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2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup
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The 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup[1] consists of the final ten races that conclude the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The championship chase began with the Sylvania 300 on September 14, 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will conclude with the Ford 400 on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. (From 2004 through 2007, the championship system was known as the "Chase for the Nextel Cup", but with the 2005 merger of Sprint and Nextel, the name of the series became known as the Sprint Cup Series in 2008).
Chase
The Chase for the Sprint Cup places the top twelve drivers in the Sprint Cup Series points standings following the conclusion of the 2008 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 7, which was postponed from September 6 due to the remains of Hurricane Hanna. The 2008 chase also marks the second year of the current Chase point system and format. Each driver's point total is reset to 5,000 points, with a ten-point bonus for each race won through Richmond's fall race. The driver who finishes with the most points after the conclusion of the tenth and final Chase race, the 2008 Ford 400 will be declared the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and will be presented with the Sprint Cup trophy. There will also be a race to decide who will be heading to New York City in the first week of December as only the top ten drivers will be at the annual Sprint Cup Banquet, to be held at The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Friday, December 5th.
Drivers
| Chase Standings |
| PL |
Seed |
Driver |
Pts. |
Behind |
P |
W |
T5 |
T10 |
DNF |
| 1 |
3 |
 Jimmie Johnson |
5,718 |
Leader |
5 |
5 |
12 |
28 |
1 |
| 2 |
2 |
 Carl Edwards |
5,646 |
(-72) |
1 |
6 |
14 |
22 |
2 |
| 3 |
9 |
 Greg Biffle |
5,641 |
(-77) |
2 |
2 |
10 |
13 |
3 |
| 4 |
7 |
 Jeff Burton |
5,619 |
(-99) |
0 |
1 |
6 |
16 |
2 |
| 5 |
5 |
 Clint Bowyer |
5,566 |
(-152) |
0 |
1 |
5 |
14 |
0 |
| 6 |
11 |
Kevin Harvick |
5,547 |
(-171) |
0 |
0 |
6 |
15 |
0 |
| 7 |
8 |
 Tony Stewart |
5,515 |
(-203) |
0 |
1 |
10 |
15 |
3 |
| 8 |
10 |
Jeff Gordon |
5,486 |
(-232) |
3 |
0 |
9 |
13 |
5 |
| 9 |
12 |
 Matt Kenseth |
5,473 |
(-245) |
0 |
0 |
8 |
17 |
2 |
| 10 |
4 |
 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
5,469 |
(-249) |
1 |
1 |
9 |
14 |
1 |
| 11 |
1 |
 Kyle Busch |
5,387 |
(-331) |
2 |
8 |
15 |
17 |
2 |
| 12 |
6 |
Denny Hamlin |
5,383 |
(-335) |
4 |
1 |
9 |
15 |
3 |
KEY: PL-Place; P-Poles; W-Wins; T5-Top Five Finishes; T10-Top Ten Finishes; DNF-Races did not finish.
* - Currently in second place via most wins tiebreaker.
| Seedings at the start of The Chase |
| Seed |
Driver |
Pts. |
| 1 |
Kyle Busch |
5,080 |
| 2 |
Carl Edwards |
5,050♦ |
| 3 |
Jimmie Johnson |
5,040 |
| 4 |
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. |
5,010 |
| 5 |
Clint Bowyer |
5,010 |
| 6 |
Denny Hamlin |
5,010 |
| 7 |
Jeff Burton |
5,010 |
| 8 |
Tony Stewart |
5,000 |
| 9 |
Greg Biffle |
5,000 |
| 10 |
Jeff Gordon |
5,000 |
| 11 |
Kevin Harvick |
5,000 |
| 12 |
Matt Kenseth |
5,000 |
♦ - Edwards was docked the ten-point winner's bonus as a result of a violation found during post-race inspection at the UAW-Dodge 400 in Las Vegas.
| Regular season standings with seeding change |
| PL |
Driver |
Pts. |
Behind |
+/- |
| 1 |
Ky. Busch |
3,878 |
Leader |
N/C |
| 2 |
Edwards |
3,671 |
(-207) |
N/C |
| 3 |
Johnson |
3,576 |
(-302) |
N/C |
| 4 |
Earnhardt Jr. |
3,488 |
(-390) |
N/C |
| 5 |
J. Burton |
3,384 |
(-394) |
-2 |
| 6 |
Stewart |
3,285 |
(-493) |
-2 |
| 7 |
Harvick |
3,283 |
(-495) |
-4 |
| 8 |
Biffle |
3,280 |
(-498) |
-1 |
| 9 |
Hamlin |
3,235 |
(-543) |
+3 |
| 10 |
J. Gordon |
3,221 |
(-657) |
N/C |
| 11 |
Kenseth |
3,132 |
(-746) |
-1 |
| 12 |
Bowyer |
3,116 |
(-762) |
+7 |
Races
| Chase Schedule and Results |
| Date |
Race |
Track |
2007 winner |
2008 winner |
| 9/14 |
Sylvania 300 |
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, New Hampshire |
Clint Bowyer |
Greg Biffle |
| 9/21 |
Camping World RV 400 |
Dover International Speedway
Dover, Delaware |
Carl Edwards |
Greg Biffle |
| 9/28 |
Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman |
Kansas Speedway
Kansas City, Kansas |
Greg Biffle≠ |
Jimmie Johnson |
| 10/5 |
AMP Energy 500 |
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega, Alabama |
Jeff Gordon |
Tony Stewart |
| 10/11 |
Bank of America 500 ♣ |
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Concord, North Carolina |
Jeff Gordon |
|
| 10/19 |
TUMS QuikPak 500 |
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville, Virginia |
Jimmie Johnson |
|
| 10/26 |
Pep Boys Auto 500 |
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Hampton, Georgia |
Jimmie Johnson |
|
| 11/2 |
Dickies 500 ♣ |
Texas Motor Speedway
Fort Worth, Texas |
Jimmie Johnson |
|
| 11/9 |
Checker Auto Parts 500 |
Phoenix International Raceway
Avondale, Arizona |
Jimmie Johnson |
|
| 11/16 |
Ford 400 ♣ |
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead, Florida |
Matt Kenseth |
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≠ — Non-qualifier for the 2007 Chase.
Italics denotes non-qualifier for 2008 chase.
♣ - Denotes night race or race that will start in the late afternoon and finish at night.
Television
This marks the second year of exclusive national television coverage of the Chase for the Sprint Cup on ABC. Dr. Jerry Punch remains in the play-by-play position, with Andy Petree in one color commentary position, but there are changes in the booth and host position.
Brent Musburger and Suzy Kolber are out in the host position, and former MRN Radio, TNT and NBC play-by-play voice Allen Bestwick takes their place after spending the 2007 season on pit road. Joining him are 1989 NASCAR series champion Rusty Wallace and JTG Daugherty Racing owner and former Cleveland Cavaliers center Brad Daugherty in the host position, while 1999 series champion Dale Jarrett takes Wallace's spot in the broadcast booth and Shannon Spake replaces Bestwick on pit road, joining Jamie Little, Dave Burns and Mike Massaro.
Results
NOTE: Actual race finish in parentheses.
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Results:
- Greg Biffle (1)
- Jimmie Johnson (2)
- Carl Edwards (3)
- Jeff Burton (4)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5)
- Tony Stewart (8)
- Denny Hamlin (9)
- Kevin Harvick (10)
- Clint Bowyer (12)
- Jeff Gordon (14)
- Kyle Busch (35)
- Matt Kenseth (40)
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Point Standings:
- Carl Edwards 5,220 (leader via tiebreaker with Johnson, six wins)
- Jimmie Johnson tied
- Greg Biffle -30
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. -50 (fourth via tiebreak with Burton, more top 5 finishes)
- Jeff Burton -50
- Denny Hamlin -72
- Tony Stewart -77
- Kyle Busch -78
- Clint Bowyer -83
- Kevin Harvick -86
- Jeff Gordon -99
- Matt Kenseth -177
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Results:
- Greg Biffle (1)
- Matt Kenseth (2)
- Carl Edwards (3)
- Jimmie Johnson (5)
- Kevin Harvick(6)
- Jeff Gordon (7)
- Clint Bowyer (8)
- Jeff Burton (9)
- Tony Stewart (11)
- Dale Earhnhardt Jr. (24)
- Denny Hamlin (39)
- Kyle Busch (43)
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Points:
- Carl Edwards, 5,390 pts., leader
- Jimmie Johnson -10 points (Second via tiebreaker with Biffle, four wins)
- Greg Biffle -10
- Jeff Burton -82
- Kevin Harvick -101
- Clint Bowyer -106
- Tony Stewart -113
- Jeff Gordon -118
- Dale Earhnardt Jr. -129
- Matt Kenseth -167
- Denny Hamlin, -193
- Kyle Busch, -210
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Results:
- Jimmie Johnson (1)
- Carl Edwards (2)
- Greg Biffle (3)
- Jeff Gordon (4)
- Matt Kenseth (5)
- Kevin Harvick (6)
- Jeff Burton (7)
- Denny Hamlin (11)
- Clint Bowyer (12)
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (13)
- Kyle Busch (28)
- Tony Stewart (40)
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Points:
- Jimmie Johnson, 5,575, leader
- Carl Edwards, -10
- Greg Biffle, -30
- Jeff Burton, -121
- Kevin Harvick, -136
- Jeff Gordon, -143
- Clint Bowyer, -164
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr., -190
- Matt Kenseth, -192
- Denny Hamlin, -243
- Tony Stewart, -255
- Kyle Busch, -311
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Results:
- Tony Stewart (1)
- Jeff Burton (4)
- Clint Bowyer (5)
- Jimmie Johnson (9)
- Kyle Busch (15)
- Kevin Harvick (20)
- Greg Biffle (24)
- Matt Kenseth (26)
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (28)
- Carl Edwards (29)
- Jeff Gordon (38)
- Denny Hamlin (39)
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Points:
- Jimmie Johnson, 5,718, leader
- Carl Edwards, -72
- Greg Biffle, -77
- Jeff Burton, -99
- Clint Bowyer, -152
- Kevin Harvick, -171
- Tony Stewart, -203
- Jeff Gordon, -232
- Matt Kenseth, -245
- Dale Earnhardt, Jr., -249
- Kyle Busch, -331
- Denny Hamlin, -335
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See also
External links
References
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