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Drivers who are eliminated from the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup still have something to race for. Fifth place in the final standings, specifically.
Any of the 12 drivers who do not advance to the four-driver Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway are eligible to finish fifth in the current Chase configuration.
Here's how:
When the Chase Grid is set after Richmond, all postseason drivers have their point totals set to 2,000. Drivers with victories get an extra three points per win applied to their total. Points are then reset in the ensuing rounds, so the 12 Contender Round drivers are reset to 3,000 points, the eight Eliminator Round drivers are reset to 4,000 points and the four Championship Round drivers are reset to 5,000 points. There are no bonus points for these rounds.
As drivers are eliminated from the postseason, their point totals default back to their total when the Chase Grid was initially set. The points accrued during the postseason are then added retroactively to that figure to arrive at the new total. For example, Joey Logano currently has 4,013 points. If he does not win at Phoenix, he will be eliminated from the postseason. His points total would reset to 2,009, the figure he had after the Chase Grid was set. The points he earned from Chicagoland to Phoenix, nine races in total, would then be applied to that 2,009 total and give Logano his new points total.
So a driver eliminated after the opening round (say, Jamie McMurray this season) can still finish above one of the four drivers eliminated after Phoenix under this format. The driver-initiated suggestion ensures that all Chase drivers have plenty to race for throughout the postseason -- as Jimmie Johnson proved with his win at Texas Motor Speedway last week.