FYI WIRZ: NASCAR Elimination Chase Jumbles Contenders on Way to Charlotte

The second gauntlet round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship has taken a toll on the top NASCAR Sprint Cup contenders as teams prepare for the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 11. Some of the 12 remaining Chase drivers are in danger of being eliminated already, even before the crapshoot Talladega race.

A win in Charlotte could be crucial for some very big-name drivers. Another bad outing this week could spell 'Dega desperation.

The new elimination playoff scheme seems to be working like an altered doomsday clock. A common understanding among all motorsports professionals has long been an unwavering emphasis on winning. It seems with the elimination Chase that even that solid goal takes on new prominence.

A select group of top contenders made comments prior to Saturday night’s green flag. Perhaps fans can glean consensus insight from their comments. 

Joey Logano and his team have had an outstanding season, and it appears he is extending that into the Chase. Logano shared his winning thoughts.

“We haven’t really changed anything or done anything different than we’ve been doing all year,” Logano said. “We are just doing what we’ve been doing in the regular season. And it’s paying off by winning races and leading the points.”

Kyle Busch has started the Chase out well and could be a factor this year. Busch looked ahead.

“We need to continue to run strong in these remaining races and have another good, solid run this week.” he said. “Then we can go into Talladega with a little bit of a cushion. Winning at Charlotte, since it is my favorite track, would be really special.”

Carl Edwards has finished well during the Chase and could leave this round as a top contender. He talked about the fast future.

“It’s going to be important to run well at Charlotte so that you’re not forced into a corner at Talladega, because a lot can happen there,” Edwards said. “Our goal is to have another top-five finish at Charlotte and go out and have a little bit of fun at Talladega.” 

Matt Kenseth has had a winless year, but he continues to be competitive. Kenseth focused on CMS.

“We had some great finishes at Charlotte recently,” Kenseth said. “I’m hoping for similar results this weekend as we fight to remain in the Chase. Charlotte is a sensitive track in regards to how handling can change due to sunlight and temperatures.”

Brad Keselowski hasn’t extended his good season results to the Chase. Still, Keselowski talked about confidence.

“It does feel as though Homestead came early this year – subsequently we need a big weekend in order to keep our season alive,” he said. “This team thrives with adversity, and I am not one to back down when challenged.”

Jimmie Johnson is on the elimination bubble that could burst this round. He shared his concerns.

“We’ve got to be on our game at Charlotte and Talladega,” Johnson said. “There is still a lot of racing left. Stuff can happen. We’ll see how the other Chasers fare. We’ll do our best to get on track and then certainly need W’s. This weekend is very important.”

Fans without tickets to CMS can catch the fast Saturday night action on ABC at 7:30 p.m. 

Credit: Dwight Drum

FYI WIRZ is the select presentation of topics by Dwight Drum at Racetake.com. Unless otherwise noted, information and all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official release materials provided by sanction and team representatives.