The 2008 Chase for the Sprint Cup[ 1] was contested in the final ten races of the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to determine a champion. The Chase began with the Sylvania 300 on September 14, 2008 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and ended with the Ford 400 on November 16, 2008 at Homestead-Miami Speedway . The 2008 Chase was won by Jimmie Johnson , his third consecutive championship.
From 2004 through 2007, the championship system was known as the "Chase for the Nextel Cup", but with the 2005 merger of Sprint and Nextel , the name of the series became known as the Sprint Cup Series in 2008.
Chase Standings
PL
Seed
Driver
Pts
Behind
P
W
T5
T10
DNF
1
3
Jimmie Johnson
6,073
Leader 5
6
13
20
1
2
9
Greg Biffle
5,924
(−149)
2
2
11
15
3
3
7
Jeff Burton
5,921
(−152)
0
2
7
17
2
4
2
Carl Edwards
5,875
(−168)
1
6
15
23
2
5
5
Clint Bowyer
5,831
(−242)
0
1
5
15
0
6
11
Kevin Harvick
5,817
(−256)
0
0
6
16
0
7
10
Jeff Gordon
5,798
(−275)
3
0
11
16
5
8
8
Tony Stewart
5,735
(−338)
0
1
10
15
3
9
4
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5,694
(−379)
1
1
10
15
1
10
12
Matt Kenseth
5,665
(−408)
0
0
8
18
3
11
6
Denny Hamlin
5,653
(−420)
1
1
10
16
3
12
1
Kyle Busch
5,628
(−445)
2
8
16
18
2
Seedings at the start of The Chase
Seed
Driver
P
1
Kyle Busch
5,080
2
Carl Edwards
5,050♦
3
Jimmie Johnson
5,040
4
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5,010
5
Clint Bowyer
5,010
6
Denny Hamlin
5,010
7
Jeff Burton
5,010
8
Tony Stewart
5,000
9
Greg Biffle
5,000
10
Jeff Gordon
5,000
11
Kevin Harvick
5,000
12
Matt Kenseth
5,000
♦ – Edwards was docked the ten-point winner's bonus as a result of a violation found during post-race inspection at the UAW-Dodge 400 in Las Vegas .
Regular season standings with seeding change
PL
Driver
₧
Behind
+/-
1
Ky. Busch
3,878
Leader N/C
2
Edwards
3,671
(−207)
N/C
3
Johnson
3,576
(−302)
N/C
4
Earnhardt Jr.
3,488
(−390)
N/C
5
J. Burton
3,384
(−394)
-2
6
Stewart
3,285
(−493)
-2
7
Harvick
3,283
(−495)
-4
8
Biffle
3,280
(−498)
-1
9
Hamlin
3,235
(−543)
+3
10
J. Gordon
3,221
(−657)
N/C
11
Kenseth
3,132
(−746)
-1
12
Bowyer
3,116
(−762)
+7
Date
Race
Track
2007 winner
2008 winner
September 14
Sylvania 300
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire
Clint Bowyer
Greg Biffle
September 21
Camping World RV 400
Dover International Speedway Dover, Delaware
Carl Edwards
Greg Biffle
September 28
Camping World RV 400 presented by Coleman
Kansas Speedway Kansas City, Kansas
Greg Biffle≠
Jimmie Johnson
October 5
AMP Energy 500
Talladega Superspeedway Talladega, Alabama
Jeff Gordon
Tony Stewart
October 11
Bank of America 500 ♣
Lowe's Motor Speedway Concord, North Carolina
Jeff Gordon
Jeff Burton
October 19
TUMS QuikPak 500
Martinsville Speedway Martinsville, Virginia
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
October 26
Pep Boys Auto 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia
Jimmie Johnson
Carl Edwards
November 2
Dickies 500 ♣
Texas Motor Speedway Fort Worth, Texas
Jimmie Johnson
Carl Edwards
November 9
Checker Auto Parts 500
Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson
November 16
Ford 400 ♣
Homestead-Miami Speedway Homestead, Florida
Matt Kenseth
Carl Edwards
≠ — Non-qualifier for the 2007 Chase .Italics ♣ – Denotes night race or race that will start in the late afternoon and finish at night.
This marked the second year of exclusive national television coverage of the Chase for the Sprint Cup on ABC . Dr. Jerry Punch remained in the play-by-play position, with Andy Petree in one color commentary position, but there were changes in the booth and host position.
Brent Musburger and Suzy Kolber were out in the host position, and former MRN Radio , TNT and NBC play-by-play voice Allen Bestwick took their place after spending the 2007 season on pit road. Joining him were 1989 NASCAR series champion Rusty Wallace and JTG Daugherty Racing owner and former Cleveland Cavaliers center Brad Daugherty in the on-site studio, while 1999 series champion Dale Jarrett took Wallace's spot in the broadcast booth and Shannon Spake replaced Bestwick on pit road, joining Jamie Little , Dave Burns and Mike Massaro .
NOTE: Actual race finish in parentheses.
Results:
Greg Biffle (1)
Jimmie Johnson (2)
Carl Edwards (3)
Jeff Burton (4)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5)
Tony Stewart (8)
Denny Hamlin (9)
Kevin Harvick (10)
Clint Bowyer (12)
Jeff Gordon (14)
Kyle Busch (35)
Matt Kenseth (40)
Point Standings:
Carl Edwards 5,220 ₧ (leader via tiebreaker with Johnson, six wins)
Jimmie Johnson tied
Greg Biffle −30
Dale Earnhardt Jr. -50 (fourth via tiebreak with Burton, more top 5 finishes)
Jeff Burton −50
Denny Hamlin −72
Tony Stewart −77
Kyle Busch −78
Clint Bowyer −83
Kevin Harvick −86
Jeff Gordon −99
Matt Kenseth −177
Results:
Greg Biffle (1)
Matt Kenseth (2)
Carl Edwards (3)
Jimmie Johnson (5)
Kevin Harvick(6)
Jeff Gordon (7)
Clint Bowyer (8)
Jeff Burton (9)
Tony Stewart (11)
Dale Earhnhardt Jr. (24)
Denny Hamlin (39)
Kyle Busch (43)
Points:
Carl Edwards, 5,390 ₧, leader
Jimmie Johnson −10 (Second via tiebreaker with Biffle, four wins)
Greg Biffle −10
Jeff Burton −82
Kevin Harvick −101
Clint Bowyer −106
Tony Stewart −113
Jeff Gordon −118
Dale Earhnardt Jr. -129
Matt Kenseth −167
Denny Hamlin, −193
Kyle Busch, −210
Results:
Jimmie Johnson (1)
Carl Edwards (2)
Greg Biffle (3)
Jeff Gordon (4)
Matt Kenseth (5)
Kevin Harvick (6)
Jeff Burton (7)
Denny Hamlin (11)
Clint Bowyer (12)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13)
Kyle Busch (28)
Tony Stewart (40)
Points:
Jimmie Johnson, 5,575 ₧, leader
Carl Edwards, −10
Greg Biffle, −30
Jeff Burton, −121
Kevin Harvick, −136
Jeff Gordon, −143
Clint Bowyer, −164
Dale Earnhardt Jr., −190
Matt Kenseth, −192
Denny Hamlin, −243
Tony Stewart, −255
Kyle Busch, −311
Results:
Tony Stewart (1)
Jeff Burton (4)
Clint Bowyer (5)
Jimmie Johnson (9)
Kyle Busch (15)
Kevin Harvick (20)
Greg Biffle (24)
Matt Kenseth (26)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (28)
Carl Edwards (29)
Jeff Gordon (38)
Denny Hamlin (39)
Points:
Jimmie Johnson, 5,718 ₧, leader
Carl Edwards, −72
Greg Biffle, −77
Jeff Burton, −99
Clint Bowyer, −152
Kevin Harvick, −171
Tony Stewart, −203
Jeff Gordon, −232
Matt Kenseth, −245
Dale Earnhardt Jr., −249
Kyle Busch, −331
Denny Hamlin, −335
Results:
Jeff Burton (1)
Kyle Busch (4)
Jimmie Johnson (6)
Greg Biffle (7)
Jeff Gordon (8)
Tony Stewart (11)
Clint Bowyer (12)
Kevin Harvick (13)
Denny Hamlin (16)
Carl Edwards (33)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (36)
Matt Kenseth (41)
Points:
Jimmie Johnson, 5,878 ₧, leader
Jeff Burton, −69
Greg Biffle, −86
Carl Edwards, −168
Clint Bowyer, −185
Kevin Harvick, −207
Tony Stewart, −228
Jeff Gordon, −245
Kyle Busch, −326
Dale Earnhardt Jr., −354
Matt Kenseth, −360
Denny Hamlin, −380
Results:
Jimmie Johnson (1)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2)
Carl Edwards (3)
Jeff Gordon (4)
Denny Hamlin (5)
Kevin Harvick (7)
Matt Kenseth (8)
Clint Bowyer (9)
Greg Biffle (12)
Jeff Burton (17)
Tony Stewart (26)
Kyle Busch (29)
Points:
Jimmie Johnson, 6,073 ₧, leader
Greg Biffle, −149
Jeff Burton, −152
Carl Edwards, −198
Clint Bowyer, −242
Kevin Harvick, −256
Jeff Gordon, −275
Tony Stewart, −338
Dale Earnhardt Jr., −379
Matt Kenseth, −408
Denny Hamlin, −420
Kyle Busch, −445