RICHMOND, Va. — Clint Bowyer would maybe be nervous about making the Chase for the championship if the 12-driver field was finalized at any place other than Richmond International Raceway.
But Bowyer is pretty good at Richmond — so good that if he’s worried about not making the Chase, he certainly didn’t show it Friday.
“This is my favorite race track, and I love racing here,” he said. “What better race to come to and try to put yourself in the Chase than at one of your favorite race tracks? I’m looking forward to it, trying to stay focused and go get ‘em.”
Bowyer is holding down the 12th and final spot in the Chase field entering the race. It was scheduled for Saturday night, but rescheduled to Sunday afternoon in anticipation of Tropical Storm Hanna hitting the area.
It’s the last event used to determine the title contenders. His spot is certainly not secure, though.
Bowyer holds a mere 17-point lead over 13th-place driver David Ragan, and he’s up just 48 points over Kasey Kahne. He doesn’t want to know where the two are running during the race, saying he’d prefer to focus on his own race and see where he winds up when the checkered flag falls.
If history is any indication, Bowyer will be just fine. In five previous races, he’s scored three top-10s and earned his only win of this season at the 0.75-mile oval in May.
“I’d rather be me in the Chase right now then them trying to figure out how to beat me at one of my favorite tracks,” Bowyer said.
But it’s not like the challengers are sweating it out, either.
Much like Bowyer, Ragan was totally at ease. In his three previous Cup starts, he has one top-10 finish and is confident he can put together a strong run in the most meaningful race to date of his young NASCAR career.
“If I had to pick any track to go to, Richmond would probably be in the top two or three or three choices,” Ragan said. “So it’s the perfect situation for us to go out and try to be the heroes of the weekend.”
He also didn’t envy Bowyer’s position. Bowyer can clinch his spot by either winning, or finishing second or third and leading the most laps. Ragan’s situation is more complicated: If he wins, he’s in is one of the many mathematical scenarios Ragan needs.
“I think the pressure’s probably on Clint more than anybody because it’s his spot to lose and it’s ours to gain,” Ragan said.
But Bowyer said he really doesn’t feel any pressure. He was one of the surprise Chase qualifiers last season, then put together a great 10-race run to put himself in contention to challenge Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon for the title.
He ultimately finished third in the final standings.
“Trying to figure out how to beat Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson to win a championship, that’s a lot of pressure,” Bowyer said. “I like pressure. Pressure is good.”
Kahne was up for the challenge, too.
A two-time winner this season, he has faltered over the past month to drop to 14th in the standings and a long shot to race his way into the Chase field. But he said he thrives in these scenarios, and isn’t daunted by the face he has to finish the race with 48 points more than Bowyer and 31 points more than Ragan to clinch a spot.
“I’ve always been a guy who likes to be part of it,” Kahne said. “Whether there’s pressure late in the race battling someone for a win, I enjoy that. I enjoy the pressure and trying to step up and do the best that I can.”
And then there’s Denny Hamlin, who has some breathing room at 11th in the standings but knows a catastrophe at his home track could knock him out of the Chase.
He should have won here in the spring, when he led 381 laps before a blown tire dropped him to a heartbreaking 24th-place finish.
But he and his Joe Gibbs Racing crew returned to Richmond ready to reclaim the one that got away.
“I think when you go to a race track with a little bit more confidence, then you always seem to run a little bit better,” he said. “Of course there’s a little added pressure trying to perform in front of friends and family, but you don’t try any harder than you do on a normal week. Things just seem to work out a little better for you.”
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