In the next to the last race on the one miler in the Valley of the Sun, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 25th annual Advocare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway.
It seems only fitting that when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship is decided this Sunday night, bringing down the curtain on the a season full of memories, it will be between two drivers who started the season in Florida by grabbing all the mainstream media attention.
Brad Keselowski and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. find themselves in similar situations heading into their respective season ending series finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Both drivers lead their respective series championships heading into Homestead by 20 points and only need 15th place finishes to lock up their series championships.
A couple of years ago, I had to wonder what Roger Penske was thinking. I mean, giving Brad Keselowski a ride in a great car? What was he thinking? Here was the guy who hit everything but the pace car in the Nationwide Series, won a race at Talladega by punting Carl Edwards into the stands, and cussed like a sailor. The Captain had to be crazy. Crazy like a fox.
Keselowski took charge of the point standings with a win at Phoenix, while Jimmie Johnson crashed hard into the wall late. With one race remaining, Keselowski leads Johnson by 22 points.
Kevin Harvick snapped a 44-race losing streak on Sunday in the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. This was Harvick's first win of the season and the 19th of his career.
Nine down, one to go. In just one more race we will crown the 2012 Sprint Cup Series Champion. The season has flown by and we could crown a first time champion next weekend.
Well, it is about damn time. NASCAR had a race that actually provided some television entertainment. Yes, you had to go through a few hours of round and round, but you have to admit that it was well worth the wait.
Phoenix brings back a lot of memories. It takes me back to 1992 when the championship was down to three drivers in many pundit’s opinions—Bill Elliott, Davey Allison, and Alan Kulwicki. All drove Fords, but Allison had the upper hand with a lead and with the Robert Yates Racing team’s stout engines.
For the second time this season, an oily race track had an effect on the outcome of the race. Back in Watkins Glen in August, a track scattered with oil led to two passes for the lead on the final lap. When race leader Kyle Busch spun in the oil it led to Marcos Ambrose and Brad Keselowski battling it out for the win.
The 24-year-old Smith from Talking Rock, Georgia, outdueled teammate Layne Riggs, Ben Rhodes and the field during a 12-lap shootout to win in his penultimate Truck start with Front Row Motorsports in Ridgeway, Virginia.
Chandler Smith led a Ford sweep of the top four positions as he won tonight’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Ben Rhodes was second, Layne Riggs third and Ty Majeski fourth.
Gio Ruggiero (eighth) and William Sawalich (ninth) both recorded top 10 finishes for TRICON Garage to lead Toyota in Friday night’s NASCAR Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway.
The 2021 CARS Super Late Model Tour champion from Mooresville, North Carolina, clocked in a pole-winning lap at 95.371 mph in 19.855 seconds for his third O'Reilly career pole in Ridgeway, Virginia.
The 2026 ARCA Menards Series East champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, became the youngest pole winner in Truck Series' history at age 16 years, two months and 27 days old.
