|
 Nineteen different drivers still have a chance to lock themselves
into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Saturday's Federated
Auto Parts 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on ABC) at Richmond International
Raceway. The question looms: Who will seize the opportunity and who
will let it slip?
At the moment, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle fill out the final two
spots on the Chase grid. Both have comfortable grasps on their
positions at 42 and 23 points above the cutoff line, respectively,
but still have work to do, especially if there's a new winner.
Only a collapse of monumental proportions would keep Newman out of
the Chase. He controls his own destiny no matter who wins at
Richmond.
If there is a repeat winner or a Matt Kenseth victory, all Newman
has to do is finish 41st or better, 42nd with one lap led, or 43rd
with the most laps led. If there's a new winner, Newman needs to
hold his spot in points standings where he sits a cushy 19 points
ahead of Biffle.
Clinching will be a little trickier for Biffle. If a repeat winner,
Newman or Kenseth takes the checkered flag at Richmond, Biffle can
guarantee himself a spot in the Chase with finishes of 22nd or
better, 23rd with at least one lap led or 24th with the most laps
led. If a new winner ranked below him in points arises, the Roush
Fenway driver would be in major trouble -- needing to out-point
Newman by 19 points and stay ahead of Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson.
With the new win and you're in Chase format, hope is not lost among
drivers currently outside the top 16 on the grid. Bowyer and Larson
are prime candidates to play the spoiler.
Richmond could not come at a better time for Bowyer, who plummeted
from 15th to 17th on the Chase grid at Atlanta after a 38th-place
finish caused by a broken shifter, Kasey Kahne's win and a top-10
performance from Biffle. Arguably his best track, Bowyer boasts two
wins, three top fives and nine top 10s at the 3/4-mile, D-shaped
course.
"As far as the Chase, I think it's pretty much spelled out, from a
points standpoint, what we have to do to make the Chase," Bowyer
said. "We just have to concentrate on qualifying well, getting a
good starting spot and run our race."
Larson proved he could run fast in his lone NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
start at Richmond earlier this season by winning the pole, even
though he finished 16th. The 22-year-old, known as "The Phenom,"
claims one top-five and two-top 10 Nationwide finishes there. By
winning Saturday, he would make history as the second rookie to ever
qualify for the Chase (Denny Hamlin, 2006).
"For this weekend, it's pretty simple for us. We need to win,"
Larson said. "Our Target Chevy has continued to be fast, and I know
we have the ability to win the race."
JR Motorsports drivers attempt to further separate from pack at
Richmond
[to top of second column]
|
It's shaping up to be a tussle between teammates for the NASCAR Nationwide
Series title.
JR Motorsports comrades Chase Elliot and Regan Smith rank 1-2 in the
driver standings, separated by 15 points. Next in line is Richard
Childress Racing's Ty Dillon, who trails Smith by 20 points and Elliott
by 35.
"This could be a championship battle that comes all the way down to the
last race," Smith said.
Entering Friday's Virginia529 College Savings 250 (7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN
2) at Richmond International Raceway, the teammates have nine races left
to duke it out for the title.
Richmond presents the opportunity for Elliott to further distance
himself from the pack or Smith to catch up as the final stretch of the
season begins.
Elliott followed two consecutive victories with a second-place finish in
the circuit's first visit to Richmond in April, proving his status as a
bona fide contender. He goes into this weekend's race with a streak of
five straight top-10 finishes on the line.
"The first Richmond race was a blast, and my NAPA Auto Parts team gave
it their all, but we came up a bit short to (Kevin) Harvick," Elliott
said. "I've been looking forward to going back to Richmond ever since we
left in April. Just knowing how well we ran, and how our team left with
some really good race notes, has me optimistic for our return."
Smith had once struggled at Richmond, posting a high finish of 15th in
six starts before joining JR Motorsports. Since then, he has notched
three top 10s with a high finish of third.
"It certainly hasn't been kind to me in the past, but since I've been
racing there with JR Motorsports, we've run really well," Smith said.
"So I think we have a great opportunity in front of us this weekend to
gain some points on the competition."
-----------------------------------------------
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
