Who knew? Jeff Gordon has clinched a Chase spot, too

Who knew? Jeff Gordon has clinched a Chase spot, too

 

By Reid Spencer

Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(August 31, 2011)

 

To heck with Richmond —at this rate we'll have the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field set by next Tuesday.

  According to a bulletin issued Wednesday by NASCAR, Jeff Gordon also clinched a berth in the Chase in Saturday's Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

  NASCAR's new simple-for-fans-to-understand points system obviously has a few arcane nuances when it comes to figuring the status of wild cards. Though Gordon conceivably could fall outside the top 10 in points (highly unlikely, since all he needs Sunday at Atlanta is a 40th-place finish to lock himself in), he still would get in as a wild card no matter what.

  Here's how NASCAR explained it:

  "For Gordon, with two wins, to fall out of the top 10, either Brad Keselowski or Clint Bowyer would have to win each of the remaining two races. If that happened, and Gordon fell outside the top 10, he would at least take the first wild card spot (if it were Keselowski winning each race) or the second (if it were Bowyer). In the latter instance, Keselowski would have three wins, Gordon two. Everyone else outside the top 10 would have one victory."

  The addition of Gordon brings the number of drivers who have clinched to six. In addition to the four-time champion, Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick know they'll be battling for the Cup title over the final 10 races.

  NASCAR announced Harvick's clinching on Monday, two days after the Bristol race.

  The entire Chase field will be set and seeded after the Sept. 10 race at Richmond . Top seeding goes to the driver with the most victories in the first 26 races—currently Kyle Busch with four, each worth three bonus points to start the Chase.

  Wild-card qualifiers receive no bonus points to start the Chase, no matter how many races they have won.