Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - After Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond -- the final race of the regular season -- the 12-driver field for the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" has been determined. The 2009 Chase features your usual cast of title contenders such as Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, and a class of newcomers featuring Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Vickers. But no one stands out as a clear-cut favorite to win this year's Sprint Cup Series championship.

ficantly this season after an 18th-place finish in points last year. Busch's quest for a second title could be hampered with team distractions. Last Friday, Busch revealed that his crew chief Pat Tryson will leave Penske Racing at season's end. Tryson will serve as Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief at Michael Waltrip Racing next year.

Greg Biffle hung on to make it in the Chase for the second straight year, but Biffle could start off the playoffs the same way he did last year, winning at New Hampshire and Dover. He is winless so far this season, but he also began the '08 Chase with no victories to his credit. Biffle finished third in points last season.

This year's Chase should be as close and exciting as the battle to make the playoffs has been in the last 10 races. Any one of the drivers in the field could make things quite interesting during the next couple of months.

After New Hampshire, the Chase moves on to Dover, then Kansas, California, Charlotte, Martinsville, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix and wraps up November 22 at Homestead.