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While the focus Saturday night will be on if Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch can make the Chase, the question is what kind of title contenders will they be even if they make it?

Only once since NASCAR's title Chase debuted in 2004 has a driver who clinched a Chase spot at Richmond -- the final race to do so -- gone on to win the championship. Kurt Busch did it that first year.

Vickers enters this weekend's race at Richmond International Raceway 20 points behind Matt Kenseth for the last transfer spot. Kyle Busch is 37 points behind Kenseth.

All the Chase contenders have their point total reset to 5,000. Drivers get 10 bonus points for each win. With a series-high four wins each, Busch and Mark Martin would be leading the Chase -- provided they make it -- entering New Hampshire next week.

First, both have to get there. For Kyle Busch, he's focused on a win, which is what he did at Richmond in May.

While Kyle Busch has been good at Richmond, it's his performance at other tracks that has him on the verge of missing a chance for the championship.

"For some reason, we just haven't been able to hit our stride," he said. "We need to get back to being able to be consistent week in and week out. Even during a race being consistent."

The lack of consistency has hurt Kyle Busch. In the last eight races, dating back to the July Daytona race, he has been outscored by every title contender except one, his brother, Kurt. Kyle Busch has scored 932 points during that stretch; Kurt 898.

The driver who has scored the most points in the last eight races is Vickers. He's scored 1,205 points -- 35 more than Tony Stewart, 41 more than Denny Hamlin, 100 more than Kasey Kahne and 156 more than Jimmie Johnson.

Vickers has not finished worse than 12th in the last eight races.

So, could his team -- provided it makes the Chase -- be the team to beat for the championship?

"I know we're capable of it," Vickers said. "I think, at this point, we need to set high goals and expectations, but we also have to remain realistic.

"I think to try to put that pressure on such a young team, the expectation to win the championship, would not be right. It doesn't mean that we don't think we're capable of it or we shouldn't try, but I think to put the expectation up there that we should is probably a bit strong for a two-and-a-half-year-old team."

BABY ON BOARD: Elliott Sadler announced Tuesday that his wife is pregnant. She's due in March. It will be the first child for the couple, which married in January.

PIT STOPS: Travis Kvapil will replace John Wes Townley for Friday's Nationwide race at Richmond. &ellipses; Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream dirt late model race is tonight at Eldora Speedway in Ohio. The charity event brings in several Cup drivers. It's available on HBO Pay-Per-View. Cost is $24.95 and the broadcast begins at 7 p.m.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long @news-record.com