It’s time to get ready, get set and go as the world’s best stock car drivers attempt go head-to-head in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It all starts with the Challenger Round as 16 drivers vie for the 12 spots in the next leg of the Chase. Read on and get to know the 16 drivers about to take part in the three-leg Challenger Round.
Jimmie Johnson (Four Wins, No Poles, 11 Top 5s, 17 Top 10s)
[sc:NASCAR240banner ]Jimmie Johnson blazed a trail into the Chase with four wins and 17 top 10 finishes, including 11 in the top five. Johnson now has the chance for a seventh Sprint Cup Series Championship after winning it all from 2006-2010 and again in 2013.
Kyle Busch (Four Wins, One Pole, Six Top 5s, Nine Top 10s)
Kyle Busch is fortunate to even be in the Chase after suffering a broken leg from a crash in February at Daytona International Speedway. A run of four wins in five races from Jun 28 to July 26 helped him get the necessary momentum to get into contention for the Chase. Busch has never won the Sprint Cup Series in his career.
Matt Kenseth (Four Wins, Three Poles, 10 Top 5s, 16 Top 10s)
That’s how you end the regular season! Matt Kenseth went on a tear, winning three of the last six races heading into the Chase. Kenseth is one of the veterans who has gone through 570 Sprint Cup Series races over the past 18 years. His best finish was in 2003, when he won the 2003 Winston Cup Series.
Joey Logano (Three Wins, Five Poles, 16 Top 5s, 20 Top 10s)
You can call Joey Logano Mr. Consistent. He’s ranked in the top 20 in all but three of the 29 races in 2015. He finished off the regular season by winning two of the last five races; all were finishes in the top seven. Logano barely missed out on a big Championship run last year, when he finished fourth.
Kevin Harvick (Two Wins, One Pole, 18 Top 5s, 22 Top 10s)
The defending Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick is due for another big run in the Chase. It was his first championship in the series in his long, illustrious career. Harvick is a solid all-around driver, finishing in the top 10 in most of his races this year. An inability to win races hurts his chances of back-to-back Sprint Cup Championships, though.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Two Wins, No Poles, 12 Top 5s, 17 Top 10s)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the Sprint Cup Series’ most popular driver. Unfortunately, his popularity doesn’t seem to do him much good. His best result in the series is a third-place finish way back in 2003. Earnhardt is a solid driver, finishing in the top 10 in his last three races heading into the Chase. But he may not be able to taste the same type of success as the Chase kicks into gear.
Kurt Busch (Two Wins, Three Poles, Eight Top 5s, 14 Top 10s)
Kurt Busch, the older brother of Kyle, has been racing for 16 years in the Sprint Cup Series. But he’s only won it once in 2004 when it was still called the Nextel Cup Series. Busch doesn’t figure to be too competitive in this year’s Chase. He’s finished in the top 10 just twice in his last six races.
Carl Edwards (Two Wins, Two Poles, Three Top 5s, Nine Top 10s)
Carl Edwards has come agonizingly close to winning his first Sprint Cup Series title with second place finishes in 2008 and 2011. He seems ripe for the picking this time around as he entered the season off with a bang. Edwards placed in the top 10 in seven of his last 11 races.
Brad Keselowski (One Win, One Pole, Six Top 5s, 18 Top 10s)
The 2012 Sprint Cup Champion, Brad Keselowski hasn’t had much success this year. He’s won just one race through the regular season way back in March. But Keselowski showed that he could turn it all around with nine straight top 10 finishes, including placing second three times leading into the Chase’s Challenger Round. Sleep on Keselowski at your own peril. He’s due for big performances in the Chase.
Martin Truex Jr. (One Win, No Poles, Seven Top 5s, 17 Top 10s)
Martin Truex Jr. is having his best ever run in the Sprint Cup Series, finishing 10th leading into the Chase. His previous best performances were 11th place finishes in 2007 and 2012. While Truex did notch his third career win this season, he struggled to finish off the Sprint Cup Series’ regular season, failing to place in the top 20 in three of his last five races.
Denny Hamlin (One Win, Two Poles, Nine Top 5s, 13 Top 10s)
Denny Hamlin is one of the hottest drivers heading into the chase, placing in the top six in four straight races. He’s already come close to the cup with a second place finish in 2010 and a third place finish last year. Hamlin has shown that he can handle the pressure of being in the series’ key races. He won this year’s Sprint All-Star Race. He also placed in the top four in this year’s Daytona 500.
Jamie McMurray (No Wins, No Poles, Two Top 5s, Seven Top 10s)
Jamie McMurray doesn’t have the most convincing of resumes heading into the Chase. He hasn’t finished in the top 10 in 11 straight races now. But McMurray has had some flashes of brilliance over the course of this season’s Sprint Cup Series; he finished seventh in three straight races from May 31 to June 14 as well as a season-high second place finish in March.
Jeff Gordon (No Wins, Three Poles, Three Top 5s, 13 Top 10s)
It’s been a rough ride for the 24-year veteran Jeff Gordon. The four Sprint Cup Series winner hasn’t won a race in his final season of racing. But he did show some brilliance last year when he placed sixth overall. It’s hard to sleep on Gordon especially with an elite team behind him in Hendrick Motorsports. He should have a powerful car which should help him pull a couple of surprises in the Chase.
Ryan Newman (No Wins, No Poles, Four Top 5s, 12 Top 10s)
Ryan Newman was the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year. It took him 12 years to live up to his potential when he finished second overall in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series. Newman barely made the chase, placing 14th in the series. He didn’t make a case of being a Chase contender after placing outside the top 10 in seven of his last nine races.
Paul Menard (No Wins, No Poles, Two Top 5s, Four Top 10s)
Paul Menard isn’t the best of racers; he has just one win and 51 top 10s in his 12 seasons as a Sprint Cup Series driver. Not much is expected of Menard in the Chase after failing to register a top 10 finish in his last 11 races.
Clint Bowyer (No Wins, No Poles, Two Top 5s, 11 Top 10s)
Clint Bowyer may be a steal as the 16th racer in the Chase. He’s been hot with five top 10s in his last seven races. Bowyer isn’t too far removed from his most successful season yet, a second place finish in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series. He could be a sneaky contender who could turn some heads in this year’s Chase.
Now that you’ve gotten to know your Chase for the Sprint Cup Drivers, it’s time to create a betting account and make your picks.
