thefinallap

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Buescher_Gallery_6_112115(as of Sept. 5)

Clinching for Next Race (sorted by Wins, then Points) at Richmond:
Possible to Clinch:

Chris Buescher (1 Win, 358 Points, +11 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would Clinch a Top 30 spot on his own with 34 Points (7th and no laps led, 8th and led at least one lap, 9th and led most laps), which would clinch him a spot in the Chase.

Chase Elliott (0 Wins, 659 Points, +312 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with 24 Points (17th and no laps led, 18th and led at least one lap, 19th and led most laps), if there is a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or a new winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30) and 17 Points (24th and no laps led, 25th and led at least one lap, 26th and led most laps). If there is a repeat winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30, he clinches on points, regardless of finish. With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins.

Austin Dillon (0 Wins, 651 Points, +304 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on Points with 33 Points (8th and no laps led, 9th and led at least one lap, 10th and led most laps) and a new winner. If there is a repeat winner (or win by Chase Elliott or a new winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30) and Dillon would clinch with 26 Points (15th and no laps led, 16th and led at least one lap, 17th and led most laps). If there is a repeat winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30, he would clinch on points regardless of finish. With a win, they would clinch a Chase spot on wins.

Jamie McMurray (0 Wins, 642 Points, +295 Points Ahead of 31st) – Would clinch on points with a repeat winner (or win by Chase Elliott or Austin Dillon or a new winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30) and 35 points (6th and no laps led, 7th and led at least one lap, 8th and led most laps). If there is a repeat winner and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30, McMurray would clinch on points, regardless of finish. With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on points with a new winner and help (cannot lose more than six points to Newman as Newman would hold the tie-breaker).

Ryan Newman (0 Wins, 635 Points, +288 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, he would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on Points with help (would need to outpoint two of the following if there is a new winner, or one of the following if there is a repeat winner (or win by one of these drivers), McMurray by 7 or more points, Dillon by 17 or more points, Elliott by 25 or more points). If there is a repeat winner (or win by Elliott, Dillon, McMurray) and Chris Buescher falls out of the Top 30, he would need 5 points (36th and no laps led, 37th and led at least one lap, 38th and led most laps) to clinch on points.

Kasey Kahne (0 Wins, 598 Points, +251 Points Ahead of 31st) – With a win, Kahne would clinch a Chase spot on wins. Could clinch on points with a repeat winner (or win by Elliott, Dillon or McMurray) and Chris Buescher falling outside of the Top 30 and help (would need to outpoint Newman by 37 (if he finishes in 3rd or higher) or by 38 points).

The following need a win to clinch a Chase spot on wins:

Ryan Blaney (0 Wins, 573 Points, +226 Points Ahead of 31st)
AJ Allmendinger (0 Wins, 562 Points, +215 Points Ahead of 31st)
Trevor Bayne (0 Wins, 559 Points, +212 Points Ahead of 31st)
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (0 Wins, 551 Points, +204 Points Ahead of 31st)
Paul Menard (0 Wins, 479 Points, +132 Points Ahead of 31st)
Greg Biffle (0 Wins, 477 Points, +130 Points Ahead of 31st)
Danica Patrick (0 Wins, 467 Points, +120 Points Ahead of 31st)
Aric Almirola (0 Wins, 431 Points, +84 Points Ahead of 31st)
Clint Bowyer (0 Wins, 427 Points, +80 Points Ahead of 31st)
Casey Mears (0 Wins, 410 Points, +63 Points Ahead of 31st)
Landon Cassill (0 Wins, 368 Points, +21 Points Ahead of 31st)

The following need a win and help (to get inside the Top 30) in order to make the Chase:

David Ragan (0 Wins, 347 Points, 11 Points Behind of 30th)
Regan Smith (0 Wins, 330 Points, 28 Points Behind of 30th)

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September 4, 2016

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

DARLINGTON, S.C. – Martin Truex Jr.’s luck changed. Kevin Harvick’s didn’t.

And that was the difference in Truex’s unexpected victory in Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Truex led 28 laps, all after passing Ryan Newman for the top spot on Lap 339 of 367.

Harvick led a race-high 214 laps, bringing his career total to 10,068. But where Truex’s much-maligned pit crew performed its finest stop when it counted most—under caution on Lap 351—Harvick’s crew experienced the sorts of problems that have become chronic this season.

Where Truex’s over-the-wall gang got the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet off pit road with the lead for a restart on Lap 356, Harvick’s crew lost a net of 17 spots in the pits over the course of the race.

The bottom line? Truex, who has had the fastest car in a succession of races this year, didn’t have the most potent equipment on Sunday. Harvick did.

But it was Truex who celebrated in Victory Lane, after beating Harvick to the finish line by .606 seconds, leaving the driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet to bemoan his 17th second-place finish in the past 61 races—many of which he could have won with flawless execution on pit road.

“This is unbelievable,” said Truex, who earned his second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory of the season and the fifth of his career. “I’ve always loved this race track. I’ve led a lot of laps here in my career, but something always happens, and I’m so proud to get to Victory lane with this group. The pit crew was flawless tonight—they won us the race.

“They took a lot of heat for what happened last week (a blown pit stop at Michigan resulting in a 20th-place finish). We’ve had a terrible streak of bad luck. We’ve had super-fast race cars. … I knew the bad luck would stop coming, and we’d start racking ’em off … The pit crew’s done a great job, but they did stumble last week, and this was a great way to make it up.”

Harvick’s assessment of his crew’s performance stood in sharp contrast to Truex’s. After issues with an air gun during a stop under caution on Lap 281, Harvick restarted 12th after entering pit road with the lead. He spent the rest of the race working his way forward but couldn’t catch Truex on the final 12-lap run.

“Yeah, we had a great car,” Harvick said. “The guys in the garage and at the shop continue to do a great job, and we continue to give it away on pit road. Pretty much summed up the night. Just the dominant car, and just three bad stops on pit road.”

Harvick indicated he was beyond giving encouragement to his pit crew.

“I’m over being a cheerleader,” he said. “Those guys get paid a lot of money to perform on pit road, and cheerleading hasn’t really been working. You’ve got to get after it on pit road and do your job.”

Kyle Larson, last week’s Michigan winner, came home third. Denny Hamlin ran fourth, followed by Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth. Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Brad Keselowski and Chase Elliott completed the top 10.

Notes: Harvick is the 17th driver to accumulate 10,000 or more career laps led. … Chris Buescher ran 17th and stretched his lead over 21st-place David Ragan to 11 points in the race for the 30th position in the Sprint Cup standings. Buescher, who won a rain-shortened race at Pocono in August, must hold 30th or better next week at Richmond to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. … Fighting for the last Chase spot on points, Newman shaved Jamie McMurray’s lead to seven points with one race left before the cutoff. McMurray currently holds the final Chase-eligible position. … Truex’s victory was the fourth for the Furniture Row organization. FRR won the Southern 500 with Regan Smith in 2011—Smith’s only triumph in a Sprint Cup car.

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1 8 78 Martin Truex, Jr. Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
2 1 4 Kevin Harvick Busch Chevrolet
3 16 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet
4 7 11 Denny Hamlin Sport Clips Toyota
5 5 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford
6 10 20 Matt Kenseth Tide PODS Toyota
7 18 5 Kasey Kahne Liftmaster Chevrolet
8 14 31 Ryan Newman Caterpillar Chevrolet
9 2 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford
10 11 24 Chase Elliott # NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet
11 6 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota
12 12 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet
13 20 21 * Ryan Blaney # Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford
14 15 88 Jeff Gordon Nationwide Chevrolet
15 13 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s Chevrolet
16 24 27 Paul Menard Valvoline/Menards Chevrolet
17 31 34 Chris Buescher # Love’s Travel Stops Ford
18 22 17 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Fastenal Ford
19 3 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota
20 33 7 Regan Smith Nikko RC Road Rippers Chevrolet
21 32 23 David Ragan I’m a Pepper Toyota
22 27 15 Clint Bowyer 5-hour Energy Chevrolet
23 21 47 AJ Allmendinger Kroger/Tyson 1977 Bruce Hill Throwback Chevrolet
24 25 10 Danica Patrick Nature’s Bakery Chevrolet
25 28 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet
26 35 83 Matt DiBenedetto Orange Crush Toyota
27 30 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Chevrolet
28 37 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
29 40 30 * Josh Wise Incredible Bank Chevrolet
30 29 38 Landon Cassill Rumple Furniture/Bailey Excavating Ford
31 39 55 * Reed Sorenson Vydox Plus Chevrolet
32 26 43 Aric Almirola STP Ford
33 9 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet
34 4 41 Kurt Busch Haas VF1/Monster Energy Chevrolet
35 17 14 Tony Stewart Coca-Cola Chevrolet
36 23 16 Greg Biffle Hooters Ford
37 36 98 * Cole Whitt Carolina Skiff Chevrolet
38 38 32 Jeffrey Earnhardt # Otter Pops/Corvetteparts.net Ford
39 34 44 Brian Scott # Twisted Tea Ford
40 19 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford