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Kasey Kahne continues to hold the aces in the Chase Wild Card game. His two victories, along with an 11th-place ranking, lead six eligible winners standing 11th through 20th in current points.

There’s a very large asterisk, however, as Kahne has closed to within 11 points of the top 10 and the possibility the first-year Hendrick Motorsports driver can advance to the post season as a seeded Chase qualifier.

Continue reading “Kahne Leads Wild Cards But Could Advance To Top 10”

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At least six different winners will battle for two “wild card” spots in the Chase over the four races remaining in the Race to the Chase. Marcos Ambrose, who won the Coors Light Pole at Michigan in June with a speed of 203.241 mph, added his name to the “wild card” derby by posting his second consecutive victory at Watkins Glen International. Kasey Kahne (11th in points) and Ryan Newman (13th) are provisional holders of the two “wild card” spots. Kahne won Michigan’s spring race in 2006. Newman is a two-time Michigan winner. Kyle Busch (14th), Jeff Gordon (15th), Ambrose (17th) and Joey Logano (18th) are remaining winners ranked 11th through 20th. Gordon has two Michigan wins; Busch one.

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Who would have guessed that Carl Edwards would face the real possibility of missing the Chase heading into the waning weeks of July? That’s the situation the No. 2 finisher in last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ finds himself in following a lackluster weekend in Loudon, N.H. Edwards finished 18th – the next to final car on the lead lap – and dropped 46 points out of the top 10. The finish was his third of 18th or worse in the past four races.
How much has the No. 99 Ford team’s performance slumped? Consider that Edwards hasn’t led a lap in his most recent 10 starts. He’s led just twice in 2012 – 206 laps at Richmond where he finished 10th after a late-race restart miscommunication.
Edwards has won races at four of the tracks remaining in the Race to the Chase: Pocono, Michigan, Bristol and Atlanta. His best Indianapolis finish is second in 2008. Edwards’ winless streak grew to 51 races in New Hampshire. He last won at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March 2011.

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Kasey Kahne’s second victory of the season on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway broke up a four-driver deadlock for the two coveted “wild card” qualifying entries into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™.

Kahne isn’t sure that will be enough to lock up a berth in the post season with seven races remaining until the Chase field is set Sept. 8 at Richmond International Raceway. “Two helps, but three would put you in a real good spot.

We’re going to stay after it,” Kahne said in his post-race media interview.
Kyle Busch currently holds the second “wild card” with a single victory and a rank of 13th in the standings. Ryan Newman, however, is nine points back in 14th with Joey Logano – the third single race winner 11th through 20th in points – is 16th.