The 2017 Winston Cup Series: Richmond's wild finish

Martin Truex Jr. crashes on the final lap at Richmond, after contact with Denny Hamlin. Truex, who led 198 of 404 laps, wound up 20th.

     In the "regular season finale" at Richmond, Martin Truex Jr. dominated, but it was Kyle Larson who sneaked by with a win after a late caution. After a long green flag run to the finish, Derrick Cope brought out the caution with only a few laps remaining. This cost Truex Jr. the lead, and eventually the race. Larson took off on the final restart, while Denny Hamlin and Truex made contact in Turn 1 and crashed on the final lap. Truex finished 20th after running up front all night... As much as I hated the finish, it's redemption in a way for Larson. The #42 had the same result at Dover back in June, when he led by nearly half a lap only to have the caution come out late and cost him the race to Jimmie Johnson. You win some, you lose some...
     Coming home in 2nd was Joey Logano, followed by Ryan Newman, Kurt Busch, and Hamlin. Jimmie Johnson got his first top-ten since New Hampshire in July... Dale Earnhardt Jr. led briefly and finished 13th... and Matt Kenseth finished 38th, after an ambulance blocked the entrance to pit road under caution and caused damage to several cars. Clint Bowyer, who was the focus of several "must-win" headlines, finished 23rd, one lap down.

Kyle Larson celebrates his surprise win at Richmond

     For Larson, it's his fourth win of the season, and first career win at a short track. For me, Larson's 2017 really reminds me of Jeff Gordon in 1995. That year Gordon, who was already well established, won seven races and his first championship. Larson has shown the same prowess this year, after sweeping at Michigan, wins at California and Richmond, and finishing 2nd seven times. Aside from a 35-point penalty after Kentucky that set him back in the standings, Larson has been a frontrunner all year long. He's one of the biggest threats for the championship with ten races to go...

Top 5 in classic points

     So with that, here's your non-chase/playoffs top five... After finishing 20th, Martin Truex Jr. now leads Kyle Busch by only 13 points. Harvick trails in 3rd by 24 points, followed by Larson, and Denny Hamlin (Hamlin was penalized 25 points after his Darlington win, so that sets him back). The gap from Truex to Brad Keselowski in 6th is 84 points, so your top-5 is currently the chase for the title...

Top 25 in classic points
(click for a closer look)

     Looking at the top-25 after Richmond, drivers who the Playoffs would benefit are currently out of the championship hunt. The biggest example is Jimmie Johnson, whose poor summer has cost him in points, despite his three wins this year. Both Austin Dillon and Kasey Kahne, who made the playoffs on their wins, are actually back in 20th and 21st. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney don't fare much better, in 16th and 18th. One driver who has gone slightly unrecognized is Ryan Newman with four straight top-tens, helping him jump from 13th in points after Watkins Glen to 9th. And with their lack of wins, both Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray are having great seasons, running 7th and 8th in points.
     Here's the big storyline on this blog: Of the top-5 drivers, only one has won a championship (using the old format). Right now, Kevin Harvick is going for his 3rd straight title, something that nobody has done since Cale Yarborough in 1978 (Jimmie Johnson's five straight don't count). Meanwhile, Truex Jr. has had a career resurgence, and a championship would be icing on the cake. And in his 4th season, young gun Kyle Larson is at peak performance. Now more than ever, finishes are extremely important down the stretch. We'll see what happens in the final ten races, without the Chase.

NASCAR drivers salute the fans before the start of the 2017 Federated Auto Parts 400