Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings and Schedule After Brickyard 400
Kyle Busch made it three in a row Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, surviving a wild green-white-checkered finish at the Brickyard 400 to once again rattle NASCAR's 2015 Sprint Cup Chase.
NASCAR captured the epic finish:
It's another monumental occasion for the driver hoping to make the Chase after an injury-shortened season and a stretch for the ages. Joe Gibbs Racing shared the celebration:
Just 23 points separate Busch from his personal Chase cutoff.
Joey Logano was on Busch's bumper for most of the finale and improved his standing on the leaderboard with a second-place finish. Series leader Kevin Harvick finished third to help his efforts, while Martin Truex Jr. got back into form by finishing fourth. Favorite Jeff Gordon didn't finish after falling victim to an early wreck.
Here's a look at the NASCAR standings after Sunday's epic finish, with a peek ahead at the upcoming slate with the Chase on the way.
Sprint Cup Series Driver Standings
| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 777 |
| 2 | Joey Logano | 708 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 677 |
| 4 | Jimmie Johnson | 675 |
| 5 | Martin Truex Jr. | 668 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 638 |
| 7 | Matt Kenseth | 615 |
| 8 | Kurt Busch | 612 |
| 9 | Jamie McMurray | 602 |
| 10 | Denny Hamlin | 591 |
2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 675 | 4 | 10 | 13 |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 777 | 2 | 14 | 18 |
| 3 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 677 | 2 | 10 | 12 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | 612 | 2 | 7 | 12 |
| 5 | Joey Logano | 708 | 1 | 12 | 15 |
| 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 668 | 1 | 6 | 15 |
| 7 | Brad Keselowski | 638 | 1 | 4 | 12 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 615 | 1 | 6 | 12 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 591 | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 10 | Carl Edwards | 519 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Analyzing Notable Finishers
Kevin Harvick
Kevin Harvick needed a strong performance Sunday when one takes into account Jimmie Johnson's four wins.
He entered the leader but would struggle to hold such a status once those wins get taken into account. So an even-better finish than his third-place slot in New Hampshire last weekend was the ideal target.
As ESPN Stats & Info noted during the race, Harvick was also racing for a bit of history:
For Harvick, another third-place finish isn't terrible by any means, but those with more wins than him continue to be a crowded category.
Down the stretch, Harvick will need to go on a tear of his own to make things interesting.
Jimmie Johnson
The pressure is on Johnson with another four-win driver sitting right next to him on the leaderboard.
Johnson didn't have any problems shooting out to four wins but struggled in New Hampshire last weekend to finish 22nd. Sunday, he wound up finishing 15th after finishing 12th.
On a day some figured Johnson might get back to his winning ways, restrictor-plate racing or not, he instead watched as Busch stole some of his recent-history thunder, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Not all is lost for Johnson, but he's not alone anymore.
As the schedule roars toward the Chase, Johnson will need to shake out of this slight slump with so many bunching up near the top of the leaderboard thanks to a competitive Sunday at IMS.
Kyle Busch
Everyone knew the feel-good Kyle Busch story entering IMS this weekend.
Busch needed a win and a slot above No. 30 on the leaderboard to qualify for the Chase. The Joe Gibbs Racing superstar got the win at the hills of Sonoma but didn't stop there—he also seized the checkered flag in Kentucky and New Hampshire, giving him three wins in four outings entering Sunday.
At IMS, Busch ran strong most of the day and made it clear over the radio he felt teamwork would win the day and help him make it a ridiculous three in a row, as Fox Sports' Alan Cavanna captured:
Still, there were some notable communication errors and squabbles over how to handle the end of the caution-riddled race, per Richard Allen of RacingWithRich.com:
The fact Busch survived the chaos to make it three in a row isn't anything to sniff at. He looks unstoppable, and while he's not in the Chase just yet, it's hard to imagine he doesn't get in given this form.
| Sunday, Aug 02 | 1:30 p.m. | Windows 10 400 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Aug 09 | 2 p.m. | Cheez-It 355 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Aug 16 | 2:30 p.m. | Pure Michigan 400 | NBCSN |
| Saturday, Aug 22 | 7:30 p.m. | IRWIN Tools Night Race | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Sep 06 | 7 p.m. | Bojangles' Southern 500 | NBC |
| Saturday, Sep 12 | 7:30 p.m. | Federated Auto Parts 400 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Sep 20 | 3 p.m. | NASCAR Sprint Cup September Chicagoland Race | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Sep 27 | 2 p.m. | Sylvania 300 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Oct 04 | 2:30 p.m. | AAA 400 | NBCSN |
| Saturday, Oct 10 | 7 p.m. | Bank of America 500 | NBC |
| Sunday, Oct 18 | 2:15 p.m. | Hollywood Casino 400 | NBC |
| Sunday, Oct 25 | 2:30 p.m. | Alabama 500 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Nov 01 | 1:15 p.m. | Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 | NBCSN |
| Sunday, Nov 08 | 2 p.m. | AAA Texas 500 | NBC |
| Sunday, Nov 15 | 2:30 p.m. | Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 | NBC |
| Sunday, Nov 22 | 3 p.m. | Ford EcoBoost 400 | NBC |
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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