Newman, Biffle relieved to make Chase

Biffle and Ryan Newman claimed the final two positions in the 16-driver Chase on Saturday night, doing what they needed in the face of difficult handling conditions in the Federated Auto Parts 400. Newman had a slightly easier ride, securing his spot comfortably after a ninth-place effort; Biffle was the first driver two laps down, besting third-place finisher Clint Bowyer by just seven points for the final berth.
 
Biffle's nerve-jangling result wasn't helped by a swing and a miss on the setup for his Roush Fenway Racing No. 16 Ford. Nor was it aided by Bowyer's strong run -- a last-gasp victory for him would have knocked the winless Biffle out.
 
After entering the regular-season finale on a hot streak, Biffle had hoped for his Richmond results to follow suit in his bid for a third straight appearance in the Chase. His car's drivability nearly conspired against him.
 
"The last five races, we scored almost more points than anyone with five top-10s in a row, and were looking really strong," Biffle said. "We felt like we would come here and run top-10 easy, and clearly that wasn't the case. It just caught us off guard and I'll admit it. We felt like we're ready for the Chase. We still do. We're just going to go back and look at what we did wrong and not make that mistake in the Chase."
 
For Newman, his second straight Chase berth came in a much different fashion. In this race last season, he left Richmond unhappy, but was added to the postseason field days later after the Michael Waltrip Racing results-manipulation scandal came to full light. This time around, Newman was all smiles and on the receiving end of a congratulatory slap on the shoulder from team owner Richard Childress.
 
"Yeah, drama avoided me this time," said Newman, in his first year driving for Childress. "... It's a good spot to be after what we've been through the last 365 days. It's something I look forward to, these next 10 races. Everybody ... and the guys in the pits have done a good job of stepping up, but we've got to step up again, again, and then again, and hopefully we're in a good spot at Homestead."
 
Though neither driver was able to challenge race-long dominator Brad Keselowski for the victory, their ability to hold serve with a clutch performance may bode well come Chase time. Biffle's team tested at Chicagoland, site of Round 1, and plans further sessions at Texas and Homestead in search of keeping pace with the top seeds.
 
"It's a really good feeling. We're going to go after this thing," Biffle said. "We've got nothing to lose, so we're in 15th place and about the only place we can go is up."
 
Newman completed the regular season eighth in the Sprint Cup standings, the highest-ranked driver without a victory thus far in 2014. He's never placed better than sixth in the final standings over the course of his 13-year career in NASCAR's top division, but carries high aspirations for a breakthrough Cup title to the opening Chase race at Chicagoland.
 
"We've had good race cars," Newman said. "We've been consistent; I think that'll pay off at points, but just the opportunity to be in this position all over again is a lot of fun. That's what I strive for every year is to be a champion. Winning races is good, but being a champion is what the big picture is all about."

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