2013[edit source | editbeta]
Whereas the Chase field under this system has always been comprised of twelve drivers, the one exception to this rule was in 2013, with 13 drivers in the Chase, as the result of a controversial finish to the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond, when Clint Bowyer appeared to spin intentionally to bring out a caution in an attempt to manipulate the finish of the race so as to help his Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex, Jr. clinch a Wildcard spot in the Chase over Ryan Newman, who had been leading at the moment of caution. This was further suggested by radio communications on Brian Vickers' team telling him to pit under green. Newman was shuffled back on the cycle of pit stops, and ultimately ended up finishing third to Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch, and tied Truex in final points for second Wildcard spot. Truex won the tiebreaker on top-five finishes. However, the following Monday, NASCAR issued some of the most severe penalties imposed on a team in its history. All three MWR teams were docked 50 owner/driver points. As the penalty was applied to pre-Chase point totals, it ended up knocking Truex out of the Wildcard spot and put Newman in his place.
Afterwards, there was further controversy when radio transmissions were discovered suggesting that Front Row Motorsports and Penske Racing had struck a deal for David Gilliland to give up a spot on the track for Joey Logano, allowing Logano to race his way into the Chase and take the final lock-in position by one point over Jeff Gordon. A second NASCAR inquiry resulted in both teams being placed on probation for the remainder of the year. Although Logano was allowed to keep his Chase berth, the field was expanded to 13 with the addition of Gordon. NASCAR chairman Brian France has always had the power to expand the Chase field in exceptional circumstances, and decided to invoke it in order to put Gordon in the field. NASCAR determined Gordon would have qualified for the Chase if not for the "unfair disadvantage" he had suffered due to Penske/Front Row's collusion.[5]