Johnson was eliminated from the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship in the first round. Jeff Gordon won the round opener at Martinsville to earn a spot in the four-man championship finale next week at Homestead…. Jeff Gordon already has snared a spot by winning at Martinsville, Va., two weeks ago.
Advertisement
Harvick has had a lot of success at Phoenix, including a win last season to race his way into the final round and to an eventual championship. Should he make the final four, Joe Gibbs Racing will likely fail to advance Carl Edwards. That subsequently incurred Busch a pass-through penalty, which dropped him out of the lead in a race he absolutely needed to win. Track: Phoenix global Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles). Harvick would go on to lead 143 of the 219 laps that were run before the rains came again and NASCAR called the race. However, unlike last season, Harvick is not in a must-win situation and can still advance with a finish of third or better which leads me to who I feel is the best driver in that must-win scenario this year…Brad Keselowski. The highest finisher among the final four at Homestead wins the championship.
Busch has been a favorite to win the title at various times in his career, but he never made it far enough in the Chase to win a Cup title.
He’ll drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday, and he’ll replace suspended driver Matt Kenseth for the second consecutive week in the Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday.
Logano has not had much success at Phoenix, with just two top-five finishes and no trips to Victory Lane. He fought back from 43rd position and finished seventh, but ended the race 21 points below the Chase cutoff. Look for him to be aggressive and make the moves he needs to to potentially win.
Johnson has five wins this season, but a mechanical failure in the first elimination race of the Chase bounced him from the playoffs. But none of that matters come Sunday afternoon when he competes in the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500. You have to have an open mind to try new things to keep moving forward. That is Joey Logano’s only hope. “We’re going to hire the best and most respected people to be part of our steward system, we’re going to provide the best possible tools and regular and consistent training to the officials and the stewards, and we’re also going to create a consistent platform for the infractions with a clear and concise effect that the competitors understand and are aware of”.
Advertisement
Keselowski ranks sixth in the Chase and Logano is eighth.
