NASCAR Chase 2012 schedule begins Sunday at Chicagoland

RELATED: NASCAR Sprint Cup 2012 season finale at Ford EcoBoost 400

NASCAR Chase 2012

The Sprint Cup Series playoffs begin Sunday, Sept. 16, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., in the GEICO 400, the first race of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. ESPN airs the prerace coverage beginning at 1pm ET. The top 12 drivers in the Sprint Cup standings have a shot at racing for the championship over the season’s final stretch. Tony Stewart dominated during last year’s Chase — including a win at Chicagoland — en route to a Cup Series championship.

ESPN and ABC have complete coverage of all Chase races. ESPN airs the afternoon races, while ABC airs the Oct. 13 race from Charlotte in prime time. And yes, there will be more Kid Rock than you can possibly handle.

NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup 2012 Contenders
1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Tony Stewart
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Greg Biffle
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Jeff Gordon

NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup 2012 schedule
Sept. 16 — Geico 400, Chicagoland Speedway, ESPN, 1pm
Sept. 23 — Sylvania 300, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, ESPN, 1pm
Sept. 30 — AAA 400, Dover International Speedway, ESPN, 1pm
Oct. 7 — Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500, Talladega Superspeedway, ESPN, 1pm
Oct. 13 — Bank of America 500, Charlotte Motor Speedway, ABC, 7pm
Oct. 21 — Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway, ESPN, 1pm
Oct. 28 — Tums Fast Relief 500, Martinsville Speedway, ESPN, 1pm
Nov. 4 — AAA Texas 500, Texas Motor Speedway, ESPN, 2pm
Nov. 11 — Kobalt Tools 500, Phoenix International Raceway, ESPN, 2pm
Nov. 18 — Ford EcoBoost 400, Homestead-Miami Speedway, ESPN, 2pm

Photo: Credit: David Banks/Getty Images for NASCAR

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