Ambrose wins in Sprint Cup

[bileduct]

Both of Team Penske's cars are in the top 3. Hendrick Racing has all four of their cars in the top 11.

 

[Jimbo]

The top eight in NASCAR are currently separated by 18 points, with 43 for a win. That's wide open

Whereas Penske's three Indycars this year were first, second and fourth

 

[bileduct]

Jimbo, it looks "wide open" because that's what The Chase is designed to do. After 26 races 16 drivers (qualification based on winning a race during the season, and total points won) are reset to 2000 points plus 3 points for every win. That's why there's a 1300 point gap between 16th and 17th place.

Before The Chase started (Race 27) there was actually 124 points separating 1st place (872) and 8th place (748).

There's only been one race in The Chase so far, and that's why there aren't many point separating the top 16 drivers after the reset.

 

[bileduct]

Aric Almirola, Ambrose's team mate, made The Chase despite finishing 22nd overall in the regular season. He was credited with a win at Daytona because he was leading the race when it was abandoned due to rain.

He was 278 points behind 1st place at the end of the regular season, but the points reset put him only 9 points behind 1st place at the beginning of The Chase.

If anyone is dominating NASCAR it would be Hendrick Motorsports. They have four cars and three finished the regular season in the top 6, and all of them made The Chase. Team Penske only has two cars and both of them finished the regular season in the top 5.