The opening round in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship won't decide the NASCAR champion. What it could do, though, is separate the contenders from the pretenders. "It's so important not to have a bad day in that first race," said five-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson. "We'll have a pretty good idea of who will be strong and who won't right out of the gate." The 10-race Chase opens Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway with Matt Kenseth, ranked fourth in the 12-driver field, starting from the pole. It's a prime piece of real estate considering track position is so critical these days. Read more: http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/6983034/matt-kenseth-claims-pole-chase-race-chicago
