NASCAR Cup Series

Chase Elliott posted a solid afternoon in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway and knocked Denny Hamlin out of contention for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship, but got passed in the closing laps and failed to clinch a spot in the Championship 4 title race next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This weekend, champions in each of NASCAR’s three national series – Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – will be crowned during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, November 17-19. Following the penultimate races of the NASCAR playoffs at Phoenix Raceway, the Championship 4 field in each of those national series has now been determined, and discussions about who will take home the coveted trophies can now begin in earnes

Martin Truex Jr. had another strong playoff run, finishing third in Sunday’s Can-Am 500 NASCAR Cup Series race. The result was a career best for the Furniture Row Racing driver at Phoenix Raceway.

Ryan Blaney and the No. 21 SKF/Quick Lane Ford team came up short of being among the four drivers and their teams that will compete for the Monster Energy Cup Series championship at Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week.

Austin Dillon Drives No. 3 Realtree Chevrolet to 14th-Place Finish at Phoenix Raceway "We had a really fast Realtree Chevrolet today. We struggled with a tight-handling condition on the front end, but Justin Alexander and everyone on the team did a good job making adjustments. We made an unscheduled pit-stop for a flat left-rear tire during a caution and ended up losing a little bit of track position."

If Matt Kenseth doesn't race in NASCAR again after next Sunday, he went out in a blaze of glory by denying Chase Elliott his golden ticket to the championship round and ending year and a half winless drought in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Denny Hamlin's day was dominant, but contact with Chase Elliott late in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway knocked him out of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 Ford EcoBoost Ford, had a right front tire go flat as a result of a melted bead that ultimately sent the Roush Fenway Racing driver hard into the outside retaining wall on Lap 228 in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) event at Phoenix Raceway. The damage ended Bayne’s day prematurely, ultimately resulting in a 38th-place finish.

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 24 HOOTERS CHEVROLET SS – Finished 2nd - THIS SECOND PLACE FINISH HAS GOT TO HURT A LITTLE BIT MORE ‘Yeah, for sure. We were so close to having another shot next week. But man, I can’t say enough for our team and our Hooter’s 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."

BRAD KESELOWSKI -- No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion -- “We overcame a lot of obstacles and jumped a lot of hurdles today. I am glad I don’t have to relive this day, that is for sure. I am just looking forward to going to Homestead. This feels a little bit like Christmas. 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.”