On a list of important activities, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers rank winning somewhere between eating and breathing.
Yet, starting next weekend in Indianapolis, victories will grow in stature – possibly a million times over.
Here’s why …
Only seven races remain before the 12-driver Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field is set. After race No. 26 at Richmond, the top-10 drivers will be locked in the Chase. Spots 11 and 12 will go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they are in the top 20. Currently, only one driver ranked 11-20 has a win (David Ragan), so there’s a very real possibility that a victory will turn into a playoff appearance.
For those in the top 10, a win could mean bonus points. After Richmond, all Chase drivers will have their points reset to 2,000. But only the top 10 drivers will get three bonus points for each victory they had in the regular season.
Then there’s the major program from series title sponsor Sprint – the Sprint Summer Showdown presented by HTC EVO 3D. Any driver who wins between Indianapolis and Bristol (the next five races) will become a finalist for the Labor Day weekend race in Atlanta, the AdvoCare 500. If one of those eligible drivers wins the Atlanta race, then the driver, the driver’s charity and one lucky race fan each collect $1,000,000. Fans can enter for their shot at $1,000,000 each week at sprint.com/speed.
So, simply put, a win has rarely ever been so important.
Judging by this season, the remaining race winners are anybody’s guess. There have been 13 different winners in the 19 races this season – matching the total of all 36 races last season.
And yet, six winners from last year remain winless this season. Four of those drivers are outside the top 10, and inside the top 20. Consider them poster boys for the Wild Card.
Tony Stewart, 11th in points: Though in a points tie for 10th place, Stewart loses the tie breaker. Denny Hamlin gets the nod via his win at Michigan. Figure Stewart will either land a top 10 spot – and a win. He’ll be one-to-watch at both Indianapolis (where he has two wins) and Watkins Glen (a series-high five wins). The defending champion at Atlanta, he has to be the Sprint Summer Showdown favorite.
Clint Bowyer, 12th in points: Bowyer has struggled of late, coming off three consecutive finishes outside the top 10. His average finish in the last three: 29.3. If he can sneak into the Chase, watch out. Both his wins last season came during NASCAR’s playoffs (Talladega and New Hampshire).
Greg Biffle, 15th in points: One of the two drivers in this category with a new crew chief – Matt Puccia. Biffle had two wins last season, including Pocono, which awaits in three weeks.
Juan Pablo Montoya, 17th in points: Montoya’s Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team announced a crew chief change on Tuesday. Jim Pohlman, who has been with the team since 2006, takes over. Montoya is the defending champion at Watkins Glen, which comes up next month.
David Reutimann, 24th in points: Solid on intermediate tracks, both of Reutimann’s career wins (Charlotte and Chicagoland) have come on tracks 1.5-mile in length. Two intermediate ovals await between now and the Chase: Michigan and Atlanta.
Jamie McMurray, 29th in points: At the outset of 2011, McMurray was the darling pick for a Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup spot. Thus far, that prediction hasn’t panned out. There’s reason for optimism: He won the next race on the schedule last season – Indianapolis.
A couple other notes on the competition coming out of New Hampshire and heading into the final open week of the season …
- Four manufacturers make up top five in the points standings.
- The top-five drivers in points all represent different teams.
- The New Hampshire race flirted with records for leaders and leaders. There were 14 different leaders and 21 lead changes. The two records: 15 leaders and 23 lead changes.
- 2011 stayed atop the record books, with an average of 14 leaders and 30 lead changes per race, all-time series highs through 19 races.
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