“The Road to Richmond” Speeds Through Atlanta This Weekend

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In: NASCAR Cup Series News

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “regular season” comes to a close, the drama and excitement of The Chase takes to the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. The upcoming events in Atlanta are all that remain before “The Road to Richmond” culminates at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 10 with the Wonderful Pistachios 400—“One Last Race to Make The Chase.”

After Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon all joined Kyle Busch in clinching spots in The Chase last week, Brad Keselowski will be looking to solidify his spot in the top 10 this weekend, as well. With his victory last week, Keselowski is in11th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. Currently on the outside looking in and ranked 20th, 21st, 22nd and 25th respectively, Paul Menard, David Ragan, Marcos Ambrose and Regan Smith could potentially move into a “Wild Card” spot in The Chase if Keselowski were able to crack the top 10 in Chase points this weekend. To take advantage of the “Wild Card” rule, a driver must be in the top 20 after 26 races.

With several drivers teetering on the bubble, here’s a look at some facts about some notable Chase hopefuls and how they have fared at Atlanta Motor Speedway:

Paul Menard Currently 20th in the points, with one win this season, Menard has a 61.3 driver rating at Atlanta, which places him 26th-best. He has never won in Atlanta and has only posted one top-five performance.  A win this weekend could help him gain valuable points and assist with his “Wild Card” hopes of making the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Denny Hamlin It’s been a tough 2011 season for Hamlin, but as it stands now, he would take the final “Wild Card” position, currently sitting 13th in points, with one win. He’s 13th on the driver rating list at 87.4 and has three top-five finishes at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’s now only 41 points ahead of Paul Menard, who is the next closest driver in the top-20 with a win this season. A bad race for one and a good race for another could completely change the look of the “Wild Card” positions.

Greg Biffle Quietly hanging on to the bubble and sitting 16th in points without a win this season, a first win of the year this weekend for Biffle could really shake things up with the final “Wild Card” spot. Biffle has fared well at Atlanta Motor Speedway with six top-fives and an average finishing position of 10.6. Biffle comes in this week with a driver rating of 99.4, good for second best.

Expect these drivers to be in the thick of the “Wild Card” hunt as “The Road to Richmond” ends at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 10 for the Wonderful Pistachios 400 “One Last Race to Make The Chase.” Once the checkered flag flies, the field will be set for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Only those in the top 10 and two “Wild Card” drivers will be eligible for the championship over the final 10 races of the season.

RIR PR

Speedway Digest Staff
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