The first of NASCAR’s Chase races, the myAFibRisk.com 400, was held on Sunday at Chicagoland Speedway. The top 16 drivers are competing in three races for the opportunity to become one of the 12 to move on to the next round. A win at any of the three races guarantees a spot in the next round. Denny Hamlin got that win in his number 11 Joe Gibbs Toyota.
Hamlin had to overcome a lot at the beginning of the race. He started in the 29th position, then had to recover from a spin on the second lap. Hamlin did not get back on to the lead lap until he was able to take advantage of a wave-around before a restart on lap 129.
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Hamlin took the lead on a restart on lap 263. He had gambled and stayed out on old tires, and it payed off. He was able to hold off teammate Carl Edwards, who moved up from sixth to second on that restart.
“We got a great restart,” Hamlin said, “and I just held it wide open through (Turns) 1 and 2, and it stuck. We were able to get in that clean air and take off.”
There was some trouble on lap 135 when Kevin Harvick’s number 4 Chevy and Jimmie Johnson’s number 48 Chevy made contact. Harvick’s left rear tire lost pressure and sent him into the wall in Turn 3, causing severe damage to the rear of his car.
Harvick confronted Johnson after the race. They were separated without further incident.
On to the next round
Hamlin won the race in the 11 car. He is moving on to the next round because of his win.
Leaders
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Matt Kenseth finished fifth and has his number 20 on top of the leader board due to his four victories this season.
Edwards finished second in his 19 car and he is currently in third place in the standings, 3 points behind Kenseth.
Kyle Busch finished ninth, and his 18 car is tied with Carl Edwards at 3 points behind Kenseth.
Kurt Busch was leading the race in his 41 car until the final restart, and he ended up finishing in third place. He is in fifth place, 4 points behind Kenseth.
Joey Logano finished in sixth place, which is also where he sits in the standings with the 22 car, 4 points behind Kenseth.
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Johnson finished the race in 11th place, which puts him and the 48 car in seventh place in the standings, 7 points behind the leader.
Ryan Newman helped himself with a fourth place finish in the 31 car, which helped him move up to eighth place in the standings, 12 points behind Kenseth.
Brad Keselowski drove the number 2 car to an eighth place in the race. He is currently in ninth in the standings, 13 points behind Kenseth.
Dale Earnhardt Jr finished in 12th place in his iconic 88 car, which dropped him in the standings to 10th place, 14 points behind Kenseth.
On the bubble
Martin Truex Jr finished in 13th place, which dropped the 78 car one spot to 11th, 17 points behind Kenseth.
Jeff Gordon moved up a spot with a 14th place finish. He now has his 24 car in the top 12, 21 points behind Kenseth and 3 points ahead of Jaime McMurray.
Outside looking in
McMurray finished in 16th place, and that dropped the number 1 car into 13th in the standings, 24 points behind Kenseth and 3 points out of the top 12.
Paul Menard drove his 27 car to a 17th place finish and he moved up one spot, to 14th. He is 25 points behind Kenseth and 4 points out of the top 12.
Clint Bowyer finished 19th, but he moved the 15 car up to the 15th spot. He is 27 points behind Kenseth and 6 points out of the top 12.
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Harvick had the roughest day of the Chase drivers. The number 4 car had led ten laps, but his accident caused him to lose 58 laps. His 42nd place finish dropped him all the way down to 16th, 43 points behind Kenseth and 22 points out of the top 12.
What’s Next?
All of the drivers still have a chance to advance. A win at either the Sylvania 300 on September 27 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway or the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway on October 4 will guarantee a spot in the next round.
