What Stewart’s Win Means For Other Chase Hopefuls
By Max Rosier
Assuming Tony Stewart makes the Chase after his win on Sunday, what does that mean for drivers banking on making the Chase with just points?
Whether you love him or hate him, Tony Stewart showed he still had some “Smoke” magic left, edging Denny Hamlin in the final turn at Sonoma to gain his first win of 2016. While every win is crucial, this one meant a lot more, as it seemingly locks Stewart into the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup, as long as he can stay in the top 30 in points.
If you remember last season, 2015 champion Kyle Busch would not race until the All Star Race due to an injury sustained in the first Xfinity race of the season in Daytona. In response, NASCAR created a rule in which injured drivers could make the Chase, as long as they scored a victory along with being in the top 30 in points once the Chase starts.
If you were to base your assumptions on Stewart’s last few seasons, you would think that he stood no chance to score a victory and sneak into the Chase. After all, Stewart hasn’t won since Dover in 2013, let alone made the Chase (2012 was his last appearance in NASCAR’s playoff system). Sustaining a back injury during the off season, it would seem that Stewart would ride into the sunset during his final season.
That all changed on Sunday, when Stewart led 22 laps to win at Sonoma for the third time in his career. After being passed on the last lap by a hard-charging Denny Hamlin, Stewart slammed hard into the #11 in the final turn, stealing the victory and all but securing his place in the Chase for his final season.
While Stewart’s victory seemed to be a story stolen from a movie, many of NASCAR’s mid-tier drivers are now in a strange position.
Just like last year, 16 drivers will make it in to NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, with a win locking you in, but also the ability to make it on points alone. Since Stewart is still outside of the top 30 in points, he technically hasn’t punched his ticket just yet, but once he enters, only five slots are left for drivers who haven’t won a race.
Of the remaining drivers without wins yet in 2016, one would assume that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and rookie Chase Elliott seemingly have the best chance to get a victory, but if they cannot get to Victory Lane by the time Richmond comes around, that could mean some interesting scenarios will be in place.
If Stewart for some reason cannot string together enough good finishes to lock himself into the top 30, we could wind up with a scenario at Richmond where a driver will have more points than Stewart, but would still miss out on the Chase.
Obviously, the best way to guarantee your way into the Chase would be to get a victory in one of the next remaining races, but that’s easier said than done. Greg Biffle, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, and others are now playing a waiting game to see how the rest of the season plays out, with the only option being to race as hard as possible each weekend.
Related Story: Driver Fights Are Good For The Sport
With the Chase field starting to take shape, we should be in for an interesting rest of the 2016 season, which, in my opinion, has been one of the most exciting in recent memory, with 11 different drivers having victories through 16 races. With Daytona coming up on Saturday night, watch for Dale Jr. to score a victory and clinch his spot in the Chase, further narrowing the Chase field.