Daily Archives: March 8, 2020

Chase Elliott has Another Great Start, Another Disappointing Finish at Phoenix

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Chase Elliott in the FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, March 8, 2020
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 08: Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 UniFirst Chevrolet, leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 08, 2020, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Chase Elliott is once again the victim of Murphy’s Law at Phoenix Raceway

In Friday’s time trials, Elliott won the pole for Sunday’s FanShield 500, marking the eighth straight top-ten start at Phoenix for the driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

Finishing races at the one-mile track, however, has been a problem for Elliott, and that proved true once again in the fourth NASCAR Cup Series event of the 2020 season. Elliott led the first 60 laps and finished second to Kevin Harvick in Stage 1.

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Tyler Reddick Impresses in NASCAR Cup Debut at Phoenix

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Tyler Reddick in the No. 8 for Richard Childress Racing at Phoenix Raceway on March 6, 2020
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Tyler Reddick, driver of the #8 I Am Second Chevrolet, practices during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Tyler Reddick in the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet wasn’t running at the finish of Sunday’s FanShield 500, but the top finishers in the NASCAR Cup Series event certainly knew he had been there.

Reddick started 29th in a field of 38, but by the time the second stage ended on lap 190, he had worked his way up to fourth, having passed Kyle Busch for the position. But after a two-tire call and a second-place restart on lap 222, Reddick was shuffled back in the running order.

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FanShield 500 Continues Blaney’s Bad Luck, Makes Early Exit

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FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway with Ryan Blaney in practice on March 6, 2020
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 06: Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Tarkett Ford, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 06, 2020, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

The FanShield 500 produces new points leader at Phoenix

Ryan Blaney’s luck turned from bad to worse on Sunday, and it cost him the NASCAR Cup Series lead.

Despite a pit call at Las Vegas that cost him a chance to win and a corded tire at Auto Club Speedway that forced his No. 12 Ford to pit road from second place with three laps left in last Sunday’s race, Blaney was first in the standings on the strength of solid stage finishes in the first three races.

That came to an abrupt close in Sunday’s FanShield 500 when Blaney’s race ended ten laps before the first stage did.

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Short-Track Package Improvements Earn Praise from NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell

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With the new short-track package Martin Truex Jr raced to fifth-place in Stage 1 after starting from the rear due to an engine change on Sunday, March 8, 2020.
Martin Truex Jr. moved up to the fifth place at the end of Stage 1 after starting at the rear in the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Photo – Chris Graythen/Getty Images

NASCAR’s Short-Track package and the PJ1 allows drivers to make passes at Phoenix

Sunday’s FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway passed not only the eye test but also the statistical test, as far as the quality of racing was concerned.

With the NASCAR Cup Series car featuring a significantly smaller spoiler and modifications to the oil pan and splitter, the resulting reduction in downforce produced far more competitive racing than fans witnessed in two Phoenix events last year.

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Joey Logano Gets Second 2020 Win in Overtime at Phoenix

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Joey Logano earns second victory of the year in overtime at Phoenix on Sunday, March 8, 2020
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – MARCH 08: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series FanShield 500 at Phoenix Raceway on March 08, 2020, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Joey Logano expected a bump from Kevin Harvick in the two-lap overtime Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, but the bump never came.

Instead, Harvick pulled up beside Logano in the center of turns one and two on the final lap of the FanShield 500, but Logano sped away with a hard charge off turn two and cruised to the finish line with a margin of 0.276 seconds.

With the victory—his second at Phoenix and the 25th of his career—Logano is the first multiple-time winner of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, having previously taken the checkered flag at Las Vegas in the year’s second event.

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