Denver-based Furniture Row Racing will make its second appearance in the Chase playoffs Sept. 20, but its first appearance under NASCAR’s elimination-style format that was introduced before the 2014 season.
In 2013, then-FRR driver Kurt Busch advanced to the 10-race Chase, finishing 10th in a 13-car playoff field. Under the current format, FRR’s Martin Truex Jr. is not guaranteed to be in playoff contention with the No. 78 Chevrolet beyond the third Chase race.
Truex, however, is producing Furniture Row’s best season, having consistently run up front since February. His lone victory June 7 at Pocono in Pennsylvania clinched his playoff berth, but he says the team is due for better finishes. Truex is sixth in the point standings, but ninth in the Chase ladder, because multiple-win drivers leapfrog him based on NASCAR’s emphasis on victories.
“We’re pleased with our record so far, but also feel that it should be better. We’ve had top-performing cars all year and should have had more wins at this point of the season,” Truex said. “I guess that’s a good-news, bad-news scenario. If we can avoid some of that bad luck and stay error free, this single-car team out of Denver has the potential of doing something special.”
That “something” would be to go into the Nov. 22 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway as one of four championship contenders. The playoff field goes from 16 to 12, eight and four drivers before the best finish among the four at Homestead-Miami Speedway wins it all.
The three three-race segments are called challenger (16 drivers), contender (12) and eliminator (eight), with the one-race championship (four) round identifying the champion.
Two races remain before the Chase begins. The series competes at Darlington, S.C., on Sunday before the regular-season finale Sept. 12 at Richmond, Va. Truex hopes to improve on his Chase start with a strong two-race stretch.
“Darlington is an awesome racetrack — it’s so much fun and definitely a challenge. It’s a place you can never let your guard down,” Truex said. “Driving down in the corner and sliding the car right up against the wall, knowing that the closer you can get to the wall the faster you will go. It’s hard to not hit the wall, and that’s why you’re on the edge the entire time at Darlington.
“You have to be aggressive there, but at the same time be perfect because you’re about a half an inch away from the wall.”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or
Nascar’s chase
Playoffs seeding
Each of the 16 drivers who qualifies for the Chase starts with 2,000 points, plus three points for each victory during the first 26 regular- season races. After the bonus points for victories are added, drivers are ranked in order of their points.
Challenger round (three races)
The 16 drivers will race at Chicago, New Hampshire and Dover, Del., for the 12 spots available in the next round. A victory at any of the three races equals advancement to the next round.
Contender round (three races)
The 12 drivers will battle at Charlotte, N.C., Kansas and Talladega, Ala., for the eight spots available in the next round. A victory secures a spot into the next round.
Eliminator round (three races)
The eight drivers will battle at Martinsville (Va.), Texas and Phoenix for the four spots available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. A victory at any of the three races clinches advancement.
Championship round (one race)
The four finalists will start this race tied, and the highest finisher among them at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship for 2015.
Source: NASCAR
