Federated Auto Parts 400 2012 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Post-Race Analysis

Nearly six hours and two rain delays later, the Federated Auto Parts 400 came to a conclusion with Clint Bowyer being the victor, edging out Jeff Gordon who finished in second place.

Denny Hamlin had the fastest car throughout the evening as evidenced by his leading for 199 laps of the race, but he ended up finishing in 18th. Greg Biffle was responsible for the fastest lap of the night.

Bowyer's victory secured his spot in The Chase and he finishes the season in seventh. Gordon's second-place finish was good enough to get him into The Chase by only one point.

Poor Kyle Busch finished in 16th and has officially missed out on The Chase. To make matters worse, had Busch finished one spot higher, that would have put him over the top.

This exciting race has certainly left Nascar fans wanting more. There's no doubt the next 10 weeks of racing will be nothing short of exciting.

Race Results

You can find the full results for the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Nascar.com.

Final Sprint Cup Standings

The final Sprint Cup standings can also be found at Nascar.com.

RANK	+/-	DRIVER	POINTS	BEHIND	STARTS	POLES	WINS	TOP 5	TOP 10
1	--	Greg Biffle	914	Leader	26	2	2	10	15
2	--	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	902	-12	26	1	1	10	17
3	--	Matt Kenseth	897	-17	26	1	1	10	16
4	--	Jimmie Johnson	880	-34	26	1	3	12	17
5	+1	Brad Keselowski	868	-46	26	0	3	10	15
6	-1	Martin Truex Jr.	862	-52	26	1	0	6	14
7	+1	Clint Bowyer	858	-56	26	0	2	6	15
8	-1	Denny Hamlin	850	-64	26	2	4	11	13
9	--	Kevin Harvick	841	-73	26	0	0	4	11
10	--	Tony Stewart	810	-104	26	1	3	10	12
11	--	Kasey Kahne	784	-130	26	2	2	7	13
12	+1	Jeff Gordon	777	-137	26	1	1	7	12

Twitter Reaction

NBC weatherman Al Roker broke down the weather situation, which proved to be a horrid one throughout the night.

"

Heavy rainripped through Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, delaying the start of the Federated Auto Parts 400.

— Al Roker (@alroker) September 9, 2012"

Without getting all political on you, the Washington D.C. Tea Party Twitter page noted that Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney signed the No. 12 car during his visit to the race.

"

@mittromney autographs number 12 race car at the Federated Auto Parts 400 @nascar Sprint Cup Series race in #Richmond ph.news.yahoo.com/photos/romney-…

— WashingtonDCTeaParty (@WashingtonDCTea) September 9, 2012"

Ellen J. Horrow of USA Today Sports was kind enough to give us some pictures from the race to look at in order to keep fans busy during the rain delay in the middle of the race.

"

While we're in a red flag at Richmond, enjoy a gallery of photos from race day/night so far on USA TODAY and here: bit.ly/UBd2jK

— Ellen J. Horrow (@EllenJHorrow) September 9, 2012"

CBSSports.com's Twitter page revealed the winner of the race and what Jeff Gordon's second-place finish means for his hopes for making The Chase.

"

Clint Bowyer wins the Federated Auto Parts 400. Jeff Gordon nails down last wild card spot after furious finish. bit.ly/RaceStandings

— CBSSports.com (@CBSSports) September 9, 2012"

ESPN The Magazine senior writer Ryan McGee gave his condolences to Kyle Busch after he missed out on The Chase by one point.

"

1 point, 1 position in one race, kept Kyle Busch from the Chase. Wow. #NASCAR

— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) September 9, 2012"