“Win and you’re in” is the name of the game in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, meaning if a driver visits Victory Lane in a race, he earns a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

Currently, 13 drivers have won a race this season, 12 of which have clinched their spot in the Chase. Chris Buescher won at Pocono, but still needs to clinch a top 30 points spot at Richmond to official lock himself into a playoff position. The final three drivers – Chase Elliott (+39), Austin Dillon (+31) and Jamie McMurray (+22) – have hefty points leads over Ryan Newman, who sits on the cutoff line as the last competitor out of the 16-competitor contest. While Newman can still qualify for the Chase on points with a little luck (or a victory), all the drivers behind him must win Sunday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN) and be in the top 30 in points to secure a playoff berth. The list of drivers behind Newman who must triumph includes notables: Kasey Kahne, Trevor Bayne, Ryan Blaney, AJ Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer and Danica Patrick.

Newman (2003), Kahne (2005) and Bowyer (2008, 2012) are the only currently winless drivers who have won at Richmond in the past.

“I’ve always liked Richmond. I have been able to win here in the past and I look forward to the challenge,” Kahne said. “I think you can bring a lot back from the day race (in April), but the bigger thing is the cars have changed since then. Even though it will be the same package, the teams have built better cars. We were really competitive in the first race, and I think we’ll bring back a similar setup, but a better car, and work from there in practice.”

Newman, who finished eighth last week at Darlington, but was penalized 15 points after failing post-race inspection, enjoys racing at Richmond where he owns an 11.7 career average finish.

“Richmond is one of the best, if not arguably, the best short track we go to just because you fight a little bit of everything,” Newman said. “You have two different shaped corners, D-shaped tri-oval. There is a lot of braking and acceleration. Forward drive is usually at a premium. It’s just that typical short track but it’s the right size that fits our race car. It’s a lot of fun.”

Bowyer has struggled this season, which could be his first full-time campaign without a top-five finish. Still, anything can happen at a short track, especially one like Richmond where Bowyer has had success.

“Richmond is a fun, yet challenging, little racetrack,” Bowyer said. “As long as you can figure out the balance between the different corners and find speed in your car, you’ve got a shot at taking the checkered (flag) there.”

September 9, 2016

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

Because he has a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory in his pocket, Chris Buescher’s path to a Chase spot is much more clearly defined than Austin Dillon’s is.

Buescher needs merely to stay in the top 30 in the series standings, and for practical purposes, that involves staying ahead of or tied with 31st-place David Ragan, who trails Buescher by 11 points entering the final event of the 26-race regular-season.

“I think we pretty much know what we have to do here at Richmond,” said Buescher, who finished 34th in April in his only Sprint Cup start at the track . “It’s really pretty obvious. We’re going to control what we can control and do our best to have a good, clean race. Stay out of trouble. All the normal things you try to do. Go out here and try to have a good run at Richmond.

“This is historically not one of my better tracks, but we’ve been making progress. Throughout practice (in hot temperatures on Friday), we were better than earlier in the spring. I’m happy about that. I wish it was a little cooler so we knew what we would have when it comes around to race time, but at the end of the day, we’re all in the same boat and we will all figure it out together.”

September 9, 2016

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

RICHMOND, Va. – Though Austin Dillon is likely to secure a career-first spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN), the list of variables that could make his life more difficult is no small matter.

Certainly, it would ease Dillon’s path to the Chase if Saturday’s race produces a repeat winner. Under that scenario, Dillon would simply have to maintain any part of the 31-point edge he currently holds over Richard Childress Racing teammate Ryan Newman.

Even with a first-time 2016 winner, other than Chase Elliott (who is one spot ahead of Dillon on the Chase grid), Dillon can make the 10-race playoff by keeping Jamie McMurray at bay. Dillon currently leads McMurray by nine points.

And if Chris Buescher, who won at Pocono in August, happens to drop out of the top 30 in points, Dillon is in the Chase 1) if there’s a repeat winner or 2) if he keeps Newman behind him in the standings in the event of a new winner.

Obviously, Dillon also would clinch if he wins the race.

Given the permutations, Dillon has to balance offense and defense in his approach to the race. But the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet knows there’s a danger inherent in trying to modify his strategy based on the external framework of competition for Chase spots.

Dillon thinks the experience he gained in winning a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title in 2011 and an XFINITY Series championship in 2013 will help him negotiate the labyrinth of possibilities.

“I’ve had to do it before in my career with championship runs and stuff,” Dillon said. “It’s just you’ve got to stay focused and race like you would normally race. When you start really changing the vibe of things, it really gets hard that way.

“Things are going to happen that you don’t plan for. How you react to them is kind of how it is going to end up. Just reacting the right way to everything that goes on (Saturday) night and knowing what we have to do to make it in the Chase—having that in our head and just being smart about the choices we make.”

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Next Race: Federated Auto Parts 400
The Place: Richmond International Raceway
The Date: Saturday, Sept. 10
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 5 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 300 miles (400 laps)

NASCAR XFINITY Series
Next Race: Virginia529 College Savings 250
The Place: Richmond International Raceway
The Date: Friday, Sept. 9
The Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN, 7 p.m. ET
Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Distance: 250 miles (187.5 laps)