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Greg Biffle isn’t surprised by the Chase contenders or Wild Card prospects 

RICHMOND, Va. — It wasn’t personal. It was strictly business.

After crew chief Rodney Childers confirmed two weeks ago he was leaving Michael Waltrip Racing for Stewart-Haas next year, team owner Michael opted to relieve Childers of his duties on the No. 55 Toyota driven by Brian Vickers, rather than allowing him to finish out the season.

"Rodney and I are buddies, and he has been a tremendous asset at Michael Waltrip Racing, but we are going to have meetings and build cars and put processes in place that we think will help us win a championship in 2014," Waltrip told the NASCAR Wire Service on Friday at Richmond International Raceway. 

"When he said he was going to leave MWR… that is just business. It’s our information to protect, and we felt like that was a smart way to protect it. I know he understands. In this world we live in… we’ve had some very pleasant texts over the last couple weeks about where he is and where we are and how that situation was handled. 

"No one did anything mean — it’s just business."

Director of Competition Scott Miller is serving as interim crew chief for Vickers as MWR searches for Childers’ replacement. Waltrip said MWR has made progress toward that end but didn’t have anything specific to report. 

NO SURPRISES

Jeff Gordon on the outside of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cutoff line entering the final regular-season race at Richmond?

Joey Logano relatively comfortable in eighth place with a victory as a safety net?

Greg Biffle, another driver on the Chase bubble, said the vagaries of the Chase battle haven’t surprised him. 

"Nobody’s made it in that’s a surprise to me, because there are so many good drivers," said Biffle, who is ninth in the Cup standings, 16 points ahead of Jeff Gordon in 11th. Kasey Kahne (who has clinched at least a wild card spot), you can’t say that he’s a surprise. You can’t say that Martin Truex is a surprise.

"I could list them all. None of them are surprises to me. Is it a surprise that those other guys are out? Maybe. But somebody has to be, you know… A lot has to come down to luck, what happened on the race track and how your season went so far."

WHERE’S THAT SWITCH? 

Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 team has suffered through a litany of major and minor problems in the last two months–from blown engines to blown tires to blown pit stops.

In the three races leading up to the regular-season finale at Richmond, Johnson finished 40th, 36th and 28th, hardly characteristic of the five-time champion. Nevertheless, fellow Chase competitor Kyle Busch fully expects Johnson to be a championship contender once the 10-race playoff starts.

"There’s a switch somewhere over at Hendrick Motorsports they’ll flip next week, and they’ll be just fine in Chicago (where the Chase opens)," Busch said. "I guarantee it."

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Once a long shot, the one-car team is now a Chase contender

RELATED: Results | Chase explained

RICHMOND, Va. — Carl Edwards won the race but Kurt Busch and his Furniture Row Racing team may have been the happiest bunch at Richmond International Raceway Saturday night.

Hugs, cheers, back slaps and tears greeted Busch as his crew welcomed the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy as it pulled onto pit road following Busch’s runner-up finish in the Federated Auto Parts 400 — an effort good enough to put the single-car team into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup for the first time ever.

“How ‘bout them apples? Unbelievable,’’ Busch said after the race. “To make the Chase with these guys is an unbelievable feeling. It’s been an 18‑month work in progress, and I’ve been through a lot, and I’ve learned a lot, and I feel like I’m better ready for the Chase and life in general as a 35-year-old.’’

The second-place effort for Busch — his eighth top-five on the 2013 — earned him enough points to finish the regular season in eighth overall, re-seeded to the 10th and final guaranteed position in the 12-driver, 10-race Chase, which starts next Sunday in Chicago.

Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. won the Wild Card slots based on their win totals. Short of a victory this year, a good showing Saturday night was the only way Busch would qualify and he did exactly what he needed to do — leading 73 laps to boot.

It was redemption not only for the single-car, Denver-based team — the only Sprint Cup organization not based in the Charlotte area — but also for the temperamental Busch, the 2004 Cup champion who has been with three teams since 2011 and undergone an image makeover that even he calls “well-documented.”

Just last week, Busch announced he will drive a fourth car for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

After winning his Cup title in 2004 with Roush Fenway Racing, Busch drove most of last season for the lower-budget single car Phoenix Racing team before joining Furniture Row this year.

Team owner Barney Visser and Busch were convinced the team would defy the odds and all but promised a Chase berth in the preseason, certain that Busch’s experience combined with the team’s technical affiliation with Richard Childress Racing and a whole lot of motivation all around would elevate the team into title contention.

“I have to go back and say at the beginning of the year as the team has grown, you start setting goals — after Kurt coming on board, being able to bring [crew chief] Todd Berrier, some of the guys we’ve had come onboard at the shop, Barney making the comments, ‘I expect to make the Chase,’" FRR General Manager Joe Garone said.

“When you’re out in Colorado, you’ve gone through what we’ve gone through, you realize just how difficult of an accomplishment that is, to have a leader that’s got that kind of vision, we all just fell in right behind him.’’

“Dreams come true today.’’

Even before he turned the first lap of competition this year, Busch spoke with confidence about the team’s potential and his desire to play the underdog role until it no longer accurately fit.

And almost from the beginning, he began exceeding expectations. Back-to-back top-five finishes in March at Bristol, Tenn., and Fontana, Calif., were a sign of good things to come.

The team had only three top-five finishes and eight top-10s in 193 starts before Busch joined the team. Busch has eight top-fives and 13 top-10s this season alone.

“I don’t know if it’s a dream come true as much as I’m kind of in awe of Kurt and Joe and the whole team and what these guys have been able to do,’’ team owner Visser said. “They put in a lot of hard work and a lot of hours and it’s incredible what they were able to do.’’

Of little surprise to those that know Busch, he hardly feels like it’s mission accomplished; rather one giant step in the right direction. Even as he accepted the congratulations and accolades Saturday night, Busch was quick to remind everyone this is only the first phase of the bigger goal.

“It was a dream (to make the Chase] and now it’s a reality,’’ Busch said. “It’s an amazing feeling after such a long journey for my part and it’s great to know I did my part. I’m very proud to have driven the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy into the Chase this year.’’

“We’ve got some muscle in us. We haven’t won a race yet this year, but we’re in the Chase, and we’ve got a good 10 weeks ahead of us where we can do some good things.

“We have a test session we’ve saved. I think we can make a run through this Chase. We just have to do the same thing we did tonight: Keep plugging away, let everybody else worry about what has to happen and we’ll keep doing what we’re doing out in Colorado because nobody can look over our shoulder.’’

 

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Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch among 10 drivers for five spots

Related: Saturday night’s lineup | Chase explained: Who’s in, on bubble

RICHMOND, Va. – After 25 weeks of thrilling, action-packed and highlight-reel competition, a single race remains to decide which 12 drivers will vie for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. And there are long shots, underdogs and even some of the sport’s biggest stars who need to launch a mathematical rally in the standings during Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway (ABC, 7 p.m.).

With their backs against the wall, 10 drivers competing for the final five positions realize their ability to qualify for the 12-driver championship field will depend largely on preparation, partly on luck and undeniably on a whole lot on heart.

The season is on the line. And it is literally all or nothing for some of the best racers in the sport.

And this is why they are the best.

Three series champions will lead the starting field to the green flag Saturday night. Seven of the 10 drivers vying for a spot in the Chase qualified among the top-14.

“Here we are the two guys battling it out for the last spot,’’ outside pole sitter Kurt Busch acknowledged of his front row partner, Coors Light Pole Award winner Jeff Gordon.

“It’s like the bottom of the seventh and I feel like we have a one-run lead and it’s off to the final few innings.’’

It’s the “Game 7” feel that NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France has so often spoken about — the excitement, the suspense, a chance to watch the cream rise to the top. And the high stakes are not lost on these competitors.

“I find it so fascinating,’’ Gordon said following his record-fast qualifying lap. “You come into this race and there are all these guys that are all of on this bubble, or whatever you want to call it to make the Chase.

“And all of a sudden, they all just step up to another level.

“I think that makes for a really interesting conversation of what’s going to happen prior to the race and when the green flag drops of what’s going to happen throughout the whole race.’’

A win for either Gordon or Busch would guarantee them a shot at the 2013 trophy as either a Wild Card or possibly a guaranteed top-10 spot. Reigning Cup champion Brad Keselowski will start third, just behind the veterans and his chances at defending his title are steeper. He must win the race and out-score Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman by 13 and eight points, respectively.

It’s a complicated scenario, but a second-row qualifying run and a dramatic victory in Friday night’s Nationwide Series race at Richmond have buoyed Keselowski’s expectations.

“I know that if we keep doing what we are doing, keep doing the right things and working hard and not just hard, but smart as well, that the results will come,’’ Keselowski said. “That is confidence. That is the confidence you get from winning here today (Friday).

“I know we did the right things, and at the end, we were rewarded, and I believe the same will hold true with the Cup team.

“Our team has worked incredibly hard for Richmond. This has not been our strongest track, and I would be the first to admit it. …We unloaded and quite frankly, still weren’t where we needed to be, to be a winner in my opinion. With an hour or two hours of practice … we hit what we needed for me to feel like we can win the race tomorrow. At the end of practice, I felt we were the best car. I am very optimistic for (Saturday night).’’

The situation Gordon finds himself in now is a sort of twisted rerun of the situation he was in at this race last year — when he had to produce a specific result under a certain set of circumstances to qualify for the Chase.

And he did.

In one of the most memorable races of the 2012 season, Gordon stayed focused through a rain-delayed start, an hour-long red flag and then rallied from a lap down and finished runner-up to Clint Bowyer to wrestle away the final Chase position from Kyle Busch by a mere three points.

“What Jeff did last year is impressive because he was laps down early in the race,’’ recalled Jamie McMurray. “I remember passing Jeff. … his car was terrible. So I was shocked to see that he was able to race his way back up. That was super-impressive what he was able to do.’’

Gordon’s teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. agreed and says it would be a big mistake to doubt Gordon’s ability to perform when the stakes are highest.

“He always seems to bring his A-game when it’s needed,’’ said Earnhardt, who only needs to finish 32nd or better to clinch his own Chase berth.

“It’s really vital that he has a good run, but he always seems to find a way to get what he needs. He runs well here. This a good track that I think he has a lot of confidence in.’’

A performance like Gordon turned in here last year will go along way toward that.

“I’m certainly a lot more comfortable,’’ Gordon said with a smile. “Last year, I was really on edge, and the entire weekend was a lot more stressful. I’ve been a lot more calm this weekend.

“I don’t know exactly why other than I think because we went through so much last year that it does help prepare you to deal with whatever is thrown at you and know you’re giving your best.

“There’s no doubt we all recognize what’s on the line here. … And at this point, I’ll take every little boost and bit of confidence and little victory that we can, and today was a good one.’’

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Snapshots of drivers’ histories and clues into who could win the Chase

Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Home Depot/Husky Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

Chase History: The 2003 Cup champ has finished among the top seven in the championship standings for the past four seasons. He answered his title-winning year in 2003 with a championship runner-up in 2006. He has qualified for the Chase all but one time in its 10-year existence.

Chase Outlook: By virtue of his five victories, the season’s winningest driver zooms up to the lead spot in the championship standings as the Chase begins in Chicago. Although he has the most wins, he and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch also are tied with Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. for the most DNFs among the Chase drivers as the team has struggled with engine gremlins. Kenseth won at Bristol and finished sixth at Richmond to break a recent cold spell.

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

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Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet

Chase History: Johnson made history winning his fifth consecutive Sprint Cup title in 2010. But "Five Time" — as he is affectionately known — is going through a championship dry spell by his standards, two straight seasons without a seat at NASCAR’s ultimate head table. A runner-up in 2011 (to Tony Stewart) and a third place last year (to Brad Keselowski) have only stoked his competitive fire.

Chase Outlook: Johnson led the points standings for most of the season, at one point holding a points lead of nearly two full races over second place and clinching a spot in the Chase a month ago. While he’s had a run of more human-like showings lately — including four straight finishes of 28th or worse — he is a four-time winner this year and a man on a mission. He starts the Chase ranked second because he won one race fewer than Matt Kenseth, but based on history — recent and otherwise, he’s still regarded as the championship favorite until someone proves otherwise.

Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&Ms Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing

Chase History: NASCAR’s winningest driver in the three national series during the past half-decade has had a surprisingly tough time when it comes to vying for the Cup championship. He missed the Chase last year and finished last among the 12 drivers in 2011. His best championship finish of fifth came in 2007 with only a single win to his credit. He finished 10th in 2008 even with a series-best eight wins.

Chase Outlook: Arguably the hottest driver entering the Chase with two wins in the past five races, Busch is also highly motivated to be a championship player when it counts most. His four wins in the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota put him near the top of the standings at the reset to start the Chase — prime position for what many believe will be his best run yet. 

Kevin Harvick, No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet, Richard Childress Racing

Chase History: Harvick has qualified for six Chase runs and has had a pair of third-place finishes, including one of the most dramatic in Chase history when he narrowly lost to Johnson and Denny Hamlin in a title run decided in the season finale. Harvick finished eighth last year.

Chase Outlook: With a pair of wins in 2013, Harvick is starting the Chase in good shape. He narrowly missed his third top-10 in four races by finishing 11th at Richmond and nearly added to his win total at Michigan, finishing runner-up. This is Harvick’s final season driving the No. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and he’d love to finish out his tenure with a championship.

Carl Edwards, No. 99 Kellogg’s/Cheez-It Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

Chase History: Edwards missed the Chase last year for the first time since 2009 — a year after losing the 2011 Sprint Cup Series championship by virtue of a tiebreaker with Tony Stewart. It was Edwards’ second runner-up finish, equaling his effort in 2008 when he won three Chase races and had eight top-10 finishes in the playoff run. He has wins at four of the 10 Chase tracks.

Chase Outlook: Edwards was among the top five in points all season, spending nine weeks ranked second this spring. He finally passed Johnson for most points in the regular season by winning the race at Richmond, his second victory of the year. Both Edwards and his Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle will have to step it up in the Chase to contend for the title.
 
Joey Logano, No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford, Penske Racing

Chase History: This is the 23-year-old’s first Chase appearance and comes in his first season with the Penske Racing organization. In Logano’s previous four seasons, his best run was 16th in 2010 — the only year he didn’t score a win.

Chase Outlook: Logano’s Penske Racing teammate and reigning Cup champ Brad Keselowski said he believes Logano should be considered a championship favorite based on the way he ran in the races leading into the Chase. After being ranked as low as 20th midway through the schedule, Logano raced his way back into contention. Before coming in 22nd at Richmond, Logano’s No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford didn’t finish lower than eighth place in a span of six races, including a win at Michigan and a runner-up at Atlanta.
 
Greg Biffle, No. 16 3M Ford, Roush Fenway Racing

Chase History: The 2005 championship runner-up has qualified for the Chase five of the past six years with a best showing of third place (in 2008) during that run. He was fifth last year. He has 10 wins at five of the 10 Chase venues.

Chase Outlook: While Biffle does have a win (in June at Michigan) he has the fewest top-fives (three) and fewest top-10s (10) of the Chase qualified drivers. He was ranked as high as third in the championship following the April 13 race at Texas, but three finishes of 30th or worse in a four-week span in May forced The Biff to play catch-up. A consistent if unspectacular resume this summer has kept him among the Chase top-10, and he had three top-10s in the five races before coming in 12th at Richmond.

Clint Bowyer, No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota, Michael Waltrip Racing

Chase History: Bowyer’s championship runner-up finish to Keselowski in 2012 is his best and marked his true coming of age. He has made the Chase five of the past six years with previous impressive finishes of third (2007) and fifth (2008). Five of his eight career Cup wins have come in Chase races.

Chase Outlook: Winless entering the Chase, Bowyer took the biggest fall in points to start the 10-race playoff. His No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota has led races and many laps, but the team will need to hoist some trophies in the next two months if he’s to reign as champ.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

Chase History: Although NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver has qualified for the past three Chase runs, historically he hasn’t contended for the title the way he or his massive fan base had hoped. Earnhardt’s best championship finish of third came in 2003 before the Chase format was introduced. His best showing in the Chase was fifth, and he did it twice (in 2004 and 2006).

Chase Outlook: Earnhardt led the standings for one week — following the Fontana, Calif., race — but his summer has been hit-or-miss. In the past month, he has two finishes of 30th or worse in the No. 88 National Guard Chevrolet sandwiched by a pair of top-10s. He is one of three Chase drivers without a win.
 
Kurt Busch, No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet, Furniture Row Racing

Chase History: The first champion in the Chase format, the 2004 trophy winner has qualified for the Chase three of the past four years, but watched from the sideline last year and finished 11th the previous two seasons.

Chase Outlook: Busch has embraced the "underdog" storyline this year, giving the single-car Furniture Row Racing team its first Chase berth. His 13 top-10s and eight top-fives were every bit in step with the mega-teams, and Busch is convinced he’d have visited Victory Lane a couple of times if not for pit miscues or mechanical oversights that cost him. Having announced he will drive for Stewart Haas Racing in 2014, Busch says he is motivated to finish off his tenure at FRR with a valiant title try and at least a victory in the final 10 races. He has wins at seven of the 10 Chase tracks.

Kasey Kahne, No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

Chase History: Kahne is coming off the best championship finish of his career (fourth) and posted top-five finishes in five of the 10 races. For a driver with 16 Cup wins and five multi-win seasons, it surprises many to know Kahne had been in only three Chase fields.

Chase Outlook: After a revolving door of teams and engine makes, Kahne has settled in nicely with the powerhouse Hendrick team, and many believe he is poised to show he can be a leader in the driver lineup. Kahne has two wins, and only two drivers have more top-fives (eight). He had three top-three finishes in the last seven races, including a win at Pocono.
 
Ryan Newman, No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, Stewart-Haas Racing

Chase History: The 2008 Daytona 500 winner has qualified for the Chase two of the past seven seasons with a ninth-place finish in 2009. He finished sixth in the championship three times (2002, 2003 and 2005) while driving for Penske Racing.

Chase Outlook: Reunited with crew chief Matt Borland this season, Newman has rebounded from a rough start  — two DNFs in first three races — to win the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis last month and get into the Chase. He had four top-five finishes in the seven races leading into the Chase and will have all the resources of SHR behind him as the team’s lone championship contender.

Jeff Gordon, No. 24 AARP Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports

Chase History: The four-time Cup champ has missed only one Chase, but is yet to claim a title in the decade-old format. He has one of the most impressive championship resumes in NASCAR history, ranking among the top 10 in the standings all but twice in the last 20 years. Last season, however, he qualified for the Chase thanks only to a runner-up finish in Richmond’s final race to set the field. Then, a 35th-place finish in the first Chase race at Chicago forced him into comeback mode to finish the year.

Chase Outlook: Gordon made his way into the Chase when NASCAR added an unprecedented 13th driver to the field after the Richmond scandal. His five DNFs are tied for the most among the Chase drivers this season, and he is one of four winless drivers in the field.
 
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Dillon and Elliott’s dispute continues into the Fan Appreciation 200 at Iowa

NEWTON, Iowa — Nearly a week later, Ty Dillon is still upset.

Fifty-eight points behind series leader Matt Crafton, but very much in the running for his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title, Dillon appeared to be on his way to earning his second victory of the season last week at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park until being nosed out of the way by rookie Chase Elliott coming around the final turn in the Chevrolet Silverado 250.

Elliott maintained control of his No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine Chevrolet through the scuffle to become the youngest winner in series history, while Dillon wrecked out to finish 17th as the last truck on the lead lap.

Rather than pulling closer to Crafton heading into one of his best tracks this weekend at Iowa Speedway, Dillon now sits 63 points behind the ThorSport Racing veteran.

“I’m still very upset about what happened last week and I think he still has a lesson to learn,” said Dillon of Elliott, who has run six races this season. “It was a very unfortunate deal. It just wasn’t a very smart situation on either part. Needless to say we’re very upset, but I’m not going to let it eat me up. No, I don’t plan on talking to him. Not at all.”

While the two haven’t exchanged words since Dillon stuck his head in the window of Elliott’s No. 94 Silverado to give him an earful, it appears the 17-year-old has put in an honest effort to make contact.

“He’s tried to approach me, but I don’t really accept people wrecking me and then trying to apologize,” Dillon said. “When they apologize, they obviously know they did wrong.”

“I attempted to (clear the air with Ty),” said Elliott. “I tried to reach out to him. … I left him a message and told him I’d like to talk about it. I had some things that I wanted to say to him that I didn’t want to leave unsaid and I felt it was the right thing to do. It was his decision whether or not he wanted to answer it and it was his decision whether or not he wanted to call me back and he didn’t do either one of them, so that’s completely his choice. I felt like I did what I needed to do to reach out to him or at least try to.”

Until Dillon hears Elliott out, the two appear to be at an impasse. While Elliott wants to reconcile and move on, he doesn’t appear to regret his decision, saying simply, “I felt like I was in the right to take a chance and go for the win.” Now the question remains as to what will happen between the two trucks Sunday in the Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland (2 p.m. ET, FS1).

Dillon told Elliott after last week’s race that he would retaliate at Iowa, but he can’t afford to risk any damage to his own truck while in the hunt for points — especially if the effort is to wreck a non-championship competitor.

“I’m sure he won’t (try to bump me),” said Dillon. “I think he’s a little worried, so I’m not too worried about him. My main focus is to win the race and if it comes to it, we’ll see what happens.”

Elliott agrees.

“We’ll just have to see what happens,” said Elliott. “Just watching these things in the past, I’m sure we’re going to qualify right next to each other and I’m sure we’re going to run right next to each other all day long, so I’m sure the opportunity is going to present itself. If he wants to try to wreck me, I’m sure that he’ll have a chance to. That’s just the way it works every time, no matter who it is. If he takes a shot at us, we’ll play it by ear.”

The Elliotts are no strangers to run-ins with No. 3 rides owned by Richard Childress, as Chase’s father and 1988 Cup Series champion, Bill Elliott, famously feuded with Dale Earnhardt in 1987. Childress, of course, is Dillon’s grandfather. Naturally, the senior Elliott had some advice for his son.

“(My dad and I) have obviously talked about it a lot this week,” said Elliott. “My dad’s been in a lot of situations over the years that are ironically very, very similar to the one I’m in right now with Ty. Same as my dad over the years, stuff happens and he’s never intentionally tried to wreck somebody and I’m in the same boat as him. I wasn’t trying to wreck Ty, but that’s the bottom line and we’ll just move on.”

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Moments that changed the course of the race in the last race before the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup

UPS


STRONG RESTART WINS RACE FOR EDWARDS  

When the dust settled at Richmond International Raceway, Carl Edwards was the winner, Martin Truex Jr. was in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman were out — all by the thinnest of margins.

Edwards streaked away from Kurt Busch to win Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 after a restart with three laps left and beat Busch to the finish line, with Newman running third, Jamie McMurray fourth and Paul Menard fifth.

TRUEX KEEPS GORDON OUT OF TOP 10

A struggling Joey Logano ran 22nd, but that was enough to keep eighth-place finisher Jeff Gordon out of the top 10 in the standings and out of the Chase by one point. Truex, who came home seventh, kept Gordon behind him in the closing laps and claimed the second Wild Card entry into the Chase in a tiebreaker over Newman.

Busch, 12th-place finisher Greg Biffle and 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. had comparatively easy times clinching their berths in NASCAR’s 10-race playoff. They left the drama to the other bubble drivers.

LATE CAUTION COSTS NEWMAN WIN, CHASE BERTH

Ryan Newman took the lead from Carl Edwards on Lap 391 of 400 and appeared ready to claim a Wild-Card spot with a victory — which in turn would have kept Jeff Gordon in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and knocked out Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.

Clint Bowyer, Truex’s teammate, spun off Turn 4 on Lap 393 to cause the fifth caution, one that radically changed the lineup of drivers competing for the series championship. Newman was fifth off pit road under the yellow and unable to drive back to the lead.

The NASCAR Wire Service contributed to this report.

Posted on by Staff Report

Erik Jones qualifies second, James Buescher third

Related: Sunday’s lineup

NEWTON, Iowa — Twenty-year-old Ross Chastain emerged from a field of 36 trucks to earn his first-career Keystone 21 Means 21 Pole Award, narrowly besting 17-year-old Erik Jones at Iowa Speedway on Saturday night.

Chastain, who started fifth and finished 13th here in July, ran the 0.875-mile asphalt loop in 22.968 seconds with a best speed of 137.147 mph to Jones’ 22.984/137.052.

Defending series champion James Buescher was third, followed by Brendan Gaughan and Ty Dillon to complete the top-five. Timothy Peters, who won the July race, will start sixth. After nudging Dillon out of the way to win last week’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Chase Elliott will start two spots behind him in seventh.

Series points leader Matt Crafton will start 12th after making the loop in 23.176 seconds, while German Quiroga, who set the track qualifying record in July at 138.620, qualified 18th at 134.944.

NASCAR Next driver Ben Kennedy qualified 22nd and Steve Wallace, the son of track minority owner and Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, will start behind Kennedy at 23rd.

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Buescher finishes second in only tune-up before Saturday night’s qualifying 

Related: Practice results | Qualifying order

NEWTON, Iowa — Still in search of his first victory, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie Darrell Wallace Jr. topped the speed chart for the sole practice session ahead of Sunday’s Fan Appreciation 200 presented by New Holland at Iowa Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1).

Battling temperatures in the mid-90s, Wallace completed his 40th lap around the 0.875-mile asphalt oval in 23.132 seconds with a best speed of 136.175 mph. Wallace leap-frogged Brendan Gaughan, whose first lap of 23.204 seconds stood for most of the session. Gaughan’s speed of 135.752 on that lap was still good enough to place him fifth on the chart.

Behind Wallace were defending series champion James Buescher (48 laps, 136.134 mph), defending race-winner Ryan Blaney (44, 135.963), Jeb Burton (54, 135.911) and Gaughan to complete the top five.

Ty Dillon and Chase Elliott, who battled hard for the win on the last lap in last week’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, placed eighth and 14th, respectively.

Series points leader Matt Crafton (47, 135.420) was ninth, while Ben Kennedy, making just his second career start, was 10th at 135.199. Timothy Peters (30, 135.124), whose win here in July gave him his second at the track, was 12th.

There was one caution in the two-plus hour session when Miguel Paludo made a solid right-side impact with the wall after his right-front tire went down. Paludo was uninjured, but was forced to go to a backup truck.

 

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Who does well and where? A track-by-track breakdown of the Chase

As summer slowly turns to fall, so turns the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series into its home stretch.
 
Twelve championship-eligible drivers. Ten tracks. Ten races. By the time the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup postseason comes to a close at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the numbers will boil down to one champion.
 
A glance at the 10 events that will settle the 2013 championship fight in the 10th annual Chase:

FULL CHASE COVERAGE

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Round 1
 
The race: Geico 400, Chicagoland Speedway, Sept. 15 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: The 1.5-mile track in Joliet, Ill., will be without one of its historically best drivers — Tony Stewart — when the green flag falls on this edition of the Chase. Stewart has won three times there, with future Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kevin Harvick next on the track’s win list with two victories. Starting up front isn’t vastly important at Chicagoland — only four times in the 12 races the track has hosted has the winning driver started in the first five rows. Oddly enough, a Ford has yet to break through for a Sprint Cup victory at Chicagoland, which joined the Chase rotation in 2011.
 
Round 2
 
The race: Sylvania 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Sept. 22 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: Kurt Busch used the 1.058-mile track in Loudon, N.H., as a launching pad to win the first Chase back in 2004. Since then, the tight, flat circuit has been a New England proving ground for potential champions. Jimmie Johnson has the best average finish among Chase-eligible drivers at 9.4; only Denny Hamlin’s 8.8 average placing outranks him. Johnson, Busch, Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman are all three-time winners at the Magic Mile.
 
Round 3
 
The race: AAA 400, Dover International Speedway, Sept. 29 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: On the surface, going from one one-mile track to another might not seem like a drastic change, but the Monster Mile at Dover is a different animal. The steeply banked concrete track has the potential for disaster with its narrow, bowl-like layout. Among Chase drivers, Carl Edwards has been the most consistent at Dover with an admirable average finish of 8.6, but Jimmie Johnson has been the most prolific in Victory Lane with seven wins, tying NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison atop the track’s all-time list. In three of the last four years, the Dover winner has gone on to win the Sprint Cup championship.
 
Round 4
 
The race: Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway, Oct. 6 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: With 15 Sprint Cup races under its belt, the 1.5-mile Kansas City track possesses a modest stock-car racing history. But for teams, their notes on performing well at Kansas only go back one year. A repaving and overhaul before last season’s Chase race in the heartland increased the track’s banking, and with it, qualifying speeds rose dramatically to over 190 mph. The track’s changes have seemed to suit title contender Matt Kenseth best — he’s won both races since the reconfiguration, one in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford and one with his current Toyota team of Joe Gibbs Racing.
 
Round 5
 
The race: Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Oct. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
 
The lowdown: The shorter of Charlotte’s two annual races may not have the endurance factor of the Coca-Cola 600, but it’s no less a test of a contender’s mettle. Joey Logano may not have a victory on the 1.5-mile track in the backyard of most NASCAR teams, but his average finish of 9.6 speaks to his consistency. The three drivers next in line in average finish — all at 11.9 — are six-time winner Jimmie Johnson, four-time winner Kasey Kahne and yet-to-win Carl Edwards. Clint Bowyer’s convincing victory in this race last season helped establish his credentials on the way to a runner-up finish in the standings.
 
Round 6
 
The race: Camping World RV Sales 500, Talladega Superspeedway, Oct. 20 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: The majestic 2.66-mile Talladega track can make or break championship hopes, turning the lone race in the Chase where engines are restricted into a matter of survival. Case in point: Matt Kenseth prevailed in this event last season, watching a 25-car pileup full of title hopefuls erupt in his rear-view mirror on the way to the checkered flag. Talladega has a long history of producing surprise winners, most recently doing so in May with David Ragan, but Jimmie Johnson has ruled restrictor-plate racing this season by sweeping Daytona and notching a fifth-place run in Talladega’s other event.
 
Round 7
 
The race: Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500, Martinsville Speedway, Oct. 27 (1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: The oldest and shortest track on the schedule has been a tricky road for drivers in NASCAR’s premier series since the inaugural 1949 season. In 129 races, 47 drivers have taken the checkered flag. More recently, two drivers have dominated the .526-mile track with Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin combining to win all but three of the last 14 Martinsville races. Only Johnson, Hamlin and Jeff Gordon have average finishes in the single digits at the paper-clip-shaped circuit, and Johnson enters the event with a two-race win streak in the Virginia hills. No matter who prevails, Martinsville has a habit of thinning the championship field.
 
Round 8
 
The race: AAA Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway, Nov. 3 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: The Lone Star State’s long association with doing things on a bigger scale carries over to the Chase, with pressure reaching great heights. The fast 1.5-mile circuit lives up to the billing. Title contender Kyle Busch won the most recent race at the Fort Worth track in April, and later scored on the similar intermediate-size track at Atlanta. Fellow Chase drivers Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are two-time winners at Texas, but they rank behind Carl Edwards, a three-time winner.
 
Round 9
 
The race: AdvoCare 500, Phoenix International Raceway, Nov. 10 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: As an oasis for motorsports in the desert, Phoenix has historically eliminated would-be contenders and set the table for the Chase finale. Last season, Jimmie Johnson — a four-time Phoenix winner — met his undoing in his pursuit of eventual champion Brad Keselowski on the flat, one-mile track with a hard broadside of the outside wall. But that race is less remembered for that or Kevin Harvick’s victory than for Clint Bowyer’s off-track face-off with Jeff Gordon after their on-track confrontation. With 312 laps of close-quarters fighting for track position, similar fireworks could ensue this season.
 
Round 10
 
The race: Ford EcoBoost 400, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 17 (3 p.m. ET, ESPN).
 
The lowdown: The 1.5-mile speedway in southern Florida has hosted the season finale each year since 2002. One year later, the track added steeper, progressive banking and installed lights in 2005, setting up the late-afternoon into evening climax of the Sprint Cup season. As is fitting for Ford Championship Weekend, two longtime blue oval drivers stand out among the historically solid favorites — three-time winner Greg Biffle and two-time victor Carl Edwards. Tony Stewart is the only other driver with more than one Homestead win, with the most recent his spirited, championship-clinching effort over Edwards in 2011.


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