Kyle Busch Barely Misses Out on Chase

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin suffered his fair share of heartbreak at Richmond International Raceway, the home track where he so desperately wanted a win.

He finally got it Saturday night, but the victory celebration was muted. Kyle Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, fell eight points short of making the Chase for the championship in the tightest deciding race since the format was launched in 2004.

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"We did all we can do. We gave a valiant effort and it was a good night," Busch said. "We will live to see another day. We'll go on for the rest of the year."

Hamlin, with the momentum of his Richmond win, believes he's the favorite to win the Sprint Cup title. He twice before led the most laps at Richmond, where he sat in the stands as a child rooting on boyhood idol Bill Elliott, only to have late pitfalls sabotage his shot at victory.

Now he's got his Richmond win, his second of the season, and a ton of confidence headed into the Chase.

"They better watch us," he vowed. "I am telling you, this team is dangerous."

Mark Martin, who at 50 is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, leads the Chase field as the top seed and is followed by Tony Stewart and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson.

Hamlin starts the Chase in fourth and is followed by Kasey Kahne, three-time series champion Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Brian Vickers, who finished a career-best seventh Saturday night to grab the final qualifying spot.

Carl Edwards will start the Chase in ninth and is followed by Ryan Newman, Juan Pablo Montoya and Greg Biffle.

Busch and Matt Kenseth, who had made the Chase in each of its first five seasons, were the two drivers shut out of the field.

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota left, talks with Team Owner Joe Gibbs after failing to make the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" by finishing in fifth place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kyle Busch

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Express Toyota takes the checkered flag winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR) *** Local Caption *** Denny Hamlin

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Confetti flies as drivers celebrate after making the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: Drivers celebrate after making the "Chase for the Sprint Cup" following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 12: (Back row from L-R) Tony Stewart, driver of the #14 Office Depot Chevrolet, Carl Edwards, driver of the #99 Aflac Ford, Greg Biffle, driver of the #16 3M Ford, Mark Martin, driver of the #5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Dupont Chevrolet, (Front row L-R) Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Chevrolet, Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 U.S. Army Chevrolet, Kasey Kahne, driver of the #9 Budweiser Dodge, Kurt Busch, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, and Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Toyota, pose with the Sprint Cup trophy following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on September 12, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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The Sprint Cup Chase drivers pose in front of the trophy after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday Sept. 11, 2009. The drivers are from left to right top row Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bottom row, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers. (AP Photo/Scott k. Brown)

Brian Vickers, right, sprays champagne on Jeff Gordon after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va., Saturday Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Scott k. Brown)

Chase drivers from left to right, Top row, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Bottom row, Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers pose after the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' Chevy Rock & Roll 400 auto race at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va. Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Jason Hirschfeld)

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It made for a compelling night of racing, where 11 drivers vied for the final eight available spots in NASCAR's title-deciding Chase.

On the bubble was Kenseth, the Daytona 500 winner, who started the race in the 12th and final qualifying spot. Vickers, charging hard the past 11 races, and Busch were right on his bumper.

But Kenseth struggled from the drop of the green flag and quickly fell out of contention. Busch and Vickers swapped the final spot multiple times over the 400 laps, setting up a final 14-lap sprint to the finish.

Busch used a flawless final pit stop to beat Vickers off of pit road, but he restarted the race sixth and could only gain one spot on the track. He finished fifth and said he'll focus now on helping Hamlin win a championship.

"I'll do my best to help Denny out and bring Joe Gibbs Racing a championship," Busch said. "I think Denny has got a lot going forward, especially winning here. He's going to have a big momentum boost next week."

Vickers, meanwhile, grabbed his best finish at Richmond when his season was on the line. He had feuded with Busch, his one-time teammate, over the past month but the two showed no ill-will toward each other after the frantic finish. Busch extended a handshake and said, "Good job," as Vickers entered the post-race news conference.

Vickers, who got upstart Red Bull Racing into its first Chase, promised a long night of celebrating.

"I genuinely mean that, I'm going to party hard tonight," he said.

Kenseth, winner of the first two races this season, was shut out of the Chase for the first time since it started in 2004.

"Third race of the year, Las Vegas, we finished last and it's been downhill from there," Kenseth said. "The way we're running right now, even if we made it, we wouldn't have a shot at the championship."

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

9-13-2009 @ 12:04AM

mbwetw said...

Hey Kyle-baby, one word only: KARMA!!!!!!!

9-13-2009 @ 3:26PM

junior said...

Whether you like Kyle or not, this points system is crap. How someone with 4 wins doesn't make the chase, yet 4 with no wins make the chase. This is pure crap.

9-13-2009 @ 12:06AM

candlefever said...

At least Kyle finally had a classy post race interview for a change. Go MARTIN!!!!

9-13-2009 @ 12:11AM

jerrytkendall said...

NASCAR had become a joke. What kind of point system eliminates a contender that is tied for winning the most races of the year? I would watch anything on wheels race but this is too much like wrestling to be worth my time. I will stick with, the IRL, the American LeMans series and F1 from now on. And they wonder why their ratings are slipping. Like him or not, Kyle Bush should be in that chase.

9-13-2009 @ 12:20AM

timcaine said...

If you wreck five times and don't finish top 10 for most of the year YOU LOSE POINTS. For every race he won there was a race he choked.

9-13-2009 @ 8:13AM

stfrancisfalcons said...

The wrestling match that NASCAR has become started when fox sports bought the TV rights. It was downhill from there. Check the history and I'll bet fox had more to do with this new car than we are being told. It was touted as more exciting for the fans to watch. Grassroots Motorsports is way more interesting. Much more fun to be a part of. Join NASAProracing.com if you want to see REAL Auto racing, not wrestling. Back on topic, I think it's good that Ky. Busch it out of the chase.

9-13-2009 @ 10:32AM

kenneth said...

Good race. Regret that Kenseth ran so poorly, but I could see no excuse--he and his crew just could not get the car dialed in. Kyle took his missing out on the Chase like a man. Kudos to him--maybe he is maturing. Vickers showed great tenacity to squeak in. On to New Hampshire!

9-13-2009 @ 12:21AM

anzajoe said...

HA,HA THIS WITCH GOT HER PREDICTION RIGHT THIS TIME.
Even though STEWART had another looser finish,DANNY DAMLIN WON as i hoped and predicted, but the most important news;KYLIE BUSHEY IS OUT OF THE CHASE.
Congratulation to Brian france, oops i mean FRICKERS. HE IS IN, KYLIE OUT!!!. Great night for JEFF GODON and JJ.
I'm happy too for the OLD GHISER MMARTINI making the chase and WELL DESERVED, but i have doubt about him starting this chase crap 10 points ahead of TONY, 20 ahead of JJ. BOTH DRIVERS HAD A BETTER SEASON PERFORMANCE THAN MM, NOT IN WINS BUT TOP 10 and TOP 5.
DEJ should start thinking about retiring; contrary tO what i been reading here about JGORDON AND STEVE LETARGY
are still collecting top finishes, so back or no back why retire? Use pain killers.
wondering where are BLURANGE and BUBBA? Maybe they will
CRINGE a little more cause nzcr14 said so, lmao. works for me.. BOOGETY,BOOGETY, BOOGETY, LETS GO RACING THE CHASE BOOOYYYS.

9-13-2009 @ 1:24AM

pnut166 said...

Couldn`t happen to a nicer guy !!! He said after the race "Maybe God put me in this predicament for a reason" Think long and hard about that, Kyle. Maybe you`ll end up a better person for it.

9-13-2009 @ 2:37AM

officercwinslow said...

aw Boo-Hoo Kyle Kootex didn't make the chase-now all he's gonna be chaing is his tail.Good you little pr1ck

9-13-2009 @ 3:40AM

Mike Q said...

He's still the best driver in nascar. What a screwed up points system. Nascar keeps promising to give more points for wins. With wins, Kyle is tied for first. Martin a fan favorite is one he's tied with. Martin didn't make it in with a lot to spare. Imagine that the 2 guys with the most wins both could have been left out. Yet if Kyle could have been ahead of 2 more cars he would be in and tied with Martin at the top of the adjusted points system. Winning should count for much more. It would bring back racing roots, the desire to win! That of course would make the fans happy with better racing. Kyles still my guy! He may do like Tony when he missed the chase. He went on to win 6 of the 10 races. Go Kyle!

9-14-2009 @ 1:38AM

bluerange308 said...

So if someone goes out there and wins four races, but finishes last in all the rest of them they should still be let into the chase?? Get real. The points system awards both wins and CONSISTENCY.

9-14-2009 @ 1:57AM

NZCR14 SAID said...

NO IT DOES NOT MORON BLUE STRANGER!!!.
The point system does not award nearly what it should when it comes to wins. 10 points over is nothing for winning.now go ahead and CRINGE A LITTLE MORE ANNOYING DRIVE BY LUNATIC.

9-13-2009 @ 3:55AM

msr0se2u said...

Poor poor Kyle. At least he didn't boo hoo too loud. Perhaps he just may be learning something... like growing up?

9-13-2009 @ 3:56AM

The best driver? Oooooo please....

9-13-2009 @ 4:25AM

egspec said...

Interesting.................Nobody mentions LOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER Jr,
Was he there?????

9-13-2009 @ 6:00AM

Brad said...

Interesting,,,,,wow they didn't mention Clint Bowyer, or Kevin Harvick in an article about Kyle Busch not making the Chase,,,,,Boy-oh-Boy that was real difficult to figure out why, Keep at it though EGGSPECK one of these days your comments might make sense to someone besides YOU.