Reigning Champion Stewart Seeks Title No. 4

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES

Reigning Champion Stewart Seeks Title No. 4

Different season, different scenario for reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. Stewart entered last year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ without a victory and the picture of frustration. He then ripped off two consecutive victories, at Chicagoland Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway, en route to a record five Chase wins and a third title. Stewart heads into this week’s Chase opener at Chicagoland as the No. 3 seed with 2,009 points – just three points out of the lead. The winner of the first Chase race has gone on to win the championship just twice: Stewart a year ago and Kurt Busch in 2004. Stewart bids to become the fifth driver to win four or more NASCAR Sprint Cup titles joining Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

Hamlin Bids To Become Third Top Seed To Win Championship

With victories in two of last three starts – and four wins overall – Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin enters this year’s Chase as the No. 1 seed with 2,012 points. That’s three more than his closest three rivals, Johnson, Stewart and Brad Keselowski. Hamlin qualified for his seventh consecutive post season beginning in 2006, his first year as a full-time NSCS competitor. Position obviously is important in the Chase during which every point counts. Conversely, the No. 1 seed has gone on to capture the NASCAR Sprint Cup title just twice: Johnson in 2007 and Stewart in 2005.

‘Five Time’ Significant Obstacle To 11 Chase Rivals

Five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Johnson represents the portal through which 11 other Chase qualifiers must pass. Johnson has won 20 times during the eight seasons under the Chase format. The Californian is the only competitor to have qualified for the post season all nine times. Johnson has yet to record a victory at Chicagoland Speedway but is the leader in a number Loop Data categories including Driver Rating (112.2). Johnson’s average Chicago finish is a series-best 4.6.

Seven Teams, No First-Timers In This Year’s Chase Field

Competitors from seven different teams have qualified for NASCAR’s post season including all four Hendrick Motorsport drivers Johnson, Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne. Roush Fenway Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing each have two drivers in the Chase field with Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Penske Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing bringing one each. This is the first season in the Chase for MWR, which became a full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup team in 2007. Richmond winner Clint Bowyer is seeded sixth with 2,006 points while Martin Truex Jr. is 10th with 2,000.

This year marks the first time Earnhardt has qualified for back-to-back Chases. His 17 top-10 finishes is his best (previous 16, 2008) since joining HMS. Earnhardt is the No. 7 seed with 2,003 points.

Four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions are part of this year’s Chase: Johnson (five titles), Gordon (four), Stewart (three) and Matt Kenseth (one). Kenseth is seeded eighth (2,003)

Each of the 12 drivers has been a Chase participant in previous seasons although Bowyer, Kahne, Truex and Greg Biffle (No. 5, 2,006 points) failed to qualify in 2011. No. 4 seed Brad Keselowski (2,009 points) qualified as a Wild Card a year ago and finished fifth in final rankings. He enters the Chase having scored the most points over the season’s most recent 10 races. Truex and No. 9 seed Kevin Harvick are the only two Chase drivers without a victory in the regular season.

Kahne, Gordon Winners In Frantic Wild Card Derby

As anticipated, the frantic Wild Card derby went down to the wire in Sunday’s early hours at Richmond. Four-time champion Gordon, a one-time regular season winner, edged Kyle Busch for the second of two Wild Cards by just three points. With Stewart preserving a top-10 ranking (10^th), Kahne’s two victories claimed the other Wild Card spot. Each will start the Chase with a base of 2,000 points. Gordon is in the Chase for the eighth time, missing only the 2005 season. This will be Kahne’s first Chase since 2009 when he finished 10th in final standings.

Patrick Makes First NSCS Start At Home Track

Roscoe, Ill., native Danica Patrick has competed in NASCAR before at Chicagoland Speedway – but only as a NASCAR Nationwide Series driver. She’ll make her NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut this Sunday behind the wheel of the No. 10 Chevrolet. This will be her sixth NSCS start with finishes of 29^th in her past two races at Bristol and Atlanta. Her best NNS finish at Chicagoland Speedway is 10^th in 2011.