AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR whittles its field of championship contenders in half here this weekend, in a manner of speaking, with seven drivers trying to squeeze into three spots and join Jeff Gordon next week at Homestead to race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.
Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, which will be renamed Jeff Gordon Raceway for the event, could boost Gordon’s career stats, but the results won’t make or break his chances at a fifth title. It will be Gordon’s last official start as a full-time competitor at PIR, and no doubt he’d like to go out a winner.
For everyone else, Sunday will be a potential train wreck.
RELATED: See the updated Chase Grid
Kyle Busch, second in points, doesn’t need to win, but he can’t afford to stumble either. Think last year’s result at Talladega has been forgotten? Think again. Busch was second in points going into that elimination race as well, before getting swept up in a crash and swept out of the Chase. He also hasn’t forgotten the painful road back from injuries earlier this season that resulted in his missing the first 11 points races.
All Busch did after climbing back in the car was reel off four wins in five starts, and with only one race standing between himself and a shot the title, don’t expect Busch to go quietly into the night.
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick sits third and doesn’t need a win. The thing is, Harvick’s done nothing but win at Phoenix since joining Stewart-Haas Racing. He’s unbeaten on the 1-mile track in his last four starts and has won here seven times overall. If there’s a concern in the No. 4 camp, it’s the unknown. Cut tires at Texas? Had ’em. Shifter issues at Kansas? Yep. But no one has been better when backed into a corner.
RELATED: Can anyone dethrone the king of Phoenix?
Looking for a darkhorse? Look no further than Martin Truex Jr. The Furniture Row Racing driver has defied the expectations of others, but in his world he’s simply doing what he knows he and his team are capable of — consistently running in the top 10. Another top-10 finish could be enough; however, since he is fourth in points, he would be the first casualty should one of those behind him wind up in Victory Lane.
Carl Edwards leads those on the outside, sitting six points behind Truex Jr. in fifth. He finished 13th here earlier this season, back when he and his Joe Gibbs Racing team were in their “just getting to know you” phase. Edwards had just two top 10s in his first 17 starts with JGR; he’s managed 13 more in 18 starts since.
Also looking to re-ignite their Chase hopes are Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, as well as SHR’s Kurt Busch.
The good news for Keselowski, the 2012 champ, is that he has led 455 laps in the last two races. The bad news — he failed to win both times. Sure, he’s won only once this year, but he’s finished second five times, including last weekend. Second, though, likely won’t be enough this weekend. Expect Keselowski to swing for the fences.
Logano appeared to be the driver most likely to advance to Homestead when he swept the Contender Round, winning all three races. But his fortunes have taken a turn for the worse in recent weeks, with finishes of 37th and 40th. He enters Sunday’s race eighth in points, and knowing that a win is the only way he can assure himself of a shot at the championship.
RELATED: Chase-clinching scenarios for Phoenix
Rounding out the Chase contenders is Busch, possibly as much of a darkhorse as Truex. The No. 41 team has been as fast as anyone at times this season, it just hasn’t done it as often as several of those Busch will need to outrun. Seventh in points, a win is all but necessary if the 2004 champion hopes to advance.
It’s the same as any other week, and it’s nothing like any other week — seven drivers battling for three positions and a shot at the championship.
Sunday isn’t about a race, it’s about a season.