GEICO 400 2012 Results: Reaction, Leaders and Post-Race Analysis

Brad Keselowski made the first major statement in the 2012 Chase for the Cup by taking the checkered flag at the 1.5-mile Chicagoland tri-oval speedway on Sunday. 

With the win in the first Chase playoff race, Keselowski jumps into first place with a three-point lead over five-time champ Jimmie Johnson, who finished second in this race. 

Keselowski had a strong car all day, but for the majority of this race, he was chasing pole-sitter Johnson. Johnson led the most laps in this race, but in the final laps, it was clear he didn't have the horses to catch Keselowski.

Keselowski was flowing through lapped traffic with ease, and he actually increased his lead and won by over three seconds. This is the first time Keselowski has ever had the NASCAR points lead.

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin busted his tail all year to enter the Chase with the points lead, and he saw it all come undone on the last lap.

Hamlin was running ninth, and he ran out of gas on the last lap to wind up finishing 16th. Those are a lot of crucial points to drop on the last lap. He is now in fourth, 15 points behind Keselowski. This is in no way an insurmountable lead, but it was certainly a frustrating finish. 

Dale Earnhardt Jr. had an action-packed afternoon. After having to drop a new engine in his car, the No. 88 team was forced to start in the back after qualifying for fourth. 

He then battled his way to the top 10, fell back down and battled his way back and wound up with a solid eighth-place finish. 

Jeff Gordon had a long day, and while he is not out of the Chase after just one race, it will be a tall task for him to get back into contention. He struggled with mechanical issues that included his throttle sticking. 

Geico 400 Results

Check out the full results here.

Pos.	Driver	Car	Manufacturer
1	Brad Keselowski	2	Dodge
2	Jimmie Johnson	48	Chevrolet
3	Kasey Kahne	5	Chevrolet
4	Kyle Busch	18	Toyota
5	Ryan Newman	39	Chevrolet
6	Tony Stewart	14	Chevrolet
7	Joey Logano	20	Toyota
8	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	88	Chevrolet
9	Martin Truex Jr.	56	Toyota
10	Clint Bowyer	15	Toyota
11	Sam Hornish, Jr.	22	Dodge
12	Kevin Harvick	29	Chevrolet
13	Greg Biffle	16	Ford
14	Mark Martin	55	Toyota
15	Paul Menard	27	Chevrolet
16	Denny Hamlin	11	Toyota
17	Aric Almirola	43	Ford
18	Matt Kenseth	17	Ford
19	Carl Edwards	99	Ford
20	Trevor Bayne	21	Ford

Chase for the Cup Standings

Pos.	Driver	Trailing
1	Brad Keselowski	---
2	Jimmie Johnson	-3
3	Tony Stewart	-8
4	Denny Hamlin	-15
5	Kasey Kahne	-15
6	Clint Bowyer	-15
7	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	-17
8	Greg Biffle	-19
9	Martin Truex, Jr.	-21
10	Kevin Harvick	-24
11	Matt Kenseth	-26
12	Jeff Gordon	-47