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Sunday is the finale of the Round of 8 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, and it’s desperation time for a few drivers. Sixteen drivers came into this year’s Chase with high hopes for a championship, but we’re one race away from cutting the field to the Championship 4 today at Phoenix International Raceway.
One driver who won’t have to worry about his place in the Championship 4 is Carl Edwards, who came on strong to win at Texas and join Jimmie Johnson to occupy two of the four spots for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The points battle entering Phoenix is the tightest we’ve seen at this point in the postseason. Two spots are available for six drivers, four of which are separated by two total points. That doesn’t even count Kevin Harvick, who is further behind but the all-time wins leader at the 1-mile track in the desert.
Who’s hot: Joey Logano dominated the first half of the race at Texas en route to leading 178 laps and finishing second. Logano, who won at Talladega, has four straight top-10 finishes in the Chase and is narrowly above the cutline.
Who’s not: Kurt Busch heads to Phoenix in last place among the Round of 8 drivers after a 20th-place finish at Texas where he was one lap down. While Busch has enjoyed four straight top-10 finishes at Phoenix, he hasn’t won there since 2005. He’ll probably need to win there this time in order to advance to the Championship 4.
Four in, four out: Here’s a look at the Chase bubble, with four drivers being eliminated after the penultimate race of the season, Nov. 13 at Phoenix International Raceway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Chase Bubble Watch
| Standing | Driver | Points Differential from Cut-off | Starting spot at Phoenix |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jimmie Johnson | *Locked in with Martinsville win | 17th |
| 2. | Carl Edwards | *Locked in with Texas win | 11th |
| 3. | Joey Logano | +1 | 4th |
| 4. | Kyle Busch | +1 | 19th |
| ———— | CUT-OFF LINE | ———— | ———- |
| 5. | Matt Kenseth | -1 | 10th |
| 6. | Denny Hamlin | -2 | 5th |
| 7. | Kevin Harvick | -18 | 6th |
| 8. | Kurt Busch | -34 | 12th |
Up next: Can-Am 500, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2:30 p.m. ET, Phoenix International Raceway (NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Who it favors
Most wins: Kevin Harvick (8), Jimmie Johnson (4)
Best driver rating: Jimmie Johnson (112.0), Kevin Harvick (111.2)
Best average finish: Jimmie Johnson (7.8), Kevin Harvick (10.3)
Who it hurts
Worst percentage of top 10s: Matt Kenseth (22.2), Joey Logano (53.3)
Worst driver rating: Matt Kenseth (88.1), Joey Logano (90.2)
Worst average finish: Matt Kenseth (16.3), Joey Logano (14.0)