Richmond settles the playoff chase

Monday, Sept. 13, 2004 | 10:13 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

At this time last season, driver Jeremy Mayfield and team owner Ray Evernham were trying to decide whether they should stay together for 2004.

They did, and it's hard to imagine things working out much better. Mayfield won a race for the first time in four years Saturday night, allowing his No. 19 team to become perhaps the biggest surprise qualifier for NASCAR's new playoff-style championship format.

As the last race in what is now considered NASCAR's regular season, Richmond suddenly took on a great deal of significance. Any driver who wasn't in the top 10 in points or within 400 points of the leader at the end of the night would not be eligible to run for the championship in the final 10 races.

Going into Saturday, seven drivers -- Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler and Kurt Busch -- had either clinched or nearly clinched a playoff spot.

That left eight drivers to scrap for the last three spots.

Predictions of wild and crazy fender-banging action didn't come true, but the constant who's-in, who's-out shifting of positions eight through 10 added intrigue.

Saturday's winners: Mayfield, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman.

The losers: Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick and Dale Jarrett. Kahne's eligibility bid deflated when he was bumped by Earnhardt on lap 206, and McMurray, who finished ninth, came within 16 points of qualifying.

Fernandez's first win, at Kentucky, came under similar circumstances, as he held off late challenges from Buddy Rice, Dan Wheldon and Kosuke Matsurra.

Barrichello recorded the eighth Formula One victory of his career and his second at Monza in two years.