pandr
09-10-2011, 07:11 PM
Chances will be taken, but Chase field might not change
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Friday, Sep. 09, 2011
RICHMOND, Va. – There is a fairly good chance the 12 drivers who would currently make up the Chase for the Sprint Cup field won't change with Saturday night's race.
That’s what most observers expect to happen.
But so far, this Cup season has been rampant with unexpected results.
In year that has produced the youngest winner of the Daytona 500, seen several races won by fuel mileage and five first-time winners, do we really think something unusual won’t unfold?
Mathematically, nine drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski – are in the Chase regardless of their performance in Saturday night's Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin currently are in position to claim the final three positions.
Drivers who are in the top 10 in series points after the Richmond race automatically enter the Chase. The final two positions go to "wild cards" – drivers in the top 20 in points with the most wins.
Because of the wild nature of the 26th race, Johnson said one of his goals heading into this season was to be locked into the Chase before the cutoff race.
“I really wanted to be locked here (coming in) here because you can’t count on a smooth race,” he said. “It’s a short track. It’s been a long year and we’ve seen drives tempers already flare.
“And then there’s the 'boys have at it’ mentally if someone wrongs you, you will fix it. Who knows who’ll be taken out in the process?”
The key to a major Chase shake-up lies with Keselowski, who currently holds a wild-card spot. He is 11th in points with three victories.
Should Keselowski move into the top 10 in points after Saturday night’s race, he will bump either Earnhardt or Stewart out. Since neither of them owns a win this season, that will open the door to an unexpected wild card entry.
And then the fun beings. There are 14 drivers with a chance to fill the last three unclaimed spots.
That should provide a recipe for a wild night on one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks.
“Aren’t there 14 guys (still) eligible? Because if I get in (the top 10), those other guys are in really good shape,” said Keselowski. “If I’m in the top 10, I’m in really good shape, so I think they’re the ones with targets on their back.
“Certainly there are a lot of people who have my interest in mind, but whether they can remember that in the race car or not is yet to be seen.”
Keselowski will start 19th in Saturday night's race, while Stewart starts 22nd and Earnhardt 27th.
David Reutimann won the pole.
Clint Bowyer and AJ Allmendinger are probably the drivers with the best chance to alter the Chase lineup, particularly should either win Saturday night and Keselowski move into the top 10.
Allmendinger is 13th in points, 30 behind Keselwoski. Bowyer is 14th in the standings, one point behind Allmendinger. Bowyer starts fifth and Allmendinger ninth.
“Unless we win, it doesn’t matter,” Allmendinger said of his Chase chances. “I feel like over the last six weeks we have been getting stronger and kind of flying under the radar.
“We need to go out there and win the race and let the cards fall where they may.”
After a poor showing at Atlanta this week, Bowyer sounded resigned to the fact he is unlikely to compete for the championship this season.
Being in that position actually seems to have improved his outlook this weekend.
“We’re here at a race track where we run well. We have fun here. We have a lot of success here,” said Bowyer, who won two races in the Chase last season.
“Now we don’t have the pressure on us. We can go out and contend for wins for the rest of the season. Sometimes, that’s a lot more fun to race under those circumstances.”
C/P Thats Racin
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Friday, Sep. 09, 2011
RICHMOND, Va. – There is a fairly good chance the 12 drivers who would currently make up the Chase for the Sprint Cup field won't change with Saturday night's race.
That’s what most observers expect to happen.
But so far, this Cup season has been rampant with unexpected results.
In year that has produced the youngest winner of the Daytona 500, seen several races won by fuel mileage and five first-time winners, do we really think something unusual won’t unfold?
Mathematically, nine drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski – are in the Chase regardless of their performance in Saturday night's Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin currently are in position to claim the final three positions.
Drivers who are in the top 10 in series points after the Richmond race automatically enter the Chase. The final two positions go to "wild cards" – drivers in the top 20 in points with the most wins.
Because of the wild nature of the 26th race, Johnson said one of his goals heading into this season was to be locked into the Chase before the cutoff race.
“I really wanted to be locked here (coming in) here because you can’t count on a smooth race,” he said. “It’s a short track. It’s been a long year and we’ve seen drives tempers already flare.
“And then there’s the 'boys have at it’ mentally if someone wrongs you, you will fix it. Who knows who’ll be taken out in the process?”
The key to a major Chase shake-up lies with Keselowski, who currently holds a wild-card spot. He is 11th in points with three victories.
Should Keselowski move into the top 10 in points after Saturday night’s race, he will bump either Earnhardt or Stewart out. Since neither of them owns a win this season, that will open the door to an unexpected wild card entry.
And then the fun beings. There are 14 drivers with a chance to fill the last three unclaimed spots.
That should provide a recipe for a wild night on one of NASCAR’s most popular tracks.
“Aren’t there 14 guys (still) eligible? Because if I get in (the top 10), those other guys are in really good shape,” said Keselowski. “If I’m in the top 10, I’m in really good shape, so I think they’re the ones with targets on their back.
“Certainly there are a lot of people who have my interest in mind, but whether they can remember that in the race car or not is yet to be seen.”
Keselowski will start 19th in Saturday night's race, while Stewart starts 22nd and Earnhardt 27th.
David Reutimann won the pole.
Clint Bowyer and AJ Allmendinger are probably the drivers with the best chance to alter the Chase lineup, particularly should either win Saturday night and Keselowski move into the top 10.
Allmendinger is 13th in points, 30 behind Keselwoski. Bowyer is 14th in the standings, one point behind Allmendinger. Bowyer starts fifth and Allmendinger ninth.
“Unless we win, it doesn’t matter,” Allmendinger said of his Chase chances. “I feel like over the last six weeks we have been getting stronger and kind of flying under the radar.
“We need to go out there and win the race and let the cards fall where they may.”
After a poor showing at Atlanta this week, Bowyer sounded resigned to the fact he is unlikely to compete for the championship this season.
Being in that position actually seems to have improved his outlook this weekend.
“We’re here at a race track where we run well. We have fun here. We have a lot of success here,” said Bowyer, who won two races in the Chase last season.
“Now we don’t have the pressure on us. We can go out and contend for wins for the rest of the season. Sometimes, that’s a lot more fun to race under those circumstances.”
C/P Thats Racin