One reason Edwards says he had no guilt about initiating late-race contact was his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate was that both already had Cup wins on their 2016 resumes, virtually guaranteeing them spots in the Chase, which begins at Chicagoland on September 18.
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He has experienced it from all sides.
In the money round of Friday’s knockout qualifying session, the driver of the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota toured.75-mile Richmond International Raceway in 22.069 seconds (122.344 mph) to earn the top starting spot for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400, the final race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season. Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray are still in good shape to make it.
Ryan Newman knew his vehicle had failed inspection following the Sprint Cup race Sunday night at Darlington Raceway.
For Elliott Sadler, having Richmond International Raceway as his home track in conjunction with being the most recent victor in the Xfinity Series can be a rather expensive deal. But he knows he can’t afford to cruise and collect. That’s what’s put us in this position. Each of those drivers can capture victory, they’ll make the Chase only if they leap-frog past other drivers into the top 30 – no small accomplishment. “The vehicle is better than normal in practice, and this has been a pretty good track for me”. There are several mathematical scenarios for McMurray to make the Chase, but if there’s not a first-time victor, he’s in the field.
“We just need a normal race, maybe try to give some guys a little extra room and have a solid night”. And Roush Fenway has added more support as part of a technical alliance with Front Row to help its driver, Buescher, get into the Chase.
Some of the big surprises to come out of Round 1 who did not advance included Casey Mears (No. 13 Chevy), Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ford), Danica Patrick (No. 10 Chevy), Paul Menard (No. 27 Chevy), Clint Boyer (No. 15 Chevy) and Chase Elliott (No. 24 Chevy).
Then and now: This will be the 121st Sprint Cup race held at Richmond. “We still want to come here and try to win the race”. He didn’t make the Cup grid past year, but was part of strategizing and talk in the garage.
-Those four drivers will compete for the championship at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He also has placed second in two others. It becomes a critical event as he works to remain in the running for a spot in the Chase for the Championship.
THEY SAID IT: “It’s been a good track for me over the years”.
“We’re pushing everything”, Edwards said.
In fact, he’s only been 30th in the standings for three weeks. Next year, I might be in a different circumstance and need the Chase to get back. It’s one of our main goals. Newman had made up quite a bit of ground after having had to drop to the rear of the field at the start of the race because of unapproved adjustments following the prerace tech check.
Buescher is in the Chase as long as he stays in the top 30 in points. We have seen both Koch and Sieg suffer mechanical issues this season.
“There’s a lot of anticipation leading into this weekend, but I’m pretty confident we’re in a good spot right now”. In his last six races, Larson claims four top-six finishes: fifth at Indianapolis; sixth at Pocono; first at MI and third at Darlington. Should Buescher fail to land in the top 30 in points, Newman could slide up into the field of 16, but if he has a bad day, Kasey Kahne could sneak in on points alone.
He believes the speed he showed at Darlington should translate to the smaller Richmond oval. Remember, though, his last win at Richmond was back in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 in September 2000. So we’ll go with “no”. I’ve been in this situation before. “Super, super happy! Glad we’re in the Chase!”
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Even drivers who have already qualified for the Chase admitted they are following the intrigue over the cutoff for 16th with interest.
