Last Week: He did it again. After picking up his fourth win of 2015 in Charlotte, Joey Logano tacked on his fifth last week in Kansas. For the season, the No. 22 driver has earned a victory on a short track (Bristol), road course (Watkins Glen), a restrictor-plate track (Daytona) and the 1.5-milers (Charlotte and Kansas). He's fast everywhere, and has shown he's a threat week in and week out.

Earlier This Year: Few drivers have the kind of track success like Dale Earnhardt Jr does at Talladega. With six wins at the track, Junior is always one to watch when NASCAR rolls into Alabama. After a remarkable streak at the Lincoln track early in his career (a streak of seven races where he collected five wins and two second-place showings), Junior found himself back in 'Dega's winner's circle earlier this season. With his history at the track and the need for a big-time performance, he's certainly one to keep an eye on this week.

Who To Watch: This season's been one of hot streaks. Joe Gibbs Racing rattled off six wins in a row back in August and September, while the Hendrick crew took three of four races in May . With Joey Logano racking up The Chase wins, maybe Brad Keselowski decides to join the party. Without a win since March, look for the defending GEICO 500 champ to make some noise and advance to the Eliminator Round with his Penske teammate.

Also... if I told you a driver led 225 laps over the past two races, you'd think he'd be a lock to advance in the Chase, right? Unfortunately for Matt Kenseth, that's not the case. Banged up cars forced Kenseth out at Charlotte and into a 14th-place showing at Kansas, meaning he now sits on the outside looking in. But with how he's driven this season and in the Chase (plus a win and six Top-10's at 'Dega), he's not one to count out just yet.

Brad Keselowski Chase for the Sprint Cup Dale Earnhardt Junior Joey Logano Junior Matt Kenseth NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

10:31 AM

Last Week: We called Penske making some noise, and while Keselowki managed a top-10 finish it was teammate Joey Logano who brought the hammer in Charlotte. Five-time winner Matt Kenseth had the early advantage, but contact with Ryan Newman sent him into the outside wall and the No. 20 driver was forced to leave the contest early. Logano seized the opportunity and lead a race-high 227 laps en route to his fourth win of the season.

Earlier This Year: It might have been Jimmie Johnson who took home that killer Spongebob trophy back in May, we all remember the one, Kevin Harvick had an equally impressive showing at Kansas earlier this season. The 56 laps led was just the latest in a string of strong performances in Kansas City. The defending champion has earned the pole in three of the last four races, with a win and a pair of second place finishes during that span.

Who To Watch: Remember Ryan Newman's 2014 run? Well Jeff Gordon is putting on a remarkably similar show. Even without a 2015 win, Gordon still sits inside the top-8 of the standings with several strong tracks on the horizon. Kansas is one such track, where Gordon has three wins and more top-10 finishes than any driver not named Jimmie Johnson. After a fourth place showing back in May, Gordon is one to keep an eye on if he can continue to build on that success.

Chase for the Sprint Cup Jeff Gordon Joey Logano Kevin Harvick Richmond International Raceway RIR

11:25 AM

Last Week: It was a wild one. Race favorite Jimmie Johnson was forced out early, Kevin Harvick brought out the hammer and four fewer names have a shot at the 2015 Sprint Cup Championship. It was a true win-to-get-in scenario for the reigning champ, and he responded with 355 of 400 laps led in the most dominant performance of his career.

Earlier This Year: After a string of Top-10 finishes, Carl Edwards finally found his way into Charlotte’s Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600 back in May. He’s followed it up with some eye-opening finishes on the 1.5-milers, and his average finish ranks only second to Kevin Harvick over the past eight Charlotte contests. Teammates Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth already have Chase wins this season; so don’t be shocked to see Edwards add his name to the list.

Who To Watch: Team Penske has been rather quiet through three Chase races, but Brad Keselowski might change that this weekend. The No. 2 driver nabbed his first Charlotte win in October of 2013, and secured a Top-10 finish earlier this season.

Brad Keselowski Carl Edwards Chase for the Sprint Cup Kevin Harvick NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

8:51 AM

Last Week: Can anyone stop JGR? Another week, another win for the Joe Gibbs Racing machine as Matt Kenseth found his way to Victory Lane for a NASCAR-leading fifth time this season. With defending champ Kevin Harvick running out of fuel with three laps to go, Kenseth took advantage and punched his ticket to the Contender Round alongside teammate Denny Hamlin.

Earlier This Year: Six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson took the checkered flag at the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks back in May. Johnson has had unparalleled success on the Delaware track, with 10 wins, almost 3,000 laps led and his best average finish (6.8) of any track. Experts have Johnson pegged as the odds-on favorite to secure his spot as one of the 12 Contenders with another strong performance in Dover.

Who To Watch: Jeff Gordon currently finds himself sitting inside the top-12, but not comfortably. Currently 10th in points, there's no time like the present for Jeff to pick up his first win of the season. Just a year ago "The Kid," picked up his fourth and final win of the 2014 season at the Monster Mile. Hopefully it won't be the last win of his full-time racing career.

Chase for the Sprint Cup Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Matt Kenseth Richmond International Raceway RIR

2:51 PM

Last Week: Bum knee? No problem! An ACL injury wasn't enough to cool Denny Hamlin last week in Chicago and the Joe Gibbs Racing machine continued it's 2015 dominance (a current three race win streak, and 12 collective wins on the season).  With Hamlin's ticket to the Contender round already punched, odds of JGR sending multiple drivers onward into the Chase are high because...

Earlier This Year: Hamlin's teammate Kyle Busch took home the checkered flag in Loudon back in July, the second of three straight wins during that stretch. Kyle's comeback this season has been one for the ages, and with how well the No. 18 driver has performed this season (four wins, four straight Top-10 finishes including a second place showing in Richmond's Last Race to Make the Chase), there's a strong chance there's more magic to come.

Who To Watch: While he hasn't racked up the wins like he did last year, Harvick has still had arguably his best season yet. He’s on the top of his game in terms of average starting position and Top-5 finishes, and only in 2010 was his average finish better (9th). But after contact with Jimmie Johnson cut down the defending champ’s tire last week in Chicago, Harvick finds himself in need of a strong showing to keep his name in the Chase Championship discussion.

Chase for the Sprint Cup Denny Hamlin Kevin Harvick Kyle Busch Richmond International Raceway RIR

10:11 AM

Welcome back race fans! It was an exciting time out at your favorite short track for the 2015 Federated Auto Parts race weekend. To relive some of the best sites, sounds and stories from the Last Race to Make the Chase, check out our Race Hub below!

Post-Race Party - The Battle is Set

On Saturday, September 12th, the stage was set for a 10-week battle between 16 driver nations that would crown the next NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. The field was set in Richmond, and we're so glad to have had you along for the ride. And while the night was filled with confetti, smiles and cheers all around, eyes now turn to Chicagoland and the first race in the Chase.

Saturday September 12 - Federated Auto Parts 400

Matt Kenseth Wins 2015 Federated Auto Parts 400

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 20 Dollar General Toyota, scored his fourth win of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at the Federated Auto Parts 400 "under the lights" at RIR Saturday. 

In dominating fashion, Kenseth led 352 laps tonight leading to his victory over his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who finished second tonight. Joey Logano, Aric Almirola, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. rounded out the top five.

The victory in the "Last Race to Make the Chase" moved Kenseth to the second seed on the Chase Grid. Jamie McMurray, Jeff Gordon, Paul Menard, and Clint Bowyer raced their way into the Chase tonight at RIR. All 16 drivers who made the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup took to the stage at Post-Race Party. Confetti, pyro, thunder sticks, and big heads made fans pumped up to see all 16 drivers in one place for the first time. These drivers will move on to the Challenger Round, and battle it out to see who will be crowned the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

Sights From The Day

Numbers You Need to Know:

Department of Veteran's Affairs Pole Qualifier: Joey Logano; 21.349; 126.470

NSCS Fastest Practice: Kevin Harvick; 21.526; 125.430

Media Interviews

Federated Auto Parts 400 Winner Matt Kenseth


Chase for the Sprint Cup Qualifier Kevin Harvick


Chase for the Sprint Cup Qualifiers Clint Bowyer, Jimmie Johnson,
Kyle Busch and Jamie McMurray

The Stories You're Hearing:

• Now or Never: This is it. For those winless drivers, there’s one more chance to lock up a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Eleven drivers already have clinched a Chase spot. For four others – Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Paul Menard – certain finishes will lock up a spot no matter who wins the race. For others, it’s likely a win-or-else proposition. 

• Clinch Scenarios for Richmond: Jamie McMurray will lock up his first career Chase berth simply by starting the race on Saturday. For three others, it’s a little tougher. Ryan Newman clinches with a top- 31 finish; Jeff Gordon with a top-17; and Paul Menard with a top-nine. If there’s a new winner, a Richmond win is realistically the only path to the Chase for winless drivers beyond Menard.

• Bonus Points Still Up for Grabs: For those 11 drivers who have locked up a Chase spot, there’s still plenty on the line – in the form of three Chase bonus points for a victory. After the race at Richmond, each Chase driver will have his/her points reset to 2,000, with three bonus points tacked on for each win during the regular season. Currently, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, both with four wins, would enter the Chase with the most points (2,012).

Friday, September 11 - Virginia529 College Savings 250 XFINITY Series 

Chase Elliott Wins the 2015 Virginia529 College Savings 250

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet, took home his first checkered flag of the XFINITY series season at RIR Friday, winning the 2015 Virginia529 College Savings 250. It was also Elliott's first win at RIR, who managed to hold off a late surge from a determined Kyle Busch down the stretch. 

"It's been a really solid weekend overall," said Elliott. "You never know when you'll get back to Victory Lane, so we'll try to take the momentum and learn from what we did so we're even better next time."

The victory marked the first time a non-full time Cup driver won the Richmond XFINITY Series event in over 10 years. It was actually Busch, race pole-sitter and runner-up, who was the last driver to do so - winning the FUNAI 250 back in May 2004. 

But that wasn't the only drought broken tonight, it was also Elliott's first win in 39 races. 

"Chase put the pressure on (himself) this weekend," said JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. "He told me 'If I only won by 21 points last year then I can definitely make some things happen.'"

Rounding out the top-5 were Brian Scott (No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet), Joey Logano (No. 22 Hertz Ford) and Erik Jones (No. 20 Gamestop/Lego Dimensions Toyota).  Josh Barry, Elliott's JR Motorsports teammate, finished 7th in just his second career XFINITY Series start. 

Sights From The Day

Numbers You Need to Know:
NBC12 Pole Qualifier: Kyle Busch; 122.073 mph

NXS Fastest Practice Time: Austin Dillon; 22.227; 121.474 mph

Media Interviews

Virginia529 College Savings 250 Winner Chase Elliott


Virginia529 College Savings 250 Winning Owner Dale Earnhardt Jr


Coors Light Pole Winner Joey Logano

The Stories You're Hearing:

• Buescher Commands Championship Lead with Nine Races Remaining After watching his points lead dwindle for three consecutive weeks in August, Roush Fenway Racing’s Chris Buescher needed to turn up the heat at Darlington and he did just that. Buescher earned his 11th top five this season while his closest championship contender finished 15th. He now holds a 29-point lead over second-place Ty Dillon and 35 points over third-place Chase Elliott.
• Virginia Natives: Sadler, McClure Right at Home at RIR Virginia is home to some of NASCAR’s most talented drivers and this weekend’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race is no exception. Local fans will have a chance to cheer on two drivers entered in the Virginia529 College Savings 250 that have their home state recorded as Virginia – Elliott Sadler and Eric McClure.
• Suarez Earns Third Top-3 Finish of Rookie Season Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings leader Daniel Suarez earned his third finish of third or better this season at Darlington. The Mexico City native has posted six top fives, 11 top 10s and two poles during his rookie year in the NASCAR XFINITY Series.

Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

4:08 PM

It's here.

We've come to the Last Race to Make the Chase, and Jeff Gordon still finds himself without a win in his final full-time season. Although we're sure he'd like to have earned more hardware over the course of the 2015 season, he still finds himself sitting 14th in points with a couple different ways he can clinch a spot in the Chase at Richmond:   

A- Win and he's in. Plain and simple. 

B- If a driver inside the current top-16 in Chase points finds their way to Victory Lane, Gordon qualifies regardless of where he finishes. 

C- If a driver outside the top-16 takes home the checkered flag AND Clint Bowyer finishes 2nd place while leading the most laps, then Gordon would need to finish better than 17th. 

D- If scenario C comes to fruition and Gordon finishes worse than 17th, he could still make it into the Chase so long as he finishes no more than seven spots below Paul Menard.

Head hurting yet? For simplicity's sake Jeff, why don't you just pick up your third Richmond win. 

Chase for the Sprint Cup Jeff Gordon NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR Road to Richmond

3:40 PM

Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

12:14 PM

We’ve done a lot of talking about drivers on the outside looking in, but with one race to go until the Last Race to Make The Chase, now might be a good time to recap the drivers who have already secured their spots. While these drivers can relax a little more than the rest, they’re still after a good finish at RIR – and the points that come with it. 

As Kurt Busch said, "It a perfect cut off scenario to make the Chase. If you're in or you're out, Richmond's a short track where you've gotta let it all hang out."

Four-time winners

Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch seem to have tag-teamed the majority of the wins this season; Jimmie’s came in the first half of the year (Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, and Dover) and Kyle has been dominating the second half (Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Indianapolis). With several of these tracks back on deck in The Chase, the stars are surely lining up for both Johnson and Busch.

Thee-time winners

18 Top Tens (out of 24 total races) and three wins say Joey Logano has big-time plans for his 2015 post-season. Matt Kenseth has a Sprint Cup Series win at almost every track in The Chase (excluding only Martinsville), so he’ll be well-prepared to add another W or two.

Two-time winners

We’re surprised we haven’t seen reigning champ Kevin Harvick in Victory Lane more this season. With a whopping 21 Top Tens – 17 of those being Top Fives – he is blowing most of his competition out of the water. With a little less momentum, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is undoubtedly looking forward to two of his better tracks in The Chase – Talladega and Martinsville. Kurt Busch may have a shot at the Championship, too, if he can boost his average performance at tracks like Kansas and Charlotte.

One-time winners

Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex. Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards are all going to be digging in hard for a Richmond win to boost their Chase position. With the exception of Truex, these guys have a proven track record at RIR that may come in handy during the final regular season event.

Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR Richmond International Raceway RIR

9:10 AM

A look at the current Chase Grid as we head into NASCAR's last off-week before the Chase:

With his win at Bristol, Joey Logano vaulted over Matt Kenseth and reigning Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick in the Chase Grid Standings. Ryan Newman and Paul Menard flipped spots in the points after 10th and 24th place finishes in Thunder Valley, respectively. 

Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR Richmond International Raceway

1:24 PM

We're pleased to have Track President Dennis Bickmeier contribute our first guest blog post

The Chase Grid. It’s more than just the final field for drivers who have a shot for NASCAR’s coveted title. It represents success, that your driver has raced their way into Victory Lane during NASCAR’s grueling regular season, or has raced well enough to remain among the point leaders after that season comes to a close in Richmond.

It also represents a chance, and that Road to Richmond is filled with those chances. Every race represents an opportunity for a driver to race their way onto the Chase Grid and secure their place in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Sure the likes of McMurray, Menard, Newman, Gordon and Bowyer are in for now, but those on the outside looking in can score a win in two weeks at Darlington or in the Last Race to Make the Chase at RIR on September 12. Not even Jeff Gordon is safe yet – no doubt he’ll be fighting harder than anyone to prolong his final NASCAR season.

Ever since The Chase was born in 2004, our September event has been “The Last Race to Make the Chase.” But when the Chase Grid was born last year and winning meant everything, what did it mean for Richmond International Raceway?

Everything. It means everything. It all comes down to Richmond.

When the checkered flag falls for the Federated Auto Parts 400, 16 drivers will officially have their name on the official Chase Grid. As it stands today, five spots are still up in the air. There will be a lot of drama over the next few weeks as the on track action heats up and the pressure to win becomes even fiercer.

It all culminates in Richmond, the cut-off race before NASCAR’s 10-race playoff kicks off in Chicagoland. Who’s in and who’s out, you’ll want to join us in Richmond to find out.

And when the field is set, join us on the track for our Post Race Party and celebrate the 16 drivers who qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. It’s a unique opportunity in our sport, unlike the ‘stick and ball sports.’ All the competitors with a chance to compete for the Sprint Cup championship in the same place at the same time. It’s a celebration of their accomplishments over the first 26 races and an opportunity to blow off some steam and then get ready for the Chase, and our Post Race Party is we put you right into the action.

Everyone with a ticket to the race can come down on the track after the race to celebrate with the drivers.

- Dennis Bickmeier
President, Richmond International Raceway

Chase for the Sprint Cup Dashboard Confessionals NASCAR RIR Road to Richmond

5:13 PM

Here's a look at how things stand with just three races left until the 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Matt Kenseth’s Michigan victory bumped him up with one more win over Kevin Harvick. Jeff Gordon fell behind Ryan Newman after his lackluster 17th place finish. Clint Bowyer’s day ended with a disappointing wreck on lap 125, but he remains on The Chase bubble, for now.

Chase for the Sprint Cup NASCAR

1:06 PM