CONCORD, N.C. -- Conventional wisdom states that this Chase is now Jimmie Johnson's to win or to lose.

“

I think Mark is going to give [the 48 team] a run for their money. I think Mark has a tremendous amount of experience. He has a good car, good equipment, a good team, and he is extremely hungry.

”

-- BRIAN VICKERS

But it's his. As three-time defending champion and the current points leader, he owns it heading into Saturday's NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Then again, fellow Chaser Brian Vickers hasn't always operated by conventional wisdom. And Vickers, looking at it from the rear of the Chase field after falling out of contention himself in the first four Chase races, cautioned that it's not over yet.

And he said the one driver he considers the favorite is not Johnson, but Mark Martin, Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate. Martin currently sits second in the standings, a mere 12 points behind Johnson. Each driver has recorded five wins this season, and they qualified one-two for Saturday's race -- with Johnson winning the pole and Martin sitting on the outside of him on the starting front row.

"I don't know that they're going to run off with the Chase or win a bunch of races," Vickers said of Johnson's No. 48 Chevrolet team. "If you're going to look at this year's performance, you'd have to go with Mark on that. Mark Martin has performed extremely well throughout the season.

"I think that obviously the 48 team has the experience. They've been together a long time. Chad and Jimmie are both very talented. They have probably the best experience in the Chase system, winning the last three championships, so nobody is going to bet against them."

Right. Except for maybe Vickers.

While acknowledging that Johnson will be difficult to beat, Vickers said that in his mind it's Martin and the No. 5 Chevrolet team that currently ranks as the class of the Hendrick Motorsports field. (Continued)