NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

The Place: Phoenix International Raceway

The Date: Sunday, Nov. 15

The Time: 2:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBC, 2 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 312 miles (312 laps)

 

Party of Five: Harvick Goes for Fifth Straight Win at Phoenix

Pretty much automatic at Phoenix International Raceway, Kevin Harvick will go for his fifth straight win at the one-mile track in Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cutoff race. With a visit to Victory Lane on Sunday, Harvick would join NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty (Richmond, 7) and Darrell Waltrip (Bristol, 7; North Wilkesboro, 5) as the only drivers to win at least five consecutive races at a single track.

Currently third on the Chase Grid, ten points above the cutoff line, Harvick is trying to advance to the four-driver Championship Round race at Homestead-Miami Speedway to defend his 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series title. Regardless of how the rest of the field performs at Phoenix, Harvick can clinch a Championship Round berth with a finish of second or better; third and at least one lap led; or fourth and the most laps led. Continue reading

Championship 4 Clinch Scenarios for Phoenix International Raceway

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Championship 4 Clinch Scenarios for Phoenix International Raceway

Jeff Gordon has already clinched a spot in the Championship 4.

Regardless of the finish of any other driver…

Kyle Busch will clinch with a finish of 3rd or better; 4th and at least one lap led; or 5th and most laps led.
Kevin Harvick will clinch with a finish of 2nd or better; 3rd and at least one lap led; or 4th and most laps led.

Martin Truex Jr., Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Kurt Busch and Joey Logano only control their own destiny with a victory. Logano can ONLY make it to the Championship Round with a win at Phoenix.

Gordon Celebrates Martinsville Win After Kenseth Wipes Out Logano

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Yes, Jeff Gordon celebrated his 93rd career victory in the Goody’s Headache Relief Shot 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

Yes, Gordon will compete for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Yes, there were tears of joy in Victory Lane for Gordon, who’s at the tail end of his last season in the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

But Sunday’s race at Martinsville had so much more — most notably, ‘Matt Kenseth’s Revenge.’ Continue reading

Logano Wins at Talladega, Knocks Earnhardt Out of Chase

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Through no fault of his own, Joey Logano may have achieved the most unpopular sweep in NASCAR history on Sunday afternoon.

Why? Because his victory in the CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway knocked Dale Earnhardt Jr. out of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup—by a matter of inches.

When NASCAR threw the third caution of the race moments after the first bona fide attempt at a green-white-checkered-flag restart on lap 195—with Kevin Harvick’s engine turning sour and cars wrecking behind him—Logano was inches ahead Earnhardt. Continue reading

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Preview

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NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Next Race: CampingWorld.com 500

The Place: Talladega Superspeedway

The Date: Sunday, Oct. 25

The Time: 2:30 p.m. (ET)

TV: NBCSN, 2 p.m. (ET)

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90

Distance: 500.08 miles (188 laps)

 

Logano Locked-in on NASCAR’s Biggest Stage

If the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is a stage, then Joey Logano is its leading man.

Logano has proven ‘the moment’ isn’t too big for him.

A year after posting the best average finish during the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup (6.4), Logano has won the first two races of the 2015 Contender Round and is the only driver guaranteed to advance to the Eliminator 8 Round heading into Sunday’s CampingWorld.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. His average finish in the Chase this year – 4.2. For context, the best average finish through an entire Chase was Carl Edwards’ 4.9, set during the last ten races of 2011.

On the season, Logano has tied his career-best total in wins and has set career highs in top-fives with 19, top-tens with 25 and Coors Light Pole Awards with five. His win at Kansas marked the first time in his career he’s recorded consecutive victories.

Logano noted how nice it is to relax going into Talladega, but the next round presents challenges. Continue reading