“Sammy Hagar gave a pre-race concert in the Texas Motor Speedway infield”, Busch said. As the race stayed green, Harvick cycled to the lead briefly with 36 lap remaining as he was quickly run-down by cars with fresher tires.
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Site: Fort Worth, Texas.
It was classic Johnson and for Keselowski it was nearly surely the final nail in the coffin in what will be his and Logano’s 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Schedule: Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (NBC, 1:30-6 p.m.). And the race itself provided drama and entertainment with Jimmie Johnson finding his way to Victory Lane again.
Brad Keselowski was in searing form in Texas on Friday, topping the sole 85-minute practice session in the early afternoon and then successfully dominating all three rounds of qualifying to ensure that he will start at the head of the field for Sunday’s AAA Texas 500.
“If we finished second (Sunday), we would be in the same boat going into Phoenix”, Logano said. I feel like we’re making progress.
That leaves three spots up for grabs at Phoenix, the last race before the November 22 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
With one race remaining to set the field of four for NASCAR’s title-deciding season finale, it’s highly possible both Penske drivers will not race for the championship. It’s a precarious hold for Carl Edwards, Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano. “Kevin Harvick looked really good, Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Kyle Larson all were major factors in the battle for this win, but we were able to persevere and overcome”.
“We’ve got to bring a little bit more to the next couple of races”, Gordon said.
“We never really clicked in qualifying trim today and that’s why we’re starting in the middle of the pack”, said Truex. Truex lost his power steering in those closing laps, and slipped to finish eighth.
Johnson was heartened but decidedly more measured about how the win on Sunday plots progress in a trying two seasons.
I just didn’t think he could be beat especially when you watched him on all the restarts, or even when someone got close to him. “As I sit right now, and maybe I’ll change my mind, I don’t know what I would have done differently, or could have done differently”, said Keselowski.
Kenseth was suspended Tuesday after wrecking Joey Logano last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway when Logano was leading the race and Kenseth was 10 laps down.
Logano got knocked from first to last among the eight championship contenders after being intentionally wrecked by Kenseth at Martinsville a week ago as payback.
Kenseth was absent serving the first of his two-race suspension from NASCAR after his appeals were denied. He said he thought he came up. “That’s a nice buzz word….”
Keselowski led 312 of the race’s 334 laps, but it was the adjustments made by Johnson and his crew throughout the race which allowed him to pass Keselowski and lead the final six laps.
Harvick finished third, even after he twice had to come in to replace punctured tires after running over something on the track, and having to drive one-handed for a long stretch when he was having to hold on to the shifter to keep his auto from popping out of gear.
The two traded lines, speed and laptimes for almost 15 laps, switching up and down the track like an X-Wing and a TIE Fighter dueling in epic space combat.
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While a few fans wonder who is going to fill the shoes of the retiring champions, rest assured there are always talented drivers ready for their chance in the spotlight.
