Fasten your seatbelts…it’s going to be a wild ride on “The Road to Richmond,” which begins to take shape this Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. That stretch will prove pivotal in deciding the field for the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, which will be finalized on Saturday, September 8, at Richmond International Raceway’s Federated Auto Parts 400, which is “One Last Race to Make The Chase.”

After last year’s intense battle for the two wild card positions, this year’s “Road to Richmond” is sure to be exciting. Wins are everything when fighting for one of the two wild card positions. As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits Daytona this weekend, there are currently four drivers in positions 11-20, with one win; and six who desperately need a win for a chance at one of the wild card spots.

Drivers who need to make a move this week on “The Road to Richmond”:

Kyle Busch Owns the highest driver rating at Daytona (97.5). Currently 12th in points, Busch has one win, which means right now he has his hands on one of the two wild card spots. But a second win would make him feel a little more comfortable. And while he may have the best driver rating for Daytona, his average finish is just 17.6.

Carl Edwards Currently sits 11th in points with no wins, which means if the “One Last Race to Make The Chase” at RIR were to happen this weekend, Carl wouldn’t make this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He has four top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes at Daytona, but ranks 12th on the driver rating scale, and has only averaged a 17.3 finish.

Jeff Gordon Knows his way to Gatorade Victory Lane at Daytona. He has six Daytona wins, along with 12 top-fives and 19 top-10s. He’s struggled this season and knows he needs to win to even have a chance at making the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.

Follow all the excitement on “The Road to Richmond,” which culminates on Saturday, September 8, for the Federated Auto Parts 400, which is “One Last Race to Make The Chase” at Richmond International Raceway. Tickets for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race start at $45 in advance and can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling 866-455-7223.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 7, with a full day of on-track activity, highlighted by the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Advance tickets start at $30, with children 12 and younger admitted free with a ticketed adult in general admission sections. Click here or call 866-455-7223 for tickets and information.