RACING ** HELL ON WHEEL'S

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Rise Of The Phoenix: Harvick In Need Of Another Win At Arizona Track

Positioned 18 points below the cutoff line and below two other drivers for the final berth in the Championship 4 race in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Kevin Harvick essentially needs a win in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (2 p.m. ET on NBC).

Fortunately for Harvick, all he does is win at Phoenix. In the last eight races at the one-mile track he’s visited Victory Lane six times and recorded a runner-up showing. Overall, Harvick boasts eight wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s and a 10.3 average finish in 27 starts at Phoenix.

The Bakersfield, California native has made the Championship 4 race in each of its two years of existence. He won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title in 2014 and finished runner-up to Kyle Busch last season.

If he takes the checkered flag this weekend, Harvick will become the ninth driver to win nine or more races at a single track in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history, joining Richard Petty (six tracks), Dale Earnhardt (four tracks), Darrell Waltrip (three tracks), Cale Yarborough (two tracks), David Pearson (two tracks), Jimmie Johnson (two tracks), Jeff Gordon (Martinsville) and Rusty Wallace (Bristol).

Chase Grid And Clinch Scenarios

With only one race left in the Round of 8, here’s how the Chase Grid looks heading into Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway: Jimmie Johnson (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Martinsville), Carl Edwards (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Texas), Joey Logano (one point ahead of Matt Kenseth on the cutoff line), Kyle Busch (+1), Matt Kenseth (-1), Denny Hamlin (-2), Kevin Harvick (-18), Kurt Busch (-34).

Logano is ahead of Busch because his highest Round of 8 finish is second (Texas) compared to Busch’s highest Round of 8 finish of fifth (Martinsville and Texas).

Below are the Championship 4 clinch scenarios:

Logano (0 Wins, 4074 Points) – Would clinch on points with a second-place finish and at least one lap led.  With a win, would clinch a next round spot on wins.

Kyle Busch (0 Wins, 4074 Points) - Would clinch on points with a second-place finish and the most laps led.  With a win, would clinch a next round spot on wins.

The following drivers can only guarantee a clinch with a win. The could also clinch on points with help:

Kenseth (0 Wins, 4073 Points)

Hamlin (0 Wins, 4072 Points)

Harvick (0 Wins, 4056 Points)

Kurt Busch (0 Wins, 4040 Points) 

From Eight To Four: The Pressure Is On At Phoenix

After Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field will shrink from eight to four. Here’s how all of the drivers have fared at the one-mile Arizona track.

1.     Jimmie Johnson (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Martinsville) – In 26 starts at Phoenix, Johnson boasts four wins (second-most in track history), 15 top fives, 19 top 10s and a 7.9 average finish (best among active drivers). The No. 48 Chevrolet driver has not won at Phoenix since the track was repaved in 2011.

2.     Carl Edwards (clinched Championship 4 berth with win at Texas) – Edwards has two wins, eight top fives and 13 top 10s in 24 starts at Phoenix. He finished runner-up at the one-mile track in March in an extremely tight finish where Kevin Harvick beat him to the stripe by .010 seconds – the closest margin of victory in track history.

3.     Joey Logano (one point ahead of Matt Kenseth on the cutoff line) – In 15 starts at Phoenix, Logano claims no wins, three top fives, eight top 10s and a 14.0 average finish. Before finishing 18th at the one-mile track in March, he posted five consecutive top-10 finishes there.

4.     Kyle Busch (+1) – Busch owns one win, five top fives and 14 top 10s in 22 starts at Phoenix. He has finished fourth in his last two races at the desert track.

5.     Matt Kenseth (one point below Kyle Busch on the cutoff line) – In 27 Phoenix starts, Kenseth has one win, six top fives, 11 top 10s and a 16.3 average finish. His last top 10 in the Phoenix fall race was a seventh-place showing in 2010. Kenseth’s win came in 2002 from the 28th starting position – the furthest back in the field an active race winner has started.

6.     Denny Hamlin (-2) – Hamlin claims one win, 10 top fives, 12 top 10s and an 11.0 average finish in 22 starts at Phoenix. The No. 11 Toyota driver finished third there in March and eighth last fall.

7.     Kevin Harvick (-18) – Harvick boasts eight wins, 12 top fives, 16 top 10s and a 10.3 average finish in 27 starts at Phoenix. He has won six of the last eight races there and finished runner-up in last year’s fall race.

8.     Kurt Busch (-34) – In 27 Phoenix starts, Busch claims one win, six top fives, 16 top 10s and a 13.4 average finish. He has placed no worse than seventh in his last 27 starts at the one-mile track.

Phoenix Spoilers

Remember, non-Chase drivers can still win races. Since the new Chase format was implemented in 2014, four of 28 races have been won by non-Chase-eligible drivers (Jimmie Johnson: Texas 2014, Texas 2015; Dale Earnhardt Jr.:  Martinsville 2014, Phoenix 2015).

Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart are the only non-Chase-eligible drivers in the field who have won at Phoenix.

Phoenix Win Could Be Huge In Johnson’s Quest For 7

Although he has already clinched a berth in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, a win could pay huge dividends for Jimmie Johnson.

A visit to Victory Lane could potentially keep 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick, who currently sits 18 points below the final transfer spot, out of contention for the title.

Harvick’s 7.2 average finish at Homestead ranks first all-time. He finished runner-up at the 1.5-mile track last year after winning the championship with a visit to Victory Lane there in 2014. In 15 starts at Homestead, Harvick boasts seven top fives and 13 top 10s.

In contrast, Johnson has been good, but not great at Homestead. He has never won at the South Florida track, but has posted four top fives and 10 top 10s in 15 starts there. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver has finished ninth in the last three Homestead races.

Homecoming For Bowman

Tucson, Arizona, native Alex Bowman gets a homecoming this Sunday when he travels to Phoenix International Raceway for the Can-Am 500. Bowman will be making his ninth start of the season in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet as a substitute for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In his eight starts this year, Bowman has finished 26th (New Hampshire), 30th (Michigan), 10th (Chicagoland), 14th (New Hampshire), 39th (Charlotte), seventh (Kansas), 36th (Talladega) and 13th (Texas).

He has a 12.9 average start and 21.9 average finish.

Bowman, 23, is an alumnus of the NASCAR Next program. He began his career racing quarter midgets at short tracks in Arizona and California.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Etc.:

Phoenix Provided Close Finish In March – Since the advent of electronic scoring (1993) the closest margin of victory in the NSCS at Phoenix was earlier this season (03/13/16) when Kevin Harvick beat Carl Edwards to the line by 0.010 seconds. …

Phoenix Win And NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship In The Same Season – Three drivers have won at Phoenix and captured the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same season: Jimmie Johnson (2007, 2008 sweep and 2009), Dale Earnhardt (1990) and Kevin Harvick (2014).

NASCAR XFINITY Series

 

With No One Locked In, All Eight Chase Drivers Have A Shot At The Championship 4

All you have to do is win. Seems simple enough, but none of the remaining NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase contenders have captured a victory in the Round of 8 (Kansas, Texas and Phoenix), and thus all eight have an opportunity to become one of the Championship 4 or be eliminated at Phoenix International Raceway in the Ticket Galaxy 200 on Saturday, November 12 (at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Current Four Chase Contenders In Position To Move On:

1.     Daniel Suarez (3,075) – No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry – holds the NASCAR XFINITY Series lead by a single point over second-place Elliott Sadler, and is 17 points ahead fifth-place Justin Allgaier. Suarez has been excellent during the 2016 playoffs, posting an average finish of 2.8 – best among the Chase contenders. During the Round of 8 he has finished third at Kansas and fifth at Texas. He heads to Phoenix with the biggest points gap (+17) of any of the four drivers in position to have a shot at the title in Homestead. More importantly, with every start Suarez has made at Phoenix, he has improved his finish. The young Monterrey, Mexico native has made three series starts at Phoenix posting two top fives; including a third-place finish earlier this season. A win is the best guarantee to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, but Suarez can also clinch on points - with 26 Points (15th-place finish and no laps led, 15th and led at least one lap, 16th and led the most laps).

 

2.     Elliott Sadler (3,074) – No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro – has fallen to second in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase standings after finishing one position (sixth) behind Daniel Suarez (fifth-place finish) at Texas last weekend. The competition is so tight, Sadler is only 16 points ahead of fifth-place Justin Allgaier and the Chase cutoff line. Despite the fierce competition, Sadler’s playoff performance has been nothing short of exceptional, posting an average finish of 3.6 – second-best among Chase contenders. The JRM veteran is no stranger to tense championship situations, he has finished in the top three in series points three of the last five seasons. Now the Emporia, Virginia, native heads to Phoenix knowing he is the lone 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase contender with a win (2012) at the one-mile track. Sadler has made 15 series starts at Phoenix, posting an average finish of 12.1; including finishing in the top-10 six out of the last seven races. A win is the best guarantee to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, but Sadler can also clinch on points - with 26 Points (15th-place finish and no laps led, 15th and led at least one lap, 16th and led the most laps).

 

3.     Erik Jones (3,065) – No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry – could be named the ‘wild card’ of the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. One minute the JGR Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate looks like he is on the verge of elimination, and the next he is third in the Chase standings, seven points ahead of fifth-place Justin Allgaier and the Chase cutoff line. Jones’s roller coaster of a 2016 Chase continues in the Round of 8, after finishing 15th at Kansas, the 20 year-old bounced back with a fourth-place finish this past weekend at Texas. Now with new wind in his sails the Byron, Michigan, native heads to Phoenix International Raceway, which happens to be one of his best tracks. In four starts at PIR he has posted three top fives, four top 10s and an average finish of 4.0; including sitting on the pole and finishing second earlier this season.

 

“Phoenix is an outstanding racetrack for Erik (Jones) and the No. 20 team as well as JGR as a whole,” said Chris Gabehart, crew chief of the No. 20 team. “Just like Texas, Erik has been strong each time he has raced there so we are really optimistic that we can punch our ticket to the finale in Homestead with a solid mistake-free day in the ‘Valley of the Sun.’”

 

A win is the best guarantee to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, but Jones can also clinch on points - with 36 Points (5th and no laps led, 6th and led at least one lap, 7th and led the most laps).

 

4.     Blake Koch (3,059) – No. 11 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet Camaro – is hanging on to the final transfer spot in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase by one point over fifth-place Justin Allgaier. Koch’s Chase performance has been built on solid consistency posting an average finish of 12.0 – fourth-best among Chase contenders. The West Palm Beach, Florida, native kicked off his Round of 8 with a ninth-place finish at Kansas, but slipped a little at Texas last weekend finishing 14th. With one race left to make the Championship 4, Koch will have to put up one of his best performances of his career to hold off the four drivers behind him in the Chase standings. If the No. 11 team can make the Championship 4 they will have an opportunity to become the first single-car team to win a title in the NASCAR XFINITY Series in nearly 20 years (1998, Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 3 Chevrolet team).  Earlier this season, Koch and crew chief Chris Rice put the No. 11 in the 12th starting position and finished 16th at Phoenix. Look for the pair to better their performance come this Saturday.

 

“The first time we were there (Phoenix) this year was so long ago,” said Koch. “We've learned so much since then with Kaulig Racing. Now we know what I like in a race car, and we know more about these race cars in general. I think we'll be much better when we go back this time."

 

A win is the best guarantee to clinch a spot in the Championship 4, but if there is a winner who has already been eliminated or is currently in a transfer spot, Koch would clinch with a second-place finish. Koch could clinch on points with a new winner and help as well.

Current Four Chase Contenders In Position To Be Eliminated:

The following drivers can only guarantee a spot in the Championship 4 with a win. Each could also clinch on points with help.

Justin Allgaier (3,058) – No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro – is currently the first driver outside the Championship 4 cutoff line in the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase. A single point separates Allgaier between moving on and being eliminated from the Chase, and it all comes down to this weekend at Phoenix. Allgaier has run well during the playoffs, posting an average finish of 8.4 – third-best among Chase contenders. The Riverton, Illinois, native started off his Round of 8 with an accident at Kansas that knocked him to a 14th-place finish, but Allgaier rebounded at Texas last weekend by posting a 10th-place finish. Now heading to Phoenix with one shot left to move one, he needs to make it happen. The 30-year-old Allgaier has made 12 starts at Phoenix, posting three top fives, seven top 10s an average finish of 9.0; including a fourth-place finish earlier this season. 

Ryan Reed (3,054) – No. 16 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang – has just one race left to make the Championship 4, and by sitting sixth in the Round of 8 Chase standings, five points back from fourth-place Blake Koch, the opportunity to move on is not out of reach. The 23-year-old Reed started his playoffs hot, but lately has faded a little, over the five races of the Chase he has posted an average finish of 12.0. Unfortunately for the Bakersfield, California, native, Phoenix is not one of his better tracks; in six starts he has posted an average finish of 17.7. Earlier this season at Phoenix he started 13th and finished 14th.    

Darrell Wallace Jr. (3,039) – No. 6 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang – is currently seventh in the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase standings, 20 points behind fourth-place Blake Koch and the Chase cutoff line. Wallace has skated by during the playoffs this season, posting an average finish of 16.6. The Mobile, Alabama, native has struggled as of late, finishing 33rd at Kansas after being involved in an accident, and then 11th at Texas last weekend. With how competitive this season’s NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase has been, Wallace is facing a must-win situation at Phoenix this weekend. Wallace has made three starts at Phoenix, posting one top 10 and an average finish of 11.7. 

Brendan Gaughan (3,036) – No. 62 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Camaro – has hit rock bottom and has nowhere to go but up. With a mountain-sized point deficit (-23) to overcome to catch fourth-place Blake Koch and make it into the Championship 4, Gaughan is also in a must-win situation. The veteran Las Vegas native started the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase strong, but the Round of 8 has knocked some of the steam out of his championship push. Over the five races of the Chase, Gaughan has posted an average finish of 14.8; including a 31st-place finish at Kanas and a 15th-place finish last weekend at Texas. Gaughan has made 10 series starts at Phoenix, posting one top five and four top 10s. 

Two-Time Series Champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Returns

It’s been a long time since we have seen Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in a NASCAR XFINITY Series race. Well, actually it has been three years and 10 days (come Saturday), or 131 races. But who’s counting?  

This weekend, the former two-time series champ (2011, 2012) will be piloting the No. 60 Roush Fenway Racing Ford Mustang with crew chief Mike Tam on the pit box for the Ticket Galaxy 200 on Nov. 12 (NBCSN at 7:30 p.m. ET).

“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the NASCAR XFINITY Series car this weekend at Phoenix,” Stenhouse said. “With this being one of the XFINITY Chase cut-off races, I think having the extra car for RFR could be beneficial for Ryan (Reed) and Bubba (Wallace), just in information sharing as they are trying to advance.”

Stenhouse will be driving the No. 60 car, which happens to be the winningest car number in series history; posting 94 wins dating back to the No. 60 team’s first win with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin at Rockingham in 1992. Under the banner of Roush Fenway Racing four drivers contributed to the team’s 94 wins – Mark Martin (39), Carl Edwards (38), Greg Biffle (14) and Chris Buescher (three). This will be the first time Stenhouse has driven the No. 60 car for Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. 

It will be interesting to see if Stenhouse can jump back in a NXS car and be successful. He is no stranger to Phoenix, Stenhouse has made six series starts at the one-mile track posting three top fives and six top 10s; including a solid 6.0 average finish. 

Stenhouse is one of seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers competing in the Ticket Galaxy 200 this weekend at Phoenix. Stenhouse will be joined by Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Matt DiBenedetto, Cole Whitt and Aric Almirola.

 

NASCAR XFINITY Series Etc.:

Milestones – Roush Fenway Racing driver Ryan Reed will attempt to make his 100th consecutive NASCAR XFINITY Series career start this weekend at Phoenix, becoming the 40th driver in series history to compete in 100 consecutive races or more. … Joe Gibbs Racing driver Kyle Busch will attempt to post his 200th NASCAR XFINITY Series career top-five finish and in the process extend his series record. … Also if Kyle Busch leads another 138 laps before the end of this season this will be the fourth season of his NASCAR XFINITY Series career to lead 2,000 or more laps in a single season – he accomplished the feat in 2009 (2,698 laps led), 2010 (2,229) and 2013 (2,009) – only other driver to lead 2,000 or more laps in a single NXS season besides Kyle Busch was Sam Ard in 1984 (2,127 laps led).

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

Three Championship 4 Spots Remain Entering Phoenix Elimination Race

The pressure is on for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase drivers heading into Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 Chase elimination race at Phoenix International Raceway (10 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Johnny Sauter is the only driver assured a spot in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway next Friday after clinching a berth with his win at Martinsville, then blocking a transfer spot with another victory at Texas. Sauter is followed on the Chase Grid by William Byron (five points ahead of Timothy Peters on the cutoff line), Christopher Bell (+4), Matt Crafton (+1), Peters (one point behind Matt Crafton on the cutoff line) and Ben Kennedy (-13).

Below are the clinch scenarios for Friday’s race:

William Byron (0 Wins, 3052 Points) - Would clinch on points with 30 Points (3rd and no laps led, 4th and led at least one lap, 5th and led most laps). With a win, would clinch a next round spot on wins.

Christopher Bell (0 Wins, 3051 Points) - Would clinch on points with 31 Points (2nd and no laps led, 3rd and led at least one lap, 4th and led most laps). With a win, would clinch a next round spot on wins.

Matt Crafton (0 Wins, 3048 Points) - If there is a winner who has been eliminated or is currently in a transfer spot, would clinch on points with a 2nd place finish. With a win, would clinch a spot on wins.  Could clinch on points with a new winner and help.

The following drivers can only guarantee a spot with a win.  They could still clinch on points with a new winner and help:

Timothy Peters (0 Wins, 3047 Points)

Ben Kennedy (0 Wins, 3035 Points) 

Here’s how all of the drivers have fared at Phoenix:

Sauter – In seven starts at Phoenix, Sauter boasts three top fives, five top 10s and an 11.3 average finish. He has never won at the one-mile track.

Byron – Byron finished 31st in his lone start at Phoenix – his NASCAR national series debut – after wrecking out of the race on only the sixth lap.

Bell – Friday marks Bell’s Phoenix debut.

Crafton – In 15 starts at Phoenix, Crafton claims five top fives, 10 top 10s and a 9.7 average finish. His best showing at the one-mile track was a runner-up in 2014 – the same year he captured his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

Peters – In seven starts at Phoenix, Peters has one win and a fourth-place showing. Otherwise, he’s never finished better than 12th. His victory came in last year’s race. The No. 17 Toyota driver is the only Chase driver who has won at the one-mile track.

Kennedy – In two starts at Phoenix, Kennedy has finished 11th (2014) and 24th (2015).

                                                  
Sauter Sizzlin’ At Right Time

Under the radar for much of the year, Johnny Sauter is the hottest driver in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series right now after winning the last two races (Martinsville and Texas). He is the only driver who has clinched a berth in the Championship 4 Round race at Homestead.

He probably never should’ve been under the radar to begin with.

Sauter, who has finished in the top five of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship standings five times in the last six years, has tied his career high in wins (three) and leads the circuit with a career-best 17 top 10s.

The GMS Racing driver is looking forward to racing for a title at Homestead-Miami Speedway where he has one win, two top fives, six top 10s and an 11.7 average finish.

"The key deal is liking a race track, and I can’t think of a better race track to decide a championship than Homestead," said Sauter, following his win at Martinsville. "It’s a very racy place – you can run all over the race track. I feel like we are peaking at the right time. I feel like we’ve kind of saved some of our best bullets, so to speak, for the end, and we can go and really work hard on our Homestead piece for these next couple weeks."

Byron Back To Where It All Started

William Byron hopes this trip to Phoenix goes better than his first.

Last season, the NASCAR Next alum made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at the Arizona track, finishing 31st after wrecking on the sixth lap.

The stakes are higher for a strong performance from the 19-year-old Charlotte native this weekend. Sitting second on the Chase Grid – four points ahead of Timothy Peters on the cutoff line – Byron can earn a berth in the Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year frontrunner can clinch on points with 30 Points (3rd and no laps led, 4th and led at least one lap, 5th and led most laps). He would clinch a Championship 4 spot automatically with a win.

On the season, he leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in wins (6), top fives (10), average running position (7.9), laps led (572) and driver rating (104.9).

Byron is trying to join Erik Jones as the second consecutive Kyle Busch Motorsports driver to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship in the same season. Byron won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship last year in his first and only season on the circuit.

NASCAR Next Member Noah Gragson Set For National Series Debut

NASCAR Next member Noah Gragson will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut for Kyle Busch Motorsports in Friday’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix International Raceway.

In 27 starts across the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, the Las Vegas native notched four wins, 12 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. He placed third in the West standings and fifth in the East rankings.

“I am excited about my debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in Phoenix and moving to the next level of racing from the NASCAR K&N Series to one of the top-tier NASCAR touring series in 2017,” said Gragson, who is running full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for KBM next year. “I want to thank Kyle and Samantha Busch, KBM, Richie Wauters and Toyota for the opportunity to run the final two races this season in preparation for next year… “My goal is to learn a lot these next two events, run all the laps and build towards next season. I’ve run PIR in the K&N Series where I was able to learn the track but I know driving the Toyota Tundra will be a new experience and I am certainly looking forward to it.”