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NASCAR's title Chase provides second chances and no team could use it more than Roush Fenway Racing. Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle are Roush's lone two drivers in the Chase.

Both still seek their first victory of the season, as Roush is in the midst of its longest winless drought in more than a decade.

Roush's last win came at California in February when Matt Kenseth won a week after his Daytona 500 triumph. Roush is 0-for-24 since.

Edwards and Biffle are only 40 points behind series leader Mark Martin, heading into Sunday's Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"You never know what's going to happen," Edwards said. "We haven't lit the world on fire but, trust me, 10 races a lot can happen."

Edwards enters the Chase with only two top-10 finishes in his last eight starts. Biffle has four top-10 results in his last eight races.

"We know that we are a little off,'' said Biffle. "California now is in the Chase lineup which is good. Now if we could just get Las Vegas maybe instead of Martinsville and then trade maybe Bristol for Talladega, it would be perfect for me."

READY TO GO: Tony Stewart has failed to finish in the top 10 in each of the last four races, but crew chief Darian Grubb is confident in this team even if some of members are new to the Chase.

"We've used more backup cars than anybody in the entire garage,'' says Grubb. "That's huge for the Chase.''

MOTIVATED GROUP?: While Kasey Kahne is back in the Chase, the question is how motivated his team will be.

Richard Petty Motorsports has a letter of intent to merge with Yates Racing for next season. Such a union is likely to cost some people at RPM their jobs.

So how does Kahne handle this situation of motivating folks in the organization as some worry about their future?

"It's definitely something I've thought about," he said. "The timing seems a little off. Why are we doing this now (when) we are looking at starting the Chase and, hopefully, being as competitive as we have ever been in the Chase?"

NEW DRIVER: JR Motorsports has signed Kelly Bires to a two-year contract to drive for the team in the Nationwide Series, beginning next year.

Bires, 25, moves in as Brad Keselowski moves to Penske Racing's Cup team next season.

PIT STOPS: The U.S. Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., has scheduled oral arguments in NASCAR's case against Jeremy Mayfield for its Dec. 1-4 session. ... NASCAR will allocate about 300 tickets for fans to the Cup banquet Dec. 4 in Las Vegas. Tickets will be distributed via contests and promotions through teams, tracks and series sponsors.

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