Thirteen down, 13 to go

Thirteen down, 13 to go.

 

This is the official halfway point of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ “regular season.” From Daytona to Richmond, the first 26 races make up the regular season. Starting with Chicagoland Speedway, race No. 27, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup consists of the final 10 events.

 

On Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., the second half kicks off with the 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway, arguably the most unique track on the schedule. With three distinct corners and three straightaways of varying length, strategy – and intensity – is boiling over.

 

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series kicks off the race weekend, with Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 400k at Texas Motor Speedway.

 

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has an open week this weekend, and returns in two weeks at Michigan International Speedway.

 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

 

Wild Card Front And Center

Brad Keselowski’s win on Sunday – along with a number of other angles – placed major focus on three different point-position battles up and down the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings.

 

1)     The points lead. Carl Edwards, on the strength of a series-high 10 top 10s, has a comfortable 40-point lead on second-place Jimmie Johnson. But once Chase starts, only wins matter. After race No. 26, the top-10 drivers earn Chase berths and have their points reset to 2,000, with 10 bonus points added for each win during the regular season. Currently, Kevin Harvick leads with three wins and 30 potential Chase bonus points. Edwards has one win, and 10 potential bonus points.

2)     The top 10. After race No. 26, the top 10 drivers are locked into the Chase. Ryan Newman, in 10th, holds a scant one-point edge over Denny Hamlin, in 11th.

3)     The top 20. The 12-driver Chase field consists of the top 10 after Richmond, with spots 11 and 12 going to those drivers outside the top 10 who have the most wins, provided they’re in the top 20. Two drivers outside the top 20 have won this season: Brad Keselowski (in 21st, seven points outside the top 20) and Regan Smith (won at Darlington, and is 29th, 49 points outside the top 20).

 

If there is a wins tie, or if there is only one winner from positions 11-20, then the Chase spot would go to the driver with the best points position.

 

Keselowski hopes it doesn’t get that far. After his victory, he talked about winning another race, and locking himself in the Chase, “I'm a big fan for the rule NASCAR implemented putting winners in the last two spots. I think that serves the sport very well. And hopefully we'll be able to capitalize on it. But there's no guarantees of that. I feel pretty confident that it's going to take really two wins to guarantee your way into it.”

 

Best Yet To Come?

How do you follow a first half of the regular season that saw record numbers in average leaders (13.7) and lead changes (32.4), two first-time winners (Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith), and nine different winners, the most since 2003.

 

A rivalry-filled and intense playoff race at some of racing’s most iconic venues should do the trick. The new Wild Card wrinkle should add to the already built-in drama of racing at tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, all of which host events over the next 13 races.

 

Hamlin, Stewart Heat Up With The Weather

Regular winners in the past, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart have been oddly quiet this season. Neither have a victory (which is even odder for Hamlin, who led the series in wins last season).

 

A bright side: Both seem somewhat comfortable in the points. Hamlin is 11th, just one point outside the top 10. Stewart is eighth, 12 points inside the top 10.

 

A brighter side: History suggests a bevy of Victory Lane celebrations in the near future for the two marquee talents.

 

Hamlin heads to arguably his best track. He has won two of the last three Pocono races, and four overall – one short of tying Bill Elliott for most all-time at the triangular track.

 

Traditionally, Stewart relishes these next three months. Stewart, with multiple wins at upcoming tracks Pocono, Daytona, Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, Infineon and New Hampshire, has won 21 of his 39 career victories in the months of June, July and August.

 

Junior Creeping Closer

For the second consecutive race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. threatened to end a triple-digit race winless drought. And for the second consecutive race, he came just short.

 

Earnhardt finished second, his second runner-up finish of the season (Martinsville). With the finish, he moved back up to third in the points, and is a single point out of second. The last time Earnhardt was second in the points was after the Daytona 500 last year. The last time he was second this late in the season – in 2008 after the second Pocono race.

 

Martin Always The Bridesmaid At Pocono

Mark Martin holds all kinds of “mosts” at Pocono: most top fives (19), most top 10s (33) and most lead lap finishes (39).

 

There’s one other most, one that Martin would probably like to change – most runner-up finishes without a victory (six). That’s tied for the most runner-ups without a win at a specific track in series history. Bobby Allison also had six runner-up finishes at Martinsville without a win.

 

New Qualifying Procedures Set For NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Starting this weekend at Pocono Raceway, qualifying order will still be determined based upon practice speeds – from slowest to fastest – with those times now coming from the first practice session (as opposed to the combined practice sessions). In addition, the qualifying order will no longer be separated between those teams that are locked into the race and those teams that must qualify on speed.