Richmond International Raceway will host the Federated Auto Parts 400 on Saturday night. Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles) Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps. After all, he has made it clear that he’ll do just about anything to make or advance through the Chase for the Sprint Cup. After Saturday night, only 16 drivers will be contending for the championship. The top 16 drivers, based on wins then points, after tonight’s race make the 10-race Chase for the Championship. Our auto was just off and couldn’t get going, but obviously it’s a good sign for things to come for the long run. He has career highs in every category but laps led, and a top-10 finish Saturday would secure his berth without help from any other drivers. Kevin Harvick 20. Ryan Blaney 21. That’s how Buescher got to Victory Lane on August 1 at Pocono, where he didn’t pit as rain closed in, inherited the lead and held it when the race was called.
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If Newman wins the race tomorrow night, he automatically is in the Chase field.
The pole is Hamlin’s first this season, 24th of his Cup career and third at his hometown track of Richmond.
NASCAR also docked 15 points from Kyle Larson, but he’s already qualified for the Chase based on his victory at MI. He has two victories at the D-shaped oval and an average finish of 13.3.
But there are wild cards.
Carl Edwards: He won Richmond’s spring race by bumping Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kurt Busch out of the way on the last lap. Busch and the #18 team have spent a considerable amount of time at the front of the field lately but mechanical malfunctions have ruined most of those good runs.
While the final Chase spots are earned, a race win will be on the lines like any other week.
This is it for Kasey Kahne. “Getting in the Chase is a big deal”. Looking at his history at the track combined with his lack of success this season, the odds are against Kahne being one of the sixteen drivers in the Chase this season. In fact, a driver starting in the top five has led more than 290 laps in three of the last four races at RIR.
“But I’m not going to lie to you”. He’s ranked a solid 10th in the standings, best of all drivers who are winless this season.
Seven points is just six positions when bonus points are taken away, so a gap of that nature was undoubtedly going to lead to some serious scoreboard watching throughout the course of the race. He won earlier this year at New Hampshire which is a track with similar racing characteristics to Richmond so he should be one to watch Saturday night. Sadler has 12 wins in the series and finished second in points in 2011 and ’12.
Well it’s that week…the last race before the Chase for the Sprint Cup begins at Chicagoland.
Also advancing to the final round were: McMurray, Gordon, Kenseth, Kahne, Johnson, Dillon and Logano. The bad news is that it’s a awful starting spot; but the good news is that it’s a long race tomorrow night.
“When they announced the Chase, it was like, ‘Man, that’s a good goal, to make the Chase, ‘” Koch said at Darlington Raceway last weekend.
■ Ryan Newman’s path became more hard after his team was docked 15 points for failing post-race inspection last Sunday at the Darlington Raceway.
Jamie McMurray: He was in a much more precarious spot before the Newman penalty. “Like last year. Last year would have been a great year to start it”. A victory, however, would also get Newman in. He holds the fourth best average finishing position here at 11.6 and he does have a victory to go along with six top five finishes and sixteen top ten results.
“It’s doable”, Newman said Saturday. It’s for that reason I am making him my long shot pick this week. He is this year’s Jeff Gordon, an immortal and slam-dunk Hall of Famer set to retire at season’s end.
The driver for a first-year Xfinity Series team knew coming into season that competing for a title sounded like a far-fetched notion. But it would make for some interesting discussion. “PESPT008401-topic.html” class=”local_link” >Dale Earnhardt Jr. has missed while recovering from a concussion.
“I’ll do the best job I possibly can, and whatever else happens, happens”, he said.
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