September 2, 2008
By Allen Madding
This weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond represents the final race in the “regular” season before the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series Championship begins.
The final two positions for the 12-car field have been the biggest points of contention over the last several weeks. Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer were fighting to hold claim on those two spots going into the race at California while David Ragan and Dodge’s only remaining hope, Kasey Kahne fighting to take those last two positions.
Ragan gambled three positions on the track under yellow to grab five points for leading a lap under yellow at California -- to try to help his endeavor and then drove the wheels off the No. 6, mounting a spirited battle with Clint Bowyer for position in the last 100 laps before fading to a 14th place finish in the race and 17 points out of the last place in the Chase.
Hamlin charted a third place finish to position himself in 11th position in the Chase just 75 points ahead of Clint Bowyer who held on to the 12th place in the Chase. Bowyer currently holds the final position by a mere 17 points.
Dodge had only one car in the Chase during the 2007 season. Their only hope for 2008 is dwindling. That hope would be for Kasey Kahne to make it into the Chase as their only car. Kahne will need a lot of things to go his way for that to be a remote possibility at Richmond.
Many in the garage have questioned why the Hendrick Motorsports organization has not shown its usual domination this season with its big name drivers. At California, Jimmie Johnson flexed some muscle claiming a dominating win leading 227 of 250 laps possibly predicting a late season charge.
Going into Richmond, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Jeff Burton are locked into the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Cup.
Greg Biffle will clinch his position in the Chase by starting at Richmond. Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kennseth are looking to make it solidly in the chase barring any problems at Richmond, but keep in mind, Richmond is a ¾-mile short track and things happen fast.
Mathematically, the final six positions will be decided Saturday night under the lights of Richmond.
Hamlin and Bowyer would seem to be the most vulnerable to being bumped from the field. Ragan is sitting at the edge looking in -- 17 points behind while Kasey Kahne goes into Richmond, 48 points out of the Chase.
And again mathematically, Brian Vickers still has a shot at the final spot if the drivers just ahead of him were to have problems at Richmond.
A review of the chase contenders going into the final chance to make it in reveals that four teams - Hendrick Motosports, Roush-Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Richard Childress Racing virtually own the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase to the Cup firmly demonstrating the power of multi-car teams.
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