Sprint Cup Chase 2014: NASCAR Standings and Schedule After Coca-Cola 600
The reigning Sprint Cup Series champion has his first win of the 2014 season. Jimmie Johnson captured the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and has all but qualified for the Chase.
Sports personality Ryan O'Hara's tweet adds more perspective to Johnson's triumph in Charlotte:
It was Johnson's seventh win at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, and it launched him ahead of Joey Logano in the standings.
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Here's a look at the updated standings.
| Rank | Driver | Points | Behind | Wins |
| 1 | Jeff Gordon | 432 | --- | 1 |
| 2 | Matt Kenseth | 421 | -11 | 0 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 408 | -24 | 1 |
| 5 | Carl Edwards | 408 | -24 | 1 |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 394 | -38 | 1 |
| 6 | Jimmie Johnson | 388 | -44 | 1 |
| 7 | Joey Logano | 378 | -54 | 2 |
| 8 | Brian Vickers | 365 | -67 | 0 |
| 9 | Brad Keselowski | 361 | -71 | 1 |
Check NASCAR.com for the full standings.
Notable Finishes
Jeff Gordon
Seventh place isn't so bad for the No. 24 car. Jeff Gordon is still the overall points leader with 432.
It was a gutsy performance by the four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (Winston Cup Series) champion. He fought off the effects of an ailing back to grab another top-10 finish.
The injury forced him out of the final practice run on Saturday. All things considered, Gordon did well, and the official Twitter account of the Charlotte Motor Speedway acknowledged his efforts:
After the race, Gordon said this of his effort:
The worst is likely behind Gordon.
The Coca-Cola 600 is the longest race of the year. Gordon will be able to get more extended treatment on his back and won't have to worry about driving in another marathon like this for the rest of the season.
Smoke's drought continued. He last won at Dover in last year's FedEx 400, but he finished 13th on Sunday and sits at 22nd in the overall standings.
The rebound from the slow start and broken leg in 2013 is taking a little longer than some anticipated. Tony Stewart does have two top-five finishes, but it'll take a lot more than that to qualify for the Chase.
The more different drivers who capture wins before Stewart gets one, the tougher it'll be for him to make the final grid.
Remaining NASCAR Schedule
| Date and Time | Race | TV |
Sunday, June 1
| FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks
| Fox |
Sunday, June 8
| Pocono 400
| TNT |
Sunday, June 15
| Quicken Loans 400
| TNT |
Sunday, June 22
| Toyota - Save Mart 350
| TNT |
Saturday, June 28
| Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts
| TNT |
Saturday, July 5
| Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola
| TNT |
Sunday, July 13
| Camping World RV Sales 301
| TNT |
Sunday, July 27
| Crown Royal Presents You Hero's Name Here 400 at the Brickyard
| ESPN |
Sunday, August 3
| GoBowling.com 400
| ESPN |
Sunday, August 10
| Cheez-It 355 at The Glen
| ESPN |
Sunday, August 17
| Pure Michigan 400
| ESPN |
Saturday, August 23
| Irwin Tools Night Race
| ABC |
Sunday, August 31
| NASCAR Sprint Cup Series August Atlanta Race
| ESPN |
Saturday, September 6
| Federated Auto Parts 400
| ABC |
Sunday, September 14 2 p.m. ET | NASCAR Sprint Cup Series September Chicagoland Race Chicagoland Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, September 21 2 p.m. ET | Sylvania 300 New Hampshire Motor Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, September 28 2 p.m. ET | AAA 400 Dover International Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, October 5 2 p.m. ET | Hollywood Casino 400 Kansas Speedway | ESPN |
Saturday, October 11 7:30 p.m. ET | Bank of America 500 Charlotte Motor Speedway | ABC |
Sunday, October 19 2 p.m. ET | Geico 500 Talladega Super Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, October 26 1:30 p.m. ET | Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 Martinsville Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, November 2 3 p.m. ET | AAA Texas 500 Texas Motor Speedway | ESPN |
Sunday, November 9 3 p.m. ET | Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 Phoenix International Raceway | ESPN |
Sunday, November 16 3 p.m. ET | Ford EcoBoost 400 Homestead-Miami Speedway | ESPN |
Looking Ahead to Dover
Next up on the Sprint Cup Series schedule is the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks from Dover International Speedway.
Stewart is clearly one to watch. He and his team will be hoping that he can rekindle the magic he found there last year.
Matt Kenseth is another prime candidate to conquer the Monster Mile. He won the race in 2011, and he currently sits second in the standings. He doesn't have his first win on the season yet. In fact, he's the only driver in the top seven without a checkered flag.
Dover would be as good a place as any to break through.
As usual, Johnson is a major threat.
He has won the race three times (2002, 2009 and 2012). He could be set to go on a run after winning his first race of the season.
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