CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 25: Kyle Busch, driver of the #54 App State Class of 2020 Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Alsco 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 25, 2020 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The Last Lap Pass on Memorial Day, Thrusts Kyle Busch Toward his Ninth NASCAR Xfinity Series Victory, at Charlotte Motor Speedway
In NASCAR’s new normal, with a Memorial Day race in a stretch of four national events in four days, Kyle Busch returned to the old normal—winning.
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 24: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Ford, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2020, in Concord, North Carolina. Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
A late caution set Brad Keselowski up for victory in NASCAR’s longest race—and set Chase Elliott up for a second straight crushing disappointment.
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.
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.
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.