Saturday night (9/10) NASCAR‘s final 2016 regular season race at Richmond was won by Denny Hamlin and that set the 16 driver Chase Grid for the playoffs.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers raced the short track of Richmond International Raceway for the second time this year, some simply wanted the bonus points to start The Chase. Other drivers needed a win to make NASCAR’s playoffs. That may be part of what led to a record setting 16 caution periods that led to a green-white-checkered finish for the race.
Martin Truex Jr. led the most laps during the race with 193 circuits as the leader in the 407 laps ran (the race was scheduled for 400 laps). However, Denny Hamlin was just behind him in the laps led total with 189. In the end it is that final lap that matters the most and Denny was the leader when the checkered flag waived.
Denny scored his third win of the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, giving him extra bonus points to start The Chase. Kyle Larson scored a second place finish with Martin Truex Jr. grabbing third. Brad Keselowski finished in fourth place with Kevin Harvick rounding out the top five. See the complete race results for the Federated Auto Parts 400 here.
Kyle Busch jumped up six places to end the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup regular season as the point leader. Brad Keselowski held stead in second place in the point standings. Denny Hamlin moved up two spots to third place while Kevin Harvick fell three spots from the lead to fourth place. Carl Edwards slipped back a single spot to fifth place. See the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.
Of course, for the most part those point standings mean a lot less now. Wins and the points up to this point have set the Chase Grid for the start of NASCAR’s playoffs. However, the points have been re-set for those 16 drivers with a chance to win the championship with bonus points awarded to the drivers for each regular season win they had. Here is how the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid looks to start The Chase.
Now these 16 drivers will have three races in the “Round of 16” to either win a race and automatically advance to the next round or be in the top 12 based on points in the three races to advance. Following the third race of this round, the bottom four drivers in points will be eliminated from The Chase.
NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup begins Sunday, September 18th at Chicagoland Speedway with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400.
By: Buck Stevens
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Drivers line up in a four-wide formation to salute fans during the inaugural Fan Appreciation Weekend prior to the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet, leads Jeff Gordon, driver of the #88 Axalta Chevrolet, and Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s 75th Anniversary Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Pro Services Chevrolet, races Chris Buescher, driver of the #34 CSX – Play it Safe Ford, during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: AJ Allmendinger, driver of the #47 Kroger/Scott Products Chevrolet, is involved in an on-track incident during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Jamie McMurray, driver of the #1 Sherwin Williams Emerald Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Kasey Kahne, driver of the #5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, poses with the winner’s decal in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/NASCAR via Getty Images)
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- RICHMOND, VA – SEPTEMBER 10: 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup drivers pose for a photo after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 10, 2016 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/NASCAR via Getty Images)
