The Final Lap – NASCAR News, Radio, Podcast

Pos Driver BPts Points Ldr Nxt Starts Poles Wins T5s T10
sDNFs Money Won PPos G/L
1 Tony Stewart 40 2403 0 0 36 1 5 9 19 1 $6,529,871 2 1
2 Carl Edwards 29 2403 0 0 36 3 1 19 26 0 $8,485,989 1 -1
3 Kevin Harvick 30 2345 -58 -58 36 0 4 9 19 1 $6,197,144 3 0
4 Matt Kenseth 34 2330 -73 -15 36 3 3 12 20 3 $6,183,584 6 2
5 Brad Keselowski 29 2319 -84 -11 36 1 3 10 14 1 $5,087,744 4 -1
6 Jimmie Johnson 33 2304 -99 -15 36 0 2 14 21 2 $6,296,359 5 -1
7 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 9 2290 -113 -14 36 1 0 4 12 2 $4,163,688 7 0
8 Jeff Gordon 35 2287 -116 -3 36 1 3 13 18 3 $5,912,834 11 3
9 Denny Hamlin 20 2284 -119 -3 36 0 1 5 14 2 $5,401,193 10 1
10 Ryan Newman 24 2284 -119 0 36 3 1 9 17 0 $5,303,023 9 -1
11 Kurt Busch 29 2262 -141 -22 36 3 2 8 16 3 $5,936,466 8 -3
12 Kyle Busch 45 2246 -157 -16 35 1 4 14 18 4 $6,161,023 12 0
13 Clint Bowyer 20 1047 -1356 -1199 36 0 1 4 16 6 $5,633,951 13 0
14 Kasey Kahne 20 1041 -1362 -6 36 2 1 8 15 4 $4,775,156 14 0
15 A J Allmendinger 7 1013 -1390 -28 36 0 0 1 10 1 $4,825,564 16 1
16 Greg Biffle 17 997 -1406 -16 36 3 0 3 10 2 $4,318,053 15 -1
17 Paul Menard 11 947 -1456 -50 36 0 1 4 8 2 $3,853,688 18 1
18 Martin Truex Jr. 16 937 -1466 -10 36 1 0 3 12 3 $3,955,563 23 5
19 Marcos Ambrose 10 936 -1467 -1 36 0 1 5 12 1 $4,750,389 17 -2
20 Jeff Burton 9 935 -1468 -1 36 0 0 2 5 3 $3,807,776 22 2

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Edwards, Stewart Vie To Be “Penultimate Warrior”

This weekend’s race at Phoenix International Raceway is the penultimate race of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, with the victor inheriting the title of “Penultimate Warrior.” (By no one in particular, of course.)
And the manner in which the latter half of this Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup has unfurled suggests Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart as the favorites on Sunday. Points leader Edwards leads Stewart by a scant three points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings.

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1 20 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet
2 16 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge
3 4 16 Greg Biffle Ford40MPG.com Ford
4 7 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet
5 3 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota
6 27 17 Matt Kenseth Affliction Clothing Ford
7 26 6 David Ragan UPS Ford
8 23 99 Carl Edwards Scotts Winterguard Ford
9 31 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Degree Men Chevrolet
10 17 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet
11 8 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota
12 6 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser Chevrolet
13 18 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet
14 24 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota
15 2 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota
16 9 56 Martin Truex, Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota
17 12 88 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet
18 10 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
19 15 47 Bobby Labonte Bush’s Baked Beans Toyota
20 14 27 Paul Menard Sylvania/Menards Chevrolet

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RACE RECAP | NEW HAMPSHIRE
10 Regan Smith
9 Juan Pablo Montoya
8 Carl Edwards
7 David Ragan
6 Matt Kenseth
5 Brian Vickers
4 Jeff Gordon led the most laps, moved to 5th in points
3 Greg Biffle best finish this season
2 Brad Keselowski

VICTORY LANE

1 This year it’s Tony Stewart passing Clint Bowyer running out of fuel in the closing laps to grab his second win in a row to go undefeated in the Chase so far.

Tony takes over the points lead by 7

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The Wonderful Pistachios 400 at Richmond International Raceway promised bumping and grinding on the 0.75-mile track as drivers raced for their last chance for a berth in Chase for the Sprint Cup championship Saturday night.

Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski were locked into the Chase before the green flag. The final three spots were secured by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. Earnhardt and Hamlin overcame wrecks to get in.

Author: Dwight Drum racetake.com

Wild-card spots were secured by Keselowski and Hamlin, but the real wildness seemed to be between Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson.

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RACE RECAP | RICHMOND
10 Mark Martin
9 Denny Hamlin
8 Ryan Newman
7 Tony Stewart
6 Kyle Busch
5 Kurt Busch
4 David Ragan
3 Jeff Gordon
2 Carl Edwards

VICTORY LANE

1 Kevin Harvick takes the win after his pit crew got him out first on the “money stop” It’s Kevin’s 4th win of the season, tying himself for the points lead with Kyle Busch

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14 Drivers, Three Spots, One Race

In no time at all, the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular season will be no more. Its ending will fit perfectly with its beginning, and everything in between.

What started with Trevor Bayne’s stirring victory in the Daytona 500, continued with a record-tying finish at Talladega Superspeedway, a mix of victories from usual suspects (Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, etc.) and newbies (Regan Smith, Paul Menard, David Ragan and Marcos Ambrose) and Jeff Gordon’s historic 85th victory all ends this Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway.

CHASE SCENARIOS – LISTEN HERE

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At what many call the perfect track, we could all see the perfect ending.

So much is known about the makeup of the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Yet, so much can still happen. Nine of the 12 spots are locked up. The top eight drivers – Johnson, Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman – have each clinched at top-10 spot. Brad Keselowski, with three wins, has locked up at least a Wild Card berth.

After Saturday night’s race, the top 10 drivers make up the first part of the 12-driver Chase. Spots 11 and 12 go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 12. The

Wild Card tiebreaker is points position.
Only three spots remain. And thanks to the Wild Card factor – which is in its inaugural year – a whopping 14 drivers remain mathematically eligible.
In terms of drivers outside the top 10, positions 11-23 are all mathematically eligible for a Chase nod. In 2005, seven drivers outside the top 10 still had a mathematical chance, the previous high going into Richmond.

A tale of the tape of the 14…

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 6, 2011) – With only one race remaining until the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is set, eight drivers have clinched a top-10 spot – Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. Brad Keselowski, with three victories, has clinched at least a Wild Card berth. He remains eligible to earn a top-10 spot.

Don’t feel like reading? LISTEN HERE

Heading into the final race of the regular season, here are the clinch scenarios for the remaining three Chase spots.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Earnhardt is currently 25 points ahead of 11th place. Regardless of any other driver’s finish, Earnhardt will clinch if he finishes:
·             20th or better
·             21st or better and leads at least one lap
·             22nd or better and leads the most laps

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