Phoenix Notebook

Phoenix Notebook

Nov. 13, 2016

Notebook Items:

·         Kevin Harvick’s Chase streak ends at Phoenix

·         Matt Kenseth's Championship 4 aspirations evaporate with late accident

·         Crew chief testifies to Logano's prowess

By Reid Spencer

NASCAR Wire Service

Kevin Harvick’s Chase streak ends at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Kevin Harvick’s hopes of a second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title ended with a fourth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway.

For the first time since NASCAR introduced its 16-driver elimination Chase format in 2014, Harvick won’t be racing for a championship in the season finale.

The performance of Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet was far from optimal during the weekend of the Can-Am 500 elimination event at the Arizona track.

Nevertheless, when the green flag waved for a second overtime, there was Harvick in fourth position in the outside lane, with a shot at the victory that would have propelled him into the Championship 4 for the third straight year.

But Kyle Larson took the final restart three-wide to the inside from the third spot, and Harvick had no room to advance, as Joey Logano pulled away for the win.

“We just started way too far off on Friday,” Harvick said philosophically. “We never got a handle on the race car. They made it a ton better in the race, and we were in contention there at the end and just came up short.

“Just really proud of everybody for the effort that they put in. It was a very challenging Chase for us for all the mechanical failures and situations that we had going on. We kept rebounding and winning races, and today we were a lap down (after a caution interrupted a cycle of green-flag pit stops) and came back to have a chance at the end.

“That says a lot about the character of our race team and we just came up short this year.”

MATT KENSETH’S CHAMPIONSHIP 4 ASPIRATIONS EVAPORATE WITH LATE ACCIDENT

In one moment, Matt Kenseth was leading Sunday’s Can-Am 500 and seemed destined to race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

A moment later, he was wrecked and out of the Chase.

Kenseth led the field to green on the first attempt at overtime, with polesitter Alex Bowman to his inside. Kyle Busch made a move to the inside of Bowman from the third position, and Bowman blocked.

As Busch shoved Bowman’s Chevrolet forward toward the first corner, Kenseth turned down, thinking his Toyota had a clear lane. But contact between the cars sent Kenseth spinning out of the Championship 4.

“The 88 (Bowman) was laying way, way back for that restart, more than a car width, so I got going early on purpose and I looked at him at the start/finish line, and I thought we were doing OK. And I looked back, and it looked like he had a little run on me, maybe not and shortly thereafter (spotter) Chris (Osborne) cleared me.

“So with the glare, I started looking to the corner to approach the corner and I got turned out of the way. He hollered ‘Inside’ at the same time I got turned towards the fence, so I really don’t know what happened. I was just going off the information I had to try to get the best corner I could and lead more laps.”

CREW CHIEF TESTIFIES TO LOGANO’S PROWESS

If you want evidence that Joey Logano is a special athlete, just ask his crew chief.

Todd Gordon continues to be impressed with Logano’s ability to deal with intense pressure.

True enough, Logano won Sunday’s Can-Am 500 elimination race at Phoenix International Raceway to advance to the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. And before he took the checkered flag, he kept Kevin Harvick behind him in a race for third place that could have been decisive, had a late caution not given Logano the opportunity to win.

“Joey is phenomenal about elevating,” Gordon said after the win. “There's very few professional athletes that can elevate to that level when the pressure comes on, and Joey has done it time and time again.

“I think kudos to him.”