Anything short, his title hopes end.
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While not involved in the Chase, Erik Jones makes for a good long-shot story this weekend as he fills in for the suspended Matt Kenseth in the #20 vehicle for another week.
Jeff Gordon has a chance to finish his career on top next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway by winning the four-man championship race.
Either option would certainly fit the theme of this year’s playoff where cutthroat tactics and ruthless maneuvers have become commonplace.
Kyle Busch was 12th and Team Penske continued to struggle. “We’ll be able to go to Homestead and if we pretty much stay out of trouble – run fifth – that would be just fine”.
Harvick knows that. Last year, he dominated the Sprint Cup Series in laps led, but he found himself in the same position that Logano is in this year, needing a win at Phoenix in order to advance to Homestead. Both times Johnson prevailed and sidestepped any contentious moments.
Jimmie Johnson is good at driving stock cars. “It will be interesting to see how that goes, how everybody handles the pressure”.
The bubble could burst on Joey Logano, who must win to advance to the final four.
There is no driver in NASCAR right now better at a specific track than Kevin Harvick at Phoenix global Raceway.
Kyle Busch won yet another Xfinity series race and immediately turned his attention to the big picture – racing for NASCAR’s top title. Then a revenged-minded Kenseth intentionally wrecked him. And a blown left rear tire last week at Texas Motor Speedway cemented Logano’s current must-win predicament. However, a rear-axle seal problem in the third Chase race at Dover, Del., knocked him out of contention. “We obviously know our situation, what we have to do, but we don’t change what we do every weekend because we know the recipe to go out there and win”.
The race was slowed three times by caution for 18 laps. But victory proved allusive as Johnson, already eliminated from the Chase, passed Keselowski with four laps to go and never relinquished the top position.
Harvick further described how his past Phoenix success doesn’t guarantee him a high finish on Sunday.
“Phoenix worldwide Raceway works closely with the FBI and Homeland Security, as well as other local, state and federal agencies, throughout the planning and implementation of our event security plan”, track president Bryan Sperber said in a statement.
Busch easily held off fellow Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski for his sixth series victory of the season and record-extending 76th overall.
“I think that all that time on track provides an opportunity to have another strong run on Sunday”, Jones said. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver says bring it on. He qualified second and posted the fastest single lap in both practice sessions Saturday.
Harvick’s Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch, who is seventh in the Chase, has seen firsthand Harvick excel at Phoenix.
In 13 starts at the one-mile track, Logano claims two top fives and seven top 10s, including four top 10s in the last four races there.
The Xfinity Series championship race, meanwhile, remaining muddled.
The same dynamic is also applicable within the JGR camp.
For Edwards to advance he must either win at PIR or finish ahead of Truex, Keselowski and Kurt Busch.
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“We didn’t have the summer that we wanted, but these guys have been working so hard on the No. 48 team and at Hendrick Motorsports”, Johnson said.
