Can you name the non-Chase driver who has scored the most points through the first six races of the Chase?
Last year, Kasey Kahne failed to qualify for the Chase but with the help of a win at Phoenix in the next-to-last race of the season, he ended up with the third most points of any driver over the final 10 races of the season. Safe to say this year, there's no Kasey Kahne in 2012. so if you're struggling to find the answer to the question above, don't feel bad.
If you've felt that the front of the field has been dominated by Chase drivers through Kansas, you're not wrong. In fact, in these six races, the top 1o scoring drivers are all Chasers, and if it wasn't for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s concussion, Chasers would likely be 11 for 12.
The highest scoring non-Chase driver is Kyle Busch in 12th, who has accumulated 190 points, one point behind Kevin Harvick and eight points ahead of Greg Biffle. And these six races have been much like his entire 2012, with four top seven finishes and a 28th place and a 31st place finish. Oh, and Busch is in 13th in the points standings, the highest non-Chase driver, so it's not even a big departure from the season as a whole anyway.
And Busch's situation is pretty much the story throughout the rest of the standings; drivers have generally performed to the level of their first 26 races in these last six. It's not too surprising given the (little) level of variance we've seen throughout the season in the Cup Series, and it makes Kahne's performance last year that more remarkable. This year's� most notable riser may be Regan Smith, who has scored 147 points, good enough to tie for 17th over the last six races. Smith is 23rd overall.
The points through the first six Chase races:
1. Brad Keselowski 241 (1st overall)
2. Jimmie Johnson 234 (2nd)
3. Kasey Kahne 220 (5th)
4. Clint Bowyer 219 (4th)
5. Denny Hamlin 218 (3rd)
6. Martin Truex Jr. 207 (6th)
7. Jeff Gordon 199 (8th)
8. Tony Stewart 194 (7th)
9. Matt Kenseth 192 (9th)
10. Kevin Harvick 191 (10th)
11. Kyle Busch 190 (13th)
12. Greg Biffle 182 (11th)
13. Joey Logano 179 (18th)
14. Ryan Newman 169 (15th)
15. Carl Edwards 164 (14th)
16. Paul Menard 158 (16th)
17. Aric Almirola 147 (21st)
18. Regan Smith 147 (23rd)
19. Jeff Burton 133 (19th)
20. Mark Martin 131 (25th, has run 21 races)
21. Jamie McMurray 130 (20th)
22. David Ragan 127 (27th)
23. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 125 (12th, missed two Chase races)
24. Marcos Ambrose 125 (17th)
25. Travis Kvapil 125 (29th)
26. Bobby Labonte 121 (24th)
27. Juan Montoya 120 (22nd)
28. David Gilliland 112 (28th)
29. Kurt Busch 100 (26th)
30. Landon Cassill 98 (31st)
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