Despite emphasis on winning, consistency proving important in NASCAR’s Chase

Never before in NASCAR history has winning carried more importance. A win during the regular season automatically qualified a driver for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Win a playoff race and you automatically advanced to the next round.

The emphasis on winning was a departure from the longstanding emphasis on consistency, which whether in the entirety of the season or in the Chase, was always paramount to claiming the championship.

Going forward, though, consistency seemed to matter less under the modified Chase format.

But as the revised playoffs have played out for the first time through six races and two stages of eliminations, the significance hasn’t diminished. In fact, its importance is still clear for all to see.

Of the eight drivers who advanced to the Eliminator Round, which begins Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, two have not won a race all season (Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth). Two other Chasers (Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards) haven’t paid a visit to Victory Lane since early May and mid-June, respectively.

“Our strength has been our consistency,” Newman said. “But in saying that, the last three races have been the strength of our consistency. Having a sixth-, seventh- and fifth- (place finishes) when it really matters was important to us.”

That philosophy was evident in how the Chase played out in Round 2. Newman, Hamlin, Kenseth and Edwards finished, in order, third through sixth in points to advance with relative ease.

Whereas the more successful Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt, with a combined six wins on the year, were eliminated not just because they failed to win a Chase race, but also due to a lack of consistency. Neither recorded a finish better than 17th in the second round. A stark contrast to Newman, who had an average finish of sixth, and Hamlin, who posted an 11.3 average finish.

“It shows that collecting points is still important,” Johnson said. “We’ve been so focused on winning that there is an argument that overlooked just having solid runs. It’s not a bad approach to go out there and be conscious of top-fives, top-10’s and staying alive.”

Whether Newman, Hamlin, Kenseth or Edwards can continue relying on consistency to remain in the Chase is a big question entering the Eliminator Round. Because of the setup, it’s a guarantee at least one driver will make it to Homestead based on their points total over the next three weeks.

“We feel like we know what we need to do, and if we continue to do things the way we’ve been doing them, I feel more confident about making it to the next round than I did about either of the first two rounds,” Edwards said.

As evident by his strong Round 2 performance, Newman feels his team is peaking at the most opportune time. The No. 31 group was markedly improved in second visits to Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, and Newman expects that trend to carry through to Martinsville and the two races thereafter.

“We get back to some of these racetracks a second time,” said Newman, in his first year with Richard Childress Racing. “That’s our chance to show our ability of what we’ve learned from the first experience together as a team.”

Like Newman, Hamlin thinks his team will continue to demonstrate consistency, but his expectations are even higher. With Martinsville (four career wins), Texas Motor Speedway (two wins) and Phoenix International Raceway (one win) three of Hamlin’s better tracks, a Round 3 victory appears obtainable.

And if that optimism turns into reality, Hamlin will be secured a spot in the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Yet another stronghold, and where the No. 11 team visited Victory Lane a year ago.

“Do I have the speed? We haven’t showed it yet,” Hamlin said. “But these racetracks, speed is not as big of an issue.

“There’s no reason we can’t be as competitive as any one of these seven guys that we’re racing against these last four races.”