Viewer's Guide: RIR

It all comes down to this.

Unless you've been living in a cave, you know that Saturday's Chevy Rock and Roll 400 is the final race before the field for the Chase for the Nextel Cup is finalized.

	Credit: Autostock
	Chasing the Chase The drivers with a shot at earning a spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup and their position as it relates to 10th place Pos. Driver +/-10th 7. J. Mayfield +145 8. C. Edwards +86 9. M. Kenseth +11 10. J. McMurray -- 11. R. Newman -1 12. J. Gordon -30 13. E. Sadler -52 14. D. Jarrett -117 15. K. Harvick -131 16. J. Nemechek -135 Complete standings, click here

Technically, there are 10 drivers with a mathematical chance at the final four spots in the Chase. If you remember last year's Richmond race, you also know that a mathematical chance is a legitimate chance.

Just ask Jeremy Mayfield.

Mayfield was 55 points out of 10th-place when the green flag flew at Richmond a year ago. After he took the checkers, he took the ninth spot in the season-ending Chase.

The man closest to that distinction this year? Elliott Sadler in 13th, 53 points back, meaning Sadler, Jeff Gordon in 12th and Ryan Newman in 11th have reason to be optimistic.

And Matt Kenseth and Jamie McMurray have reason to worry.

"You can compare the 2005 Jeff Gordon to 2005 (New York) Yankees or the 2004 (Boston) Red Sox because right now we have one game left before the playoffs and he's got to win it to get in," said NBC play-by-play man Bill Weber.

"He's played mediocre ball at best all season, but he's still got a chance to make the playoffs. And if he gets in the question is 'do you want to have to race Jeff Gordon?' Most teams will say, 'No, I do not.'"

Saturday night's pre-race show will, of course, focus on the Chase.

Also, in a special edition of "Wally's World," Wally Dallenbach will take a look at how different guys will approach Saturday's race depending on their position in the standings.

Ray Evernham is among the guests slated for Trackside this week from Richmond (11 p.m. ET Friday, SPEED).

If you're heading there this weekend, the SPEED Channel Stage Truck will be located outside the track, behind the main grandstand near the amphitheater.

The show will be taped at 2:30 p.m.

The ratings news was solid again for NBC on Sunday night at Fontana. The race delivered a 5.2 national rating and 10 share, a two percent increase over the 5.1/10 for the inaugural event last year.

The NASCAR on NBC & TNT average 2005 season rating is a 5.0/11 through eight telecasts, an 11 percent increase over last year's 4.5/10 average.

The current 5.0/10 average rating is a 67 percent increase over the 3.0/10 average rating at the same point in the schedule in 2000 (seven telecasts), the year prior to NBC and TNT taking over the second half of the NASCAR schedule.

In this week's "Ask the Producer" question, we deal with another popular inquiry. Several users have written in to say that the noise from the race cars drowns out the commentary, and could something be done to alleviate the problem.

NBC/TNT producer Sam Flood

NASCAR on NBC/TNT producer Sam Flood said the networks have people around the country that monitor the levels and the mix between race noise and commentary and it is something they are aware of.

"We're always attempting to balance the sounds of the race with our commentators' voices to give viewers the best experience possible," Flood said. "It's something we're very aware of and something that we're always trying to improve."

Each week, we'll choose a fan's question to ask a NASCAR on NBC/TNT producer. Send your puzzler by e-mail using the link to the right.

In this week's version of "The Rant," Cathy Oelrich of Rhinelander, Wis. has a problem with people comparing NASCAR to other sports:

EMAIL Send Mark your take for "The Rant" or your question for "Ask The Producer"

Why do BP and the other guys always talk about NASCAR like it is Football? I watch NASCAR because it is nothing like football, and it drives me up the wall when they talk about like that. Why can't they just talk about it like NASCAR? In my opinion, there is no other sport that can compare.

Now to this weekend's schedule:

Nextel Cup Series: Chevy Rock and Roll 400

Track: Richmond International Raceway

• .75-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 8-degree banking on frontstretch
• 2-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 1,290 feet
• Backstretch: 860 feet

Race length: 400 laps/300 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

Last minuteMayfield earns a spot in last year's Chase with a win Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

• NASCAR Live: 2 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Final practice: 2:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED (tape)
• Bud Pole Qualifying: 6 p.m. ET Fri., TNT
• Trackside: 11 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• NASCAR This Morning: 5:30 p.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 7 p.m. Sat., TNT
• Race: 7:40 p.m. Sat, TNT

One year ago, Jeremy Mayfield, facing a must-win situation, won the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 to earn a spot in the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup.

The most recent checkered flag went to Kyle Busch, who scored his first career Nextel Cup Series win Sunday night at California Speedway.

Keep an eye on Gordon. A four-time champion, Gordon faces the possibility of missing the Chase for the Nextel Cup if he does not reach the top 10 after Saturday night's event.

Busch Series: Emerson Radio 250

Track: Richmond International Raceway

• .75-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 8-degree banking on frontstretch
• 2-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 1,290 feet
• Backstretch: 860 feet

Race length: 250 laps/187.5 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

First-time winnerRobby rolls to the first Busch Series victory of his career Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

• Busch Pole Qualifying: 4:30 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Race: 7:30 p.m. Fri., TNT

One year ago, Robby Gordon went from third to first in a three-car battle with 15 laps to go and held off Casey Atwood's charge the rest of the way for his first Busch Series victory.

The most recent checkered flag went to Carl Edwards topped off a fantastic Saturday at California Speedway by notching his fourth Busch Series victory of the year.

Keep an eye on Denny Hamlin. Hamlin comes to his home track at Richmond International Raceway ranked fifth in the NASCAR Busch Series standings, his highest mark of the season.

Hamlin, a native of Chesterfield, Va., who is a product of NASCAR's ladder system from the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series, has been in the top 10 in points since the fourth race.

Craftsman Truck Series: Cheerios Betty Crocker 200

Track: Richmond International Raceway

• .75-mile oval
• 14-degree banking in corners
• 8-degree banking on frontstretch
• 2-degree banking on backstretch
• Frontstretch: 1,290 feet
• Backstretch: 860 feet

Race length: 200 laps/150 miles

TV schedule (All times ET)

• Race: 8 p.m. Thursday, SPEED

The man to beatMusgrave puts the finishing touches on a dominating win Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

One year ago, Ted Musgrave led all but 10 laps and held off teammate Jamie McMurray in an aborted two-lap sprint to the finish.

The most recent checkered flag went to Mike Skinner, who wrested the lead from pole-sitter David Reutimann in Turn 3 of the first lap of the O'Reilly 200 and dominated the field en route to his first Truck Series victory since Nov. 3, 1996.

Keep an eye on the Hornaday family, who will have plenty of rooting interest in Thursday's Cheerios Betty Crocker 200 as Ron Hornaday Jr. competes against son Ronnie III for a series record-extending sixth time.

They last raced head-to-head on Oct. 8, 1999 at the old Louisville Motor Speedway.

Mark Spoor is a senior producer for NASCAR.COM. The Domino's Viewer's Guide runs each Thursday during race weeks.