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BY JIM UTTER

McClatchy Newspapers

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says at this point in his chase for his first Sprint Cup Series championship, it's time "to go for broke."

With Sunday's Amp Energy 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway looming next on the schedule, that could produce a big payoff for NASCAR's most popular driver.

Earnhardt Jr., like his father - the late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. - before him, relishes NASCAR's four restrictor- plate races each season, in large part because of tremendous success both enjoyed in this style of racing.

"You always knew going into Daytona or Talladega, if you were at the track or at home watching, that you were going to have a lot of fun because he (Earnhardt Sr.) always ran well, led laps, made a lot of incredible moves," Earnhardt Jr. said.

Earnhardt Sr. - who won 13 Cup races at Daytona and Talladega in his career - made moves on these tracks that would leave fans and competitors gasping. Earnhardt Jr. has enjoyed similar success, with two wins at Daytona and five at Talladega in his nine seasons, but none since 2004.

"I mean, I probably left that race track (Talladega) just as angry as anybody else. I mean, it doesn't always give you what you want," Earnhardt Jr. said.

"It's not so much about how the car handles or how really good your car is, it's about the guy who's making the right moves and teaming up with the right team. It's pretty fun to be able to push a friend into the lead, get help from a buddy of yours to get to a lead, things like that going on throughout the day.

"I like being three- and four-wide, making the best of it."

For many of the 12 drivers in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the Talladega race is considered the biggest "wild card"

simply because anything - and everything - can happen, including gigantic pileups.

With seven races remaining in the Chase, Earnhardt Jr. is eighth in points, 190 behind leader and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson.

"I think as far as our position now in the Chase, we just kind of got to go for broke, really throw it out there and take some chances, really take some risks. I don't know if we can take any more than we're taking now," he said.

"At Talladega you can make some pretty ridiculous moves, and some of them pay off, some of them don't.

We'll just have to see what kind of position we're in on any given lap to be able to try to take advantage of some things happening around us."

One thing that has changed with the plate racing is the car. NASCAR's new version Cup car debuted on a restrictor plate track just one year ago at this race.

"We continue to learn how the car drafts," Earnhardt Jr. said. "You can draft a little bit harder with each other through the corner, all the way around the race track.

"Hopefully, as long as NASCAR doesn't mind and get too nervous, we'll be pushing each other all the way around the race track this weekend, just like we were last time. You'll see guys jump out, two guys get out 25 car lengths in front of the pack.

"It's really worthless because the pack just runs you back down. But it's fun. Something new to do so we're all doing it."

THAT'S RACIN'S TOP PICKS

Jimmie Johnson (car No. 48):His Kansas victory was his 12th in 43 Chase races held in the history of the playoff format. Last week: 3.

Carl Edwards (car No. 99): Last-lap move to top Johnson at Kansas was more brave than smart, but sure was fun. Last week: 2.

3. Greg Biffle (car No. 16): First, first and third in the first three playoff races and he's still chasing two guys. Last week: 1.

4. Kevin Harvick (car No. 29): His top-10 streak offers proof that consistency isn't enough to win a title these days. Last week: 4.

5. Jeff Burton (car No. 31): Still hanging around in the Chase but he's right when he says he needs more speed. Last week: 6.

6. Matt Kenseth (car No. 17): It's hard to fully appreciate how hard this team worked to get a fifth-place finish at Kansas. Last week: 8.

7. Jeff Gordon (car No. 24): Played hurt, or at least sick, at Kansas and acquitted himself well by finishing fourth. Last week: 9.

8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (car No. 88): If he's going to make any kind of Chase move you'd think it has to start at Talladega. Last week: 7.

9. Clint Bowyer (car No. 07): Owned up to the mistakes he made as he tried to will himself to a victory at Kansas. Last week: 10

10. Kyle Busch (car No. 18): Hard to believe how much has gone wrong after having had so much go so right. Last week: 5.

For the rest of the top-40 rankings, go online and visit www.thatsracin.com

AMP ENERGY 500

Where: Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66- mile highly banked paved tri-oval located in Talladega, Ala.

When: Sunday at 2 p.m. (all times ET). Qualifying is 12:15 p.m. Saturday.

TV: ABC.

Radio: Motor Racing Network.

Purse: $6,134,923.

Last year's winner: Jeff Gordon.

Worth mentioning:For the first time during a race week, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, located outside Talladega Superspeedway, is conducting track tours and extending museum tour hours. At the museum, visitors will walk through three buildings and an enclosed courtyard of racing vehicles with memorabilia spanning decades. For more information on the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and Museum, visit www.motorsportshalloffame.com.

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION

Amid the swirl of rumors - and at least one denial - about a Rusty Wallace return to competition, what do you think?

Cast your vote at: www.thatsracin.com

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION

Whose performance surprises you most in the Chase so far?

Number of votes: 3,004

WHO'S HOT

Johnson

Jimmie Johnson: Three consecutive championships are looking more plausible every week.

Greg Biffle: Two wins and a third in the Chase - and still not the points leader!

Kevin Harvick: Nine straight top 10s - now that is a stout streak.

WHO'S NOT

Joe Gibbs Racing: How the mighty have fallen.

A.J. Allmendinger: The guy works his butt off to get better - and let go.

Paul Menard: Will the grass really be any greener at Yates Racing?

- Jim Utter

SPRINT CUP POINTS LEADERS

The top-40 drivers as of Sept. 28:

Rank/Driver Points Rank/Driver Points

1. Jimmie Johnson . 5575
2. Carl Edwards . 5565
3. Greg Biffle . 5545
4. Jeff Burton . 5454
5. Kevin Harvick . 5439
6. Jeff Gordon . 5432
7. Clint Bowyer . 5411
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 5385
9. Matt Kenseth . 5383
10.Denny Hamlin . 5332
11. Tony Stewart . 5320
12. Kyle Busch . 5264
13. David Ragan . 3369
14. Kasey Kahne .362
15.Ryan Newman . 3147
16. Martin Truex Jr. 3106
17. Brian Vickers . 3105
18. Kurt Busch. . 2906
19.Jamie McMurray . 2877
20. Bobby Labonte . 2833

21. Elliott Sadler . 2784
22. David Reutimann 2768
23. Juan Montoya . 2748
24.Travis Kvapil . 2747
25. Casey Mears. . 2730
26. David Gilliland . 2607
27. Mark Martin . 2539
28. Paul Menard . 2484
29. Michael Waltrip . 2299
30.Reed Sorenson . 2277
31.Dave Blaney . 2259
32.Robby Gordon .2182
33.Regan Smith . 2143
34. Scott Riggs . 2143
35. Sam Hornish Jr. 2116
36. A.J. Allmendinger 1828
37. Patrick Carpentier 1794
38. Joe Nemechek . 1627
39. Michael McDowell 1466
40. J.J. Yeley . 1263

NATIONWIDE SERIES POINTS LEADERS The top-20 drivers as of Sept. 27: Rank/Driver Points Rank/Driver Points
1. Clint Bowyer . 4392 2. Carl Edwards. . 196 3. Brad Keselowski . 4124 4. Mike Bliss . 3906 5. David Ragan . 3886 6. David Reutimann 3791 7. Kyle Busch . 736 8. Mike Wallace . 3499 9. Jason Leffler . 3490 10.Marcos Ambrose. 3456	11. Jason Keller . 3382 12. David Stremme . 3376 13. Kelly Bires . 3157 14. Steve Wallace . 3149 15. Bobby Hamilton Jr.3090 16. Scott Wimmer . 2675 17. Kenny Wallace . 2674 18. Kevin Harvick . 2535 19.Denny Hamlin . 2316 20. Brad Coleman . 2271
NEXT RACE: Oct. 10, Dollar General 300, Concord, N.C.

TRUCK SERIES POINTS LEADERS The top-10 drivers as of Sept. 20: Rank/Driver Points Rank/Driver Points
1. Johnny Benson . 2858 2. Ron Hornaday .2857 3. Matt Crafton. . 2694 4. Erik Darnell . 2634 5. Mike Skinner . 2631	6. Rick Crawford . 2612 7. Todd Bodine . 2601 8. Jack Sprague . 2456 9. Dennis Setzer . 2395 10.Terry Cook . 2366
NEXT RACE: Saturday, Mountain Dew 250, Talladega, Ala.

NASCAR's France endorses two Cup races for Kansas

BY RANDY COVITZ

McClatchy Newspapers

Brian France and Mike Helton, two of NASCAR's most powerful decision-makers, left little doubt that Kansas Speedway will have a second Sprint Cup race as soon as 2010 and no later than 2011.

"With all the development and all the things going on, I think it's great if there's an opportunity to have a second date, and it looks like there will be," France, NASCAR's chairman of the board and chief executive officer, said before Sunday's Sprint Cup Camping World RV 400 race at Kansas Speedway.

France then took it a step further when asked, as a member of NASCAR's board of directors, how he will vote on Kansas Speedway's petition for a second date.

"That's a yes. That's a very definite yes," France said. "Obviously, that has to be petitioned by speedway and ISC, and I assume they will do that at some point."

France's sister, Lesa France Kennedy, president of International Speedway Corporation, the owner of Kansas Speedway, has committed to asking NASCAR's board of directors for a second Sprint Cup weekend now that the $700 million Hard Rock Hotel and Casino project will be part of the facility.

That should be a formality, considering the board is made up of Kennedy; France; their uncle, NASCAR vice-chairman Jim France; and two of their trusted executives, NASCAR secretary/general counsel Gary Crotty and Helton, NASCAR president.

Even though a temporary casino will be erected in 2009, next year's NASCAR schedule is set, so the earliest a second race could be held at Kansas is 2010.

Brian France

"Our job is to make sure the market works," France said, wearing his ISC hat, "and it's (NASCAR's) job to figure out when they want to transfer it in." France said it was his expectation that one of two races at Kansas would remain as part of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, just as it has been since it was inaugurated in 2004.

Once the board of directors receives ISC's proposal, the NASCAR schedule will have to be realigned to accommodate the second race. Kennedy has said the second date would come from one of the 12 tracks ISC owns or operates.

Speculation has centered on ISC's taking one of the two dates held by California Speedway or Martinsville unless the company purchases another track that has two dates.

"Our experience with (schedule) realignment requests from ISC and Speedway Motorsports and others are pretty well thought out," Helton said. "When they come to us, we work with the promoter and generally come up with a resolve to it.

Kansas City has turned out to be a very premier stop for us. It's obvious by the support . the facility is tremendous, the development around here is very supportive of NASCAR . Kansas City has a lot to offer."