Richmond: Where the Chase Is Decided

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Race: Chevrolet Rock N Roll 400
Place: Richmond International Raceway
Date: Saturday, September 6, 2008
Time: 7:00 pm.
Television: ABC (WMAR-TV, Channel 2, Baltimore)

We’ll be watching the skies Friday and Saturday night as the NASCAR fellows descend upon Richmond, Virginia for two nights of racing. Right now, it looks like some rain could be stirring up on Friday with rain and wind on Saturday. It would be a tragedy to have such a hot lead up to the chase be settled with a race that is seriously impacted by Mother Nature. But Hanna the Storm is out there in the Atlantic and moving north. It could get tricky.

As excitement of the last two weeks has settled down and the Sprint Cup drivers face their biggest milestone so far this season, Jimmie Johnson’s dominant performance at California makes most fans recognize that there are truly three strong contenders for this year’s championship, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Jimmie Johnson. Three other past champions look like they’ll make the chase: Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Jeff Gordon should make it. Their scenarios are given below, but not one of them has won a race this year. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, and Kevin Harvick will be in the chase too. Earnhardt and Burton each have a win, but with one race to go before the chase begins, do any of these racers look like Sprint Cup chasers.

Could the story of the week be Joey Logano who will race a reverse color scheme, Joe Gibbs Toyota, with sporting the reverse of what will be his number next year, 02. This kid has shown so much talent and poise, but is so genuinely likeable too at just eighteen years old. He still looks and sounds like a kid on the surface, but his ability to analyze his racing and some of the broader questions shows an intelligence and wisdom of a fellow who has been on the track for a long time. He’ll race with Toyota sister team, Hall-of-Fame racing for five races down the stretch and will have one more ride with the Gibbs car before taking over the #20 as his permanent cup seat next February. Should he finish in the top 20, that would show the kind of star power so many expect to see in the future, but what rough night to start.

Surely, there are other dramas we’re not aware of as drivers race for new contracts and owners race to secure sponsors. It won’t be all about what’s going on with the top 12 drivers after next Saturday night. As they slide into fall in New Hampshire, we’ll start to develop some of those small races with in the big race.


A quick look at the chase for the chase would seem to say that it’s between Clint Bowyer (#12) 2989 points, David Ragan (#13) 2972, 17 points out of 12, and Kasey Kahne, (#14) 2941 points, 48 points out of 12th. Sure if disaster were to afflict Tony Stewart (#8) 3110 points, Matt Kenseth (#9) 3081 points, Jeff Gordon (#10) 3074, and Denny Hamlin (#11) 3065 points. Should any of these foursome fail miserably, they could fall out, but given their driving talent, it’s not likely. It’s still hard to believe, however, that Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon are winless.

Bill Elliot will race the #21, US Air Force Ford for the “Legendary” Wood Brothers. The drivers below will race for teams that are below 35th rank in owner’s points. Starting positions for the balance of the starting line up will come from this field. Six cars will take the lonely ride back to North Carolina.

Drivers who have to race to get in:
(36) Sam Hornish, #77, Dodge. Mobil 1, Penske South
(37) Michael McDowell, #00, Toyota, Champion Mortgage, Michael Waltrip Racing
(38) Patrick Carpentier, #10, Dodge, Valvoline, Gillett/Evernham
(39) Ken Schrader, #96, Toyota, DLP HDTV, Hall of Fame Racing
(40) Kyle Petty, #45, Dodge, Marathon America Spirit Motor Oil, Petty Enterprises
(41) Joe Nemechek, #78, Chevy, Furniture Row Racing, Barney Visser
(42) Johnny Sauter, #70, Chevy, Hunt Brothers Pizza, Haas Racing
(43) Tony Raines, #34, Chevy, Front Row Motors Sports, Bob Jenkins
(44) Sterling Marlin, #09, Chevy, Miccosukee Resort and Gaming, James Finch
(45) Joey Logano, #02, Toyota, Home Depot, Joe Gibbs Racing

As we look at these drivers at the bottom of the field, we know Bill Elliot will permanently retire next year, but what of Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, and Sterling Marlin. Schrader will step aside for Legano for most of the remaining rides in the #96. It’s not sure who will run the other open dates. Sterling Marlin is pretty much a once-in-a-while entry these days. As Petty Enterprises becomes more corporate, it’s hard to imagine its investors will tolerate the performance of the #45 team. It also seems like Kyle Petty’s future is in broadcasting as he has done great work as an analyst for TNT’s live Cup coverage and is very effective on the shows he appears on with Speed-TV.

Schrader seems like a natural with a microphone, but he’s also such a dedicated racer, it seems likely he might be just hanging around some of his favorite tracks in the Midwest and doing what he loves best.