RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Ryan Blaney and Martin Truex, Jr. are the favorites as they battle for position to make NASCAR's playoffs, but in a season when there have already been 15 race winners, they are far from the lone contenders.
Blaney is second in points, just 19 points ahead of fourth-place Truex, but neither has won a race — the virtual automatic ticket to a spot in the postseason. Three races remain before the 16-driver field is set, starting with Sunday afternoon at Richmond Raceway. Two more unique winners could leave a race winner out of the field for the first time under the playoff format.
Other non-winners include 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski, Bubba Wallace, last weekend’s runner-up at Michigan, and 14th-place Erik Jones. After Richmond, the series moves to the road course at Watkins Glen and finishes the regular season at the superspeedway that is Daytona.
Truex appears to have an edge on Richmond's 0.75-mile oval, having won three of the last six races here, but Blaney led 128 laps in the spring and has two consecutive top-10 finishes on the D-shaped layout.
Truex doesn't plan to change anything in his approach.
“We go race the best we know how. And, you know, hopefully you put ourselves in a position to win and do all the right things,” he said. “It’d be disappointing with the season we’ve had to not make it.”
Blaney also declined to lament the fairness of the playoff format and said he hopes to continue the improvements he's made in his last two races here.
“I was proud of the progress we made here in the spring, the progress we continue to make at this racetrack, and I think we’ve built on it even more. Hopefully it shows, you know, in the race.”
Truex and Blaney both reached the second round of qualifying Saturday, but Kyle Larson won the pole with a lap at 117.177 mph. Truex will start sixth, Blaney 10th.
The race winner most in danger of being bumped is Kurt Busch, who will miss his fourth consecutive race because of a concussion sustained in qualifying at Pocono on July 23. Busch has dropped from 14th to 20th while sidelined.
The 15 winners include five first-timers, and Kevin Harvick said the win-and-you're-in idea makes it exciting for race winners, but the notion that Blaney or Truex could be knocked out of the playoffs while near the top of the point standings is problematic.
“I think there has to be more weight put on all 26 weeks and the things that you do from a fairness to a team standpoint,” he said,
Harvick ended a 65-race winless drought last week at Michigan.
KBM FUTURE
Kyle Busch still doesn't have a contract with Joe Gibbs Racing for next season, but the two-time series champion says while his immediate future is up in the air, he's got a much better handle on his long-term plans.
“I would like it to not have to go through this again,” Busch said of contract negotiations. “I’ve got six, seven, maybe eight more years. If I play all this out perfectly, (son) Brexton and I will share a truck when he turns 16 years old, when he’s 16 and 17. And then it’s his when he’s 18 and I’m done, I’m out.”
STRUGGLING CHAMP
Truex (2017) and possibly Kurt Busch (2004) aren't the only former champions who could miss the playoffs.
Keselowski has struggled since leaving Team Penske after last season to take an ownership role with Jack Roush and RFK Racing. He's 28th in points with just three top-10 finishes. His standing includes a 100-point penalty he incurred in March for modifying a single-source part on the Next Gen car.
ODDS AND ENDS
There were 16 different winners last season, but only 14 before the playoffs began. Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace both notched victories during the postseason. ... Larson won 10 times, and the championship, last season. He's won just once this year. ... Kyle Busch leads active drivers with six Richmond victories. Denny Hamlin has four, Harvick and Truex three each and Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kurt Busch each have two.
WDUN will carry live MRN Radio coverage of Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 from Richmond Raceway beginning at 2 pm on 102.9 FM, AM 550 and streaming live on AccessWDUN.
NASCAR Cup Series
Richmond Raceway – Richmond, VA
Federated Auto Parts 400 – August 14, 2022
Sunday's Starting Line Up
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
1. 5 Kyle Larson HendrickCars.com Chevrolet 23.042 117.177
2. 1 Ross Chastain Moose Fraternity Chevrolet 23.100 116.883
3. 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 23.179 116.485
4. 24 William Byron Liberty University Chevrolet 23.182 116.470
5. 48 Alex Bowman Ally Chevrolet 23.199 116.384
6. 19 Martin Truex, Jr. Bass Pro Shops Toyota 23.235 116.204
7. 41 Cole Custer Jacob Construction Ford 23.248 116.139
8. 6 Brad Keselowski RoushParts.com Ford 23.255 116.104
9. 43 Erik Jones FOCUSfactor Chevrolet 23.263 116.064
10. 12 Ryan Blaney BodyArmor Ford 23.319 115.785
11. 23 Bubba Wallace leidos Toyota 22.989 117.447
12. 3 Austin Dillon Huk Performance Fishing Chevrolet 23.086 116.954
13. 4 Kevin Harvick Mobil 1 Ford 23.101 116.878
14. 45 Ty Gibbs(i) Jordan Brand Toyota 23.118 116.792
15. 14 Chase Briscoe HighPoint.com Ford 23.138 116.691
16. 38 Todd Gilliland # The Pete Store Ford 23.159 116.585
17. 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 23.165 116.555
18. 17 Chris Buescher Fastenal Ford 23.172 116.520
19. 16 Noah Gragson(i) Chevy Accessories Chevrolet 23.207 116.344
20. 47 Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Kroger/Kleenex Chevrolet 23.223 116.264
21. 20 Christopher Bell Rheem Toyota 23.265 116.054
22. 42 Ty Dillon Allegiant Chevrolet 23.265 116.054
23. 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 23.306 115.850
24. 99 Daniel Suarez CommScope Chevrolet 23.344 115.661
25. 77 Landon Cassill(i) Voyager: Crypto for All Chevrolet 23.364 115.562
26. 8 Tyler Reddick 3CHI Chevrolet 23.505 114.869
27. 31 Justin Haley LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 23.539 114.703
28. 51 Cody Ware Nurtec ODT Ford 23.555 114.625
29. 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota 23.581 114.499
30. 21 Harrison Burton # Menards/Dutch Boy Ford 23.705 113.900
31. 7 Corey LaJoie Built.com Chevrolet 23.710 113.876
32. 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 23.767 113.603
33. 2 Austin Cindric # Menards/Duracell Ford 23.781 113.536
34. 34 Michael McDowell Chicago Pneumatic Compressors Ford 23.814 113.379
35. 15 J.J. Yeley(i) Ford 24.268 111.258
36. 78 B.J. McLeod(i) Blaster Ford 0.000 0.000
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
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