Jeff Gordon is leading the Chase for NASCAR’s Nextel Cup with just four races left to go. He’s the overwhelming favorite at 1-4 to win the Cup for the fifth time in his career. A foregone conclusion, right?

Of course not. Teammate Jimmie Johnson (3-2) is just 53 points behind, and he took the checkered flag at last week’s Subway 500 – Gordon finished third. The win gives Johnson seven on the season, compared to six for Gordon. He could make it eight this Sunday at the Pep Boys Auto 500; the race takes place at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Johnson won in March to record his fifth Top-3 result in eight appearances.

Fifteen points separate first and second in NASCAR, so if Johnson wins four straight, he wins the Cup. More likely, one poor showing by Gordon would make things even; he has four results outside the Top 10 in his last 10 races. It definitely could happen.

We’re in the thick of NASCAR’s Chase for the Nextel Cup. Are you getting in on the betting action? Why not?

NASCAR ranks up there with the other summer betting sports – tennis and golf among them – in how simple it is to handicap. It’s a lot like the futures market for the Super Bowl, except instead of 32 teams, you have 43 drivers trying to cross the finish line first.

There are dozens of different tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit, each with its own quirks. Certain drivers perform better on certain tracks; their lifetime records are widely available on the Web for analysis. Also, certain manufacturers tend to dominate from season to season; this year, it’s Chevrolet by a country mile.

Still not easy enough? Consider the fact that you don’t really need to spend any time watching the races to make a sharp bet. There’s nothing esoteric about turning left.