Weekend Preview Texas

Weekend Preview

Keselowski in a must-win situation … again

Oct. 30, 2014

Staff Report

NASCAR Wire Service

Less than two weeks ago, Brad Keselowski was the talk of NASCAR World after he pulled out an improbable victory in a “win or go home” situation at Talladega that propelled him into the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Going into Sunday’s AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (3 p.m. ET on ESPN), Keselowski finds himself in a similar predicament. After finishing 31st in the opening Eliminator Round race at Martinsville, the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford driver is 26 points behind the Chase cutoff line and essentially needs to win one of the next two races at Texas or Phoenix to move on to the Championship final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“We were doing the things we needed to do, we were surviving,” said Keselowski about his performance at Martinsville. “We were gonna probably have ourselves a fifth or sixth-place day, which is certainly something we could be proud of and move forward with, but this kind of puts us in a position now where we need to win.”

Fortunately for Keselowski, winning hasn’t been a problem for him this season. The 30-year-old Michigan native leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six victories and has captured a checkered flag in each of the first two rounds of the pressure-packed Chase.

Unfortunately, winning at Texas and Phoenix has been a problem for Keselowski throughout his career. In a combined 22 starts at the two tracks, Keselowski has yet to collect a victory.

Recent success at the pair of courses suggests Keselowski is on the verge of breaking through for his first win at either of them. In his last four starts at Texas, Keselowski claims three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up showing in the fall of his 2012 championship season. While Keselowski struggled in his first five career starts at Phoenix with no showing better than 15th, he has placed sixth or better in his last five races at the Arizona track, including a third-place result from the pole this spring.

Keselowski feels confident in his ability to pull off a victory, especially after coming through in the clutch at Talladega.

“Yeah, it’s still tough to do,” Keselowski said. “It’s not like we’re just gonna go and guarantee a win at Texas and Phoenix, but it’s also not impossible, and we’ve got the team, if there is one, to pull it off.”

Elliott eyes sweep on road to championship

With only three races left on the NASCAR Nationwide Series slate, Chase Elliott is in prime position to capture its championship.

The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS driver currently sits atop the Nationwide Series standings, 42 points ahead of his JR Motorsports teammate Regan Smith. He will attempt to further his advantage in Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge at Texas Motor Speedway (3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2) – the same place at which he earned his first victory in April.

“It’s been awhile since we last visited Texas Motor Speedway, but the last time was a special moment for the NAPA AUTO PARTS team,” Elliott said. “Winning for the first time together is a moment I’ll never forget – it was awesome.”

Elliott dominated the April event, leading a race-high 47 laps on his way to the checkered flag. At 18 years, four months and seven days, he became the second-youngest driver to ever win a Nationwide race.

With a victory this weekend, Elliott would become the first Sunoco Rookie to ever sweep Texas Motor Speedway. He has fared well at similar tracks this season, posting two wins, five top fives, and eight top 10s in 10 starts at 1.5-mile courses.

Though mathematically impossible to occur this weekend at Texas, if Elliott can clinch the series title at Phoenix or Homestead, he would become the youngest driver and first Sunoco Rookie to ever win a NASCAR national series championship.

“We have three races left in what’s been an exciting year, but we have to stay focused and continue to work together as a team,” Elliott said. “We look to put together a better run than we did in the spring, bringing us one step closer to our goal.”

Crafton attempts to make Lone Star statement

Matt Crafton is a mere three races from becoming the first repeat champion in the 20-year history of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Leading second-place Ryan Blaney in the standings by a cushy 18 points, Crafton will attempt to continue his march to the title by sweeping Texas Motor Speedway, the site of Friday’s Winstar World Casino and Resort 350 (8:30 p.m. on FOX Sports 1).

Crafton stretched his fuel on the way to Victory Lane in the June Ft. Worth race, running the final 61 laps on one tank of gas for his second – and latest - win of the season.

"Finally getting a win at Texas was really cool - everyone wants to win at Texas - you want to be able to shoot the guns in victory lane and get that infamous cowboy hat,” Crafton said.

Despite Texas success in previous years, the win was the first of Crafton’s career at the 1.5-mile high-banked oval. In 27 NCWTS starts at the Ft. Worth track, the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driver boasts eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, as well as two poles.

Crafton believes he can make a “Lone Star Statement” Friday night even though the race will be shorter and affected by cooler temperatures than the one in June.

“Without a doubt, we had the fastest Menards Toyota Tundra in June and I can't wait to get back this weekend and do it all over again,” Crafton said. “In June, the track is hot and slippery but this weekend, there will be cooler temps and a lot of grip so it'll be faster. This race is 20 laps shorter so we'll have to see how the race plays out, but I feel confident we can pull off a sweep."