
Sprint Cup Chase Standings 2014: NASCAR Grid, Schedule After Kansas
Joey Logano notched his fifth victory of the season in the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas, putting him through to the Eliminator Round of the Chase. Logano led for a race-high 122 laps and fended off Kyle Larson on the 267th lap to earn a trip to Victory Lane.
Las Vegas Speedway tweeted the race's end result:
The driver of the No. 22 car was left with plenty of confidence following his win. Jenna Fryer of the Associated Press relayed his comments:
With Logano's victory and a bevy of unfortunate occurrences for many Chase drivers, the standings have shifted in dramatic fashion:
| 1 | Joey Logano | 3048 | 5 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 3042 | 1 |
| 3 | Carl Edwards | 3039 | 2 |
| 4 | Ryan Newman | 3039 | 0 |
| 5 | Denny Hamlin | 3037 | 1 |
| 6 | Kevin Harvick | 3033 | 2 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 3031 | 0 |
| 8 | Jeff Gordon | 3031 | 4 |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | 3023 | 1 |
| 10 | Brad Keselowski | 3009 | 5 |
| 11 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 3006 | 3 |
| 12 | Jimmie Johnson | 3004 | 3 |
The full Sprint Cup standings can be viewed at ESPN.com.
Larson has been so close to notching his first win this season on several occasions, and Sunday proved to be another close call. Still, despite the second-place finish, he has emerged as one of NASCAR's most talented drivers and the future of the sport.
Former driver Brad Doty tweeted his impression of the young driver:
Kansas ended up causing immense problems for many drivers in the thick of the Chase. Six-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson was one such driver who suffered an early catastrophe.
Johnson was involved in a multi-car crash after he was struck by a sliding Greg Biffle. His crew worked feverishly to get him back into the race, but he was well out of contention by the time they finished. NASCAR on ESPN tweeted his standing when he reentered:
"Jimmie Johnson returns to the track; but he's 68 laps down and running 40th.
— NASCAR on ESPN (@ESPNNASCAR) October 5, 2014"
Unfortunately for Kevin Harvick, bad luck continued in Kansas. Harvick was dominant at Dover just one week prior to the Hollywood Casino 400, but after leading for an impressive 223 laps, an unexpected flat tire halted his efforts. Faulty car mechanics reared their ugly head once more on Sunday.
Harvick began the race as the pole-sitter and reaffirmed why he's been one of NASCAR's most talented drivers of late, maintaining position near the front of the pack throughout the first half of the race. However, steering troubles ended his shot at Victory Lane once again.
Nate Ryan of USA Today tweeted the issue and conversation between the driver and his crew:
Here's a look at troubles encountered by Harvick and Matt Kenseth:
Harvick led for a total of 61 laps Sunday.
It was a rough day for Hendrick Motorsports, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne didn't fare any better. Earnhardt had car issues, and Kahne made contact with the wall. The NASCAR Country summed up the day with a short tweet:
Take a glance at Kahne's unfortunate incident:
Kurt Busch also made contact with the wall and was forced to leave Sunday's race. Here's a look at the damage done to his car, via theScore NASCAR:
All of these incidents at Kansas certainly don't bode well, as a notoriously treacherous race at Talladega looms large on Oct. 19. Fortunately, drivers will have a better chance of a blemish-free race, as the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte is next up on the slate.
Charlotte appears poised to shake up the Chase standings once again. Over the past three years, three different drivers have won the race—Kenseth in 2011, Clint Bowyer in 2012 and Brad Keselowski in 2013. All three still have a chance to move on to the Eliminator Round of the Chase.
Here's a look at the Sprint Cup's remaining schedule:
| Oct. 11 | 7:30 p.m. | Bank of America 500 | Charlotte Motor Speedway |
| Oct. 19 | 2 p.m. | Geico 500 | Talladega Speedway |
| Oct. 26 | 1:30 p.m. | Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 | Martinsville Speedway |
| Nov. 2 | 3 p.m. | AAA Texas 500 | Texas Motor Speedway |
| Nov. 9 | 3 p.m. | Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 | Phoenix International Raceway |
| Nov. 16 | 3 p.m. | Ford Ecoboost 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway |
With just six races remaining, we're sure in for a dramatic conclusion to the season, as the remaining 12 Chase drivers will be reduced to just one by the middle of November, when a new champion will be crowned.

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