Offering a few observations as the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit readies for this weekend’s race, the 21^st of the season, at Pocono Raceway.

** Counting Pocono, there are six races remaining until the Chase begins after the Richmond event on Sept. 10. The final list of the 12 eligible drivers is, of course, yet to be determined.

But we have plenty of evidence to suggest several drivers don’t have a thing to worry about, some have concerns and others, well, it will be wait until next year.

Not to bore you, but the 12 drivers who make up this year’s Chase field will be the top 10 in points after Richmond and two “wildcard” selections with the most wins who rank between 11^th and 20^th in points.

Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, who has won five consecutive championships and is pretty much in everyone’s crosshairs, are first and second in points and unless they both decide to join a monastery, they have clear sailing ahead.

It’s pretty much the same for Kevin Harvick, who is third in points, and Kyle Busch, who stands fourth. Each has three victories this year, more than any other driver so far, and that is going to be more than enough to give them a free pass to the Chase.

Fifth place in points belongs to Matt Kenseth, who has won twice this year, and Jeff Gordon, two spots behind Kenseth, also has two victories.

Neither one of them is losing sleep – they’re in.

Really, it doesn’t take a lot of calculating to figure out that any among the top 10 in points with multiple wins has clear sailing.

Even if they fall out of the top 10, at this point the drivers with two or more victories have paid-up Chase insurance.

Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman also reside among the top 10 with a difference: Each has only a single victory to date.

It’s most likely going to be good enough but it certainly can’t be said they’re on cruise control like the others. If either enters a competitive slump – which can happen in six races – and drops out of the top 10, the situation might become dicey.

It’s definitely dicey for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who ranks 10^th in points and is one of two drivers among the top 10 who hasn’t won.

There was a time Earnhardt Jr. was comfortable in the standings and seemed well on his way to making the Chase for the first time since 2008.

But he hasn’t finished among the top 10 in the last six races – proof such a slump CAN happen – and thus he’s left with three choices.

He holds his position over the next six races, improves it or gains a measure of security with a victory – which, by itself, is no guarantee.

The situation is similar for Tony Stewart. He’s ninth in points and does not have a victory. He’s three points ahead of Earnhardt Jr. and nine behind teammate Newman.

Like Earnhardt Jr., he can ill afford another drop in points. Either he holds it, moves up or earns that elusive first victory.

Being the competitor he is, Stewart most likely isn’t thinking about points. He wants to win – period.

Denny Hamlin is 11^th in points with one victory and leads the pack of top-10 “outsiders,” at least for now. It’s not a secure position. But then, Hamlin should be considered a favorite at Pocono, where he has won four times since 2006.

Paul Menard, who won at Indy for his first career victory, is, at 14^th, is the second driver outside the top 10 with a victory. David Ragan, ranked 16^th, is the third and last.

However, there’s a sizable handful of drivers among the top 20 who haven’t won yet and probably should have.

It would seem the final field for the Chase is very much up in the air as we enter the final six races before it begins.

The suggestion here is to be watchful of Stewart, Earnhardt Jr., Hamlin, Menard and Ragan. I don’t know for sure, of course, but at least one of them is going to be disappointed.

** I can’t say I’m overly surprised that Edwards signed a new multi-year agreement to drive for Roush Fenway Racing, with which he’s been associated since 2004, his entire Sprint Cup career.

I freely admit that, given the amounts of money he was supposedly offered by Joe Gibbs Racing via rumors, I wouldn’t have been startled if he had moved on, either.

Edwards, by the way, never gave us a whiff about making a move and Gibbs was equally silent.

Silence fuels rumors. Lack of denial means one thing – where there is smoke ….

Edwards said he decided to stay because of the opportunity team owner Jack Roush provided him and that he has all the resources he needs to win. He added that he’s leading the points and is in a great position for the Chase.

With Roush Fenway Edwards indeed has all it takes to become a champion. He should have been one already with his nine victories in 2008, the year he finished second in the final standings.

He’s now in the prime position to knock Johnson off the champion’s pedestal – not that it will happen, of course – but the fact he’s where he is has to count for a lot as far as Roush Fenway, and Ford, are concerned.

Roush hasn’t won a title since 2004, the second year of what is now the Chase, nor has Ford, which has had to stand by and watch Chevrolet dominate.

I’m guessing that might well be why Ford tossed in its own bucks to keep Edwards in the fold.

I wouldn’t be surprised if money figured into all of this, of course, but it’s not always the final answer. Team stability, resources and proven competitive certainty count for a great deal. Edwards has that.

No driver can be certain he can still find it all somewhere else – even if evidence suggests it is all there, as it does for Gibbs.

Maybe, among other ones, Edwards reached that conclusion. If so, in one man’s opinion, it very likely played a role in his final decision.

** The liquidation sale for the NASCAR Café in Las Vegas began a couple of days ago. Fans were able to buy anything from helmets, uniforms, prints and photos to bar equipment.

At one time there were NASCAR Cafes in multiple locations, including Myrtle Beach, Nashville and Orlando in addition to Vegas. As far as I know, the café in Vegas was the last one standing.

They were created during NASCAR’s tidal wave of popularity in the late ‘90s. The sanctioning body seized the opportunity to put its name on everything from restaurants to Speedparks, arcades with simulators, games, souvenir shops, its own library of books (including romance novels) and a host of other things.

It all seemed to be overkill and that was pretty much proven after NASCAR’s popularity flat-lined.

Besides, theme restaurants, for the most part, have withered on the vine. Planet Hollywood is a good example.

As an aside, the NASCAR Hall of Fame isn’t drawing the attendance the Charlotte tourism folks anticipated.

But don’t look for any liquidation sale any time soon – or ever, for that matter.

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