2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Field

A Look at the 2014 NASCAR Chase Field

By Richard Tix

This weekend NASCAR heads to Chicagoland Speedway for the first Chase race of the 2014 season. This year the Chase has some new rules and an extra 4 driver (only 3 more than last year). 16 drivers get in (13 got in on wins in 2014) and will all race the next 3 races trying to either win or be top 12 in points. Then we spend the next three going from 12 to 8 and so on until we have 4 drivers left standing at Miami-Holmstead. 

1) Brad Keselowski (2012 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	4	11	13	4	6.5	13.5

BK is just one year removed from beating out Jimmie Johnson for his first NASCAR Sprint Cup title (2012), but last year was the farthest this from that. This season looks a lot more like 2012 than 2013 though, which is a great thing for the #2 team. BK comes into the Chase as the last regular season winner (Richmond) and also the driver with the best average start (6.5). Team Penske and Hendrick Motorsports are the big dogs in this years Chase.

2) Jeff Gordon (2009 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	3	9	17	2	8.7	10

Many people cast JG off at the beginning of the season after a struggling 2013 performance. This lead to a lot of people asking, "is it time for Jeff Gordon to retire?" Heck, I think it even got into JG's head at first, but then 2014 started. Ever since then everyone's thinking changed to, "will Jeff Gordon win his 5th title?" Consistency has been a strong point this year with 17 top 10's, but the real key is his three wins (and can he add to that total?)

3) Dale Earnhardt Jr (2009 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	3	11	16	0	16.3	10.9

2014 couldn't have started any better for Jr (well finding out his CC Steve LeTarte would be leaving after the season might be the only thing you can find). Jr won the 2013 Daytona 500 and kept that hot streak going on his way to 3 wins. Could 2014 be the year he finally wins a Championship? What a great moment it would be for Steve on his last hurrah. 

4) Jimmie Johnson (2009 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	3	8	16	1	12.2	14.2

Not exactly the season we have come to expect from Jimmie Johnson, 2014 hasn't been a total loss either. In fact, JJ is starting to get hot right at the perfect time again. The big question with JJ is, "will he tie Dale and Richard with 7 titles?" This is the time of the year the #48 is always dangerous so other drivers need to bring all they got.

5) Joey Logano (2009 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	3	10	15	1	8.5	13.2

The second Penske driver on this list is also making his second Chase appearance in his young career. Just two short years ago people were wondering if he was just another young prospect that was going to flame out. He left JGR and got a fresh start, and that fresh start has done him well. It helps that Team Penske has been one of the fastest team's all season in qualifying. The key will be to stay fast during the races.

6) Kevin Harvick (2006 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	2	8	13	6	8.3	14.8

Kevin Harvick moved from Richard Childress Racing (where he had spent his whole career) to Stewart Haas Racing this past off season and it gave him a bit of a revival. 2014 he became an every race threat to win. The big downfall for the team in 2014 has been some bad luck and some slow pit stops. The question for Harvick this Chase, "Will the pit crew swap with the #14 pay off or will it eventually have a negative effect?"

7) Carl Edwards (2006 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	2	6	11	0	14.3	14.7

Entering 2014 Carl Edwards had a lot of talk surrounding him about contract talks, and the whole season he avoided the question. At the same time Roush Fenway Racing cars just didn't have what it took week to week, which in the case of keeping Carl, was bad timing for RFR. News finally broke that he would be leaving and joining JGR in a fourth car for 2015. Going into the Chase in a down season the big thing on his RFR's mind will be, "can Carl win a title before leaving?" What might be in the back of Carl's mind, "will a fresh start help me win a championship with JGR?"

8) Kyle Busch (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	6	9	2	14.8	18.2

Kyle Busch is the top guy of the 1 win drivers (in points) but that isn't saying much this season. I did pick Kyle at the beginning of the season to finally put it all together and win a Championship, but if the Chase goes like the first 26 races it doesn't look good. The big thing for Kyle will be when something goes wrong to not let it kill the day. Quality finishes in the first three races should get you to the round of 12, but two finishes of 30+ will kill your Chase.

9) Denny Hamlin (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	6	11	2	15	15.2

Denny Hamlin would have been the top driver (in points) with 1 win if it were not for his penalty earlier this season (which doesn't matter because everyone with 1 win gets just 3 bonus points). DH hasn't looked like his old self in his come back season but the JGR cars haven't quite had it this year either. The big question for Hamlin will be, "will the JGR cars, or Toyota Racing Development team figure it out for him in the next 10 races?"

10) Kurt Busch (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	6	7	9	13.7	19.2

After a great effort with a small team in 2013 (Furniture Row Racing) Kurt got another shot in a big time ride. However, this season has been way off from last year. The only thing he has done better this season compared to last is he has a win. Saying that, he has started to turn a corner as of late so does have a shot at advancing a round or two. 

11) Kasey Kahne (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	3	10	0	17.4	16.3

Kasey Kahne's second half surge helped him get secure a Chase spot after he finally won at Atlanta (second to last race). The rest of the season has been an up and down ride but the good news is he got in. The next step for the #5 team is to build on that and string together some good races. Most of his top 10's have come in the second half so he has the blocks to build on.

12) Aric Almirola (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	2	6	0	19.2	20.1

Aric maybe the luckiest of all the Chase drivers in 2014. That's because not only did he win one of the races I called a wild card (restricter plates and road courses) but he won it during a rain shortened Coke Zero 400 (Daytona). With the new Chase rules the win meant Aric gets to take the #43 into the NASCAR Playoffs.

13) AJ Allmendinger (2003 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	1	2	4	0	19.2	20.9

AJ's win isn't quite as lucky as Aric's (yes, Aric still had to be leading at the time, it wasn't all luck) because he just took advantage of the tracks that he is so good on, road courses. After leading 35 laps at Sonoma and then getting shuffled back and wrecked he had one last shot at Watkins Glen, which he took full advantage of. 

14) Matt Kenseth (2000 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	0	10	16	1	15.2	14

Weird seeing Kenseth down so far any list isnt it? Well just because his name comes after 13 drivers doesn't mean he doesn't have a shot to make it a long ways. Kenseth has 1 less top 10 then Jeff Gordon (most with 17) on the season so he has the consistency to make it a ways, but will he finally get the win when he needs it?

15) Greg Biffle (2000 points)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	0	3	10	0	17.9	15.3

When I did my Chase for the Chase article the first time Biffle was a guy I just didn't see making it. The RFR Ford just haven't had the speed all season and Biffle was struggling with quality finishes. But, he turned it around and put together a string of top 10's making his way in on points. Now the question is, "can he win during the Chase or will it be a short Chase?"

16) Ryan Newman (2000)

Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Avg St	Avg Fn
26	0	2	10	0	13.8	14.1

Newman ended up being the odd man out at SHR in 2013 when news broke that Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch were being brought in. Newman moved onto RCR and had a typical Newman season, consistent but not great. He has yet to win in 2014 and that may continue throughout the Chase. The big question, "how long can Newmans consistency hold on in the Chase?" My guess is he makes it through round one.

Thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall. Check back in for the updated Power Rankings after Chase Race #1 at Chicagoland. Also, we will have updated Chase info along the way!