Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings, Schedule After Quicken Loans 500
The Championship 4 for the Chase is set after the Quicken Loans 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday night. Weather delayed the race, but once the engines were started, it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. who captured the checkered flag.
He led for just 22 of the race's 219 laps, but he made sure he was the first to cross the finish line. Earnhardt had previously been eliminated from the Chase, so his victory was more of a consolation prize.
He nipped the day's biggest winner, Kevin Harvick. You can see the complete order of results for the race at NASCAR.com. The race was supposed to last 312 laps, but the persistent rain caused the event to be shortened. Harvick had to settle for second place despite leading for 143 laps. Still, his second-place finish jumped him two spots in the Chase standings and left him securely in position to continue his season.
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| 1 | Kevin Harvick | 4 | 5000 | 3 | 22 |
| 2 | Jeff Gordon | 24 | 5000 | 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Kyle Busch | 18 | 5000 | 4 | 11 |
| 4 | Martin Truex Jr | 78 | 5000 | 1 | 8 |
That was a bummer for drivers like Carl Edwards who were scratching and clawing for one of the final four sports.
Here's a look at where the final four drivers stand heading into the season's last race on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the Ford EcoBoost 400.
The Contenders
Harvick
The 39-year-old Harvick is the defending Sprint Cup champion. He'd obviously love nothing more than to repeat. In last year's finale at Homestead, Harvick was clutch in holding off Jeff Gordon and fellow Chase contender Ryan Newman to win.
Another strong performance is in order if he hopes to win his second straight Sprint Cup title. While he didn't win the most races during the season, Harvick's 22 top-five finishes were tops in the series. That consistency has led him to the threshold of a repeat.
Jeff Gordon
Many eyes from the NASCAR community will be on Gordon on Sunday in what will be the final race of his career. Win or lose, there should be a celebration to commemorate one of the best NASCAR careers of all time.
The 44-year-old has won four Sprint Cup titles. A fifth would be a nice cherry on the top of his racing sundae. This is the time when one might expect a ton of reflection from Gordon, but per George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel, the man in the No. 24 car insists he hasn't had time to look back or think about the end of his career.
"I don't know if it's going to hit me prior to the race or if it's going to hit me after the race, but it's going to hit me," Gordon said. "It's definitely going to hit me. We've just had so much still left to accomplish and business at hand that it has not hit me yet."
Kyle Busch will be hoping it hits Gordon while he watches him celebrate his first Sprint Cup title. Busch's best previous finish was a fourth-place run back in 2013. He had to come back from a broken leg and make up the points he missed while he was out with the injury this year.
He came on during the second half of the season with four wins. His fourth-place finish on Sunday secured his spot in the Championship Round.
Martin Truex Jr.
The final spot went to Martin Truex Jr. He has had to endure some ups and downs this season—and those persisted on Sunday when he finished 14th. Still, he limped into the final four and has a shot at his first Sprint Cup championship. The 35-year-old's best previous finish was 11th.
He's already guaranteed to best that mark, but is a championship in his future? We'll all find out at Homestead on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. It will be televised by NBC.
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