NASCAR: Winners And Losers From Darlington
By Cole Mentzel
Loser: Jamie McMurray
As is stands right now, the three drivers above the Chase cut-line by points are Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray.
Next week at Richmond marks the final opportunity for any other drivers to interfere with the ones mentioned above, and Ryan Newman is the only real driver who has a shot, as the rest would need a win to make the cut.
Newman is only seven points behind McMurray for 16th place, and while he could get get a penalty for failing post-race laser tech, the cushion could’ve been larger for McMurray.
With three eighth-place finishes in the last three weeks, he’s made a big push to solidify his spot in the Chase. In the final stages of Sunday’s race he was sitting in the top-10 and had been there for quite some time, but a late penalty sent him back in the pack.
HUGE mistake. @jamiemcmurray loses 5 positions on pit-road penalty
— Tom Jensen (@tomjensen100) September 5, 2016
He was able to make it back up to 15th, but lost a good seven to eight points in the process. Unless something goes terribly wrong for Dillon (+16) or Elliott (+24), McMurray will likely be the only driver in danger of falling below the cut-line in the final week before the Chase.
Next: A Classic Response