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 6  Top 5s: 2 2011 Season: Coming in second in the closest race in NASCAR history had to sting Clint Bowyer at Talladega this year. He has capitalized on consistency this year, but can he finally make it to Victory Lane?

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Points Standing: 9   Wins: 0  Top 10s: 5  Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: There have's been plenty of ups and downs for Kurt Busch. From a fall in the points to a highly publicized radio rant, Busch has hit a rough patch this season, but hopes to notch his second consecutive All-Star victory Sunday.

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Points Standing: 10  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 4  Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: Turning the big 4-0 on Friday, Tony Stewart will hope to get a belated birthday present Sunday. Bad racing luck has plagued Smoke on at least four occasions this season, but a summer surge could put him right back into title contention.

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Points Standing: 11  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 4  Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: His future may be uncertain when he departs from Hendrick Motorsports, but Mark Martin hasn't let that impact his year. The veteran driver has raced a solid season and could be in line for a spot in the Chase.

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Points Standing: 12  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 4   Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: Greg Biffle is on the bubble of a Chase berth, but could certainly find himself in the title mix with more consistent finishes. A win or two wouldn't hurt either.

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Points Standing: 13  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 3  Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: To say that Denny Hamlin's season has been a disappointment would be a massive understatement. The 2010 Cup title runner-up has suffered from engine woes and bad racing luck and has yet to take the checkers, despite winning six Cup events last year.

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Points Standing: 14 Wins: 1  Top 10s: 3  Top 5s: 3 2011 Season: Jeff Gordon ended his 66-race drought with a victory at Phoenix, but has struggled to get back to the winner's circle again. If he's to make the Chase, he might need one more win.

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Points Standing: 15  Wins: 0   Top 10s: 4   Top 5s: 2 2011 Season: Juan Pablo Montoya raised a few eyebrows with his Richmond spat and has failed to produce many noteworthy performances this season. But keep an eye on him heading into the summer stops at Watkins Glen and Infineon.

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Points Standing: 18  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 5  Top 5s: 2 2011 Season: Biding his time before heading over to Hendrick, Kasey Kahne has showed glimmers of promise this season, but that hasn't translated to top finishes. Can Red Bull's interim driver pick it up during the Cup's summer stretch?

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Points Standing: 22  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 2  Top 5s: 0 2011 Season: Jamie McMurray's season has been quiet this year, a far cry from his 2010 success at Daytona and Indianapolis. With only two top-10s by McMurray, a 2011 Chase berth is looking less and less promising.

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Points Standing: 26  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 0  Top 5s: 0 2011 Season: Making his second appearance in the All-Star Race, David Reutimann is working with a 21.9 average finish so far and has struggled considerably.

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Points Standing: 29  Wins: 0  Top 10s: 2  Top 5s: 1 2011 Season: One of the lesser known members of this year's All-Star race, Regan Smith finds himself on the starting grid after a surprising win at Darlington. But after following that triumph with a 34th-place finish at Dover, don't pencil him into the Chase anytime soon.