Nascar Race Today

Chevrolet has established itself as the manufacturer to beat after powerful showings at Indianapolis and Pocono. (Photo: Matthew OHaren, USA TODAY Sports)

Story Highlights The most glaring discrepancies lately have been in the results, which are pointing toward a Chase that could be contested solely among Chevrolets Hendrick Motorsports is dominating, but also supplies the chassis and engines for Stewart-Haas Racing and the power plants of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

LONG POND, Pa. -- If you have a bowtie on the front of your Sprint Cup car, you've been looking spiffy lately as NASCAR approaches its big dance.

If you're a driver of a Ford or Toyota, you probably are wondering how to get more gussied up to contend for a championship.

That's the takeaway from the past two weeks on stock-car racing's major-league circuit, which is five races from resetting its points standings for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But even that might not be enough to stoke a manufacturer rivalry in a season heavily marketed around the importance of automakers. The debut of the Gen 6 car put an emphasis on showroom stylings intended to differentiate the three makes in Cup via their brand identity.

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Instead, the most glaring discrepancies lately have been in the results, which are pointing toward a Chase that could be contested solely among Chevrolets. Kasey Kahne led a top five sweep Sunday for General Motors' brigade at Pocono Raceway on the heels of Chevys claiming the top four and seven of the top nine at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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There still is more than a month for Roush Fenway Racing, Penske Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing to make the necessary gains before the 10-race Chase begins.

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But Indianapolis and Pocono - with their long straightaways and flat, tricky corners - are two of the toughest tracks in NASCAR, putting a premium on horsepower and handling that often is a precursor for handicapping the Chase, which features five 1.5-mile speedways that require strong cars to excel.

The team leading the way - again - is Hendrick Motorsports, which also supplies the chassis and engines for Stewart-Haas Racing and the power plants of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. Hendrick-built cars claimed four of the top five at Pocono and might have swept the top four if pole-sitter Jimmie Johnson hadn't slapped the wall with a flat tire while leading.

The No. 48 Chevrolet still managed a 13th - finishing ahead of Clint Bowyer's No. 15 Toyota, which is ranked second in points.

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"I know we're making great power," Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon said after his runner-up finish at Pocono. "I'm very happy with my horsepower. I think that our cars are really good right now as well. Chevy certainly contributes to that in their research and development in how they work with the teams."

The success of Hendrick, whose chassis and engines have won six of the past seven championships, is no surprise, but there is evidence of newfound depth among Chevrolet teams.

After Hendrick, the next-best in class at Pocono was third-place finisher Kurt Busch's No. 78 SS of Furniture Row Racing, which relies on Earnhardt Ganassi Racing engines and Richard Childress Racing chassis.

The single-car team has been on the fringe of reaching victory lane in several races this season, and even the sport's biggest powerhouse is taking notice of its setup tricks in the incessant hunt for more speed.

"I give Kurt a lot of credit, because those guys ran so well earlier in the year at some of these bigger tracks, doing some things that our spies out there captured, and we had to go to work," Gordon said. "We were getting beat by some things that we weren't trying and doing. I think we've made some gains."

Busch said his engines have great horsepower down the straightaways and "that is just a little difference in Chevys vs. the Fords."

But having driven a Hendrick-supplied engine with Phoenix Racing last season, Busch also knows that his rivals' power is unmatched on the exit of the corners, which is crucial to setting up passes.

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"It's a combination that, when they start rolling, it's a tough steamroller to slow down," Busch said.

Toyota, though, was expected to put up more of a fight at Pocono after detuning its engines for the June 9 race at the 2.5-mile track and being shut out of the top five for the first time this season. But Sunday was even worse - Kyle Busch's Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 led the way in eighth.

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It wasn't much better for Ford, which was paced by the Penske Racing duo of Brad Keselowski (sixth) and Joey Logano (seventh). Greg Biffle, who seemed to have found some new tricks with a second in his previous trip to Pocono, turned in a nondescript 10th to lead the Roush fleet.

There still is hope for a turnaround. Toyota has targeted the Aug. 18 race at Michigan International Speedway for rolling out an enhanced engine package that will address reliability woes. Many teams have stockpiled test sessions for the second half of the season, hoping to improve their chassis while adding horsepower.

But Indy and Pocono have made it clear: Chevy is the current king of the ball in NASCAR.

Ford and Toyota teams better start accessorizing soon.