Richmond delivered the drama

September 10, 2012 Greg Engle Main Page, NASCAR News Top Story, Top Stories 0

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, and Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, lead the field after a re-start on the sixth lap during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 8, 2012 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet, and Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, lead the field after a re-start on the sixth lap during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 8, 2012 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway turned into two night event that started late Saturday night and finished early Sunday morning.  Most will agree however, it was well worth the wait.

With so much on the line the anticipation, and the hype, coming into the 400 lap event was high.  The final Chase spots were determined and the field seeded for the 10 final races to determine this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.  With a start delayed 90 minutes due to rain, the race was forced to skirt Mother Nature several times; but was finally able to get in the entire distance early Sunday morning.  In the end there were winners, losers and enough drama to live up to the hype; and fans who endured the marathon session got more than their money’s worth.

While there was little wonder who the top 10 in the Chase would be prior to the green flag Saturday night, the final two spots in the Chase via the Wild Card were up in the air.  Even those however, seemed somewhat solid. Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch held the two spots and given Busch’s record at Richmond there seemed little doubt that he would be a lock for the Chase. Thanks to a missed pit call late in the race however, it wasn’t to be and Busch is again on the outside looking in for the final ten races in the Chase. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
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About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.