Kurt Busch and the No. 41 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) finished 15th in Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, which marked the final event of the 2015 regular season.
Photo Credit: stewarthaasracing.com
“It’s been a great year, a lot of fun,” said Busch, who has two wins leading into the Chase playoffs. “Tony Gibson is a great leader, and we’re pumped up. We’ve got something to be proud of, but we want more, and I think we can make a deep run into this Chase.”
The No. 41 team’s focus throughout Saturday’s race was to find a good balance with the car’s handling, as track conditions had changed due to rainfall prior to the start of the race. After two trips to pit road during cautions on laps 38 and 98, Busch reported that the car was responding well to adjustments and beginning to dial in.
During a lengthy green-flag run just before the halfway mark, handling conditions worsened; Busch, not having a chance to pit for adjustments, fell back several positions. A caution on lap 209 presented an opportunity to pit, and after four tires, fuel and adjustments, Busch restarted 17th, one lap down from the leader.
Busch continued to battle ill-handling conditions throughout the second half of the race, but he raced prudently to bring home a solid 15th-place finish. He is one of 16 drivers who will advance to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series playoffs, comprised of the final 10 races of the year.
“The way that a team has to come together and put together the effort to be a Chase contender is a lot of hard work and commitment,” Busch said. “I have a lot of thanks to give to Tony Gibson and everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing. We’ve put together an incredible group of guys and put together an incredible string of these 26 races. We’ve won some, we’ve sat on some poles, and we’ve lost some, but we did everything we could to be best prepared for this Chase. In this Chase you’ve got to have the right steps, the right tools, and you’ve got to execute when it’s time. There’s a lot of anticipation here through the summer months, but we’re ready for it.”
The 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup consists of four rounds, with the four drivers lowest in points being eliminated from contention after each of the first three. During the final round, the remaining four drivers will battle for the series title.
“The toughest round, I think, will be the second one.” Busch said. “You have Kansas, Charlotte and then Talladega. If you have a poor finish at either Charlotte or Kansas, then you’re relying on Talladega, and that’s not good. So you’ve got to have solid finishes at those two tracks if you’re going to advance through this Chase.”
There were six caution periods for 47 laps, with two drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race.
NASCAR recalibrated the points for the 16 Chase drivers as soon as the Richmond race was over, with each driver getting 2,000 points. Drivers also received three bonus points for each of their respective wins during the 26-race regular season. For drivers starting the Chase with identical point totals, their seed was determined by the traditional tiebreaker of best finishes beyond race victories.
Positions 1-11 in the Chase field were determined by the drivers with the greatest number of wins after the first 26 races. Positions 12-16 went to the drivers who, while winless during the regular season, were the highest in points.
Busch qualified for the Chase via his wins at Richmond and Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. He’ll start the Chase seventh with six bonus points. Busch finished the regular season ranked ninth with 781 points. This is Busch’s third-straight Chase appearance and ninth overall. He won the championship in his Chase debut in 2004, then finished 10th in 2005, seventh in 2007, fourth in 2009, 11th in 2010, 11thin 2011, 10th in 2013 and 12th in 2014.
Ranked in order of where their bonus points seeded them, the 16 drivers competing for this year’s championship are:
- Jimmie Johnson (2,012 points)
- Kyle Busch (2,012 points)
- Matt Kenseth (2,012 points)
- Joey Logano (2,009 points, -3)
- Kevin Harvick (2,006 points, -6)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,006 points, -6)
- Kurt Busch (2,006 points, -6)
- Carl Edwards (2,006 points, -6)
- Brad Keselowski (2,003 points, -9)
- Martin Truex Jr. (2,003 points, -9)
- Denny Hamlin (2,003 points, -9)
- Jamie McMurray (2,000 points, -12)
- Jeff Gordon (2,000 points, -12)
- Ryan Newman (2,000 points, -12)
- Paul Menard (2,000 points, -12)
- Clint Bowyer (2,000 points, -12)
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the first race of the Chase – is the Sept. 20 MyAFibRisk.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. The race starts at 3 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBCSN.
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