Autostock
Kasey Kahne and David Ragan are on the outside looking in -- for now.By the Numbers: Richmond
Two drivers fighting for one spot that's taken as of now
type size: + -
It's happened three times: Jeremy Mayfield (2004), Ryan Newman (2005) and Kasey Kahne (2006).
They are the ones who entered Richmond International Raceway outside of the Chase cutoff only to drive their way into the 10-race battle for the Sprint Cup championship. Mayfield faced the largest margin with a 55-point mountain ahead of him. He had to win the race and lead the most laps (more on that later).
Newman entered Richmond in 2005 just one point behind Jamie McMurray. Kahne entered Richmond 30 points behind Jeff Burton in 2006.
Last season, when the Chase field was expanded to 12 drivers, no positions changed hands at Richmond. This year, two drivers on the outside have a shot.
Also: Countdown to the Chase
Clinching Scenarios
Greg Biffle: Start the race.
Kevin Harvick: Start the race.
Tony Stewart: Finish 36th; finish 37th and lead one lap; finish 40th and lead the most laps.
Matt Kenseth: Finish 26th; finish 28th and lead one lap; finish 30th and lead the most laps.
Jeff Gordon: Finish 24th; finish 25th and lead one lap; finish 28th and lead the most laps.
Denny Hamlin: Finish 21st; finish 22nd and lead one lap; finish 25th and lead the most laps.
Clint Bowyer: Win or finish third and lead the most laps.
David Ragan: Win and lead the most laps.
Kasey Kahne: Finish 48 points ahead of Bowyer and 31 points ahead of Ragan.
Sprint Cup Series
Pos. 8-14 and Richmond results
| Pos. | Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | Tony Stewart | 19 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 10.9 |
| 9. | Matt Kenseth | 17 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 15.6 |
| 10. | Jeff Gordon | 31 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 15.3 |
| 11. | Denny Hamlin | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10.0 |
| 12. | Clint Bowyer | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 8.8 |
| 13. | David Ragan | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13.3 |
| 14. | Kasey Kahne | 9 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 17.3 |
Back in Time
Sept. 11, 2004Jeremy Mayfled leads 151 laps and wins the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 to clinch the final Chase spot available. Mayfield entered the race 14th in points and 55 behind 10th-place Mark Martin (only the top 10 qualified for the Chase).
10 Key Facts
2Drivers who have participated in the Chase all four years: Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth. Johnson clinched his fifth berth last week, and Kenseth can clinch at Richmond.
3Top-10 finishes at Richmond for Clint Bowyer, including a victory in May, in his five career starts at the track. His other two finishes were both 12th-place performances.
3Finish for David Ragan in last fall's Richmond race. His other two finishes were 20th (spring 2007) and 17th (spring 2008).
4Former Cup Series champions who currently rank in the top 12 in points: Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon. Last year's Chase field had five former champions.
5Top-10 finishes in nine starts at Richmond for Kasey Kahne, including a pole and victory in the 2005 spring race.
5.3Average running position for Denny Hamlin at Richmond. In the spring event, his average running position was 2.3.
5.6Average finish for Kyle Busch at Richmond, his best track. Busch has never won at Richmond, but he has six top-fives in seven starts (the other was a 20th-place finish a year ago). Three of the last four Richmond races have ended in a second-place finish for Busch.
18.9Average finish for Carl Edwards in eight Richmond starts. He has finished sixth once and seventh twice. He was 42nd in this race last season.
448Laps led by Denny Hamlin in his five Richmond starts, 381 of which came in the spring event. He has led laps in every start there and had two poles, but he has yet to win.
482Points scored by Tony Stewart in the last three Richmond races, more than any other driver. Stewart has three victories there and has finished in the top 10 seven of the last nine races.
| POPULAR ALERTS | ||||
|
Richmond International Raceway
Active drivers, based on victories
| Driver | Starts | Wins | Top-5 | Top-10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 18 | 3 | 7 | 9 |
| Tony Stewart | 19 | 3 | 7 | 13 |
| Jeff Gordon | 31 | 2 | 12 | 19 |
| Jimmie Johnson | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Joe Nemechek | 29 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Kevin Harvick | 15 | 1 | 4 | 9 |
| Kasey Kahne | 9 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Matt Kenseth | 17 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Mark Martin | 45 | 1 | 14 | 24 |
| Kyle Petty | 53 | 1 | 3 | 12 |
| Ryan Newman | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| Kurt Busch | 15 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Jeff Burton | 28 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| Clint Bowyer | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Bill Elliott | 45 | 1 | 8 | 15 |
Active drivers, based on average finish
| Driver | Starts | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Busch | 7 | 13.4 | 5.6 |
| Clint Bowyer | 5 | 21.4 | 8.8 |
| Denny Hamlin | 5 | 4.0 | 10.0 |
| Ryan Newman | 13 | 8.9 | 10.7 |
| Tony Stewart | 19 | 16.1 | 10.9 |
Sprint Cup Series
Official Standings
| Pos. | +/- | Driver | Points | Behind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | -- | Kyle Busch | 3755 | Leader |
| 2. | -- | Carl Edwards | 3547 | -208 |
| 3. | +1 | Jimmie Johnson | 3386 | -369 |
| 4. | -1 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3323 | -432 |
| 5. | -- | Jeff Burton | 3234 | -521 |
| 6. | +1 | Greg Biffle | 3159 | -596 |
| 7. | +1 | Kevin Harvick | 3132 | -623 |
| 8. | -2 | Tony Stewart | 3110 | -645 |
| 9. | +1 | Matt Kenseth | 3081 | -674 |
| 10. | -1 | Jeff Gordon | 3074 | -681 |
| 11. | -- | Denny Hamlin | 3065 | -690 |
| 12. | -- | Clint Bowyer | 2989 | -766 |
Remember To Check Out
|
All External sites will open in a new browser window. NASCAR.COM does not endorse external sites. |
|
© 2001-2009 NASCAR | Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
|
Turner Entertainment Digital Network NASCAR.COM is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. |
