Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: High drama between drivers

Denny Hamlin’s whirlwind Round of 8 came to an abrupt end at Phoenix, courtesy of a nudge into the wall from Chase Elliott that forced Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota into the garage early. It was the culmination of a conflict between the two drivers that began at Martinsville, when Hamlin knocked Elliott up the track and into the wall while positioning for the lead in the closing laps.

“It just proves to the people that thought I was a bad guy that he would do the exact same thing in the same circumstances,” Hamlin said in his post-race interview. “It’s just part of racing. I got into him and he chose to retaliate.”

MORE: Elliott explains his side

The veteran driver did some more thinking on the long flight back to North Carolina, and tweeted some further thoughts he dubbed “random thoughts.”

Acknowledging he was “mad and dejected” on the flight home, daughter Taylor helped Hamlin cope with her carefree spirit.

“There’s something to be learned in all this,” Hamlin wrote, “and I’m not sure I know what it is.”

Here’s his full message:

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Elliott-Hamlin Phoenix run-in | Race results | Kes grabs final Miami spot 

Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs Round of 8 cutoff race at Phoenix Raceway was a wild bout of up-and-downs for the five drivers vying to secure the fourth and final spot in the Championship 4 at Miami next weekend.

Here’s an analysis of how the races played out for Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski as they battled to be the one still racing for a title next week.

Start of race

Ryan Blaney: 1st

Chase Elliott: 4th

Denny Hamlin: 2nd

Jimmie Johnson: 12th

Brad Keselowski: 16th

Analysis: Blaney backed up his Phoenix speed from the spring (when he qualified second) by winning the pole — a great start for a team that needed a spark in a near must-win situation. Hamlin joining him on the front row added some pressure to stay out front for the No. 21 team. Elliott put himself in position to compete for a race win, which he needed, while Johnson could’ve used a better starting spot. Keselowski just needed to maintain his points lead, so a starting position of 16th wasn’t a race-breaker.

MORE: Blaney wins Phoenix pole | What playoff drivers were saying before race

 

Stage 1 finish

Blaney: 14th

Elliott: 3rd

Hamlin: 2nd

Johnson: 10th

Keselowski: 18th

Analysis: Blaney dropped back in the field considerably after struggling to find the speed in race trim that his No. 21 Ford showed in qualifying trim — not a good sign for his title hopes. Hamlin and Elliott about maintained their positioning toward the front of the field, but the rivals racing so close to each other put each of them in a dicey spot … but more on that in a minute. Johnson started the slow climb toward the front while Keselowski dropped back slightly, falling behind Hamlin for the first time for the provisional Championship 4 berth.

MORE: Full Stage 1 results | Hamlin, Elliott race each other aggressively early

 

Stage 2 finish

Blaney: 11th

Elliott: 9th

Hamlin: 1st

Johnson: 34th

Keselowski: 13th

Comment: Hamlin was cruising in the middle of this race, as he snatched up the Stage 2 win and led a whopping 193 laps when all was said and done. At this point, Hamlin would have been in the Championship 4 if the results stayed the same. Elliott dropped back a bit while Keselowski moved up slightly. The big takeaway here was Johnson cutting a tire just before the conclusion of Stage 2. His No. 48 Chevrolet hit the wall, took heavy damage and just like that, the race for eight was pushed to 2018. Down to four drivers.

MORE: Johnson sees eighth title bid end | Full Stage 2 results

 

Exhilarating Moment: Elliott passes Hamlin on Lap 270

Comment: Things shifted tremendously again on Lap 270, when newfound rivals Elliott and Hamlin gave credence to the old saying “rubbin’ is racing.” The pair traded a considerable amount of paint before Elliott was able to maneuver his No. 24 Chevrolet past Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota — but not without consequence for Hamlin, who was forced into the wall. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver came away from the duel with a tire rub that eventually blew and sent his car — arguably the strongest in the race — into the wall on Lap 275. Elliott vaulted into contention for the win, and Hamlin was sent to a 35th-place finish. From first to 35th in a minute’s time. And then there were three.

MORE: Hopes dashed for Hamlin after run-in | Elliott: ‘Race guys how they race me’

 

Exhilarating Moment: Matt Kenseth passes Elliott on Lap 303

Comment: Elliott took over the lead from Kenseth — who had led for 52 straight circuits — on Lap 284. The 21-year-old driver appeared set to ride his way to his first career Monster Energy Series win and a berth in the Championship 4, leading the next 19 laps. Heartbreak hit once again for Elliott, however, as he couldn’t hold off the eventual race-winner, Kenseth, with less than 10 laps remaining. The No. 24 pressed Kenseth’s No. 20 as the final laps ticked off, but in the end Elliott came up just short. He placed one spot short of what he needed to advance.

MORE: Kenseth chases down Elliott late | Elliott’s stingers continue

 

End of race

Blaney: 17th

Elliott: 2nd

Hamlin: 35th

Johnson: 39th

Keselowski: 16th

Comment: It’s hard to believe that out of the five drivers looking to clinch a Championship 4 berth at Phoenix, just one of them finished in the top 15. It’s even harder to believe that he isn’t the one that is moving on to Miami, despite notching a runner-up finish. Keselowski is the one moving on after starting and finishing 16th. The 2012 champ knew he didn’t need to push for a solid finish on Sunday; just maintain a steady, above average pace and he’d be fine as long as one of his playoff competitors didn’t win the race. That strategy worked, and the Team Penske driver will join Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. in South Beach.

MORE: Kes grabs final Miami spot | Full race results

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Full race results | Playoff standings | Homestead-Miami schedule

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Brad Keselowski’s prospects of qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 race weren’t looking good.

Keselowski entered Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway with a 19-point lead over Denny Hamlin for the final spot in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but by the end of the second stage of the race, his advantage was gone.

Hamlin finished second in the first stage and won the second to pull even with Keselowski, who was mired in traffic with an ill-handling No. 2 Team Penske Ford and scored no points in either of the first two stages.

RELATED: Stage results in Phoenix

Hamlin led 193 laps and appeared headed to Homestead before eventual race runner-up Chase Elliott pinched Hamlin’s Toyota into the outside wall. Five laps later, Hamlin was out of the race after a blown tire and hard contact with the Turn 3 wall, and Keselowski preserved his spot in the championship race with a 16th-place finish.

“It kind of feels a little bit like Christmas,” Keselowski said. “We overcame a lot of obstacles and jumped a lot of hurdles today. I’m glad I don’t have to relive this day, that’s for sure. I’m just looking forward to going to Homestead.

“Sometimes you need a little luck on your side. Today we had that. It wasn’t by any means where we wanted to run. We wanted to run up front and have a shot for the win. That wasn’t in the cards. We tried to run the smartest race we could and survive, and it ended up paying off in the end.”

Posted on by Staff Report

After Matt Kenseth’s emotional victory in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway, his son, Ross, was understandably thrilled following what might be the second-to-last race of his father’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career.

So much so, his excitement gave him a little bit of a leadfoot.

Kenseth was pulled over for speeding shortly after the conclusion of the race, but thankfully, the officer was forgiving and appeared to let him off with a warning.

Prior to the flashing lights in his rearview mirror, Ross Kenseth tweeted that he was a “#proudson” watching his dad win one more time.

Posted on by Reid Spencer

RELATED: Race results | Stages recaps | Detailed race breakdown
MORE: VIP ticket packages

AVONDALE, Ariz. – The middle-aged man without a ride for 2018 drove a dagger through the heart of the youngster expected to shine in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for years to come.

With nine laps left in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway, 45-year-old Matt Kenseth passed 21-year-old Chase Elliott for the lead and pulled away to win for the first time since the July 2016 New Hampshire race, breaking a 51-event winless string.

Kenseth’s victory, the 39th of his career, deprived Elliott of a chance to run for the series championship next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway and kept Chevrolet out of the title race. The win also was a gift to Brad Keselowski, who survived a lackluster afternoon with enough points to advance to the Championship 4 event.

Resigned to a hiatus from NASCAR racing after Erik Jones takes his seat in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota at the end of the year, Kenseth won at Phoenix for the second time and provided a rare show of emotion in Victory Lane.

“Yeah, it’s really not describable,” Kenseth said. “With only two (races) left, I didn’t think we probably had a good chance of getting back to Victory Lane. It’s been, I don’t know how many races – somebody’s probably going to tell me tonight – but it”s been at least 50 or 60, so it’s been a long time.

“We’ve had a lot of close ones. Just felt like it was never meant to be, and today it was meant to be…. I’ve got to be honest with you, I never dreamed I’d win one of these races, so obviously I’ve been so incredibly blessed throughout my whole career.”

SHOP: Matt Kenseth gear

Elliott has had some painful runner-up finishes this season—running second five times in his quest for a first career victory—but the sting of this one was especially severe. After squeezing Playoff contender Denny Hamlin into the outside wall on Lap 270, Elliott grabbed third place before Hamlin blew a tire and shot into the Turn 3 wall on Lap 275, his race and his championship run were over.

One lap after the final restart on Lap 282, Elliott passed Martin Truex Jr. for second. One circuit later, he shot past Kenseth through Turns 3 and 4 for the lead and began to pull away. As the run continued, however, Kenseth closed the gap. On Lap 303 of 312, he cleared Elliott off Turn 2 and stretched his advantage to 1.207 seconds at the finish.

“We were so close to having another shot next week,” Elliott said. “But, man, I can’t say enough for our team and our Hooters Chevrolet this weekend. We fought really hard today and gave ourselves a chance. Our car was really fast on those short runs after a caution and after pit cycles on tires. It fired off really good, and we did pretty good on the short run all day and got really tight as the run went long.

“And once the rubber laid back down, I was just hanging on and hoping I could get to traffic before (the car) started going away. It’s just such a bummer. I was telling my guys we’ll get it right someday, or I’ll get it right someday. We’ve had so many good opportunities, and at some point, we’ve just got to close.”

RELATED: Run-in with Elliott leads to end of Hamlin’s day

Hamlin had led 193 laps before his run-in with Elliott. The two drivers had a recent history, with Hamlin depriving Elliott of a possible victory and a Championship 4 berth by knocking him into the Turn 3 wall with fewer than four laps left two weeks ago at Martinsville.

“Oh, well, I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said of the incident. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me, and that’s the way I see it.”

Keselowski, who muscled an ill-handling car to a 16th-place finish and beat polesitter Ryan Blaney (17th Sunday) for the final berth in the championship race, moves on to Homestead to battle Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch for the series title. Truex, the series leader, finished third on Sunday in front of Jones and Harvick.

Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Aric Almirola and Dale Earnhardt Jr. completed the top 10.

Jimmie Johnson, who like Elliott needed a victory to advance to Homestead, blew his right front tire and crashed out of the event on Lap 150, ending the day in 39th place.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Race results | Updated series standings
MORE: Get VIP ticket packages for 2018

The field is set.

With one playoff spot up for grabs in the Round of 8 finale at Phoenix Raceway, Brad Keselowski drove his way to the final spot in the Championship 4 at Miami. He will join the three drivers who already had clinched — Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick — in a first-to-the-line championship battle on Nov. 19 at Homestead-Miami Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC/NBC Sports App, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

Busch, the 2015 series champion, earned his spot in the Championship 4 by winning the Round of 8 opener at Martinsville Speedway. Harvick followed suit the next week, winning at Texas — Truex Jr. clinched a spot at Texas, too, on points.

Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott and seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson were eliminated after Phoenix. Keselowski entered the race 19 points ahead of Hamlin and 22 points ahead of Blaney. Ellliott and Johnson faced virtual must-win scenarios.

Hamlin erased all of Keselowski’s points lead following the second stage. Finishing second in Stage 1 and winning Stage 2 netted Hamlin 19 points, while Keselowski didn’t earn any stage points. That put the Joe Gibbs Racing driver in primo position to earn his way to Miami, but late contact with Chase Elliott ended his day early.

Elliott, meanwhile, led late before Matt Kenseth made the race-winning pass with 10 laps to go.

MORE: Top photos from the track

The four drivers advancing are:
Martin Truex Jr., No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota
Kyle Busch, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Kevin Harvick, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford
Brad Keselowski, No. 2 Team Penske Ford

The four drivers not advancing are:
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
Ryan Blaney, No. 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Chase Elliott, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
 Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings
MORE: VIP ticket packages

The Chase Elliott-Denny Hamlin rivalry continued Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, and it had massive playoff implications.

With just under 45 laps remaining in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Round of 8 cutoff race, the pair of drivers — who confronted each other after a heated Martinsville race earlier this round — battled aggressively for position inside the top three.

The beating and banging wound up in the Hendrick Motorsports driver’s favor at the time, with the contact endured by Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Toyota proving to be too much. Hamlin’s car began to smoke with a tire rub and hit the wall hard to bring out the caution shortly after.

Elliott would go on to take the lead late in the race, before giving way to eventual winner Matt Kenseth — a wild chain of events that ultimately saw Brad Keselowski claim the final spot in the Championship 4.

RELATED: Championship 4 field set

After smacking the wall, Hamlin drove his limped car to the garage and climbed out, ending his race and his title hopes.

“We had a fast car all day. … We put ourselves in good position, things just didn’t work out there at the end,” Hamlin told NBC Sports after being evaluated and released from the infield care center.

The fracas immediately brought to mind Hamlin moving Elliott for the lead just two weeks ago — a move that resulted in heavy criticism of the veteran driver.

“Each person has their own opinion of how they do things. It just proves to the people that thought I was a bad guy that he would do the exact same thing in the same circumstances,” said Hamlin, who will have to wait another year for a chance at his first career title. “It’s just part of racing. I got into him and he chose to retaliate. I’m in the garage and that’s the way it is.”

Elliott logged yet another runner-up finish, and gave his own view of what happened between the two.

MORE: Elliott’s place among drivers with most runner-ups before first win

“I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face, regardless,” Elliott said. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me, and that’s the way I see it.”

One race remains this season in Miami, but the only thing left on the line for both drivers now will be the race trophy. Elliott came up just short of his bid to reach the Championship 4 after he was unable to regain his lead from Kenseth.

Coming within one spot of advancing to a veteran-laced title picture paired with his tension with Hamlin throughout the Round of 8 leaves the 21-year-old Elliott a more experienced, determined and focused driver, he said.

“I would like to think (I grew as a race car driver today) … ,” Elliott said. “I hope I grow as a person every week and grow as a racer every week. That is something I think everybody tries to do and I try to do better and do my job and came up short again and that is frustrating and I get it.

“We just have to keep our morale high and go to Homestead next week and get ready to close out the season strong and bring everything we’ve got come next season.”

MORE: Denny on the way Chase raced him

 

Posted on by Pat DeCola

RELATED: Buy tickets for Homestead-Miami Championship Weekend

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of four stories examining why each driver could win the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship.

RECAP: Martin Truex Jr. | Kevin Harvick | Brad Keselowski

• • •

Kyle Busch will win the 2017 championship because … 

He’s been the best driver the second half of the season, and momentum counts.

Joe Gibbs Racing struggled to find its footing in the early going of 2017, being held out of Victory Lane until Denny Hamlin broke through at Loudon in mid-July. Busch has won 31 percent of the races since then, leading laps in every single one of them until this past weekend at Phoenix when he had already clinched and had nothing on the line.

These weren’t even off-cycle, circumstantial circuits in front of the field — he piled up double-digit laps led in all but three of those. His 1,980 laps led in 2017? They’re already 307 more than he’s accumulated in any season of his career, with one race left to pile up more.

Whatever performance change JGR went through over the summer has clearly given Busch’s No. 18 Toyota the speed to get it done. His eight poles this season — five of which have come since Hamlin’s Loudon win — are more than double that of any other driver, so he’ll likely have a tremendous starting position, to boot.

The 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion showed us how much grit he has behind the wheel after coming back from devastating leg injuries earlier that season to win his first title.

With a full season behind him and that notorious 2017 Toyota speed, Busch has an excellent shot to pick up his second championship.

The added incentive he has to deny rival Brad Keselowski from his second title probably doesn’t hurt Busch any, either.

MORE: Breaking down the Championship 4

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Johnson’s interview after wreck

The race for eight will have to wait.

Jimmie Johnson’s plans for a second consecutive and record-breaking eighth overall championship came to an end shortly before the end of Stage 2 in Sunday’s Round of 8 cutoff race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs at Phoenix Raceway.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver’s No. 48 Chevrolet cut a tire and hit the wall, and he took it to the garage.

“With a few laps to go to the end of the stage, as soon as I got in the corner and touched the brakes the right front just blew,” Johnson said after being evaluated and released from the infield care center. “I hate it for this team. They’ve worked so hard all year long and I’m very proud of their efforts.”

Johnson missed the cut to make it to the Championship 4 next Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Even without the accident, Johnson would have faced an uphill battle. He entered Phoenix eighth in the Playoff standings, needing a win to advance. Johnson finished 10th in the first stage and was running 11th on Lap 150 when he hit the wall.

“Unfortunately we won’t have a chance to make eight this year but we’ll come back next year and try a little harder,” said Johnson, a three-time winner in 2017.

“Disappointed for sure. The last couple months, you can’t just stay alive. You have to be running on all cylinders and we just haven’t been there, unfortunately. I’m very thankful for all the hard work that’s gone into this and from Chad and the team but we just can’t get there right now.”

PHOTOS: Jimmie Johnson’s all-time wins

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Stage 1 results | Stage 2 results | 2017 Stage points total

Denny Hamlin continued to pad his playoff point cushion as he grabbed the Stage 2 win in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.

Hamlin remained fourth among Round of 8 playoff drivers in “points as they run” and is in position to advance to the Championship 4 next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Stage 2 ended under caution as Jimmie Johnson brought out the yellow flag on Lap 149, one lap before the scheduled end of the stage.

It was Hamlin’s fourth stage win of the season.

Johnson, who was running just outside the top 10, brought out the caution one lap before the scheduled end of Stage 2 on Lap 149, with a blown right tire that forced the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wall. He sustained significant damage to the right side of the car, and headed straight to the garage.

Keselowski, who held the fourth playoff spot heading into the Phoenix race, was the lowest-finishing playoff driver in the stage after Johnson, at 13th place.

Kyle Larson exited the race from second place on Lap 104 with an engine problem. This is his fourth consecutive race that he has not finished this season.

The race is scheduled to end on Lap 312.

 

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Denny Hamlin  Joe Gibbs Racing 10
2.  Matt Kenseth  Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3.  Erik Jones  Furniture Row Racing 8
4.  Martin Truex Jr.  Furniture Row Racing 7
5.  Kyle Busch  Joe Gibbs Racing 6
6.  Kevin Harvick  Stewart-Haas Racing 5
7.  Jamie McMurray  Chip Ganassi Racing 4
8.  Ryan Newman  Richard Childress Racing 3
9.  Chase Elliott  Hendrick Motorsports 2
10.  Clint Bowyer  Stewart-Haas Racing 1

 

STAGE 1

Kyle Larson took the lead on Lap 68 of the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, holding on to win his sixth stage of the season when Stage 1 concluded on Lap 75.

Larson led a charge of four non-playoff drivers finishing in the top 10 of Stage 1.

Denny Hamlin, who held the lead for 41 laps from Lap 28 to 67, finished second in the stage. With his finish in Stage 1, he jumped to just above the cutoff line to advance to the Championship 4 next week in Homestead-Miami Speedway in “points as they run.” Hamlin entered the race 19 points behind Keselowski for the final spot in the Championship 4. He earned nine points in Stage 1, while Keselowski earned zero.

Chase Elliott finished third in Stage 1, followed by non-playoff driver Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick.

Ryan Blaney, who began on the pole, dropped back to 14th by the end of Stage 1.

Jimmie Johnson, the seven-time champion, currently is eighth among the Round of 8 drivers, and finished 10th in Stage 1.

Stage 2 ends on Lap 170 of the 312-lap race at the 1-mile track.

Finish Driver Team Race points
1.  Kyle Larson   Chip Ganassi Racing 10
2.  Denny Hamlin   Joe Gibbs Racing 9
3.  Chase Elliott   Hendrick Motorsports 8
4.  Matt Kenseth   Joe Gibbs Racing 7
5.  Kevin Harvick   Stewart-Haas Racing 6
6.  Kyle Busch   Joe Gibbs Racing 5
7.  Erik Jones   Furniture Row Racing 4
8.  Martin Truex Jr.   Furniture Row Racing 3
9.  Ryan Newman   Richard Childress Racing 2
10.  Jimmie Johnson   Hendrick Motorsports 1