2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup

The 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup was the ten-race playoff that determined the champion of the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, contested among the top twelve drivers following the Chevy Rock and Roll 400 on September 12 at Richmond International Raceway. The entire chase was broadcast on ABC in the USA and TSN 2 in Canada.

Format

For the second year, the twelve drivers who qualified for the Chase had their point totals reset to 5,000 points, with a ten-point bonus for each race they won prior to the Chase. The driver who earns the most points at the end of the Chase will be declared the 2009 series champion.

Changes

This year's changes were where the ten races will be. Atlanta Motor Speedway's fall date, the Pep Boys Auto 500, was switched to the Labor Day weekend, and Auto Club Speedway, which hosts the Pepsi 500, took the space in the race schedule. Talladega Superspeedway's date, the AMP Energy 500 was in return, moved to Atlanta's date with Auto Club moving into Talladega's original position.

Races

Date	Race	Site	Time (US ET)	2008 Winner	2009 Winner
9/20	2009 Sylvania 300	New Hampshire Motor Speedway	1 PM	Greg Biffle	Mark Martin
9/27	2009 AAA 400	Dover International Speedway	1 PM	Greg Biffle	Jimmie Johnson
10/4	2009 Price Chopper 400	Kansas Speedway	1 PM	Jimmie Johnson	Tony Stewart
10/11	2009 Pepsi 500	Auto Club Speedway	2:30 PM	Jimmie Johnson §	Jimmie Johnson
10/17	2009 NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America	Lowe's Motor Speedway	7 PM	Jeff Burton	Jimmie Johnson
10/25	2009 TUMS Fast Relief 500	Martinsville Speedway	1 PM	Jimmie Johnson	Denny Hamlin
11/1	2009 AMP Energy 500	Talladega Superspeedway	1 PM	Tony Stewart	Jamie McMurray‡
11/8	2009 Dickies 500	Texas Motor Speedway	2:30 PM	Carl Edwards	Kurt Busch
11/15	2009 Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500	Phoenix International Raceway	2:30 PM	Jimmie Johnson	Jimmie Johnson
11/22	2009 Ford 400	Homestead Miami Speedway	2:30 PM	Carl Edwards	Denny Hamlin

‡ – Ineligible for the Chase as he did not finish in Top 12.

Qualified Drivers

The 12 drivers who have qualified for the chase after the Chevy Rock and Roll 400

• Tony Stewart (Stewart Haas Racing #14 Chevrolet)
• Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick Motorsports #48 Chevrolet)
• Jeff Gordon (Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevrolet)
• Denny Hamlin (Joe Gibbs Racing #11 Toyota)
• Carl Edwards (Roush Fenway Racing #99 Ford)
• Kasey Kahne (Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Dodge)
• Kurt Busch (Penske Racing #2 Dodge)
• Juan Pablo Montoya (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing #42 Chevrolet)
• Ryan Newman (Stewart Haas Racing #39 Chevrolet)
• Mark Martin (Hendrick Motorsports #5 Chevrolet)
• Greg Biffle (Roush Fenway Racing #16 Ford)
• Brian Vickers (Red Bull Racing Team #83 Toyota)

Standings

Rank Current/Pre-Chase		Driver	Points/(Behind)		Poles	Wins Pre-Chase/Overall		Top 5	Top 10
1	1	Mark Martin	5040	Leader	6	4	4	9	14
2	2	Tony Stewart	5030	(−10)	0	3	3	13	18
3	3	Jimmie Johnson	5030	(−10)	1	3	3	9	15
4	4	Denny Hamlin	5020	(−20)	0	2	2	9	14
5	5	Kasey Kahne	5020	(−20)	0	2	2	5	10
6	6	Jeff Gordon	5010	(−30)	0	1	1	12	18
7	7	Kurt Busch	5010	(−30)	0	1	1	7	14
8	8	Brian Vickers	5010	(−30)	6	1	1	4	13
9	9	Carl Edwards	5000	(−40)	0	0	0	7	11
10	10	Ryan Newman	5000	(−40)	1	0	0	5	12
11	11	Juan Pablo Montoya	5000	(−40)	1	0	0	2	12
12	12	Greg Biffle	5000	(−40)	0	0	0	8	12

Results

NOTE: Standings in Cup points before the race in parentheses.

Race One: 2009 Sylvania 300

Results: Mark Martin (1) Denny Hamlin (4) Juan Pablo Montoya (11) Jimmie Johnson (3) Kyle Busch Kurt Busch (6) Ryan Newman (7) Elliott Sadler Greg Biffle (12) Clint Bowyer Other Chase drivers: 11. Brian Vickers (8) 14. Tony Stewart (2) 15. Jeff Gordon (6) 17. Carl Edwards (9) 38. Kasey Kahne (5)

Point Standings: Mark Martin 5,230 points Jimmie Johnson – 35 Denny Hamlin – 35 (Third by tiebreaker) Juan Pablo Montoya – 55 Kurt Busch – 65 Tony Stewart – 76 Ryan Newman – 79 Brian Vickers – 90 Greg Biffle – 92 Jeff Gordon – 102 Carl Edwards – 113 Kasey Kahne – 161

Race Two: 2009 AAA 400

Results: Jimmie Johnson (2) Mark Martin (1) Matt Kenseth Juan Pablo Montoya (4) Kurt Busch (5) Jeff Gordon (10) A. J. Allmendinger Kasey Kahne (12) Tony Stewart (6) Ryan Newman (7) Other Chase drivers: 11. Carl Edwards (11) 13. Greg Biffle (9) 18. Brian Vickers (8) 22. Denny Hamlin (3)

Point Standings: Mark Martin 5,400 points Jimmie Johnson – 10 Juan Pablo Montoya – 65 Kurt Busch – 75 Tony Stewart – 106 Denny Hamlin – 108 Ryan Newman – 110 Jeff Gordon – 122 Greg Biffle – 138 Brian Vickers – 151 Carl Edwards – 153 Kasey Kahne – 189

Race Three: 2009 Price Chopper 400

Results: Tony Stewart (5) Jeff Gordon (8) Greg Biffle (9) Juan Pablo Montoya (4) Denny Hamlin (6) Kasey Kahne (12) Mark Martin (1) David Reutimann Jimmie Johnson (2) Carl Edwards (11) Other Chase drivers: 11. Kurt Busch (4) 22. Ryan Newman (7) 37. Brian Vickers (10)

Point Standings: Mark Martin 5,551 points Jimmie Johnson – 18 Juan Pablo Montoya – 51 Tony Stewart – 67 Kurt Busch – 91 Denny Hamlin – 99 Jeff Gordon – 103 Greg Biffle – 114 Ryan Newman – 164 Carl Edwards – 165 Kasey Kahne – 190 Brian Vickers – 250

Race Four: 2009 Pepsi 500

Results: Jimmie Johnson (2) Jeff Gordon (7) Juan Pablo Montoya (3) Mark Martin (1) Tony Stewart (4) Carl Edwards (10) David Ragan Kurt Busch (5) Clint Bowyer Kevin Harvick Other Chase drivers: 13. Ryan Newman (9) 20. Greg Biffle (8) 29. Brian Vickers (12) 34. Kasey Kahne (11) 37. Denny Hamlin (6)

Point Standings: Jimmie Johnson 5728 points Mark Martin – 12 Juan Pablo Montoya – 58 Tony Stewart – 84 Jeff Gordon – 105 Kurt Busch – 121 Greg Biffle – 188 Carl Edwards – 192 Denny Hamlin – 219 Ryan Newman – 223 Kasey Kahne – 306 Brian Vickers – 351

Race Five: 2009 NASCAR Banking 500 Only from Bank of America

Results: Jimmie Johnson (1) Matt Kenseth Kasey Kahne (11) Jeff Gordon (5) Joey Logano Clint Bowyer Casey Mears Kyle Busch Martin Truex, Jr. Kurt Busch (6) Other Chase drivers: 11. Ryan Newman (10) 13. Tony Stewart (4) 16. Greg Biffle (7) 17. Mark Martin (2) 34. Brian Vickers (12) 35. Juan Pablo Montoya (3) 39. Carl Edwards (8) 42. Denny Hamlin (9)

Point Standings: Jimmie Johnson 5933 points Mark Martin – 90 Jeff Gordon – 135 Tony Stewart – 155 Kurt Busch – 177 Juan Pablo Montoya – 195 Greg Biffle – 268 Ryan Newman – 288 Kasey Kahne – 331 Carl Edwards – 341 Denny Hamlin – 372 Brian Vickers – 485

Race Six: 2009 TUMS Fast Relief 500

Results: Denny Hamlin (11) Jimmie Johnson (1) Juan Pablo Montoya (6) Kyle Busch Jeff Gordon (3) Jamie McMurray Ryan Newman (8) Mark Martin (2) Tony Stewart (4) Kevin Harvick Other Chase drivers: 11. Brian Vickers (12) 17. Kurt Busch (5) 20. Carl Edwards (10) 25. Greg Biffle (7) 32. Kasey Kahne (9)

Point Standings: Jimmie Johnson 6098 points Mark Martin – 118 Jeff Gordon – 150 Tony Stewart – 192 Juan Pablo Montoya – 200 Kurt Busch – 240 Ryan Newman – 312 Greg Biffle – 350 Denny Hamlin – 352 Carl Edwards – 413 Kasey Kahne – 439 Brian Vickers – 530

Race Seven: 2009 AMP Energy 500

Results: Jamie McMurray Kasey Kahne (11) Joey Logano Greg Biffle (8) Jeff Burton Jimmie Johnson (1) Michael Waltrip Brad Keselowski Elliott Sadler Bobby Labonte Other Chase drivers: 13. Brian Vickers (12) 14. Carl Edwards (10) 19. Juan Pablo Montoya (5) 20. Jeff Gordon (3) 28. Mark Martin (2) 30. Kurt Busch (6) 35. Tony Stewart (4) 36. Ryan Newman (7) 38. Denny Hamlin (9)

Point Standings: Jimmie Johnson 6248 points Mark Martin –184 Jeff Gordon –192 Juan Pablo Montoya –239 Tony Stewart –279 Kurt Busch –312 Greg Biffle –340 Ryan Newman –402 Kasey Kahne –414 Carl Edwards –437 Denny Hamlin –448 Brian Vickers –551

Preceded by 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup

NASCAR seasons 2009

Succeeded by 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series