For NASCAR fans across the country, the past week has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, depending on which driver you root for. The media has been showing NASCAR more this week than they have in the past ten years. Thanks to Richmond, we all have something to talk and argue about for years to come. The race itself was the least of the mayhem, although "The Last Race To Make It Into The Chase" put all of us fans on the edge of whatever we were sitting on at the time, especially with the battle for that last chase spot coming down to the last lap.
For those that don't follow the sport, "The Chase" is NASCAR's playoff system consisting of 12 drivers, 10 of which are locked in from the top 10 in points accumulated throughout the season, and the last 2 drivers coming from a "Wild Card" spot. The two drivers that have the most wins who are also outside the top 10 in points are locked into a wild card position.
For example, the 2012 Chase for the Cup wild card drivers were Kasey Kahne, (11th in Points, 2 wins) and Jeff Gordon (12th in points, 1 win).
The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season were interesting enough, with the debut of the Gen6 car in February, a heated rivalry between former teammates Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin which would end with both cars wrecking at the finish of the Auto Club 400 (Denny would miss 6 races due to a back injury, taking him out of title contention), an underdog team winning at Talladega, a Fox Sports camera cable snapping and falling onto the track in Charlotte, a 71-year-old driver making his Cup debut, and a former champion (Tony Stewart) sustaining an injury in a Sprint Car wreck that would sideline him the rest of the year. All of this leading up to the 26th race of the season, the Federated Auto Parts 400.
The race itself didn't seem really "Action-Packed" throughout the first half of the race. Sure there were cautions for debris that would bring the field back together, but there were no big wrecks that we've seen at Richmond before. The real nail biting moments didn't happen until 30 laps to go when drivers were in and out of the chase. With 15 to go, driver Ryan Newman was in the lead, looking at a potential 2nd win of 2013, which would've locked him into the chase. If that wasn't interesting enough, Michael Waltrip Racing driver Clint Bowyer spins off of turn 4, bringing out the caution with 9 to go. Newman decided to come in and pit while Paul Menard and Carl Edwards stay out. Newman gives away track position and the win, which knocks him out of the Chase and Bowyer's teammate Martin Truex Jr in. This situation has NASCAR question whether Bowyer's spin was intentional or not. With 3 to go, the green flag waves with Carl Edwards possibly jumping the start to pass leader Paul Menard. The rule in NASCAR was that during a restart, the 2nd place car CAN NOT pass the leader to the start/finish line, which Carl Edwards did. While fans were ripping and ranting on twitter that Carl jumped the restart, I say that he didn't jump it, but Menard just did not get the right start and spun his tires, which slowed him down. Carl Edwards went on to win the race and do his famous "Backflip Celebration." Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr made his way into the chase over a tie-breaker with Ryan Newman, who ended up not making it into the chase, along with 4-time Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon. The driver that was on the hot spot after the race was Clint Bowyer who in an interview on live television denied that he intentionally spun his car out and blamed his spin on a flat tire. I remember watching that interview and seeing the expression on his face. I like Clint Bowyer and even I thought he had a guilty grin on his face during that interview. 
Top: Clint Bowyer spins with 9 laps to go. Bottom: Carl Edwards his celebratory backflip after winning the Federated Auto Parts 400
When all the dust settled after the checkered flag flew, we had our 12 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, and Wild card drivers Kasey Kahne and Martin Truex Jr. As a Joey Logano fan, I believe he worked his way into that Chase spot with all of the criticism and negativity that surrounded him after the Denny Hamlin incident. The fact that Joey Logano now has more wins this year than our reigning champion Brad Keselowski proves that he definitely belongs with Roger Penske and that organization.
For Kurt Busch and the #78 Furniture Row team, there's not much I can say but congrats. I was a Kurt Busch fan from his rookie year through his 2004 Nextel Cup Series Championship. Although I was disappointed when he had his anger issues and job issues, I still supported him at Roush, Penske, Phoenix, and now Furniture Row, a one-car team from Denver, Colorado. If Kurt Busch keeps up his consistency and does win the 2013 Championship, it would be one emotional victory lane for multiple reasons. #1: Redemption time. After the multiple disappointing years being let go from Penske to being suspended for showing his short temper, it will show that Kurt has definitely matured. Sure there is still some anger shown on track, but it's that anger and passion that has led Kurt and the Furniture Row team into title contention.
When it comes to Kasey Kahne, although he was very dominant in the later stages of 2012 including the Chase, he hasn't shown the same amount of domination in 2013. He does have the same amount of wins now as he did last year with the two wins he got at Bristol and Pocono, but consistency-wise, it's not the same. One year ago, if you asked me who was going to win the championship, I wouldn't have thought Brad Keselowski. I would've thought Kasey Kahne. This year, that title doesn't belong to Kasey Kahne but to his rival instead; Matt "The Brat" Kenseth.
Matt Kenseth WILL win the Championship. It seems that ever since he moved from his Roush Fenway Racing #17 Ford to the Joe Gibbs Racing #20 Toyota, it has been nothing but positive for Kenseth. Already with 5 wins in 2013 (Las Vegas, Darlington, Kansas, Bristol, and Kentucky), the #20 team has definitly made a positive change since having Joey Logano leave. In the past 4 years, the stats do not lie. Kenseth has recorded more wins in 24 races than JoLo has done in 4 years. Logano only has 3 career wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, one of which was from earlier this year (Michigan in August). His previous 2 wins came at New Hampshire in 2009 (Race cut short by rain) and Pocono in 2012. Matt Kenseth and Crew Chief Jason Ratcliff have a great chemistry building, and in a couple of years, I believe it will turn out to be very similar if not the same as the relationship that Jimmie Johnson has with Chad Knaus. Even looking at the next 10 races gives Kenseth an advantage over the rest of the field. Chicagoland is very similarly designed to Kansas, where Kenseth won earlier this year, and could possibly win again when the Cup Series returns there in three weeks. Kenseth has had strong runs at New Hampshire and Charlotte, but not as much at Dover. He's won at Talladega, including last year. He runs strong at Martinsville and Texas. Phoenix is not his best nor his worst track and Homestead has treated him well over the years. Unfortunately, those previous years were in different cars (Gen4 and Gen5) and a different team and manufacturer (Roush Fenway-Ford). It shall be interesting to see if Kenseth can hang on to this long run of momentum and capture his 2nd Championship in 10 years.
The first of three Chase for the Sprint Cup photos taken. This one is from after Richmond which features Martin Truex Jr in the chase and not Ryan Newman.
Top Left-to-Right: Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt Jr
Bottom Left-to-Right: Greg Biffle, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and Clint Bowyer.
Photo Sources:
Chase for the Sprint Cup logo (http://degree31.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Chase_logo.jpg)
2012 Chase photo (http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/002/740/468/hi-res-151712062_crop_650x440.jpg?1352477351)
Richmond International Raceway (http://cdn3.pitrho.com/core_images/W/tracks/656x410/rir.jpg)
Carl Edwards backflip (http://cdn1.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19153341/179995818.0_standard_352.0.jpg)
there are definitely tons of parallels between car and bike racing tactics. I can see that now just from some of your recap here. Definitely a thorough post. Keep em coming.
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