Richmond is always one of the most exciting races on the circuit. Not just for the tight racing, but for how much is at stake. A spot in the 16 driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field. And this season, four spots were up for grabs.

Denny Hamlin won the pole for the race, but was quickly passed by  Martin Truex Jr. Truex would go on to lead a race high 193 laps. While Truex was cruising, all eyes were on the Chase bubble drivers. Chase Elliot was struggling, Austin Dillon was steady, Chris Buescher was floundering, Jami McMurray was performing, and Ryan Newman was like a yo-yo. The Chase standings were constantly shifting, and no one new who would be where at the end of the night.

Then, past the halfway mark, the race changed dramatically. Cautions began to fall again and again. Crew chiefs found themselves wondering how best to spend their precious tires. Driver found themselves in the middle of crazy restarts.

Then, speeding penalties came into play. And Truex was one of the drivers to suffer. Truex however, was not about to give up. With smart strategy and a fast car, he managed to work his way back to the front.

As the cautions continued to fall, the Chase field changed. Elliot, McMurray, and Dillon all found themselves at the edge of the Chase bubble, and Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne, the two biggest threats to steal a Chase spot, found themselves driving like mad to find some way in the Chase.

The best chance for either Newman or Kahne to make the Chase was for Chris Buescher to finish far enough behind David Ragan that he fell out of the top-30 in points. But as luck would have it, Newman’s aggression, was his own down fall.

More than once over the course of the night, Newman found himself racing Tony Stewart. And as the race progressed, Newman became more desperate. But Stewart isn’t someone you can pound into and get away with it.

Late in the race, Newman hit Stewart several times in one corner, trying to pass him for eighth. However, Stewart wasn’t giving an inch, and he was tired of Newman running into him. Thus Stewart cut across the front of Newman’s car, sending them both into the inside wall, and collecting David Ragan, among others, in the chaos. Thus, Newman’s aggression not only got him wrecked, but by collecting Ragan, he ended his one other hope of making the Chase.

In an interview after the wreck, Newman made several uncalled for and inappropriate comments about Stewart, even going so far as to call him bipolar, and insulting him for a 2014 sprint car accident which killed Kevin Ward Jr.

Stewart refused to comment directly after the wreck ,and went straight to his hauler to calm down. After the race’s finish, however, Stewart was more open, stating he did purposefully cut across Newman, but because he felt Newman was giving him little reason not to. “I gave him 3 passess,” said Stewart. “That’s two more than I usually give people.” Stewart was not at all aggressive toward Newman in his interview, stating Newman was only angry because he missed the Chase.

While all this happened, the race finally started to steady out. After a lap 367 restart, Denny Hamlin appeared to be cruising to victory. For the first time in 150 laps, the race hadn’t had a caution within about 25 lap of a restart. But as Hamlin prepared to take the white flag, Regan Smith flew into the wall, and the caution flew.

Now Hamlin was presented with a question. Should he pit for fresh tires, or should he stay on the track? Well, he and several others stayed out, but several drivers came to pit road as well. When the race restarted, the closest drivers with fresh tires were Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson, in 11th and 12th.

Hamlin got a great jump on the restart, but Kyle Larson looked like he was riding a rocket. When the white flag waved, Larson was up to 4th. And through turns 1 and 2, Larson got a huge run. But Martin Truex cut up the track in front of Larson down the backstretch, holding Larson up. Larson managed to get by Truex through turns 3 and 4, but by that time, Hamlin was to far.

Hamlin won his third race of the season, and his third at Richmond. Larson was 2nd, followed by Truex in 3rd. And as the field cycled through, the Chase field was set.

Here they are. Brad Keslowski, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson, Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher, Chase Elliot, Austin Dillon, and Jamie McMurray.

For the first time since Denny Hamlin in 2006, a rookie made the Chase. And for the first time ever, two rookies made it. Both Chris Buescher and Chase Elliot have proved themselves to be both clever and fast, and both deserve their spots. Two other first time Chase driver are Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson. Both Larson and Dillon have been outstanding this year, and Larson at least seems capable of a championship run.Larson’s teammate McMurray has been consistent over the season, but he needs to pick up the pace to stay in the championship hunt. For Tony Stewart, he has made the Chase in his final season ,and he has won a race, which is more than many legends can say of their last season. Stewart and teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch all have fast cars, and anyone of this trio, or all three, are capable of making it to the final Chase round. Joey Logano and Brad Keslowski seem to be losing steam. Neither has won since July, but both have multiple wins in the past two Chases. However, if they are to compete for a title, both must not drive like idiots, which has been a problem for them. Oh, and both should avoid Matt Kenseth at all costs. As for the five Joe Gibbs affiliated drivers, they enter this year’s Chase as the favorites. Kyle Busch, Hamlin, Kenseth, Edwards, and Truex all have at least to wins each, and all three have been spectacular. Four of these could easily be the Championship four. But I’m not making my predictions yet. Stay tuned for my Chase preview later this week. So long for now, and get ready for one heck of a Chase.