Matt Kenseth gives Gibbs one more win heading into NASCAR’s Chase

Jamie McMurray clinched his berth as soon as he took the green flag, but Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer all had to protect their positions.

Joey Logano ran third on Saturday night, followed by Aric Almirola, whose gallant bid to crack the Chase grid fell 17 points short of the final position claimed by Menard. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,006; 7.

He went to Victory Lane in just his second career Sprint Cup start – earlier than any other driver in his career.

Tonight’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond has a start time schedule of 7:30pm eastern time and airs on NBCSN, the NBC Sports Network.

“Certainly right now as a company we’re on a roll”, said Kenseth, who led 352 of the 400 laps. “That should help us along with a good pit stall”.

“This was a really important race for us”.

It’s a great moment for the No. 1 team as the culmination of their hard work has them competing for a championship. “But I know that we can beat anybody as we go through a week-to-week basis on any style racetrack”. He ended up being lapped and looked like the rest of the traffic at Richmond for once this season. Hamlin, who is racing with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, was no slouch over that period, with five top-five finishes.

Then and now: Sprint Cup regular Denny Hamlin won last Saturday’s Xfinity race at Darlington Raceway, the sixth time a Toyota has won an Xfinity race in the last eight starts…

Kenseth was pleased to be among the fastest cars, but said he missed his line on his qualifying run and was disappointed to not get the pole.

The team owner could barely stand to watch.

“It’s more of an inconvenience and uncomfortable thing as opposed to pain”, he said. Mike Remmers will see some action at center. I saw a hand come out the window, and I wasn’t sure what it was showing for a minute or two. “So this was a little sweeter to get him punched in there pretty solid”.

“I think that’s when I’m always the most nervous, when you got your cars up front and having a good night”. The restarts were really good. “Thanks to all the guys behind me”.

When I came in danger of one of their their best tracks you know in the last couple years it’s just been one of our worst.

“I think we can give it a shot here”. He was eliminated in the second round of last year’s version, failing to win a Chase race until it was too late.

Notes: Roush Fenway Racing failed to place a auto in the Chase for the first time in the organization’s history…. He was rookie of the year in his first full season – 2003. “It means a lot to do it in my final year and know 11 out of 12 Chases, we’ve made it”.

How dominant has Joe Gibbs Racing been this season on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit?

The race was relatively uneventful, though Michael McDowell provided a curious incident when he clipped a safety truck during a debris caution and tore much of the back end from his auto .

Hamlin and Busch combined to lead 23 laps, giving the team 375 for the night.