NASCAR Cup Series

There are drivers you like and there are drivers you do not. If a driver should be a whiney revisionist weasel who does his best to avoid cashing the checks his mouth keeps on writing, I am not a fan. This is how I once viewed Kurt Busch, and it is how I presently see Brad Keselowski. For him to not make the Chase finale came as a welcome conclusion to the activities at Phoenix.

In the final race of the Eliminator Chase round, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 27th annual Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Kevin Harvick continued his mastery of the Phoenix International Raceway today, winning the Quicken Loans 500 for Heroes. The win also secured him a spot for the championship race next Sunday at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the only way Harvick could have made the finale since he was tied in points with the runner up in the race, Jeff Gordon.

Camry driver Denny Hamlin advanced to the four-driver final round of this year's championship playoff at Homestead Miami Speedway next weekend after finishing fifth in today's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Phoenix International Raceway.

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 AXALTA CHEVROLET SS – Finished 2nd: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON NOT MOVING ON TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND IN HOMESTEAD, YOU ONLY MISSED IT BY ONE POINT: 
“Yeah, it’s disappointing. We have a lot to hold our heads up high about; the way that we raced this race and this whole Chase and the whole season. We raced hard. We raced together as a team."

Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell/Pennzoil Ford Fusion, finished sixth and clinched a spot in the Championship Four next weekend at Ford Championship Weekend. Brad Keselowski finished fourth in the race, but fell five points short of making the transfer cut while Carl Edwards ended up seven points out of the final round with a 15th –place finish.

KEVIN HARVICK, NO. 4 BUDWEISER CHEVROLET SS – RACE WINNER - WHERE DOES THIS WIN RANK? 
“Wow, I guess that is what it feels like to hit a walk off in extra innings there. But just want to thank Sprint, all the fans, Budweiser, Jimmy John’s, Outback, Chevrolet, Hunt Brothers, Ditech a new sponsor on board, just everybody who helps us, Mobil 1, everybody at Stewart-Haas. This thing both races here has just been bad to the bone. Everybody on our Budweiser team has done a great job and here we come Homestead.”

Heading into the final race in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR® Sprint Cup Eliminator Round, Jeff Gordon's burning desire to win his fifth NASCAR championship may help him get there as he pilots the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS tomorrow at Phoenix International Raceway.

Denny Hamlin captured the Coors Light Pole Award for Sunday’s Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at Phoenix International Raceway Friday evening. The Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota had a lap speed of 142.113 mph as he grabbed his third pole of the season and his 20th series career pole.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Kurt Busch is being investigated after an allegation of domestic assault against his ex-girlfriend, Patricia Driscoll.