Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Clinch Scenarios for Richmond
10 Drivers Vie for Five Remaining Spots
Below are the 2013 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup clinch scenarios for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, the last race before the Chase field is set. Six drivers have clinched top-ten spots in the Chase: Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Kasey Kahne, on the strength of two wins, has clinched at least a Wild Card spot.
Four drivers control their top-ten clinching destiny. Regardless of the finishes of any other driver…
Dale Earnhardt Jr., now seventh in points, will clinch a top-ten spot with a finish of 32nd or better, 33rd with at least one lap led or 34th with the most laps led.
Joey Logano, now eighth in points, will clinch a top-ten spot with a finish of 11th or better, 12th and at least one lap led or 13th and the most laps led.
Greg Biffle, now ninth in points, will clinch a top-ten spot with a finish of ninth or better, tenth and at least one lap led or 11th and the most laps led.
Kurt Busch, currently tenth in points, will clinch a top-ten spot by winning, finishing second with at least one lap led or finishing third with the most laps led.
The remaining mathematically eligible drivers need help to clinch a top-ten spot. Some, however, control their own Wild Card destiny (a win would guarantee at least a Wild Card spot).
Clinch scenarios for the remaining eligible drivers follow…
Jeff Gordon: Currently 11th in points, Gordon would clinch at least a Wild Card spot with a victory at Richmond. Gordon, currently six points outside the top-ten, remains eligible for a top-ten spot.
Kasey Kahne: Kahne, currently 12th in points, has already clinched at least a Wild Card spot. Ten points outside the top-ten, Kahne remains eligible for a top 10 spot.
Martin Truex Jr.: Currently 13th in points, Truex would clinch at least a Wild Card spot with a victory at Richmond. Fifteen points outside the top-ten, Truex remains eligible for a top-ten spot. Truex, holding the provisional No. 2 Wild Card spot, could clinch a Wild Card spot without a victory.
Ryan Newman: Currently 14th in points, Newman would clinch at least a Wild Card spot with a victory at Richmond. Twenty points outside the top-ten, Newman remains eligible for a top-ten spot. Newman could clinch a Wild Card spot without a win (Logano and Biffle must stay in the top-ten or be replaced by Kahne; Newman must out-point Truex by six points; Gordon must not win; and Brad Keselowski or Jamie McMurray cannot win and overtake Newman).
Brad Keselowski: Currently 28 points outside the top-ten, Keselowski remains eligible for a top-ten spot. Currently winless, Keselowski must win to be in contention for a Wild Card spot. Mathematically there will be at least two drivers outside the top 10 with wins. To clinch, Keselowski would need to win and outpoint Truex by 13 and Newman by eight (and would only need to outpoint one of these drivers if Kahne would displace a winless driver from the top 10). If Truex or Newman displaces Kurt Busch from the top-ten, he would need to outpoint the other one-win driver remaining outside the top-ten by the requisite amount.
Jamie McMurray: Currently 39 points outside the top-ten, McMurray remains eligible for a top-ten spot. Currently winless, McMurray must win to be in contention for a Wild Card spot. To clinch, McMurray would need to win and outpoint either Truex by 25 and Newman by 19 (and would only need to outpoint one of these drivers if Kahne would displace a winless driver from the top-ten). If Truex or Newman displace Kurt Busch from the top-ten, he would need to outpoint the other one-win driver remaining outside the top-ten by the requisite amount.
Paul Menard: To clinch, Menard would need to win and outpoint Truex by 47 and Newman by 42 (and would only need to outpoint one of these drivers if Kahne would displace a winless driver from the top-ten). If Truex or Newman displace Kurt Busch from the top-ten, he would need to outpoint the other one-win driver remaining outside the top-ten by the requisite amount.
