The Chase for the Nascar Sprint Cup Championship is about to start. Just one race is left before it begins. One race left for drivers to earn a chance to compete for the 2015 Nascar Sprint Cup Series Championship. One little race. Richmond.

As of now elven drivers are secure in the Chase. Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keslowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Martin Truex Jr. All 11 off them have wins and are secure.

That leaves five spots. Jamie McMurray is the highest ranking driver as far as points go. All he has to do is start the race at Richmond and he is in the Chase. No matter what happens.

Since just one race remains until the Chase, only one more position can be filled by a win. Thus, at least four spots will be filled because of points. As of now, the remaining spots are filled by Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer. Right now, Bowyer and Menard are both in a position where they could lose their spot due to points.

Kasey Kahne and Aric Almirola are both within striking distance of Bowyer and Menard, but it would take an awful race by Bowyer or Menard for Kasey or Aric to have a decent chance at them. However, it is possible.

However, any driver in the top-thirty in points can make the Chase. They have to win. Richmond is not what you would call a wild card track. Usually there are only so many drivers who can win here. However, several of said drivers don’t have a Chase spot.

Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, Casey Mears, and several others have been good here in the past. One good race will turn your season around. Tony Stewart seems to be the best candidate for a win at the last-minute. He has won at Richmond several times, including his first career win. And he claims this is his favorite track, so who knows what could happen.

As far as my picks to win the race or make the Chase go, I believe that Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Paul Menard will all retain their spots. I think that a new winner will emerge and give Clint Bowyer the boot. However, I’m only guessing. I can’t predict everything perfectly. All we can do is watch the green flag wave, and go racing.