Being the No. 1 playoff seed provides advantages, such as being awarded the pole for Sunday’s Chase for the Sprint Cup opener after rain washed out qualifying Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. Sadler had a substantial points lead that’s wiped out under the new Chase format. Jimmie Johnson, a six-time series champion, has yet to be in contention going into the final race. Christopher Bell (fourth) was the highest finishing rookie.
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THREE FINGERS: Others making Chase debuts include Kyle Larson, who had the fastest auto in Saturday’s practice, and Austin Dillon, who has the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet in the playoffs for the first time. Custer has two career victories in the Truck Series.
Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch dominated most of the race, leading 154 of the first 181 laps until he cut a tire and spun out. Busch called Larson a good fantasy league pick. He also boasts the second-best average running position (9.2) and driver rating (106.1) in the series there.
Busch is seeking his second straight Sprint Cup title.
Johnson has had uncharacteristic mistakes this season as he aims for a seventh title, which would tie the record for NASCAR’s top circuit held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. On the year, he has two wins, seven top fives and 10 top 10s.
“Both of us are ready to move on and we’re still getting poked and prodded about it”, Stewart said. “We just need to deliver consistently and execute at the track”. “We’re going to have to make something happen to try to make it”.
Stewart-Haas Racing, which has three drivers in the Chase, gets its engines from Hendrick and it has fueled a rivalry between Johnson and Kevin Harvick.
Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch completed the top 10. He made the Chase on points after capturing the eighth most top 10s in the regular season.
Harvick has won a race at every Chase track except Texas. Chris Buescher is seeded 13th and Chase Elliott 14th.
“In just excited to be here”, said Buescher, who is now third in the rookie standings.
In addition, Larson is the first NASCAR Drive for Diversity graduate to make the Chase, and he and Elliott are the first grads of the NASCAR Next program to make the playoffs.
Sieg finished 12th and Koch 15th to earn the final spots in the 12-driver Chase.
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Team Penske, led by No. 2 seed and 2012 champ Brad Keselowski, and Logano, are back in the Chase, too. Busch led 95 of the 150 laps for his 167th win on NASCAR’s top three circuits.
