Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer entered the Bristol race weekend on the NASCAR Chase bubble and looking for a strong run throughout the 500-lap event. Instead, both struggled mightily. When the checked flag flew, Bowyer was 26th while Stewart was 28th.
Their bad days canceled each other out, but it allowed Brad Keselowski to move closer to the top 10 in points and all but seal his chances at earning the wild card spot with three wins on the season.
Three more drivers – Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards – locked themselves into the Chase, joining Kyle Busch who did so last weekend at Michigan.
Here is how the standings look with only two races left before the Chase:
- Kyle Busch *Clinched Chase spot
- Jimmie Johnson *Clinched Chase spot
- Matt Kenseth *Clinched Chase spot
- Carl Edwards *Clinched Chase spot
- Kevin Harvick – Will likely clinch Chase spot at Atlanta (+93 points inside Chase)
- Jeff Gordon – Will likely clinch Chase spot at Atlanta (+93 points inside Chase)
- Ryan Newman – Will likely clinch Chase spot at Atlanta (+73 inside Chase)
- Kurt Busch – Will likely clinch Chase spot at Atlanta (+60 inside Chase)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. +39 inside Chase
- Tony Stewart +21 inside Chase
- Brad Keselowski **Has No. 1 Wild Card spot (three wins)** ... -21 from top 10
- Clint Bowyer -22 from top 10 OR one win from wild card spot
- Denny Hamlin **Has No. 2 Wild Card spot (one win)** +41 points on Paul Menard or -38 from top 10
- AJ Allmendinger -1 win AND -8 points from wild card
- Kasey Kahne -1 win AND -16 points from wild card
- Greg Biffle -1 win AND -23 points from wild card
- Martin Truex Jr. -2 wins OR -1 win AND -27 points from wild card
- Joey Logano -2 wins OR -1 win AND -30 points from wild card
- Mark Martin -2 wins OR -1 win AND -39 points from wild card
- Paul Menard -1 win OR -41 points from wild card
- David Ragan -1 win AND -3 points OR -44 points from wild card
- Marcos Ambrose -1 win AND - 45 points from wild card OR -2 wins AND 4 points
- Juan Pablo Montoya -2 wins AND -10 points from wild card