A pair of driving championships will be on the line Sunday as the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series concludes Sunday at Fairplex.
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It’s off to Phoenix worldwide Raceway for the final race of the eliminator round of the Chase, before the final race of the season. Only Jeff Gordon, who won the first race of the Chase’s third round, is ensured a spot in the final round. The rest of the Chase drivers are: Kyle Busch (ranked second, two points back), Harvick (third, three points back), Martin Truex Jr.
Despite enjoying what was arguably the best season of his NASCAR career, Harvick entered last season’s race at Phoenix needing a victory to ensure a chance to compete for his first series title.
Gordon, with the only safe seat in the house, knows that the other seven Chase drivers will stop at nothing to join him at Homestead. He won in November 2013, swept the 2014 races and won in March this year.
Harvick isn’t resting on all the Phoenix race-winning trophies he has collected.
The second row of the grid is headed up by Johnson’s team mate Dale Earnhardt Jr. alongside Joe Gibbs Racing’s Carl Edwards, the second Chase contender on the grid and one who is somewhat better placed than Busch to forced his way into the final on points even if he’s not able to win the race. That’s the hardest thing about having success.
“I feel like that can be gone at any point”, Harvick said about his “edge” at Phoenix. “Whether it’s moving up the groove in (turns) 1 and 2 or if he’s able to carry more speed through (turns) 3 and 4, you’ve got to watch him though because it changes”.
For those who thought the wreckfest at Martinsville three weeks ago was exciting, multiply it by 100 and that is what you will get at PIR.
While 9-to-4 odds don’t have that ‘come bet me ‘look, it’s been bad strategy to bet against Harvick at Phoenix. It’s all or nothing for Kurt, and he’s got the goods to do it.
“If the #4 [Harvick] wins, that puts us in a must race situation with the #78 [Truex] or #19 [Edwards] depending on how that kind of goes in order to be the guy that transfers through”.
“We would be stupid not to run a Kevin Harvick setup”, Busch said. His driver rating is second-best in the field.
“It’s gotten pretty insane”.
“This is a good roll for us, for sure”, said Johnson. “The Chase is definitely at a boiling point for everybody”.
Kurt Busch understands what’s at stake in Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500 at Phoenix worldwide Raceway. Kyle Busch’s record at Phoenix is a bit spotty but he does have a small point cushion to fall back on and needs a finish of third or better to clinch a spot in the finals. Raz and Partridge are next in line.
Eggleston, 26, is in position to give Bill McAnally Racing its sixth series championship and is the only driver to control his own destiny with a win.
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Past year: Erik Jones won after a power outage ended the race with 24 laps left. They’re just not seen in today’s era of NASCAR, when there are more competitive cars than ever before.
