Paper Chasers' strangle hold

Joe is putting a strangle-hold on the fantasy NASCAR league, thanks to his 1-2 punch of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. And on Sunday, he found another 1-2 punch: Busch and David Reutimann, who took the top two spots at the Bristol Night Race to help boost the Paper Chasers to a $27 sweep ($9/$18) in one of our three mid-majors.

With two races before the Chase begins -- remember each Chase driver on your roster earns you $5 -- Joe has nearly reached the break-even point.

Up next: Emory Healthcare 500 in Atlanta on Sept. 5, a standard $7/$14 race.

1. Paper Chasers (Joe) - 62

Kyle Busch (18) - 1

David Reutimann (00) - 2

Kevin Harvick (29) - 14

Reed Sorenson (83) - 15

Regan Smith (78) - 30

2. Smoke Bombs (Matt) - 69

Jamie McMurray (1) - 3

Ryan Newman (39) - 6

Carl Edwards (99) - 12

Paul Menard (98) - 21

Tony Stewart (14) - 27

3. Shake & Bake (Todd) - 70

Clint Bowyer (33) - 4

Greg Biffle (16) - 8

Kurt Busch (2) - 9

Marcos Ambrose (47) - 20

Elliott Sadler (19) - 29

4. Redneck Tribe Motorsports (Chad) - 80

Juan Pablo Montoya (42) - 7

Jeff Gordon (24) - 11

Dale Earnhardt Jr . (88) - 13

Martin Truex Jr. (56) - 17

David Ragan (6) - 32

T5. Cheatin' Cheaters (Brad) - 112

Matt Kenseth (17) - 10

Jeff Burton (31) - 16

Joey Logano (20) - 18

Scott Speed (82) - 33

Jimmie Johnson (48) - 35

T5. Racin' Kahne (Quang) - 112

Kasey Kahne (9) - 5

Brad Keselowski (12) - 19

Mark Martin (5) - 23

A.J. Allmendinger (43) - 31

Denny Hamlin (11) - 34

Money race -- Ind/Team/Total (Net)
1. Paper Chasers -- $44/$85/$129 (-$16)

2. Redneck Tribe -- $7/$98/$105 (-$40)
3. Smoke Bombs -- $24/$70/$94 (-$51)
4. Cheatin' Cheaters -- $35/$42/$77 (-$68)

5. Shake & Bake -- $29/$35/$64 (-$81)
6. Racin' Kahne -- $35/$28/$63 (-$82)

Oooooh, that's tight!

In the highest-scoring, tightest-jumbled team race of the season Jeff Gordon was just average enough, as his 27th-place finish lifted Redneck Tribe Motorsports to its first team win in a while. The Tribe's very high winning point total of 72 nipped the Cheatin' Cheaters (76), Shake & Bake (81), Paper Chasers (82), Smoke Bombs (87) and Racin' Kahne (95). Had S&B's Kurt Busch finished 30th or better, Todd would have won the team race ... but alas, Kurt finished 40th.

The Chasers' Kevin Harvick continued to show up the Commish, who graded Harvick as a weak second-round pick, with an individual $7 win.

Up next: Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol on Saturday, our second mid-major of the year: a $9/$18 event. (Kyle Busch is the favorite)

1. Redneck Tribe Motorsports (Chad) - 72

Juan Pablo Montoya (42) - 7

Martin Truex Jr. (56) - 8

David Ragan (6) - 11

Dale Earnhardt Jr . (88) - 19

Jeff Gordon (24) - 27

2. Cheatin' Cheaters (Brad) - 76

Matt Kenseth (17) - 5

Joey Logano (20) - 10

Jimmie Johnson (48) - 12

Jeff Burton (31) - 24

Scott Speed (82) - 25

3. Shake & Bake (Todd) - 81

Greg Biffle (16) - 4

Elliott Sadler (19) - 9

Clint Bowyer (33) - 13

Marcos Ambrose (47) - 15

Kurt Busch (2) - 40

4. Paper Chasers (Joe) - 82

Kevin Harvick (29) - 1

David Reutimann (00) - 16

Kyle Busch (18) - 18

Regan Smith (78) - 21

Reed Sorenson (83) - 26

5. Smoke Bombs (Matt) - 87

Carl Edwards (99) - 3

Tony Stewart (14) - 6

Jamie McMurray (1) - 20

Ryan Newman (39) - 23

Paul Menard (98) - 35

6. Racin' Kahne (Quang) - 95

Denny Hamlin (11) - 2

Kasey Kahne (9) - 14

A.J. Allmendinger (43) - 17

Mark Martin (5) - 28

Brad Keselowski (12) - 34

Money race -- Ind/Team/Total (Net)
1. Redneck Tribe -- $7/$98/$105 (-$40)
2. Paper Chasers -- $35/$67/$102 (-$43)

3. Smoke Bombs -- $24/$70/$94 (-$51)
4. Cheatin' Cheaters -- $35/$42/$77 (-$68)

5. Shake & Bake -- $29/$35/$64 (-$81)
6. Racin' Kahne -- $35/$28/$63 (-$82)

Bombs away!

Break up the Smoke Bombs! In last place three weeks ago, Foges' crew has won three consecutive team titles as I have lagged on e-mail updates (thanks to Joe for keeping the league abreast to the results while I've been parenting and traveling). The Bombs swept the $21 at the Brickyard, led by Jamie McMurray's win, and won the team title at Pocono as Todd won the individual prize (Greg Biffle).

The second and final road race of the season saw Foges win the team race again, with his five drivers in the top 16. My beleaguered Redneck Tribe finally picked up its first individual win with J.P. Montoya.

Up next: Sunday's Carfax 400 at Michigan, a standard $7/$14 event.

(I'll try to get back in the groove of actually sending results next week.)

Money race -- Ind/Team/Total (Net)
1. Paper Chasers -- $28/$67/$95 (-$50)

2. Smoke Bombs -- $24/$70/$94 (-$51)
3. Redneck Tribe -- $7/$84/$91 (-$54)
4. Cheatin' Cheaters -- $35/$42/$77 (-$68)

5. Shake & Bake -- $29/$35/$64 (-$81)
6. Racin' Kahne -- $35/$28/$63 (-$82)