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Performance over the final 10 races of the season determines who will win the Sprint Cup Series championship.

What does performance in the season's first 10 races tell us? It depends on who you ask.

One thing is certain: There is a significant correlation between who is running well at the beginning of the season with who is contending for a championship at the finish.

Of the top 12 drivers in points after 10 races last season, eight were participating in the Chase for the Sprint Cup at season's end. In other words, about two-thirds of those ranked in the top 12 after 10 races were likely to be around fighting for a championship.

For many this season who were not in the Chase last year - including current points leader Kevin Harvick, his Richard Childress Racing teammates Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer and last weekend's race winner Kyle Busch - that's a good sign.

"You look at that and you say, 'We can lead the points after 10 races.' But I think in order to get better, we got to get a little better on pit road, be more consistent," Harvick said. "When we make mistakes, we make big mistakes. We can't do that.

"You can't just sit on your hands. I don't think we're doing that. I think we're constantly trying to improve. The (research and development) department is doing what they need to do to make things better. We've got to keep pushing forward."

Harvick's message is a common refrain among drivers already in the top 12: It's a good first step, but continued progress through the season is necessary to contend for a championship.

Even four-time champion Jeff Gordon has changed his approach and he made the Chase last season.

"I think because of the Chase format, you know, we're approaching this season different than we ever have before. Last year we came out, we were consistent, we were running okay, we won a race at Texas," Gordon said.

"I didn't think we were near dominant enough, leading enough laps or diverse enough to run good at a lot of different types of tracks to compete for the championship."

While Gordon has yet to win in 2010, he and his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports team appear much more dominant. He has led more laps than any other driver (599), and he's tied for second in top-five finishes (four so far).

Even the makeup of the first 10 races is similar to the last 10.

There are no road courses in either and two superspeedway races in the first 10 compared to one in the final 10. However, there is a distinct difference in short-track races - three in the season's first 10 races, and only one in the final 10.

Still, nobody already in the top 12 is willing to rest on what they have or haven't already accomplished.

"This is what it is going to take," said Busch, after rallying late in the race Saturday night to beat Gordon for his first victory this season at Richmond, Va.

"It's going to take (this team) pulling hard and for me driving hard to get to Victory Lane more often in order to get to the Chase - and in order to beat (Jimmie Johnson) in the Chase. We've got a lot going for us."[[In-content Ad]]

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