Former Champs, Hometown Hero, Fan Favorite On Chase Bubble

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The Chevy Rock & Roll 400 is One Last Race To Make The Chase.

Last week’s race at Michigan produced a major shakeup in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings, and now with just three races remaining in the regular season, including “One Last Race To Make The Chase” – the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway – some of the series’ biggest names find themselves on the bubble to make The Chase.

Although the top of the standings appear to be set with points leader Kyle Busch clinching a spot in The Chase and Carl Edwards all but securing his Chase berth on the strength of his fifth victory of the season this past Sunday, the lower half of the playoff hopefuls is anything but locked in.

Following the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at America’s Premier Short Track on September 6 only the top 12 drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings will be eligible for NASCAR’s playoffs, The Chase. Heading into Saturday night’s race at Bristol, former champs Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth, fan favorite Kasey Kahne and Chesterfield, Virginia native Denny Hamlin are in, for now. But, only 82 points separate ninth place Gordon from Clint Bowyer and David Ragan, who are tied for 13^th place on the outside of The Chase field looking in.

Gordon appeared to be a lock for The Chase two weeks ago, cruising along in sixth place following back-to-back top-10s at Indianapolis and Pocono. But, after a 29^th-place finish at Watkins Glen on August 10, Gordon had a tire problem on Lap 97 Sunday at Michigan after making contact with teammate Jimmie Johnson. The No. 24 Chevrolet slammed the outside wall, and Gordon was never a factor, finishing 42^nd. The result dropped Gordon three spaces in the standings to ninth, just 82 points ahead of 13^th.

Kenseth had been outside the top 12 much of the season and was 22^nd in the standings following the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway on May 3. He turned his fortunes around though, with six consecutive top-10s from Darlington to Sonoma, including a pair of third-place showings at Daytona and Chicago. A strong fifth-place effort Sunday at Michigan moved Kenseth up in the standings two positions to 10^th, 64 points ahead of Bowyer and Ragan.

Kahne was also one of the biggest movers, in the wrong direction, on Sunday. A blown engine on Lap 137 took Kahne out of contention at Michigan and resulted in a 40^th place finish, dropping him three spots in the standings to 11^th. Kahne also got off to a slow start in 2008 and was 14^th in the standings before wins at Charlotte and Pocono quickly vaulted him inside the top 10 in points. Following a second-place finish at Chicago on July 12, Kahne was starting to look like a title contender at seventh in the Sprint Cup Series standings. And, despite three more top-10s at Daytona, Indy and Pocono once again, finishes of 33^rd at Sonoma, 30^th at New Hampshire and 40^th Sunday at Michigan have relegated Kahne to The Chase bubble.

Hometown favorite Hamlin has also seen some ups and downs in 2008. A win at Martinsville and consecutive third-place finishes at Phoenix and Talledega put Hamlin fourth in points and among the early title contenders. Hamlin was still fourth in the standings after Charlotte on May 25, but the next week he finished dead last at Dover and has since posted an average finish of 21.3, a figure that is somewhat inflated by two third-place finishes at Pocono and Indianapolis. Hamlin had a promising finish in his sights Sunday at Michigan before a blown engine late in the race left him in 39^th at the end of the day. He dropped three spots in the standings to 12^th, just 26 points on the good side of The Chase cutoff.

Bowyer’s run through the 2008 season has been similar to Hamlin’s. Bowyer’s win in the Crown Royal Presents The Dan Lowry 400 on May 3 capped a string of seven consecutive top-10s, putting the second-year driver fourth in the Sprint Cup Series standings. But starting with Darlington on May 10, Bowyer’s average finish over the next five races was 28.2, dropping him all the way to 12^th in the standings after the first Michigan race. Bowyer has hung around the 12^th spot though on the strength of three top-10s, including a fourth-place effort at Sonoma. Consecutive finishes of 23^rd at Watkins Glen and 20^th at Michigan have Bowyer outside of The Chase field at this point, tied with Ragan.

Ragan, another second-year driver, has come on of late and a berth in The Chase field would be an impressive addition to his young Sprint Cup Series career. Following a tough 40^th place finish at New Hampshire on June 29, Ragan has ripped off four top-10s in the last six races to climb into playoff contention. Ragan was 17^th following New Hampshire, but a fifth-place effort at Pocono and a third-place showing Sunday at Michigan has pulled Ragan into a tie with Bowyer for 13^th. Bowyer, however, holds the tie-breaker over Ragan courtesy of his win at Richmond International Raceway in May.

Michigan showed fortunes can quickly change over the course of a single race, so there is plenty of drama yet to unfold before “One Last Race To Make The Chase” at America’s Premier Short Track on September 6. This week, the circuit moves to Bristol, and a trip to Auto Club Speedway in California on Labor Day Weekend lies ahead as well, before the field for the 2008 Chase to NASCAR Sprint Cup is set at Richmond International Raceway.

Bristol is certainly a track where a good run can be ruined instantly and another major shake-up in the standings isn’t out of the question. Gordon has won five times at Bristol, but the last victory came in 2002 and he has only posted a pair of top-10s in his last five starts there. Kenseth is a two-time winner at Bristol and has 10 top-10s in 17 career races. Kahne has three top 10s at Bristol, including a second-place effort in last year’s night race, but an average finishing position of 18.6 in nine career starts. Hamlin was sixth in the spring race at Bristol in March, and he must improve upon his 43^rd-place finish in last year’s night race to maintain his spot in The Chase field because Bowyer has posted three consecutive top-10s, including back-to-back third-place finishes, at the ½-mile track. Ragan also has momentum on his side going to Bristol, though he has finished no better than 21^st in three career starts there.

It remains to be seen how the standings will look following this weekend, and the excitement and suspense over who will make The Chase will certainly continue to build to the Chevy Rock & Roll 400.

Tickets for the Saturday, September 6, Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race are available by calling 866-455-RACE (7223) or by clicking here. All seats are reserved and start at $80.

Tickets are also available for the Friday, September 5, Emerson Radio 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Friday’s ticket also includes Fas Mart Pole Qualifying and practice for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. To purchase tickets contact the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 866-455-RACE (7223) or online. Friday’s reserved tickets are $45 (in advance) and $50 (on race day) and general admission tickets are $35 (in advance) and $40 (on race day). Children 12 and under are free when accompanied by a paying adult in general admission sections on Friday only.

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