Qualified for the 2012 Chase for the Sprint Cup
(the 12 drivers who qualified for the Chase in 2012)
#11-Denny Hamlin [7th time in the chase][4 wins]
#48-Jimmie Johnson [9th time][3 wins]
#14-Tony Stewart [8th time][3 wins]
#2-Brad Keselowski [2nd time][3 wins]
#16-Greg Biffle [5th time][2 wins]
#15-Clint Bowyer [4th time][2 wins]
#17-Matt Kenseth [8th time][1 win]
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [5th time][1 win]
#29-Kevin Harvick [6th time][0 wins]
#56-Martin Truex Jr.[2nd time][0 wins]
two wild cards
#5-Kasey Kahne [3rd time][2 wins, 11th in pts]
#24-Jeff Gordon [8th time][1 win, 12th in pts]
(9-9-2012)

Four drivers missed the Chase after making it in 2011:
#99-Carl Edwards [6th time]
#51-Kurt Busch [6th time]
#39-Ryan Newman [4th time]
#18-Kyle Busch [5th time]

NASCAR National Series Clinch Scenarios Set For Homestead: #2-Brad Keselowski leads five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion #48-Jimmie Johnson by 20 points going into Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Keselowski clinches his first NASCAR Sprint Cup championship with a finish of 15th or better; or 16th and at least one lap led; or 17th and the most laps led, even if Johnson wins and leads the most laps. All other drivers have been eliminated from championship consideration.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who leads by 20 points over second-place Elliott Sadler, will clinch the NASCAR Nationwide Series driver championship with a finish of 16th or better; or 17th or better with at least one lap led; or 18th or better with most laps led at Homestead. In the owners championship battle, the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota guarantees a clinch of the title with a finish of 28th or better; or 29th or better with at least one lap led; or 30th or better with the most laps led. The #18 currently leads the #6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford by 33 points.
James Buescher has an 11-point lead over Timothy Peters heading into the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series finale. Buescher guarantees himself his first championship with a finish of 7th or better with no laps led; or 8th or better with one lap led; or 9th or better with the most laps led. The clinch scenarios for the NCWTS owners championship is the same, with Buescher's points-leading #31 leading Peters' #17 by 11 points.(NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications)(11-12-2012)

FINAL 2012 Sprint Cup Driver CHASE Championship Points Standings:
[after Homestead, race 36 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski [5 wins], 2400 - The 2012 CHAMP
2) #15-Clint Bowyer [3 wins], 2361, -394
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson [5 wins], 2360, -40
4) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins], 2345, -55
5) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 2332, -68
6) #11-Denny Hamlin [5 wins], 2329, -71
7) #17-Matt Kenseth [3 wins], 2324, -76
8) #29-Kevin Harvick [1 win], 2321, -79
9) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2311, -89
10) #24-Jeff Gordon [2 wins], 2303, -97
11) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 2299, -101
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2245, -155
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf) and the owner points standings on the Owners Points Standings page (pdf).

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Homestead?
[by points standings before the race]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski 15th - WON the CHAMPIONSHIP
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson 36th - rear gear
3) #5-Kasey Kahne 21st, late pit road penalty
4) #15-Clint Bowyer 2nd
5) #11-Denny Hamlin 24th
6) #17-Matt Kenseth 18th
7) #16-Greg Biffle 5th
8) #29-Kevin Harvick 8th
9) #14-Tony Stewart 17th
10) #56-Martin Truex Jr. 6th
11) #24-Jeff Gordon WON the race
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10th
(11-18-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points system but NOT the chase system - unoffical)
[after Homestead, race 36 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1259
2) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1240, -19
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [5 wins], 1231, -28
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [3 wins], 1218, -41
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1213, -46
6) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1167, -92
7) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [1 win], 1162, -97
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1161, -98
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1144, -115
10) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 1133, -126
11) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1129, -130
12) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 1112, -147
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [2 wins], 1080, -179
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 1051, -208
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 1030, -229
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Phoenix?
[by points standings before the race]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson 32nd - accident
2) #2-Brad Keselowski 6th
3) #15-Clint Bowyer 28th - accident
4) #5-Kasey Kahne 4th
5) #17-Matt Kenseth 14th
6) #24-Jeff Gordon 30th - accident
7) #11-Denny Hamlin 2nd
8) #14-Tony Stewart 20th
9) #56-Martin Truex Jr. 42nd - engine
10) #16-Greg Biffle 7th
11) #29-Kevin Harvick WON
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. 21st
(11-11-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points system but NOT the chase system)
[after Phoenix, race 35 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1230
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [5 wins], 1222, -8
3) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1201, -29
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [3 wins], 1191, -39
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1171, -59
6) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1147, -83
7) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [1 win], 1126, -104
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1122, -108
9) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1110, -120
10) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1105, -125
11) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 1091, -139
12) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 1085, -145
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 1058, -172
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 1009, -221
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 998, -232
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Texas?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson, WON (1)
2) #2-Brad Keselowski, 2 (8)
3) #15-Clint Bowyer, 6th (4)
4) #5-Kasey Kahne, 25th (15)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 20th (12)
6) #24-Jeff Gordon, 14th (16)
7) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 13th (5)
8) #17-Matt Kenseth, 4th (10)
9) #16-Greg Biffle, 10th (2)
10) #14-Tony Stewart, 5th (21)
11) #29-Kevin Harvick, 9th (23)
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 7th (19)
(11-4-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Texas, race 34 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [5 wins], 1210
2) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1191, -19
3) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1164, -46
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [3 wins], 1161, -49
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1155, -55
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1121, -89
7) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1104, -106
8) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1087, -123
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 1079, -131
10) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1065, -145
11) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 1060, -150
12) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 1048, -162
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 1044, -166
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 969, -241
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 965, -245
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Martinsville?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 6th (32)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, WON (1)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 33rd (5)
4) #15-Clint Bowyer, 5th (8)
5) #5-Kasey Kahne, 3rd (15)
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 23rd (12)
7) #14-Tony Stewart, 27th (7)
8) #24-Jeff Gordon, 7th (11)
9) #17-Matt Kenseth, 15th (6)
10) #29-Kevin Harvick, 32nd (13)
11) #16-Greg Biffle, 10th (30)
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 21st (20)
(10-26-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Martinsville, race 33 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [4 wins], 1162
2) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1148, -14
3) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1130, -32
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [3 wins], 1120, -42
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1117, -45
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1090, -72
7) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1080, -82
8) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1050, -112
9) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1046, -120
10) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 1044, -118
11) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 1021, -141
12) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 1014, -148
13) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 1006, -156
14) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 937, -225
15) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 936, -226
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Kansas?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 8th (24)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 9th (7)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 13th (9)
4) #15-Clint Bowyer, 6th (3)
5) #5-Kasey Kahne, 4th (1)
6) #16-Greg Biffle, 27th (11)
7) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 2nd (15)
8) #14-Tony Stewart, 5th (32)
9) #24-Jeff Gordon, 10th (18)
10) #29-Kevin Harvick, 11th (10)
11) #17-Matt Kenseth, WON (12)
12) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., didn't race, out with concussion
(10-21-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Kansas, race 32 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 1114
2) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1109, -5
3) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1096, -18
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [3 wins], 1089, -25
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1077, -37
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1069, -45
7) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1068, -46
8) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 1034, -80
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 1032, -82
10) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1027, -87
11) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 1004, -110
12) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 976, -138
13) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 964, -150
14) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 911, -203
15) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 903, -211
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Charlotte?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 11th (20)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 3rd (5)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 2nd (9)
4) #5-Kasey Kahne, 8th (10)
5) #15-Clint Bowyer, WON (4)
6) #24-Jeff Gordon, 18th (13)
7) #14-Tony Stewart, 13th (32)
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 10th (6)
9) #16-Greg Biffle, 4th (1)
10) #29-Kevin Harvick, 16th (11)
11) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., didn't race, out with concussion
12) #17-Matt Kenseth, 17th (7)
(10-13-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Charlotte, race 31 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 1079
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 1078, -1
3) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1073, -6
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [2 wins], 1041, -38
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [3 wins], 1038, -41
6) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 1037, -42
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1027, -52
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 1027, -52
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 999, -80
10) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 993, -86
11) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 965, -114
12) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 951, -128
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 941, -138
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 889, -190
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 881, -198
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Talladega?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 6th (22)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 17th (17)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 14th (23)
4) #15-Clint Bowyer, 23rd (3)
5) #14-Tony Stewart, 22nd (4)
6) #5-Kasey Kahne, 12th (1)
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 20th (12)
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 13th (9)
9) #29-Kevin Harvick, 11th (21)
10) #24-Jeff Gordon 2nd (6)
11) #16-Greg Biffle, 5th (5)
12) #17-Matt Kenseth, WON (15)
(10-7-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after New Hampshire, race 27 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 971
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 969, -2
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 967, -4
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [1 win], 955, -16
5) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [4 wins], 954, -17
6) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [2 wins], 933, -38
7) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 927, -44
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 924, -47
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 906, -65
10) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 887, -84
11) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 865, -106
12) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 831, -140
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 828, -143
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 807, -164
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 797, -174
16) #27-Paul Menard [0 wins], 792, -179
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at Dover?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 4th (11)
2) #2-Brad Keselowski, WON (10)
3) #11-Denny Hamlin, 8th (1)
4) #14-Tony Stewart, 20th (24)
5) #5-Kasey Kahne, 15th (9)
6) #15-Clint Bowyer, 9th (2)
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 11th (25)
8) #29-Kevin Harvick, 13th (13)
9) #16-Greg Biffle, 16th (6)
10) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 6th (3)
11) #17-Matt Kenseth, 35th (12)
12) #24-Jeff Gordon 2nd (7)
(9-30-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings without Chase:
(classic system using current points but NOT the chase system)
[after Dover, race 29 of 36]
1) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 1008
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 1002, -6
3) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [5 wins], 1001, -7
4) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 999, -9
5) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [2 wins], 969, -39
6) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 964, -44
7) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [1 win], 964, -44
8) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 962, -46
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 937, -71
10) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 911, -97
11) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 894, -114
12) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 871, -137
13) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 870, -138
14) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 836, -172
15) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 830, -178
16) #27-Paul Menard [0 wins], 814, -194
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Where did the 12 Chase drivers finish at New Hampshire?
[by points standings before the race (start pos)]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski, 6th (15th)
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2nd (20)
3) #14-Tony Stewart, 7th (3)
4) #11-Denny Hamlin, WON (32)
5) #5-Kasey Kahne, 5th (6)
6) #15-Clint Bowyer, 4th (12)
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 13th (14)
8) #16-Greg Biffle, 18th (13)
9) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 17th (9)
10) #29-Kevin Harvick, 11th (16)
11) #17-Matt Kenseth, 14th (25)
12) #24-Jeff Gordon 3rd (1)
(9-23-2012)

Hamlin wins at New Hampshire: #11-Denny Hamlin won the Sylvania 300 Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for his 5th win of year, 22nd career win and the 100th win for Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin syarted 32nd after leading all practices but qualifying 32nd. Hamlin led 193 of the 300 laps.
#48-Johnson finished 2nd followed by #24-Gordon (pole sitter), #15-Bowyer, #5-Kahne, #2-Keselowski, #14-Stewart, #20-Logano, #55-Vickers and #39-Newman.
#49-Johnson takes the points lead with 2096, a lead of 1 point over #2-Keselowski.
There were 4 cautions for 17 yellow flag laps. There were 17 lead changes among 10 drivers. The average speed was 116.810mph.
The estimated attendence was 98,000 up from 95,000 in July and 95,000 last September.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the New Hampshire Race Results page (pdf).(9-23-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Championship Points Standings:
[after Chicago, race 27 of 36]
1) #2-Brad Keselowski [4 wins], 2056
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 2053, -3
3) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2048, -8
4) #11-Denny Hamlin [4 wins], 2041, -15
5) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points], 2041, -15
6) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 2041, -15
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2039, -17
8) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 2037, -19
9) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 2035, -21
10) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 2032, -24
11) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 2030, -26
12) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win, 12th in points], 2009, -47
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(9-16-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings (classic not chase):
[after Chicago, race 27 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle(X) [2 wins], 945
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.(X) [1 win], 938, -7
3) #48-Jimmie Johnson(X) [3 wins], 924, -21
4) #17-Matt Kenseth(X) [1 win], 924, -21
5) #2-Brad Keselowski(X) [4 wins], 915, -30
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr.(X) [0 wins], 897, -48
7) #15-Clint Bowyer(X) [2 wins], 893, -52
8) #11-Denny Hamlin(X) [4 wins], 879, -66
9) #29-Kevin Harvick(X) [0 wins], 873, -72
10) #14-Tony Stewart(X) [3 wins], 849, -96
11) #5-Kasey Kahne(X) [2 wins], 825, -120
12) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 814, -131
13) #24-Jeff Gordon(X) [1 win], 786, -159
14) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 773, -172
15) #99-Carl Edwards [0 wins], 772, -173
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(X) = a Chase driver.

Chase Drivers Finishing Position at Chicago:
[by points standings before the race]:
1) #11-Denny Hamlin, 16th
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 2nd
3) #14-Tony Stewart, 6th
4) #2-Brad Keselowski, 1st
5) #16-Greg Biffle, 13th
6) #15-Clint Bowyer, 10th
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 8th
8) #17-Matt Kenseth, 18th
9) #29-Kevin Harvick, 12th
10) #56-Martin Truex Jr., 9th
11) #5-Kasey Kahne, 3rd
12) #24-Jeff Gordon, 35th (accident)
(9-16-2012)

Keselowski wins at Chicago: #2-Brad Keselowski won the GEICO 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Chicagoland Speedway for his 4th win of year and 8th career win.
Pole sitter, #48-Johnson, dominated much of the race but was passed by Keselowski after final pit stops and finished 2nd. He was followed by #5-Kahne, #18-Busch, #39-Newman, #14-Stewart, #20-Logano, #88-Earnhardt, Jr., #56-Truex, Jr., and #15-Bowyer.
The points leader coming into the race, #11-Hamlin, ran out of gas on the last lap and finished 16th.
There were 4 cautions for 23 yellow flag laps. There were 16 lead changes among 9 drivers. The average speed was 143.363mph.
The estimated attendence was 65,000. Last year's race was rain delayed to Monday and attendance was 42,000.
See race results, awards, money won, laps led, cautions and more on the Chicago Race Results page (pdf) and the official race and points rundown on the Official Chicago Race & Points Report.(9-16/17-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Chase Championship Points Standings:
[after Richmond, race 26 of 36]
1) #11-Denny Hamlin [4 wins], 2012
2) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 2009, -3
3) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 2009, -3
4) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 2009, -3
5) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 2006, -6
6) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 2006, -6
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 2003, -9
8) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 2003, -9
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 2000, -12
10) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 2000, -12
WC1) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins, 11th in points], 2000, -12
WC2) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win, 12th in points], 2000, -12
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
(9-9-2012)

2012 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Points Standings (not chase):
[after Richmond, race 26 of 36]
1) #16-Greg Biffle [2 wins], 914
2) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [1 win], 902, -12
3) #17-Matt Kenseth [1 win], 897, -17
4) #48-Jimmie Johnson [3 wins], 880, -34
5) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 868, -46
6) #56-Martin Truex Jr. [0 wins], 862, -52
7) #15-Clint Bowyer [2 wins], 858, -56
8) #11-Denny Hamlin [4 wins], 850, -64
9) #29-Kevin Harvick [0 wins], 841, -73
10) #14-Tony Stewart [3 wins], 810, -104
11) #5-Kasey Kahne [2 wins], 784, -130
12) #24-Jeff Gordon [1 win], 777, -137
13) #18-Kyle Busch [1 win], 774, -140
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on the Drivers Points Standings (pdf).(9-9-2012)

Eight Races Remaining, ‘Wild Card’ Battle A Toss-Up: Deadlock broken. #20-Joey Logano’s fourth-place finish at Daytona, for now, has lifted the Pocono winner into the No. 2 "Wild Card" qualifying berth for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™. For now, anyway. Logano, #39-Ryan Newman and #5-Kasey Kahne entered the Coke Zero 400 with an identical number of points with Kahne holding the tiebreaker. Post-race it’s Logano by one point over Newman, three points over Kahne. Kyle Busch continues to claim the No. 1 "Wild Card" with a 12th-place points ranking. There’s no guarantee any of the four will be "Wild Card" winners with eight races remaining before the Chase field is set. There’s also no certainty that a single win will earn a "Wild Card." Looking ahead, Logano, Newman and Busch have New Hampshire victories. Newman, a three-time winner, is defending last year’s LENOX Industrial Tools 301 title. Then there’s #24-Jeff Gordon. He has no wins but can be considered a serious "lurker." Gordon has three Loudon wins and is a four-time winner at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where the July 29 Brickyard 400 follows New Hampshire. Back-to-back wins definitely would stir up the stew. Defending Brickyard 400 winner #27-Paul Menard, with four top-10 finishes, also must be part of the discussion. He is 13th, nine points behind Busch.(NASCAR)(7-11-2012)

Charting The Chase: More and more, the 2012 run up to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is looking a lot like the season past.
• Eight of the current top 10 following last weekend's Richmond race were 2011 Chase qualifiers. A year ago, nine of the top 10 exiting the season's ninth race made the Chase.
• The only newcomers, with 17 races remaining until the post-season cut-off, is points leader #16-Greg Biffle and #56-Martin Truex Jr., whose Michael Waltrip Racing organization continues to seek its first Chase qualifier.
• Drivers highest ranked for a Wild Card berth - Richmond winner #18-Kyle Busch (11th) and #2-Brad Keselowski (13th) - qualified for last year's playoffs.
Busch and Keselowski aren't safe by any stretch of the imagination, but they do have wins. So does 10th-place #39-Ryan Newman, who could qualify via Wild Card if displaced from the top 10.
Busch and #15-Clint Bowyer, who finished a solid seventh in Richmond, trail Newman by 13 and 14 points, respectively. Keselowski, stung by mechanical failures during several recent races, rebounded with a top-10 performance (ninth) in the Capital City 400 and stands 26 points behind Newman.
Every driver ranked 14th through 20th has scored a win at some point of their careers, including four-time champion #24-Jeff Gordon, who easily qualified for last year's Chase with three victories but stands 17th. Gordon is in better shape than Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kasey Kahne, who nailed his first top-five (fifth) since joining HMS. Kahne, however, is 23rd and lacks top-20 standing to qualify for a Wild Card.(NASCAR)(5-2-2012)

Food City 500 winner qualified for Chase four years in row: Not every Food City 500 winner makes the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, but a victory in Bristol Motor Speedway's spring race certainly improves a driver's chances. Each winner since 2007 – #31-Jeff Burton, #18-Kyle Busch and #48-Jimmie Johnson – has qualified for the postseason. Two Food City 500 winners during the Chase era have gone on to become champions: Johnson in 2010 and Kurt Busch in 2004. Jeff Gordon is the last competitor to win Bristol's spring race and the championship in back-to-back seasons. The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup titleholder accomplished that feat in 1997-98. Gordon and the Busch brothers are Bristol's active win leaders with five apiece. None is likely to challenge Bristol's all-time resident of Victory Circle, Darrell Waltrip, who won 12 times, including seven in a row between 1981-84 behind the wheel of NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson's Chevrolets. Defending Food City 500 winner Kyle Busch has won the race three times, including 2007 in the debut of the NASCAR Sprint Cup's new car.(NASCAR)(3-14-2012)

NASCAR hopes to keep Sprint Cup ceremony in Vegas: As invitees filed out of the Sprint Cup awards ceremony on Friday, it marked not only the end of the event, but also the end of the three-year deal that brought NASCAR's Champion's Week to Las Vegas. The week-long championship celebration moved to the desert in 2009 after a long stint in New York, where the event often struggled for recognition. In Las Vegas, NASCAR has found that and more -- strong crowds attended events such as the Victory Lap show car parade down the Strip, which even attracted news helicopters hovering overhead. As this Champion's Week concluded, indications were that the event would return to Las Vegas, although no formal announcement of such has yet been made. An agreement between NASCAR and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority brought the event to the city. "We certainly have a desire to come back. There's a desire I think from them to have us back," Steve Phelps, NASCAR's chief marketing officer, said Friday. "I think we're just trying to figure out, what are the right assets that work for them? What is the best way to engage with the fan base and bring as many people to the city as possible? But we're excited about the possibilities of getting something renewed. We don't have anything right now. There are discussions that are going on."(NASCAR.com)(12-4-2011)

No plans to change Chase schedule: Don't expect the Chase schedule to change anytime soon. When asked Friday at Watkins Glen about the possibility of a road course being included in the Chase, NASCAR president Mike Helton said that while he wouldn't completely rule out the idea, it's not on NASCAR's radar. "There's nothing on the table today," Helton said. "We wouldn't stack races up in the Chase for the benefit of the Chase. The Chase is the last 10 races of the season. But as the evolution of changes go on, who knows what could end up as the last 10 races." Helton explained that when NASCAR came up with the Chase format, it had no intention of establishing a new 10-race schedule. Rather, NASCAR simply took the schedule as it was and made the last 10 races the Chase schedule. He added that he doesn't anticipate that changing.(Yahoo Sports)(8-13-2011)

The Current NASCAR Points System: NASCAR recently announced it has simplified its points system starting in 2011, some notes on how it works:
The new points system awards points in one-point increments with race winners earning 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win.
All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher – 43rd place – earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series' 36-driver race field.
All drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and ONE driver who leads the most laps, gets one point.
The max a driver, a race winner can get, is 48 points.
Teams that fail to qualify for a race will get no owners points, but NASCAR will track number of attempts, no word on how ties will be broken after five races when the owners points goes into effect.

Chase will go to top 10, plus 2 biggest winners: Twelve NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers will make the Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2011 -- the top 10 in points and the two drivers not in the top 10 who have the most race victories in NASCAR’s 26-race regular season. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France is expected to confirm that arrangement, along with a points system that gives 43 points to race winners and then one-point increments down to just one point for the last-place finisher. Each driver who leads a lap will get one bonus point, and regular-season race winners are expected to get two or three Chase bonus points for each victory. There will be no knockout rounds in the Chase, as NASCAR had hinted at earlier.(SPEED)(1-26-2011)