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Just when NASCAR needs a spark to help keep the engines humming down the stretch and into the Chase for the Sprint Cup, the rivalry between Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch is providing it.

Edwards' bump of Busch last weekend – an old Bristol trick to gain spots on the tight track – followed by Busch's scraping the side of Edwards' car showed that the Nos. 1 and 2 drivers in the standings aren't friendly rivals.

The incidents earned each a six-race probation.

Their showdown in the Chase should be very different from last year's championship duel, which featured teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon vying to out-compliment each other.

The timing this year couldn't be better for NASCAR. It's the perfect playoff soap opera.

"It's the classic good-guy-versus-bad-guy scenario," said Tony Stewart, who was at Texas Motor Speedway for a charity event Tuesday. "It's good to have a rivalry like that. That's big in any sport."

Edwards, 29, is the back-flipping, muscles-rippling guy with the clean image trying to catch Busch, the brash 23-year-old who left the best team in NASCAR after last season only to become the sport's top driver this season. He wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr. this year, incurring the wrath of Junior's legion of fans.

This is the time of year when rivalries take center stage: Yankees vs. Red Sox; Federer vs. Nadal; Texas vs. OU; Cowboys vs. Redskins; Obama vs. McCain.

Rivalries add spice. They add drama. All Busch has to do is ask his team owner, former Redskins coach Joe Gibbs. He knows all about it.

And, as Stewart said, rivalries become even more exciting when both parties are at the top of their game. Busch and Edwards have combined to win 14 of the first 24 Cup races.

But without NASCAR's playoff system, Edwards' maneuver wouldn't have had nearly the same impact. The field for the Chase, which starts Sept. 14, is seeded based on wins. Edwards has six, though one won't count in the seeding because of penalties.

Edwards trails Busch by 212 points – but if the Chase were to begin this weekend, they would be just 30 points apart. Now it becomes a championship bout contested at 10 tracks with a big trophy hanging in the balance.

It should be fun to watch.Tale of the tape

Rankings include drivers from all professional racing series and are based on wins, trends, contributions to the sport and not just driving ability. (Rankings from previous week in parentheses.)

1. (1) Kyle Busch (NASCAR): Second to Carl Edwards for the second straight race

2. (2) Lewis Hamilton (F1): Second in Valencia and remains points leader

3. (3) Scott Dixon (IndyCar): Still leads standings, though Castroneves is closer

4. (5) Carl Edwards (NASCAR): Has six wins and is putting pressure on Kyle Busch

5. (4) Tony Schumacher (NHRA): Looking to keep building momentum into playoffs

6. (9) Felipe Massa (F1): Moved to second in standings after winning in Valencia

7. (8) Helio Castroneves (IndyCar): Won at Sonoma and needs a few more to take title

8. (10) Greg Biffle (NASCAR): Another top-12 finish keeps him seventh in standings

9. (NR) Matt Kenseth (NASCAR): Four straight top-12 finishes has him in Chase

10. (6) Kimi Raikkonen (F1): Dropped to third in standings behind Hamilton and Massa

Dropped out: Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR)

Penske: After losing its transporter in a fire, Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe go 1-2 at Sonoma.

Young: Joey Logano takes over for Tony Stewart in the No. 20 car next season.

Champ: Four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon was fifth at Bristol, keeping him in position to make the Chase.

Lucky 100: Felipe Massa, in his 100th Formula One Grand Prix, won at Valencia and is second in the standings behind Lewis Hamilton.

Black: Dale Earnhardt Jr. was black-flagged at the start of the Bristol race. The mistake put him a lap down.

Pits: Ferrari had pit troubles as Felipe Massa nearly collided with another car exiting the pits and a crew member for Kimi Raikkonen suffered a minor injury.

Leader: Scott Dixon finished 12th while Helio Castroneves, runner-up in the standings, won.

Chasing: Kasey Kahne finished 40th in Bristol and dropped out of a Chase spot – at least for now.