Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings and Schedule After All-Star Race
The 2015 Chase for the Sprint Cup was put on hold for a high-stakes All-Star Race featuring many of NASCAR's best drivers on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Although there were no points on the line in the uniquely formatted showcase, which featured four 25-lap segments before a 10-lap shootout, there was still $1 million on the line for the winner. NASCAR's official Twitter account highlighted Danny Hamlin's win:
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Hamlin emerged from the heated competition with the checkered flag and the hefty payday in what was otherwise an exhibition. It adds to an already solid season for Hamlin, who gave Joe Gibbs Racing its first All-Star Race win.
Check out the tables below for a refresher on the latest NASCAR standings and the schedule for the remainder of the 2015 campaign:
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 389 | 3 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 437 | 2 |
| 3 | Joey Logano | 375 | 1 |
| 4 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 360 | 1 |
| 5 | Brad Keselowski | 343 | 1 |
| 6 | Matt Kenseth | 331 | 1 |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 292 | 1 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | 284 | 1 |
| 9 | Martin Truex Jr. | 391 | 0 |
| 10 | Jamie McMurray | 328 | 0 |
| 11 | Jeff Gordon | 317 | 0 |
| 12 | Kasey Kahne | 313 | 0 |
| 13 | Aric Almirola | 312 | 0 |
| 14 | Paul Menard | 306 | 0 |
| 15 | Ryan Newman | 305 | 0 |
| 16 | Clint Bowyer | 272 | 0 |
| Coca-Cola 600 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Sunday, May 24 | 6 p.m. ET |
| FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks | Dover International Speedway | Sunday, May 31 | 1 p.m. ET |
| Axalta 'We Paint Winners' 400 | Pocono Raceway | Sunday, June 7 | 1 p.m. ET |
| Quicken Loans 400 | Michigan International Speedway | Sunday, June 14 | 1 p.m. ET |
| Toyota-Save Mart 350 | Sonoma Raceway | Sunday, June 28 | 3 p.m. ET |
| Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola | Daytona International Speedway | Sunday, July 5 | 7:45 p.m. ET |
| Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts | Kentucky Speedway | Saturday, July 11 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| NASCAR Sprint Cup July New Hampshire Race | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Sunday, July 19 | 1:30 p.m. ET |
| Crown Royal Presents the 'Your Hero's Name Here' 400 at the Brickyard | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Sunday, July 26 | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| Pennsylvania 400 | Pocono Raceway | Sunday, Aug. 2 | 1:30 p.m. ET |
| Cheez-It 355 | Watkins Glen International | Sunday, Aug. 9 | 2 p.m. ET |
| Pure Michigan 400 | Michigan International Speedway | Sunday, Aug. 16 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| IRWIN Tools Night Race | Bristol Motor Speedway | Saturday, Aug. 22 | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| Bojangles' Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | Sunday, Sept. 6 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Federated Auto Parts 400 | Richmond International Raceway | Saturday, Sept. 12 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Challenger Round | |||
| MyAFibStory.com 400 | Chicagoland Speedway | Sunday, Sept. 20 | 3 p.m. ET |
| Sylvania 300 | New Hampshire Motor Speedway | Sunday, Sept. 27 | 2 p.m. ET |
| AAA 400 | Dover International Speedway | Sunday, Oct. 4 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Contender Round | |||
| Bank of America 500 | Charlotte Motor Speedway | Saturday, Oct. 10 | 7 p.m. ET |
| Hollywood Casino 400 | Kansas Speedway | Sunday, Oct. 18 | 2:15 p.m. ET |
| Alabama 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | Sunday, Oct. 25 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Eliminator Round | |||
| Goody's FAST PAIN RELIEF 500 | Martinsville Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 1 | 1:15 p.m. |
| AAA Texas 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 8 | 2 p.m. ET |
| Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 | Phoenix International Raceway | Sunday, Nov. 15 | 2:30 p.m. ET |
| Championship Round | |||
| Ford EcoBoost 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | Sunday, Nov. 22 | 3 p.m. ET |
Just before the finale, Fox Sports 1 captured the race off pit road that proved costly to Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards:
Keselowski had been winning when he entered pit lane, was the leader for the second and third segments and led 49 laps on the evening. It has to be a bit disappointing to fall short, but Keselowski did what he could to go for the glory.
In his continued farewell season, Jeff Gordon came away with a respectable fourth-place finish. Gordon has won the All-Star Race three times and acquitted himself well at this late stage in his career.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished in 10th, which is a respectable standing but wasn't exactly what he was looking for. Junior congratulated Hamlin afterward and expressed optimism about the future:
The exhibition nature of this race allows for that type of aggression to take place. There's also an enormous amount of pressure on each segment, so it creates quite a lot of excitement for a race that doesn't have any actual Sprint Cup points on the line.
ESPN's Marty Smith praised how Hamlin managed to hold off Kevin Harvick at the end:
Hamlin needed to separate himself in the final few laps and managed to do so to secure what was his first-ever All-Star triumph. There's no underestimating the prestige of this race, and it can serve as a springboard for Hamlin, who came off a 41st-place finish in his last start in Kansas City.
Next up on the Sprint Cup schedule is the prestigious Coca-Cola 600, which will also take place at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile track creates a demanding test and creates an intriguing doubleheader of sorts at the venue after the initial excitement of the All-Star Race.
Jimmie Johnson is the defending champion and a four-time winner of the Coca-Cola 600 as well as the All-Star Race. Based on his underwhelming finish of 15th on Saturday, there's reason to believe Johnson will be driven as ever to guard his title next Sunday and has to be considered a big favorite.
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