Immediately following the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night most NASCAR fans were surprised, possibly ecstatic, but surprised nonetheless that Kyle Busch failed to make this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The most startling realization for me personally was that no one from the Richard Childress Racing (RCR) stables was in the top-12 in points.

RCR has a long and decorated history in NASCAR. The team was made famous when Dale Earnhardt became the driver of the #3 and won six of Earnhardt’s seven career championships with RCR. Those are the only six Sprint Cup Series championships RCR has ever won.

Last year, all three of the Richard Childress Racing drivers made it into the Chase and they all did quite well. The RCR drivers, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton, respectively, finished the 2008 season 4th, 5th, and 6th in the point standings.

This year, going into the final race of the regular season, all four drivers had been mathematically eliminated from Chase contention already.

Bowyer was the highest in points, 16th, but was too far out to even hope for a miracle at Richmond.

Now that the Chase has officially begun, Bowyer sits 15th in the standings while Burton, Mears and Harvick sit 18th, 20th and 22nd, respectively.

Sure, the team expanded to four cars this year but by their success in 2008 that decision made a lot of sense.

So what happened? No one can really say for sure. All I can say is wait until next year because Richard Childress Racing has always been great. They will rebound from this rough season and they will pull out all the stops next year.

RCR will make the Chase in 2010.

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