The Chase for the NEXTEL Cup cutoff race:
This weekend Richmond International hosts the last NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race before the Chase for the Cup. Richmond is a short track that drives like a superspeedway and provides a great venue for the cutoff race. The racing is intense on the three-quarter mile D and the groove is wide enough for truly great racing. The top ten in points after this race are locked in to battle for the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Championship. Who will race their way in and who will have to try again next season?
The Track:
The 3/4-mile D-shaped oval has just 14 degrees of banking in the corners but it is enough banking to provide great racing. While Martinsville and Bristol tend to force drivers to hug the inside line to be fast, Richmond has multiple grooves.
The Big Picture:
This is race 26 of 36 and the final race before the cutoff. All eyes are on the top ten. This is the last chance for drivers to qualify for the Chase. After this race the top ten in points are locked in to the Championship battle.
The current points top ten are: 1. Tony Stewart 3,570. 2. Greg Biffle 3,361. 3. Jimmie Johnson 3,312. 4. Rusty Wallace 3,257. 5. Mark Martin 3,149. 6. Kurt Busch 3,114. 7. Jeremy Mayfield 3,073. 8. Carl Edwards, 3,014. 9. Matt Kenseth 2,939. 10. Jamie McMurray 2,929.
Storylines:
There is only one story this week; The Chase. 62 points separate Matt Kenseth in ninth from Elliott Sadler in 13th. Jamie McMurray in 10th holds a single point lead over Ryan Newman in 11th, with Jeff Gordon in 12th on 30 points out of 10th.
Of those five drivers, the top two after Richmond will qualify for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup while the other three will have to try again next season. This will come down to the very last lap to make or break the season for these drivers.
Media Coverage:
TV: TNT Saturday, May 7, 7:00PM Eastern.
Radio: MRN and XM Satellite
Actual Race: 7:40PM Eastern
Last Year:
In 2004 Jeremy Mayfield lead the most laps and won the race to battle his way into the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. Gambling on fuel Kurt Busch ran out of gas with just eight laps to go. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and Jeff Gordon finished third. Both of those drivers need a good run this week. Earnhardt needs to get his season back on track and Jeff Gordon needs to race his way into The Chase.
Predictions:
In order to win four NEXTEL Cup Titles you need to know how to perform under pressure. Jeff Gordon needs to run up front all night long in order to qualify for The Chase. I think he will race his way in with a strong win.
I'm going with two backups this week. Now that both Mark Martin and Rusty Wallace have guaranteed their place in The Chase they can gamble a little more and begin to race for wins. I expect both of them to run up front this week and battle for their first victories of 2005.
