Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings and Schedule After Quicken Loans 400
Kurt Busch already had one win under his belt in 2015, but getting a second checkered flag won't hurt anything. The 36-year-old won the Quicken Loans 400 on Sunday, moving up to third in the Sprint Cup standings.
Busch is a former points champion, but the last time he had two-plus wins in one season was four years ago, per USA Today's Jeff Gluck:
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The veteran didn't exactly have a typical celebration to enjoy his win since NASCAR officials called the race on account of rain with only 138 of the scheduled 200 laps run. Busch didn't seem too perturbed with the improvised Victory Lane, per NASCAR:
Sunday's race was a constant stop-and-start affair. You know something unusual happened when Darrell Waltrip says it's a first for him:
Busch's overall Chase progress is evidence of how nothing matters more than wins in the current structure. On points alone, he'd be 14th. Instead, he's sitting pretty near the top of the standings and will have a nice little points bonus when the Chase actually begins.
If the season were to end now, these 16 drivers would be in the Chase:
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 506 | 4 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 576 | 2 |
| 3 | Kurt Busch | 426 | 2 |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr. | 561 | 1 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 520 | 1 |
| 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 508 | 1 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 480 | 1 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 456 | 1 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 412 | 1 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | 401 | 1 |
| 11 | Jamie McMurray | 464 | 0 |
| 12 | Kasey Kahne | 447 | 0 |
| 13 | Jeff Gordon | 434 | 0 |
| 14 | Paul Menard | 421 | 0 |
| 15 | Aric Almirola | 401 | 0 |
| 16 | Ryan Newman | 400 | 0 |
It feels like the Challenger Round is still a long way off, but in actuality, only 11 races remain until the Chase cutoff goes into effect. Here's a look at the remaining Sprint Cup schedule, courtesy of NASCAR.com:
| 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 |
Drivers still looking for a win in 2015 were a bit out of luck with Mother Nature intervening Sunday and causing the race to end early.
Jamie McMurray and Paul Menard, 11th and 14th, respectively, in the standings were arguably hurt the most since they finished seventh and eighth in the Quicken Loans 400—the highest positions among winless drivers. Over the course of 62 laps, they might have been able to work their way into first place.
At least their places in the Chase look relatively safe for now. They both have a fairly comfortable buffer between themselves and the drivers knocking on the door of the top 16.
Looking a little further down, the gap between Ryan Newman (16th place) and the three closest drivers grew Sunday. Clint Bowyer went from 20 points to 22 points back of Newman. Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick also lost ground. Larson sits 39 points back, while Patrick and Newman are separated by 43 points.
Greg Biffle also had a terrible day. He finished the Quicken Loans 400 a lap down and in 36th. In doing so, he fell two positions in the standings.
Of course, the only thing separating Biffle, Bowyer, Larson and Patrick from the Chase is one victory. Winning a race isn't easy, but all it takes is for one of the drivers—or anybody else outside of the top 16—to radically alter their Chase fortunes is getting hot one day and riding that hot day all the way to Victory Lane.
Carl Edwards is a prime example of that. He hasn't exactly had a great season, and his 401 points would only be good enough for a tie for 15th on their own. However, his Coca-Cola 600 win means he's all but assured of a Chase place.
Sprint Cup drivers will have a bit of a break, as the next race isn't for another two weeks. The green flag for the Toyota-Save Mart 350 will drop June 28 at 3 p.m. ET.
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