Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 marks the anniversary of the last non-Chase qualifier to win a post-season race. Jamie McMurray, outside the top 12 again in 2011, posted his third and final victory in a campaign that included Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 wins.
McMurray, as the defender, is an obvious candidate to spoil things – take bonus points away from the championship contenders. The Missourian has yet to win this year.
A more obvious “spoiler,” however, would be Kasey Kahne, something his 2012 employer Hendrick Motorsports might be viewing with mixed emotions.
Kahne has been red-hot over the past two races finishing runner-up to Jimmie Johnson at Kansas Speedway and fourth at Dover. He’s gone on a tear since the Chase began at Chicagoland with an average finish of 8.25 over the four races.
Kahne is a three-time Charlotte winner who swept both races in 2006.
Drivers who failed to qualify for the Chase – Kahne, McMurray, Casey Mears, Jeff Burton and David Reutimann – have won seven of the last 11 Charlotte races.
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