Federated Auto Parts 400 Race Recap
No issues for Bowyer on the restart as he clears Keselowski and Kurt slots into third right behind the 2 car. As with the previous restarts though Kurt is struggling to get his car gripping as he would like and Harvick gets round him for third. He quickly closes the gap on Keselowski but like Kurt before him he can’t make a move that sticks. The 2 and 29 run side by side and touch but both drivers keep their foot buried and keep going, however it does allow Kurt to join the battle for second. After seven more laps of battling Harvick eventually gets second and Kurt also passes Keselowski as he now gets pressure from Burton and his chances of making the Chase seem to be over. Another driver on the verge of missing the Chase is Truex Jr, he is currently running behind Newman who along with Kasey Kahne are the current wildcard holders. But there’s no doubt who the race leader is as Bowyer’s lead is up to over two seconds and looks to be in control of the race.
Sep 7, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (99) and Greg Walker
With 61 laps remaining Kyle Busch kicks off a round of green flag pit stops as he comes in from 13th place closely followed by Keselowski who is now going to need a miracle to make the Chase. As the leaders come to pit road Johnson gets into the outside wall and brings out caution number four. Kurt gets a huge stroke of luck as he was the only one of the front-runners who hadn’t made a stop so he leads the new front-runners to pit road under yellow. Carl Edwards wins the race off pit road ahead of Paul Menard, Kurt, McMurray and Newman who needs to win to guarantee a wildcard spot as Truex Jr is currently only a few places behind him in the race.
Newman has the bit between his teeth as he carves his way through the top five to try to get the win. Meanwhile Gordon has got himself back into 8th and with Logano struggling back in the 20s it means that as it stands he will make the Chase in the top 10. With 10 laps to go Newman has closed down Edwards and is all over him in an effort to get the win. He dives inside but cant get the traction out of the turns so he throws the car up the track and drives right by him on the outside to take the lead. As it stands Newman will claim the final wildcard spot and Truex Jr will miss out. Gordon will also claim a top 10 spot with Logano falling out of it. But as I like saying this is NASCAR and anything can happen, and sure enough with seven laps to go Bowyer spins to bring out the fifth caution and potentially throw the Chase standings into chaos.
Sep 7, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Clint Bowyer (15) wrecks during the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
The leaders all come to pit road and it’s a slow stop for Newman who comes back out in fifth behind Menard, Edwards, Mark Martin and Kurt, but at the earlier season race here Harvick came from 10th in a couple of laps to win so there is a chance Newman can do it. Back down the order Gordon is still in the Chase ahead of Logano but only by one point (one position), so while 24 fans will be holding their breath as will 22 fans and 56 fans who will lose out if Newman wins or Logano falls outside the top 10 in the standings. Some controversy on the restart when it appears that Edwards jumps the restart as he crosses the line before Menard, but the 27 could have spun his tyres and NASCAR let them race. As Edwards disappears into the lead all eyes turn to the middle of the field where Logano has been able to move up a few places (some say because of Brian Vickers slowing to let him passed) and the 22 is back in the Chase at the expense of the 24.
Sep 7, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards (99) celebrates in victory lane after winning the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
As they cross the line Carl Edwards takes his second win of the season and will go top of the standings as they enter the Chase. As for the battle for the remaining places in the Chase they go to Kurt, Greg Biffle, and Logano with Kahne taking a wildcard alongside Truex Jr who is deadlocked on points with Newman but wins the tie break thanks to a second place finish that Newman hasn’t got.
Sep 7, 2013; Richmond, VA, USA; The NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup field poses for a photo with the trophy after the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
A classic pre Chase race that left everyone waiting until the drivers crossed the line before we knew who was in and who was out. The race itself was not one of the highlights of the season but it was the back and forth of a handful of drivers that made it fascinating and kept fans glued to their screens. It also produced an event that will be talked about for a very long time by fans, teams and drivers alike, that of Bowyer’s spin. Some say that he spun on purpose and was given team orders to do so, while others say he simply lost control. There is also talk of him going slow on pit road to allow Logano to reclaim another place and help Truex Jr into the Chase. I’m not going to go into that here, Beyond the Flag will have one of our joint writers pieces on it shortly, but safe to say that no matter what your viewpoint on it, it’s certainly getting NASCAR some always welcome publicity and will do no harm in getting those viewing figures up for the Chase races.