By Bill Marx
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Mark Martin’s stay outside the top 12 was a short one. His victory in Sunday’s race at Michigan rocketed him up five spots to No. 8. He replaced David Reutimann, who dropped to 13th, three points behind No. 12 Jeff Burton. Here’s our weekly breakdown of the top 12:
1. Tony Stewart, 2,189 points. Stewart ran out of fuel 100 feet from the finish line but still finished seventh for his series-high 11th top 10. He can afford to continue taking chances. He is 382 points ahead of Reutimann with 11 races to go before the Chase field is set. In other words, Stewart is as good as in.
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