Kenseth wins to stay alive in Nextel Cup Chase

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — Matt Kenseth used his first victory in over a year to strengthen his frantic push to make NASCAR’s playoffs, winning at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night in dominating fashion.

Kenseth started from the pole and led a whopping 415 of the 500 laps to win for the first time since March 7, 2004. The top 10 drivers in the standings after the Sept. 10 race in Richmond make the Chase, and Kenseth’s victory pushed him to 11th in the points. He started the night 15th in the standings, but is now just 11 points out of cracking the top 10.

Rusty Wallace, in his final race at his favorite race track, finished fifth.

Jeff Gordon, who is also making a desperate push for the Chase, finished sixth. It pushed him into the top 10 for the first time since June. If he can stay there for two more races, the four-time series champion will be eligible to race for the title.