Eventual champion usually peaks in final 10 races

Since 2005, each Cup champion had one common statistic: they all had a better Driver Rating in the final 10 races than they did the first 26. In other words, they saved their best for the biggest and brightest stage -- the Chase.

Below is the comparison:

Who will step up this year? If No. 1 seed Kyle Busch wants to continue the above trend, he'll have a tough act to follow. After this season's first 26 races, Busch has a Driver Rating of 111.8, which is the best rating going into the Chase since 2005. The previous best was Jeff Gordon's 109.6 in 2007 (Gordon finished the season second in the points standings).

But a solid first-26 usually does translate to a strong Chase run.

For instance, in the first 26 races, the previous three champions:

• Had an average finish of at least 13.8.
• Had an average points per race of at least 127.3
• Had an Average Running Position of at least 11.4.
• Had a Driver Rating of at least 99.2.

This season, four drivers meet all four of the above criteria: Busch, Johnson, Carl Edwards, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Three other drivers, though, should feel optimistic: Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick.

All three have momentum going into the Chase, and they rank 1-2-3 in pre-race Driver Rating at New Hampshire.

Stewart and Gordon rank first and second in practically every key Loop Data category in the last seven New Hampshire races. Here are two examples:

Harvick comes into the Chase on the strength of six consecutive top-10 finishes. In those six races, his stats rival those who won during that span (three wins by Edwards, two by Johnson, one by Busch):