Tag Archives: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Sprint Cup Chase Tracker – Atlanta

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ChaseTrackerAtlanta300x400The clock is ticking down on the last Race to the Chase at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, September 7th – coming up this weekend. One last chance for eight drivers to grab a Wild Card spot for the 2013 ten-race Chase for a Sprint Cup championship.

After the race at Atlanta, six competitors have claimed their place in the Chase’s top-ten including, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Seventh-place Dale Earnhardt Jr faces the least pressure among non-qualifiers, needing only a finish of 32nd or better in the 400-lap race at Richmond to enter the post season competition.

Joey Logano, Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch complete the provisional top-ten – 16, 14 and six points ahead of 11th place Jeff Gordon. Each with one victory, Logano and Biffle have some Chase insurance as potential Wild Cards if they should fall out of the top-ten. 

This week’s Sprint Cup Chase tracker analyzes driver Race to the Chase average-finishes – Kentucky to Atlanta – and their more recent five-race average-finishes – Pocono to Atlanta. And as in previous Chase Tracker posts, there are a few surprises in store. 

Wild Card Contenders

Richmond is all about which drivers will secure their place in the Chase by grabbing a Wild Card in the last race of the regular season. And it is certainly a tight competition this year and several drivers moving between the top-ten and chasing a Wild Card spot.  

Kasey Kahne with two wins, holds the first Wild Card ticket into the post-race season and is just ten points away from tenth-place qualification. Will he race his way into tenth-place at Richmond, leaving another open Wild Card spot for those outside the top-ten? Kahne is definitely one to keep an eye on throughout Richmond’s night of racing on Saturday. If Kahne does move into the top-ten, his two wins will give him a better Chase starting spot at Chicagoland. 

Martin Truex Jr holds the second Wild Card for the Chase and is only 15-points away from the top-ten. His third-place finish at Atlanta, after finishing 35th at Bristol certainly moves his team in the right direction heading into the last race of the regular season. Truex could also race his way into the top-ten at Richmond, leaving his Wild Card spot for another contender. Continue reading →

Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 Preview

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Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, leads the field to start the race under caution due to weather in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 8, 2012 Photo - Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, leads the field to start the race under caution due to weather in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 8, 2012
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

It all comes down to Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. It will be the drivers’ last chance to put themselves in the Chase. In past years, Richmond has produced surprises, upsets, and much more. This year has already produced tons of shocking moments and more on race day adds to the drama of the season. Drivers who don’t hold a spot in the playoffs will have one thing on their minds during the race. To be in it, they need to win now. Continue reading →

Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 Preview

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Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Advocare Chevrolet, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, lead the field to start the NASCAR Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway on September 7, 2012 Photo - Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Advocare Chevrolet, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., driver of the #6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, lead the field to start the NASCAR Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway on September 7, 2012
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 returns to Richmond International Speedway with the Nationwide Series drivers ready to race, on Friday, September 6th. Television coverage begins at 7pm on ESPN and radio coverage on MRN, Sirius XM, channel 90.

More than 21 years ago NASCAR consolidated their Late Model Sportsman Division into a national touring series, now known as the Nationwide Series. It was on February 13, 1982, the newly created division held its inaugural event – the Goody’s 300 – at Daytona International Speedway with Dale Earnhardt taking the checkered flag.  Continue reading →

Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 Preview

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Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet and Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M/Manheim Auctions Ford, lead the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 2, 2012 Photo - Brian Lawdermilk-Pool/Getty Images

Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet and Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M/Manheim Auctions Ford, lead the field at the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on September 2, 2012
Photo – Brian Lawdermilk-Pool/Getty Images

Sprint Cup Series drivers head to Atlanta Motor Speedway to continue a Labor Day tradition reaching into NASCAR‘s formative years.  The AdvoCare 500 race is on Sunday, September 1st and television coverage begins at 6:30 pm ET on ESPN, with radio coverage on PRN, Sirius XM channel 90.

Great racing and legendary winners have ushered out summer and – in recent seasons – solidified the lineup of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. This weekend looks to be no different as the series heads to the penultimate race of the regular season.

Drivers have claimed three Chase spots, leaving nine more for the taking, either at Atlanta’s 1.54-mile asphalt track or next week at Richmond International Raceway. Sunday’s race may be more about who doesn’t have provisional Chase standing than those who may punch their tickets for NASCAR’s post-season. Continue reading →

Sprint Cup Chase Tracker – Bristol

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ChaseTrackerBristol300x400This week’s Sprint Cup Chase Tracker after Bristol holds some interesting insight into the Race to the Chase with just one more race (Atlanta) before the series travels the Road to Richmond.

Bristol is a Wild Card race en route to qualifying to compete for the Sprint Cup championship trophy and interestingly, there are three previous champions on the outside still chasing a Wild Card ticket. An intriguing note, is that all three are winless this season.

It’s also worthy to note that last year at this time, the average-finish performance was at a higher level with eventual 2012 champion Brad Keselowski consistently running an average-finish in the top-five range. This year, with the new Gen 6 car, most are outside of top-ten performance, with only two drivers (neither is NASCAR’s five-time champion) at or slightly better than top-ten results since Kentucky. Reviewing the most recent five-races, there’s only one driver in the top-five average-finish range, and most will be amazed to discover which driver.

Similar to previous Chase Tracker analysis, this week’s review includes average-finish performance of top competitors from Kentucky through Bristol – Race to the Chase – as well as, the most recent five races from Indianapolis through Bristol. Also taken into consideration is the new point standings after all the action at Bristol. Continue reading →