Denny Hamlin Tag

Let the Racing Begin

Well that was quite a finish to the 2012 regular season last weekend at Richmond International Raceway.  Clint Bowyer and his crew put in a great effort that landed themselves the victory, but that was hardly the biggest story of the night.  There was little left to decide inside of the top 10 as the drivers started their engines for the annual night race at Richmond.  The real action was clearly going to be the battle for the final Chase spot.

Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch represented the 2 favorites for the final Chase position with Busch holding a 12 point advantage entering the night.  Marcos Ambrose, Joey Logano, & Ryan Newman all had a shot to make the Chase but they would have needed a victory to claim that final spot.  Paul Menard also had a very, very small chance but he too would have required a victory and, at best, for Gordon to finish worse than 20th and Busch to finish worse than 31st.

Only 2 races remain until the Sprint Cup Chase for the Cup kick off at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, IL.  Hard to imagine that we have already come this far in 2012.  This season has been an exciting one and different than those of recent past.  For the first time in a while it seems that several drivers not named Jimmie Johnson or Tony Stewart have a chance to win the Cup this year.  A lot can change over the next 3 months but if all goes well we could be looking at another exciting finish to the season at the Ford EcoBoost 400 in Miami, FL.

Coming to the last race of 2011 it was a two horse race for the Cup.  Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart were practically dead even and at the end of the race they shared the exact same point total.  Edwards had a 3 point lead at the beginning of the race, finished second, and lost the championship in a tie-breaker situation.  What a rough ride for Edwards who has suffered since the race last November.  On the other hand Tony Stewart provided the performance he needed to win the race and the championship.  As a NASCAR fan you really couldn't have asked for a better finish to the 2011 season.  With no clear favorite in 2012, I am excited for the possibilities of another incredible finale at Homestead Speedway.

We are currently about a month and a half away from the start of The Chase.  2012 will be the second consecutive year that Chicagoland Speedway will play host for the first race of The Chase for the Cup.  With just six races left before The Chase, Dale Jr. currently leads the standings for the first time since 2004 and might be in position to capture his first ever points championship.  Junior has put himself in a good spot and he seems to be driving with the more confidence than ever before.

Last week Jimmie Johnson returned to his winning ways with his fourth career victory at the Brickyard.  Junior and JJ are in good position but the final few spots are still up for grabs.  If The Chase were to start today, this would be the list of qualified contenders for the Sprint Cup championship.