bigbadbrother
10-03-2016, 01:16 AM
Tom Jensen
The first round of the 2016 Chase is history
The first round of the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is history, following Martin Truex Jr.’s victory in the Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway. Four drivers -- Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart -- were eliminated on Sunday and the 12 survivors will each have 3,000 points heading into Charlotte next week. Here’s how the remaining Chasers fared on Sunday:
12
Austin Dillon, 3000 points
With his back against the wall, Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing team came up huge with an eighth-place finish that moved him from outside the Chase bubble and into the Round of 12.
11
Jimmie Johnson, 3000
Johnson appeared headed for his 11th victory at the Monster Mile when his crew went over the wall too soon on a pit stop, yet another pit round blunder for this once unflappable team. Still, Johnson rallied back to finish seventh.
10
Carl Edwards, 3000
Although he finished 14th and behind the other three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas at Dover, Edwards is one of four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers who will advance to the second round of the Chase.
9
Denny Hamlin, 3000
For most of the day, Hamlin ran in the top 10, but never led a lap and finished a respectable ninth. Still, he’ll be happy to advance.
8
Kurt Busch, 3000
Busch did enough to advance, but never ran with the leaders on the day, coming home 15th in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.
7
Brad Keselowski, 3000
The pole-sitter led early and stayed in the top five most of the day, although he never seriously challenged the leaders, ending with a fourth-place finish.
6
Chase Elliott
As a rookie driver in the Chase, Elliott drove with the confidence of a veteran as he put together a great third-place finish to advance to the Round of 12.
5
Joey Logano, 3000
After a sixth-place finish at Dover, Logano is moving onto the Round of 12 for the second year in a row. Recall that last year he swept all three races in that round.
4
Matt Kenseth, 3000
Survive and advance is the name of the game and Kenseth did just that with a somewhat under the radar top-five finish.
3
Kyle Busch, 3000
A strong run for the defending series champion who finished second to race-winner Martin Truex Jr. With all five affiliated Toyotas advancing, Busch will be a man to contend with in upcoming rounds.
2
Kevin Harvick, 3000
In the first 35 laps of the race, Harvick suffered a tire failure caused by a broken track bar mount, a problem that sent him to the garage. Good thing he won at New Hampshire, as he was already locked into the Chase.
1
Martin Truex Jr.
With victories in two of the first three races of the first round of the Chase, Truex and the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota team appear to be the squad to beat this year. We’ll know for sure in seven races.
The first round of the 2016 Chase is history
The first round of the 2016 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is history, following Martin Truex Jr.’s victory in the Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover International Speedway. Four drivers -- Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, Jamie McMurray and Tony Stewart -- were eliminated on Sunday and the 12 survivors will each have 3,000 points heading into Charlotte next week. Here’s how the remaining Chasers fared on Sunday:
12
Austin Dillon, 3000 points
With his back against the wall, Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing team came up huge with an eighth-place finish that moved him from outside the Chase bubble and into the Round of 12.
11
Jimmie Johnson, 3000
Johnson appeared headed for his 11th victory at the Monster Mile when his crew went over the wall too soon on a pit stop, yet another pit round blunder for this once unflappable team. Still, Johnson rallied back to finish seventh.
10
Carl Edwards, 3000
Although he finished 14th and behind the other three Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas at Dover, Edwards is one of four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers who will advance to the second round of the Chase.
9
Denny Hamlin, 3000
For most of the day, Hamlin ran in the top 10, but never led a lap and finished a respectable ninth. Still, he’ll be happy to advance.
8
Kurt Busch, 3000
Busch did enough to advance, but never ran with the leaders on the day, coming home 15th in his No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.
7
Brad Keselowski, 3000
The pole-sitter led early and stayed in the top five most of the day, although he never seriously challenged the leaders, ending with a fourth-place finish.
6
Chase Elliott
As a rookie driver in the Chase, Elliott drove with the confidence of a veteran as he put together a great third-place finish to advance to the Round of 12.
5
Joey Logano, 3000
After a sixth-place finish at Dover, Logano is moving onto the Round of 12 for the second year in a row. Recall that last year he swept all three races in that round.
4
Matt Kenseth, 3000
Survive and advance is the name of the game and Kenseth did just that with a somewhat under the radar top-five finish.
3
Kyle Busch, 3000
A strong run for the defending series champion who finished second to race-winner Martin Truex Jr. With all five affiliated Toyotas advancing, Busch will be a man to contend with in upcoming rounds.
2
Kevin Harvick, 3000
In the first 35 laps of the race, Harvick suffered a tire failure caused by a broken track bar mount, a problem that sent him to the garage. Good thing he won at New Hampshire, as he was already locked into the Chase.
1
Martin Truex Jr.
With victories in two of the first three races of the first round of the Chase, Truex and the Furniture Row Racing No. 78 Toyota team appear to be the squad to beat this year. We’ll know for sure in seven races.