Restart wreck scuppers Riggs at Indy.

Scott Riggs was a victim of the biggest accident in Sunday's Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and his resulting failure to finish mathematically eliminate him from the inaugural 'Chase for the Championship.'

Riggs' 37th place finish in his #10 MBV Motorsports Valvoline sponsored Chevrolet dropped him to 1350 points behind current series leader Jimmie Johnson and 797 markers behind Ryan Newman, who currently sits in tenth place. With only five races remaining before the final cut-off, it is now impossible for Riggs to meet either of the criteria that would make him eligible for the final ten race 'Chase.'

In order to qualify, a driver must either be in the top ten in points, or be within 400 points of the series leader after the 26th race of the year at Richmond in early September.

Despite the DNF and added disappointment of elimination from 'The Chase,' Riggs preferred to stay positive, focusing on the work that had brought the #10 machine towards the front of the pack for that fateful lap 73 restart.

Riggs started the 160-lap event 27th but found himself behind the wheel of a tight race car when the green flag dropped over historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After two early pit stops, however, he was able to produce significantly quicker lap times and began picking up valuable track position with every lap around the 2.5-mile oval.

"We stopped early and really took advantage of our pit stops," Riggs explained. "We made some pretty big changes from the beginning and started passing cars. After every restart we were able to pick up four or five positions right off the bat."

On Lap 73, just after a sub-14 second pit stop by the Valvoline crew, Riggs' journey toward the front came to an abrupt halt when he was swept up in an accident on the subsequent restart.

When Rusty Wallace, Casey Mears and Jeff Burton touched, Wallace was sent first to the outside wall and then back across the track towards the inside. As the field checked-up behind, Riggs' fellow Raybestos Rookie of the Year contender Scott Wimmer slammed into the rear of the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet, sending Riggs hard into the inside wall and then back across the track into oncoming traffic.

As several cars darted around Riggs' broadside machine, Terry Labonte and Ward Burton weren't so lucky and both ploughed into the right side of Riggs' machine.

"Everyone was trying to get an edge on the people in front of them I guess," Riggs explained as the Valvoline team tried to salvage the injured race car. "The No. 2 car (Wallace) got into the wall in front of us and I checked up. I don't know if the No. 22 (Wimmer) didn't see the wreck or what happened because he drilled us from behind-- it lifted the back end of the car off the ground.

"I spun around and hit the inside wall and then other cars starting getting into me because they didn't have anywhere to go," he continued.

After assessing the damage on the Valvoline Chevrolet, the team deemed it unsalvageable.

"We thought it was going to be a pretty good day," Riggs contended. "Like always, the guys did a great job on pit road and we were driving toward the front. This is pretty indicative of the luck this Valvoline team has had this season. We don't always qualify as well as we hope, but when the race starts we drive toward the front. We just couldn't make it to the chequered flag."