Chase Spots Up For Grabs At Atlanta

Penultimate Warriors: Chase Spots Up For Grabs At Atlanta

Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth have locked up spots in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup going into Sunday’s race in Atlanta, the penultimate race in the regular season. Eight other drivers can join them in donning the black-and-yellow Chase-clinching hat after Sunday’s race. 

Mathematically, every top-10 Chase spot could be clinched. This week’s magic number is 49. Any driver 49 points ahead of 11th-place leaving Atlanta (48 points for some, depending on the tie-breaker of wins) clinches a top-10 spot in the Chase.

Four drivers control their own top-10 destiny: Kenseth (who already owns AT LEAST a Wild Card spot), Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brad Keselowski. Regardless of what any other driver does, Kenseth clinches a top-10 spot by finishing 40th or better, 41st and at least one lap led or 42nd and the most laps led. Truex guarantees himself a top-10 Chase spot with a 14th-place finish or better, a 15th and at least one lap led or a 16th and the most laps led. Bowyer needs an 11th, 12th and at least one lap led or 13th and the most laps led. Keselowski lands a top-10 spot with a seventh-place finish or better, an eighth and at least one lap led or a ninth and the most laps led.

Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart could also lock up top-10 spots, but would need help.

A win would lock up at least a Wild Card spot for Hamlin, Harvick and Stewart. Depending on the final results from Sunday, Bowyer, Keselowski, Hamlin, Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch could clinch at least a Wild Card spot.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Etc.

With Paul Menard’s 10th-place finish last Saturday at Bristol, Richard Childress Racing reached 900 NSCS top 10s. … Roush Fenway Racing is two top-five finishes away from reaching 600 series top fives. … Denny Hamlin’s win at Bristol was No. 98 for Joe Gibbs Racing. … Hamlin was the 11th consecutive different winner dating to June 10 at Pocono Raceway. … Danica Patrick makes her first NSCS visit to Atlanta on Sunday. She joins Janet Guthrie and Shawna Robinson as the only females to start a race at Atlanta. … The First Response Team of America will be featured on the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet piloted by Jeff Burton this weekend and on Caterpillar’s billboard around the track. The First Response Team of America collaborates with the Weather Channel to fill the gap between the onset of a disaster and the arrival of traditional relief agencies. Caterpillar and Richard Childress Racing partnered to offer fans a special ticket offer, where a portion of the proceeds will go to the First Response Team of America. Tad Agoglia, founder of the First Response Team will be on site race weekend as a guest of Caterpillar and RCR.