Chevy Rock & Roll 400

[fullSPEED]

The NASCAR Nextel Cup moves to Richmond International Raceway for the Chevy Rock & Roll 400. It’s the last chance to qualify for the “Chase for the Championship”. Only three spots are left to be filled by three lucky drivers. Current defending Chevy Rock & Roll 400 champion Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and veteran Mark Martin hold down positions eight through 10. Just behind them are McMurray, Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett, Jeremy Mayfield and the slumping Kevin Harvick.

[Magical Trevor]

Ah, yes...
Crunch time.
Since this is the last race in the race to the chase, we've set up a special chat session for Saturday night. It's got less people than the official NASCAR chat room so yo'll be paid attention to there!
Feel free to come in and stir up a discussion-live commentary will be provided for those who don't have coverage as well. The room can be reached by the link at the top of your screen, Parc Ferme's link, or this last resort (which I prefer) - www.motorsportsearch.com/chat .
For those with chat clients, #Motorsport can be reached at corinthian.phishy.net
See you all there!

[Joe Fan]

It is going to be very interesting tonight to see who makes the grade--on a short track no less.

[luke]

Chevy Rock and Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway

September 11, 2004 | Race 26 of 36

Mayfield raced to his first victory in the more than four years Saturday night, taking the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway after leader Kurt Busch ran out of gas eight laps from the finish.

The victory locked Mayfield into NASCAR's race for the Nextel Cup title in the final qualifying event.

"We had no choice but to try to win the race and lead the most laps," Mayfield said. "We really put it all together because we had to win. We focused all week on that."

But Mayfield was the only driver to jump into the Chase. Kasey Kahne, his teammate at Evernham Motorsports, finished 12th and dropped out of the top 10.

"It was a pathetic race car," Kahne said. "It was not a good day."

Jamie McMurray felt the same way, finishing in ninth place and narrowly missing the Chase. He's 11th in the standings, but just 31 points out of the 400-point window that would have qualified him.

His team spent the final few laps desperately begging from help from other drivers to get McMurray more positions and more points. But with his engine draining on power, there was nothing he could do.

"The motor just blew up again with about 25 laps to go, and there wasn't a whole lot we could do," McMurray said. "We don't deserve to be in it."

Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett were the only other drivers with mathematical shots at racing into the playoff picture, but ended up as also-rans after poor performances on the 0.75-mile track.


Kasey Kahne called his race car "pathetic" Saturday. Credit: Autostock

Jarrett finished 26th and was never a factor.

"We looked like we weren't prepared for that," he said. "We ran terrible, just terrible."

The Chase will start with Jeff Gordon as the points leader, followed in five-point increments by Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Busch, Mark Martin, Mayfield and Ryan Newman.

The points system was adopted this year, replacing the format that began in 1975 and rewarded consistency while often creating dull championship chases. The champion has typically coasted to his title with few challenges over the stretch run.

Now, any of the 10 drivers can win it, including Martin, a four-time championship runner-up who used a strong surge to qualify for the playoffs.

"I drove harder than I've ever driven a car," Martin said. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my entire life. We spotted some great competition hundreds of points and we worked hard to get back in. I think it's going to be easy from here."

It might be for Mayfield, too.


Dale Jarrett was left on the outside of the Chase looking in. Credit: Autostock

He came into the race in 14th place in the standings and knew he'd have to work hard to get into the top 10. But he came to Richmond prepared, qualifying his Dodge in seventh place and running well in all the practice sessions.

Then he worked his way to the front of the pack and took the lead for the first time 99 laps in. He traded it several times over the course of the race, and it soon became clear he'd need to win to get into the playoffs.

Despite being in third place late in the race, he was showing in 11th place in the standings and out of the Chase with not many laps to go.

He regained the lead on Lap 339, but held it just 10 laps before Busch passed him. It made for 44 nervous laps for Mayfield. But as the end closed in, Busch's Ford ran dry and Mayfield scooted by for the win.

"I couldn't believe it because the way my luck's been, I thought no way he's going to run out," Mayfield said. "When he did, I said, 'This can't be true, now it's my turn to cut a tire or something."'

Mayfield ended up with two five-point bonuses, one for leading a lap and one for leading a race-high 151 laps. He credited the effort to car owner Ray Evernham, who won three titles as Gordon's crew chief.

"Ray just has a way of stepping it up," Mayfield said. "He turned up the intensity for us and had us all ready and focused."


Jimmy Spencer was involved in a couple of skirmishes Saturday. Credit: Autostock

Earnhardt Jr. was second in the race, followed by Gordon, Mike Bliss, Martin, Carl Edwards, Mike Wallace, Greg Biffle, McMurray and Rusty Wallace.

Johnson, who came into the race as the points leader, finished 36th after a mid-race accident that gave the standings its first shift.

Johnson was watching a battle between Jimmy Spencer and Casey Mears, and the two eventually made contact and caused a multi-car pileup that collected Johnson and caused heavy damage to his Chevrolet.

As his crew worked frantically to get his car back on the track, he lashed out at Spencer and the new points system.

"That's the way this system works -- desperate guys doing desperate things," Johnson said. "This could happen (in the season finale). That's why I don't like this system."



1 7 #19 Jeremy Mayfield Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 190/10 400 Running
2 14 #8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Budweiser 175/5 400 Running
3 9 #24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 170/5 400 Running
4 33 #180 Mike Bliss Chevrolet ConAgra/Hunt's Ketchup 160/0 400 Running
5 2 #6 Mark Martin Ford Viagra 155/0 400 Running
6 13 #99 Carl Edwards Ford Roush Racing 150/0 400 Running
7 41 #09 Mike Wallace Dodge Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts 151/5 400 Running
8 8 #16 Greg Biffle Ford National Guard/Subway 142/0 400 Running
9 36 #42 Jamie McMurray Dodge Texaco/Havoline 138/0 400 Running
10 12 #2 Rusty Wallace Dodge Miller Lite 134/0 400 Running
11 22 #32 Bobby Hamilton Jr. Chevrolet Tide 130/0 400 Running
12 27 #29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet GM Goodwrench 127/0 400 Running
13 19 #15 Michael Waltrip Chevrolet NAPA Auto Parts 124/0 399 Running
14 24 #40 Sterling Marlin Dodge Coors Light 121/0 399 Running
15 17 #97 Kurt Busch Ford IRWIN Industrial Tools/Sharpie 123/5 399 Running
16 18 #18 Bobby Labonte Chevrolet Wellbutrin XL 115/0 399 Running
17 20 #38 Elliott Sadler Ford M&M's 112/0 399 Running
18 23 #5 Terry Labonte Chevrolet Kellogg's 109/0 399 Running
19 15 #20 Tony Stewart Chevrolet The Home Depot 106/0 399 Running
20 1 #12 Ryan Newman Dodge ALLTEL 108/5 399 Running
21 6 #21 Ricky Rudd Ford Motorcraft/U.S. Air Force 100/0 399 Running
22 4 #01 Joe Nemechek Chevrolet U.S. Army 97/0 399 Running
23 5 #30 Jeff Burton Chevrolet America Online 99/5 399 Running
24 11 #9 Kasey Kahne * Dodge Dodge Dealers/UAW 91/0 399 Running
25 10 #43 Jeff Green Dodge Grands Biscuits 88/0 399 Running
26 25 #88 Dale Jarrett Ford UPS 85/0 398 Running
27 37 #77 Brendan Gaughan * Dodge Kodak/Jasper Engines 82/0 398 Running
28 16 #17 Matt Kenseth Ford DeWalt Power Tools 84/5 397 Running
29 30 #23 Shane Hmiel Dodge Bill Davis Racing 76/0 397 Running
30 32 #49 Ken Schrader Dodge Schwan's Home Service 73/0 397 Running
31 34 #127 David Green Chevrolet Timber Wolf 70/0 397 Running
32 28 #31 Robby Gordon Chevrolet Cingular Wireless 67/0 396 Running
33 39 #4 Jimmy Spencer Chevrolet Lucas Oil Products 64/0 392 Running
34 31 #45 Kyle Petty Dodge Georgia-Pacific/Brawny 61/0 392 Running
35 29 #41 Casey Mears Dodge Target 58/0 352 Running
36 3 #48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe's 60/5 338 Running
37 26 #25 Brian Vickers * Chevrolet GMAC Financial Services 52/0 335 Running
38 21 #22 Scott Wimmer * Dodge Caterpillar 49/0 297 Running
39 35 #10 Scott Riggs * Chevrolet Valvoline 46/0 292 Out of Race
40 38 #0 Ward Burton Chevrolet NetZero HiSpeed 43/0 192 Out of Race
41 43 #172 Kirk Shelmerdine Ford Freddie B's 40/0 87 Out of Race
42 42 #198 Derrike Cope Ford Mach One Inc. 37/0 30 Out of Race
43 40 #50 Todd Bodine Dodge Arnold Development Companies 34/0 9 Out of Race

[muggle not]

Jarrett embarrased himself at Richmond. If the "chase" does this to good drivers I am in favor of bringing back the old system.

[kingfloopy]

I'm sorry I missed this race. Congrats to Mayfield for getting a win for the #19 finally and making it into the chase. And what about Carl Edwards getting another top ten. Mike Bliss, Mike Wallace and Hamilton Jr. all had good runs at Richmond.

J.D.