Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings and Schedule After New Hampshire 301
It's official: Kyle Busch is on fire.
On Sunday afternoon at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Busch won the 5-hour Energy New Hampshire 301. It was his third win in four races. This latest win moved him within 58 points of the coveted 30th spot in the Sprint Cup standings with seven races to go before the Chase begins.
Toyota Racing congratulated their victorious driver:
Here's a look at the top 10 of the updated Sprint Cup standings. To see the complete standings, check out NASCAR.com.
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | --- | 2 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | -69 | 1 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | -79 | 2 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | -88 | 4 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | -106 | 1 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | -131 | 1 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | -156 | 1 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | -158 | 2 |
| 9 | Jamie McMurray | -160 | 0 |
| 10 | Jeff Gordon | -161 | 0 |
Despite having three wins this season, which is second only to Jimmie Johnson's four victories, Busch must finish in the top 30 of the standings to qualify for the Chase. Injuries from a crash early in the season caused Busch to miss 12 races. The absence dug a hole that Busch has nearly overcome.
Per Lee Spencer of Motorsport.com, Busch seemed comfortable with the way things were going heading into Sunday's race. Shortly after qualifying, Busch said:
"I’ve been real happy with things and we just have to keep that going."
With another win, he's clearly done just that.
Barring an epic collapse, Busch should continue to ascend beyond the likes of David Gilliland—the driver currently in 30th place—perhaps even into the high 20s if he can maintain momentum.
Busch's No. 18 car has been one of the fastest since he returned from energy. Without a series of underachieving performances, it's hard to imagine he won't qualify.
Not the Winner, but Still First
Kevin Harvick led for 59 laps on Sunday but had to settle for a third-place finish behind Brad Keselowski and Busch. The performance was enough to extend his lead over Joey Logano to 69 points. Logano finished fourth in the race.
Harvick is clearly a lock to be in the Chase, but at some point you have to think he wants at least one more checkered flag in the last seven races. As it stands, he hasn't won a race since the CampingWorld.com 500 on March 15.
To his credit, he's had a top-10 finish in all but two of the 15 races since then. That remarkable consistency is the reason he's still the leader.
What's Next
Here's a look at the remaining schedule:
| July 26 | The Brickyard 400 |
| August 2 | Pennsylvania 400 |
| August 9 | Cheez-It 355 |
| August 16 | Pure Michigan 400 |
| August 22 | Irwin Tools Night Race |
| September 6 | Bojangles Southern 500 |
| September 12 | Federated Auto Parts 400 |
| The Chase Challenger Round | The Chase Challenger Round |
| September 20 | Chicagoland Race |
| September 27 | Sylvania 300 |
| October 4 | AAA 400 |
| Contender Round | Contender Round |
| October 10 | Bank of America 500 |
| October 18 | Hollywood Casino 400 |
| October 25 | Alabama 500 |
| Eliminator Round | Eliminator Round |
| November 1 | Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 |
| November 8 | AAA Texas 500 |
| November 15 | Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 |
| Championship Round | Championship Round |
| November 22 | Ford EcoBoost 400 |
| Date | Race |
| July 19 | New Hampshire 301 |
NASCAR goes back to the Brickyard next week for the Brickyard 400. Jeff Gordon snapped a tie with Johnson in 2014 to capture his series-high fifth win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
As time winds down on Gordon's career, more focus will be placed on each race he's in. That's especially the case for such a historic venue like IMS, where Gordon has been so good. Can Gordon grab a sixth win? Will Johnson grab his fifth? Will Busch stay hot, or will another driver emerge victorious at the Brickyard?
See you next week.
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