So after 25 thrilling races it all came down to Richmond to decide the 12 men who will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title. 400 laps later and the stage was set for what should be a tense 10 race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Now I won’t go into the details of what the Chase entails as I’m sure a lot of you already know I will however be running through the contenders and my favorites for the title showdown. Here are how the standings looked after the Richmond race and the standings after the reorganizing –
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Standings after 26 Races |
Standings for the Chase |
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Name |
Points |
Wins |
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1. Carl Edwards |
1. Matt Kenseth |
2015 |
5 |
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2. Jimmie Johnson |
2. Jimmie Johnson |
2012 |
4 |
|
3. Clint Bowyer |
3. Kyle Busch |
2012 |
4 |
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4. Kevin Harvick |
2006 |
2 |
|
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5. Kyle Busch |
5. Carl Edwards |
2006 |
2 |
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6. Matt Kenseth |
6. Joey Logano |
2003 |
1 |
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7. Greg Biffle |
2003 |
1 |
|
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8. Kurt Busch |
8. Clint Bowyer |
2000 |
0 |
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9. Greg Biffle |
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr |
2000 |
0 |
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10 Joey Logano |
10. Kurt Busch |
2000 |
0 |
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11. Jeff Gordon |
11. Kasey Kahne |
2000 |
2 |
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12. Martin Truex Jr |
12. Martin Truex Jr |
2000 |
1 |
|
13 Ryan Newman |
Wild card in BOLD – Kasey Kahne with 2 wins Martin Truex Jr with 1 win given a wild card after a tie break against Ryan Newman |
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14. Kasey Kahne |
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15. Jamie McMurray |
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16. Brad Kewelowski |
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17. Paul Menard |
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So what does this mean? It now means that we have narrowed down the title contenders to 12 and reset the field and let the fun and games begin all the way until Homestead!
Matt Kenseth – The man with the most wins this year. Made it look easy at the start of the year with a number of commanding wins and races. When naming serious contenders Kenseth has to be considered at the top of that list. Goes into the seedings with a handy advantage which could at the end of the season prove absolutely pivotal. Always there or there abouts in every race so far this year which makes Kenseth a very dangerous contender.
Jimmie Johnson – What can be said about ‘good ole 5 time’ that hasn’t been said already? Simply faultless for three quarters of the ‘regular’ season. If he wasn’t winning then he would be not too far behind. However that has all changed in the final few races. A string of failures and poor races saw him lose the lead of the regular standings and lose all momentum. Still if you were to get through a rough patch he picked the best time to do so.
Kyle Busch – This has been without a shadow of a doubt Kyle’s best season. He has all but dominated any Truck and Nationwide series races he has taken part in. In the Sprint Cup he has looked more consistent and when he has won he has done it with some finesse. If he can channel his aggression and hot-headedness into a strong drive then he may very well be in a strong position to finally win the title.
Kevin Harvick – ‘The Closer’ has done step one of his title challenge right. Getting into the chance. And with a reputation as the closer he is one to not take lightly. Moving over to Stewart-Haas racing next year he would love to leave RCR with a title and a legacy on which Dale Senior would have been proud.
Carl Edwards – After coming so very close the title a few years ago, is this the year Edwards back-flips off the Sprint stage at the end of the year? Two wins, both at the right ends of the season has put him in a strong position and with a number of strong finishes he finished as the number 1 driver in the standings before the reshuffle. With the right focus could be one to keep an eye on.
Joey Logano – Controversial Joey has had a up and down year. But to squeeze into the Chase in the final few laps of Richmond will have given him a major boost. In his first year with Rodger Penske he will be fully aware of the high standards set by the team, especially after the Blue Deuce’s title win in 2012. Cannot rule Joey out up until the end though as I think he has a tremendous amount of pace underneath him.
Greg Biffle – Greg has done what he does best, get results without too much fuss. He has, for me anyway, kept himself in the top 10 all year without ever actually making too many waves. This could certainly make him a dark horse in the title picture come the end of the season. Biffle certainly has the potential to maneuver himself into a strong position before too long.
Clint Bowyer – Clint will count himself unlucky to not be closer to the top of the seedings, and if he doesn’t seriously challenge for the title will be kicking himself. Should have had multiple wins had the gods of fate no conspired against him with accidents and engine issues. All season has continued the momentum which saw him finish as the runner up in 2012. He will need to win races in the chase to push for the title but he has proven consistency is key to being there at the right time.
Dale Earnhardt Jr – The man who so many want to finally follow in his fathers footsteps. If he were to win the title then it would create a roar of approval from all across the globe. At the start of the year looked fast and a real contender. However his season has faded off and will certainly be glad to make the chase. The reset is the perfect chance for someone like Jr to seriously pull himself into the mix.
Kurt Busch – The Outlaw is not one for shying away from a challenge. Moving to the 78 team with a determination which has not been seen from him since he won the title. Another man moving at the end of the year to Stewart-Haas he has not let that lose the focus on the important job of helping the 78 become a genuine contender and be the punchy underdog.
Kasey Kahne – Kasey’s season has been bizarre to say the least. 2 wins and strong results through the year would normally be enough to secure a top 10 spot in the standings. However somehow he had to rely on the Wildcard to get himself into the Chase. Now the reset has happened he may be one to watch but will be in dire need of consistency and speed to mount a challenge by Homestead.
Martin Truex Jr – First thing I have to say about Truex Jr is how the hell hasn’t he won more races? He has been quick for the last two years and has made that 56 seat his own. He made the chase in the most dramatic of circumstances as he and Ryan Newman were matched on wins and points. This meant they had to be separated by past results with Truex Jr edging it by a nose. Now the points are level he may be a serious contender.
Now out of these 12 men I have to say I have the final battle being between 4 men. Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth have been dominating for the most part this year and will be very hard to beat. Same can be said for Kyle Busch as I actually think he will be taking his challenge all the way to the final race. My other pick would actually be Joey Logano. He has shown us glimpses of speed and agression all year (although maybe needs to temper the aggression after the Hamlin incident at the start of the season….but I digress.) I do think it is anyones title to claim but these four will be hard to beat over the course of the final 10 races. If I were forced t pick one name it would be Jimmie. He has been in stunning form all year and has had his rough patch already. When it comes to the chase he is usually near impossible to beat and personally I see us having to call him ‘ole 6 time’ next year.
There are a few names to mention who are noticable by there absence from that top 12.
Brad Keselowski – The defending champion has lost his crown without a fight and thus far without a win. He has shown us a number of glimpses of why he is the champion however things just haven’t gone his way. I would not be shocked if he put in a huge effort to win a few of the chase races and attempt to keep the title in Roger Penske’s hands through Joey Logano. I do not see Brad being a one title wonder and fully expect him to be back at the top next season.
Jeff Gordon – A true legend of the sport seems to be fading somewhat in his twighlight years. He has still got the pace but the changing nature of the cars and drivers as well as the way the sport is evolving seems to becoming too much for Jeff. No wins this year and generally lacked the pace through a race weekend I fear the days of Jeff being a title contender may very well be over, however I would love to eat my words next season.
Ryan Newman – Came agonizingly close to the chase this year. Won a great race at Indy, however this has been a pretty disappointing year for Newman both on, and off, the track. Losing his drive for 2014 he seems destined to fill the seat left by either Jeff Burton or Kurt Busch.
Tony Stewart – I will say with confidence that had he not had the horror accident driving a Sprint car and breaking his leg, that Smoke would have been in the chase and one to watch. It must have been killing him to watch the final few races from hospital, home and at the side of the road. I fully expect him to be back at the top of the timing sheets next season.
Deny Hamlin – Would Deny have being a chase contender had he not being injured at Fontana? I will say no. I honestly think when he has been in the seat that he has shown no real pace all year. And although there were an occasional glimpse of his overall speed he just never seemed to match the challenge of those around him. The off-season will be huge for Deny at the end of the season to get back to full fitness and push himself back to the top step.
I could name a few more but will leave it here for now. Thank you for reading. Any, and all feedback greatly appreciated. I cannot wait for the chase to get started!
martinlchapman 