When the race ended just eight points separated 2009 Chase contender Brian Vickers from also-ran Kyle Busch.
Qualifying
Chase hopeful Mark Martin put his Hendrick Chevy on the pole. Chase outsider Martin Truex Jr. started second.
Row number two hosted two drivers already locked into the 2009 Chase, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson. Kasey Kahne completes the top five.
Drop Of The Green
Mark Martin got a good jump on the start and lead the first three laps before Denny Hamlin moved past on lap four. Hamlin continued to lead the early going.
On the Chase front Matt Kenseth qualified 28th while Brian Vickers was sixth. As soon as the green flag dropped Vickers moved past Kenseth for twelfth and kicked Kenseth out of the final Chase spot.
Storylines
This race was all about the Chase. Matt Kenseth came to Richmond clinging to the twelfth and final Chase spot. However he just never had it together in Richmond. He qualified out back and was never in danger of racing his way back into Chase contention. For the first time since the Chase began Matt Kenseth will not be in it.
This left Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch to battle it out for the final Chase qualifying spot.
This was one of the greatest Race to the Chase battles in history. Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch traded the twelfth spot in points back and forth all night long. In the end Vickers had Busch in his sights all the way to the finish line and held on to an eight point margin over Kyle Busch to claim the final 2009 Chase spot.
Chasing The Checkers
The final restart in Richmond came with fifteen laps remaining. Denny Hamlin picked the inside lane and restarted along side Mark Martin. Kurt Busch was behind Hamlin when the green flag flew.
The inside lane moved forward when the race resumed and Denny Hamlin took the lead over Kurt Busch. Kurt chased him all the way to the checkers but Hamlin scored the win and ten additional Chase bonus points.
Top Ten
- Denny Hamlin
- Kurt Busch
- Jeff Gordon
- Mark Martin
- Kyle Busch
- Clint Bowyer
- Brian Vickers
- Sam Hornish Jr.
- Kevin Harvick
- Ryan Newman
The Points
Since Mark Martin has the most wins among all Chasers he now pops to the top of the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings as the Chase begins.
Starting next week these twelve drivers will battle for ten races to determine the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup contenders.
The top twelve are now:
- Mark Martin
- Tony Stewart -10
- Jimmie Johnson -10
- Denny Hamlin -20
- Kasey Kahne -20
- Jeff Gordon -30
- Kurt Busch -30
- Brian Vickers -30
- Carl Edwards -40
- Ryan Newman -40
- Juan Montoya -40
- Greg Biffle -40
