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Tag: Kevin Harvick

  • The Final Word – Why I will be watching NASCAR again in 2018

    The Final Word – Why I will be watching NASCAR again in 2018

    NASCAR can really tick me off, and the use of “tick” was not my first choice. Yet, every year I seem to get that itch, one that I had already scratched raw the year before, and every year I return. Why? Well, there seem to be a few things about NASCAR that I really, really like as well.

    Daytona. Talladega. Bristol. Sonoma. Darlington. Charlotte (oval and roval). If I were to reduce my interest in NASCAR to just those tracks that pretty much guarantee me something worth watching, these would be it. Ten events. I do love those races just for the entertainment value alone. Daytona is first, which suckers me in every year.

    Chase Elliott. Erik Jones. William Byron. Kyle Larson. Bubba Wallace. Ryan Blaney. The kids. The next generation of stars. Elliott and Larson have already arrived, while it should be fun watching the others rise in the ranks. Some already have shown star power that might make fans give a damn, while here is hoping the others combine talent and personality to do the same.

    Jimmie Johnson. Martin Truex Jr. Kevin Harvick. Kyle Busch. Jamie McMurray. The old farts. If one figures 42 to be old, which I do not. Johnson is a legend, the others are champions. Okay, maybe not McMurray, but despite just seven wins in 546 races, the guy comes across as a decent fellow, and we can always use more decent fellows in this world.

    NBC. I am shocked, too. I thought I would go with FOX, which is usually the case, but I have long since filled my quota of “boogity-boogity-boogity.” Jeff Gordon is one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers but, while thankfully he is no Rusty Wallace, he becomes just white noise after a while. No, I find myself looking forward to NBC for one reason. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s inclusion would have been far-fetched not so long ago, but have you listened to him? He might not be the most polished speaker ever to grace a microphone, but when he opens his mouth something interesting always seems to come out of it. I want to hear what he has to say in his new role. If he and his former crew chief Steve Letarte can deliver on the chemistry front, all the better.

    How will the reduced pit crews perform this season, and might they affect the outcome of a race? Maybe NASCAR has finally fixed the problem where one can not just catch the leader, but pass him.  Maybe, but probably not. But you can always check out sports betting canada and see the odds.  Maybe some extra fans might start trickling in. That is on NASCAR to produce entertaining events on track and in the announce booth. How have they done recently?

    A new season, new optimism, renewed hope. That is why I continue to watch NASCAR. Now, let the bitching begin.

  • SHR’s Harvick, Bowyer, and Almirola Meet the Press

    SHR’s Harvick, Bowyer, and Almirola Meet the Press

    CHARLOTTE, NC – SHR Teammates Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Aric Almirola met with the media on Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center during the 2018 Charlotte Media Tour. The team won three races in 2017 including the Daytona 500, and Harvick was in the Final Four championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. What do they think the 2018 season holds for them?

    “We have a car that is designed for a huge spoiler in the back and is the oldest car on the race track compared to the other manufacturers,” Harvick said. “It took us a little bit to get things situated last year with the balance. We could face those balance issues again this year that we might have to work through as we go into the year just because of the way they are going to inspect the cars with the Hawkeye system. With the new splitter rules, you are looking at a few hundred pounds of downforce taken off the cars. There are no rule changes, but everybody had to be cut off in every shop. It is different.

    “I think that much like the pit guns, I look at the splitter in that same category. There has been a tremendous amount of money spent on development of the shapes of the splitter. We could be in a position to where we have some balance issues with the race car but if we are going to have a problem at SHR and we put it on our aero department, I will put that up against anybody. We may come out of the box great but you don’t really know until you get to the race track. We worked through those issues last year. It took us a bit but we might have to work at them again.”

    Almirola is in his first season with SHR, moving over from Richard Petty Motorsports to SHR in the No. 10 Ford, formerly driven by the soon to retire Danica Patrick. He says the transition to Stewart-Haas Racing has been easy.

    “The transition to Stewart-Haas Racing has been really easy. They have so many talented people that they just make the transition easy. Everybody from the marketing and PR side to the personnel on the shop floor and the guys on the team,” Almirola said. “It has been great. That transition has been fun. It has been easy, fun, all of the above. I have just been really looking forward to getting to the race track to go race. We go all offseason and work on all the little things. Changing teams is a big undertaking. I would say that the most challenging thing has been learning 380 employees names and faces. That is one of the most challenging things. Besides that, just all the little things like getting your seat right and going and trying to work with a new team and new pedals and new seat and seat insert. All those things. Making sure I am comfortable when the season starts inside the race car.”

    Clint Bowyer, who hasn’t won a points race in a very long time, sees 2018 as a make or break year for him, though. He’s looking forward to the new year and finally sitting in a car he thinks will see him back in victory lane before the season is over

    “Every year is a make or break year. It doesn’t matter if it is your first year or your third year or your 12th year. It is always that pressure and it is always on,” Bowyer said. “Nobody puts that on. We are competitors. I have raced since I was five years old. I have always wanted to win. Once you get a taste of that, there is no going back from that. Last year, it was disappointing. My disappointment came from a lack of consistency. That has always been my m.o. and how I was always able to make playoffs if I did or compete for a championship if we did. It was through consistency and knocking on the door and not having bad runs.

    “We were spraying it all over the place last year. We would have good runs and bad runs and I really look for Stewart-Haas to smooth those things out. That manufacturer change was the best thing, in my opinion, that they have done in a long time. You are going to have growing pains because you have to learn a whole new everything. From your database to the aero platform to all that stuff. To have that behind us, the winter, the off-season has been way easier. It was pretty chaotic last year. I think we have weathered that storm and we are ready.”

    Bowyer is a fan of his new teammate and looks forward to having him on the SHR team.

    “Of course, he is a good dude and I think he is a great asset to our already great organization. I think he is a good guy. He really is. His family is awesome. They are always at the track and his kids are always running around. You can tell a lot about a guy by how his kids act. He has great kids. The racer in him, he has never had that opportunity. No knock on anything he has ever been in but this is his opportunity to shine in good equipment and I look for him to do so.”

    Harvick had unexpected praise for young drivers. Unlike Kyle Busch who recently lamented the press attention on younger drivers, Harvick thinks that it is a natural progression.

    “There has to be a push for the guys coming up to introduce them to who they are,” Harvick said. “If they happen to perform like they need to perform on the race track and start acquiring some of the race fans that are looking for a driver to support, that is good for everybody. Chase Elliott winning a race would be good for everybody. I think he hasn’t done that in two years. There is a lot of hype and he has been very competitive but I can promise you that every person in that garage should be happy for the sport when Chase Elliott wins a race because he is big for our sport.”

  • The Players – The Best Teams’ 2018 Lineup in NASCAR Cup

    The Players – The Best Teams’ 2018 Lineup in NASCAR Cup

    It’s only a short time until the annual Media Tour at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte. We will learn a lot there, but a couple things are obvious. There will be 24 major teams running next year (10 Fords, nine Chevrolets, and five Toyotas). Each camp has stars in their lineup, but Toyota’s dominance of the 2017 season (with only six competitive cars) is favored. Let’s look at each team’s lineup.

    Chevrolet has the four Hendrick Motorsports cars. HMS fell on hard times last year despite their dominance for several years. Jimmie Johnson will be back in the Lowe’s Camaro. You read that right. The older SS they have fun the last few years is no longer being manufactured, so a change had to be made. Besides, finding a dealer with a Chevy SS was about as hard as finding a needle in a haystack anyway. After Johnson, the rest of the team will be made up of a group of youngsters. Chase Elliott is back, this time taking his father’s No. 9, William Byron, in the 24, and Alex Bowman in the 88. Of this team, only Johnson has ever won a Cup race. You might call this a rebuilding year for HMS.

    Richard Childress Racing will field the 31 for Ryan Newman, the 3 for Austin Dillon, and the 27, with the driver rumored to be Brennan Poole, but nothing has been announced. Both Newman and Dillon won races last year.

    Chip Ganassi Racing will feature Kyle Larson in the 42, coming off an excellent season. Jamie McMurray will be back in the No. 1 Chevrolet.

    Ford will field one more competitive car in 2018. Team Penske has expanded to three cars with Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 and Joey Logano in the No.22 Fords. Ryan Blaney, who earned his first victory in 2017 with the Wood Brothers will pilot the No. 12 Ford. The team’s alliance with the Wood Brothers continues with Paul Menard taking over the driving chores. Penske bought a charter for the No. 12 from Roush Fenway Racing, meaning the No. 16 is not coming back. The Charter was leased to the No. 37 JTG Daugherty team last year.

    Roush Fenway will see their improved team have the same driver lineup. Trevor Bayne in the No. 6 and Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. in the No. 17. Stenhouse won two restrictor plate races in 2017 and Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011.

    Stewart-Haas Racing will see it’s lineup jumbled somewhat. The Ford team will have Aric Almirola move over from the Richard Petty Motorsports No. 43 and drive the No. 10, formerly driven by Danica Patrick. Otherwise, things stay the same with 2017 Final Four driver Kevin Harvick in the No.4, Clint Bowyer in the 14, and Kurt Busch in the 41.

    Toyota saw its field go down a car this year. The Joe Gibbs Racing stable will have the 11 with Denny Hamlin, the 19 with Daniel Suarez, the 18 with Kyle Busch, and Erik Jones, who raced for Furniture Row Racing in 2017 in the No. 20. Much like Team Penske does with the Wood Brothers, Furniture Row and 2017 champ Martin Truex, Jr. will field the 78 Toyota. Furniture Row did not have sponsorship for the No. 77 car, so Toyota’s stable goes from six to five for 2018

    These are the teams that I predict will land in victory lane in 2018. Oh, we may get a surprise winner, but these 24 teams will battle race in and race out for the checkers. We will know more in a couple of weeks when the teams meet with the media in Charlotte, but this how I see it now. A big hole was left in the sport with the retirements of Dale Earnhardt Jr, Danica Patrick and Matt Kenseth at the end of the year. How many will stay away from the sport because these drivers are not in the lineup? Time will tell.

  • Hot 20 – Truex is king, Junior is done, and the kids are moving to the big boy table

    Hot 20 – Truex is king, Junior is done, and the kids are moving to the big boy table

    The cream rose to the top, as the top four accumulated half of the wins between them this season. Four drivers, 18 wins, and now four shared championships.

    Next season NASCAR decides its 70th Cup champion, an honor claimed by just 32 men in that time. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Brad Keselowski will be joined by Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch as each will seek to add to their trophy cases. A bunch of talent will be bursting out of the gate at Daytona come February to make their own arguments. Rick Hendrick does not make up his roster based on age alone, boasting the elder statesman and the baby in 2018. The 41-year-old seven-time king Johnson will be joined by a new teammate, William Byron, who does not turn 20 until next week.

    Nothing says our final four will not be back. Truex had a dominant season, while Busch once again laid claim as being one of the very best in the business. Harvick and Keselowski have not grown any moss, and then there is Chase Elliott, who turns 22 at the end of the month. Another Hendrick driver who will be sporting his father Bill Elliott’s old number, seeking that first career win. Only a fool would bet against that happening.

    NASCAR has its issues, to be sure. They cannot figure how to get fans back to the tracks or even how to insist on television crews with the talent to keep us watching, no matter what. However, there is no shortage of storylines for next season. Along with those mentioned, a new generation has emerged. Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney have arrived. Twenty-one-year-old Erik Jones is on the cusp. Next season, 24-year-old Bubba Wallace will drive the iconic Petty blue No. 43, featuring a familiar look for a native son of Alabama, but something rare in NASCAR.

    But all that is nearly three months away. In the meantime, we give thanks for the likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, and Danica Patrick, and wait to see what the future holds in store for them. We await to see what Kurt Busch will be doing next year. Above all else, we salute a very worthy 2017 champion who tops our Hot 20.

    1. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 5040 POINTS – 8 Wins
    For the driver, his fiancé, his team owner, and his entire team…this was truly well deserved.

    2. KYLE BUSCH – 5035 POINTS – 5 Wins
    One position, and possibly one caution, away from holding his own celebration.

    3. KEVIN HARVICK – 5033 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Handling issues and a debris-induced hole did not help his cause.

    4. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 5030 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Fears a lack of manufacture parity might mean his Fords will be fried next year.

    5. CHASE ELLIOTT – 2377 POINTS
    In 2018, the torch passes to the next generation and this is the standard bearer.

    6. DENNY HAMLIN – 2353 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Learning that the Elliott Bible states, “Do unto others AS they have done unto you.” Let us pray.

    7. MATT KENSETH – 2344 POINTS – 1 Win
    If this is how Matt goes out, he did it as we would have expected…in style.

    8. KYLE LARSON – 2320 POINTS – 4 Wins
    The next generation has arrived. After Elliott, Larson is definitely Exhibit “B.”

    9. RYAN BLANEY – 2305 POINTS – 1 Win
    Exhibit “C” is moving on to join Roger Penske next season.

    10. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2260 POINTS – 3 Wins
    Already among NASCAR royalty, he will once again try to rate eight in 2018.

    11. AUSTIN DILLON – 2224 POINTS – 1 Win
    Just four top 10s and he sits 11th. Nine top 20’s in his last 10 races mean more than I thought.

    12. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 2224 POINTS
    Seventeen top 10s, and he sits tied with Dillon in the standings. Maybe it is the cowboy hat.

    13. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 2222 POINTS – 2 Wins
    Two wins do not a season make. Well, that statement has been proven to be wrong.

    14. KURT BUSCH – 2217 POINTS – 1 Win
    What is next?

    15. KASEY KAHNE – 2198 POINTS – 1 Win
    As Kurt rose Furniture Row to the next rung, can Kasey do the same for Leavine Family Racing?

    16. RYAN NEWMAN – 2196 POINTS – 1 Win
    Double figures in top 10s in all but two of his seasons, including 13 more this year. Really.

    17. JOEY LOGANO – 930 POINTS – 1 Win
    Even with a win that meant something, he probably would have been done by Kansas.

    18. CLINT BOWYER – 871 POINTS
    Things started well enough, then Michigan, Bristol, Darlington, and Richmond happened.

    19. ERIK JONES – 863 POINTS
    At 21, I guess that would make Jones Exhibit “D”.

    20. DANIEL SUAREZ – 777 POINTS
    Loved Michigan and Darlington even less than Bowyer did.

    21. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 668 POINTS
    Thanks for the memories. It was one hell of a ride.

     

  • The Final Word – Homestead sees the end of the Junior era, as another Junior wins it all

    The Final Word – Homestead sees the end of the Junior era, as another Junior wins it all

    It was an amazing two weeks. In that time, Kevin Harvick locked his way into the final four, along with Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. We got to see Matt Kenseth win, spoil things for Chase Elliott, and allowed Brad Keselowski to round out our championship contenders. During that time, I was among eight family members enjoying 80 plus degree temperatures in Hawaii.

    I know you did not click in to let me reminiscence about our time in paradise, but I do have one question. When did WestJet, what had been a very special, passenger orientated airline, become just like Air Canada? It appears that if you want to fly the friendly skies in comfort these days, you need to be Leonardo DiCaprio winging his way to Europe on a private jet to pick up an environmental award…but I digress.

    Less than 24 hours after arriving back to the land of snow and ice, once again I could witness palm trees and 80 plus degree temps under the sunshine as NASCAR wrapped up its season in Homestead, Florida.

    Of course, more than four would have our attention. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was in his final race as a full-time driver, though by the end of the second stage he was outside of the top twenty. Danica Patrick will be in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 next season, but she failed to make the end of this one when she crashed out. Kenseth’s career might be coming to an end, and after winning last week he concluded this campaign with a top 10 result. As for the next face of the sport, Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, giving in him a top 15 in 10 of his final dozen events. His time is coming, and right soon.

    All that was left to decide was the championship, and all four contenders were in the top five heading down the stretch. Keselowski faded to seventh, while Harvick would wrap things up in fourth. That left a duel between Truex and Busch. Truex held the lead as the laps counted down, but Busch had pit strategy working in his favor. Well, he did until his brother Kurt brought out the caution with less than 40 laps remaining.

    Busch remained within a second of his rival from that point onward. However, the closest he got was 0.20 seconds…as they crossed the line. Martin Truex Jr. won his eighth of the season, just the 15th of his career, to become the 2017 Cup champion. It is his first, and the first for team owner Barney Visser and Furniture Row Racing out of Denver, Colorado.

    It was a satisfying conclusion to the season. As for the broadcast, well, you cannot win them all. In 2007 I was part of another group of family members who flew in to watch the Daytona 500. Harvick beat out Mark Martin at the line while Clint Bowyer ended the race on his lid. It was an amazing experience. We flew in on WestJet, even watching the Duels run live on the television provided for each and every passenger. It was an amazing experience. That was in 2007. Those were the days of “how bad have you got it.” I sure miss those days.

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Homestead

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex led the final 51 laps at Homestead and held off Kyle Busch to capture the win at Homestead and his first Monster Energy Cup championship.

    “No offense to Joey Gase,” Truex said, “but nice guys don’t finish last, they finish first. I am a nice guy, and as champion, I reserve the right to be called ‘Mister Nice Guy.’”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second at Homestead to Martin Truex Jr., who got the jump on a lap 34 restart and kept Busch at bay for the remainder of the race.

    “That race was for all the marbles,” Busch said. “First of all, I wanted to win this race for myself, but I also wanted to win it for my brother Kurt, so I could give him some marbles because he lacks ‘all his marbles.’”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fourth at Homestead as Martin Truex, Jr. won the race to capture the Monster Energy Cup championship.

    “Lost in the shuffle of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s retirement was Danica Patrick’s retirement,” Harvick said. “The only way Danica will be ‘Miss-ed’ is if Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. doesn’t marry her.”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished seventh at Homestead, falling short in his bid to win his second Cup championship.

    “I guess I predicted a Toyota championship,” Keselowski said. “I guess at the time I was trying to give ‘constructive criticism,’ but it turned into ‘constructors criticism.’”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished fifth at Homestead, posting his 21st top 10 of the season.

    “I’m looking forward to a long offseason,” Elliott said. “I didn’t take long to erase Denny Hamlin from championship contention; it will take much longer to erase him from my memory.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started on the pole at Homestead and finished ninth.

    “Martin Truex Jr. has a rare quality among NASCAR champions,” Hamlin said. “He has absolutely no enemies. So, I can say for sure he’s friends with Chase Elliott.”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney finished a disappointing 29th at Homestead and ended the year ninth in the Monster Energy points standings.

    “Homestead was my final race with Wood Brothers Racing,” Blaney said. “I’m moving on to Penske Racing in 2018. This bodes well for my bank account, but not for my love life, because my days with Wood are over.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished eighth in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “I’m not sure what I’ll be doing in retirement,” Kenseth said. “I am sure it won’t be anything with Carl Edwards.”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished 27th at Homestead and completes the season 10th in the points standings.

    “With no chance to win the Cup,” Johnson said, “my mind was elsewhere for the duration of the entire race. I guess I was thinking of my seven Cup championships. When you’re Jimmie Johnson, reminiscing is an all day job.”

    10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished 13th in the Ford EcoBoost 400.

    “Dale Earnhardt Jr. celebrated his final race by sharing beers with his pit crew,” McMurray said. “As if NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver needed another reason for people to ‘say cheers.’”

  • NASCAR: Championship 4 Success At Homestead

    NASCAR: Championship 4 Success At Homestead

    With the final race of the 2017 Monster Energy Cup series looming, four drivers go into Homestead hoping to hoist the trophy come Sunday night.

    Before the green flag waves on Sunday, here’s how the Championship 4 have fared at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

     

    1. Kyle Busch  

    Photo Credit: Noel Lanier

    Coming into Homestead, Kyle Busch will be one to keep your eye on. With one win coming back when Busch won the championship in 2015, he has shown he has what it takes to hoist the championship trophy when the checkered flag falls. In 12 starts in Homestead, Kyle Busch has an average start of 12.8 and an average finish of 19.8. Before the new championship format was introduced, Busch had only three top-10 finishes. With the stakes high this weekend, Busch hopes to recapture his 2015 dominance and win his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title.

    2. Kevin Harvick

    Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images

    With one win coming in his championship season, 2014, Kevin Harvick has statically had the best finishes out of the Championship 4 with an average finish of 6.9. Harvick didn’t really show his dominance this season until his first win of the season coming earlier in the year at Sonoma. In just three years at Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick has been the face of the team grabbing Gene Haas and Tony Stewart their first championship in 2014.

    Brad Keselowski

    Photo Credit: Tom Pennington – Getty Images for NASCAR.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The 2012 season was the most memorable season for Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 team as he held off Jimmie Johnson to capture Roger Penske his first Monster Energy Cup Series championship. Heading into Homestead this weekend, Keselowski hasn’t shown his dominance of the 2012 season but nevertheless has had consistent finishes all year round.

     

    Martin Truex Jr.

    Martin Truex Jr. celebrates victory in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

    Martin Truex Jr. heads into Homestead as the legitimate favorite as he has compiled seven wins this season, more than any season in the past. With three top-five finishes and seven top-10 finishes, Truex has an average finish of 12.3. Furniture Row Racing will be without team owner Barney Visser this weekend after he suffered a heart attack just two weeks ago. Heading into Homestead this weekend Truex looks to show his dominance of this season and bring Barney Visser his first NASCAR title.

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished third at Phoenix as the field of four was finalized for Homestead.

    “I think the consensus is that I’m the favorite to win the Cup,” Truex said. “I totally agree. I’m a big favorite of my odds to win because I like my chances.”

    2. Kyle Busch: Busch finished seventh in the Can-Am 500, posting his 21st top 10 of the year.

    “Toyota’s have been the strongest cars all season,” Busch said. “And I don’t expect that to change at Homestead. Martin Truex Jr. and I have been dominating races all year with those powerful Japanese engines. You might as well call it ‘Murder On The Orient Express,’ in theaters now.”

    3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished fifth at Phoenix.

    “And then there were four,” Harvick said. “Hopefully, on Sunday at Homestead, I’ll be saying ‘And then there was 4.’”

    4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 16th and claimed the last of the four spots for the Chase finale at Homestead.

    “Luckily,” Keselowski said, “things went my way. Now, ‘my way’ is the highway from Phoenix to Homestead.”

    5. Chase Elliott: Elliott finished second at Phoenix, just missing out on qualifying for the finale at Homestead.

    “I haven’t won a race all season,” Elliott said. “And that means I haven’t beaten anyone all year, so if you didn’t already know, that makes me no relation to Ezekiel Elliott.”

    6. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin was second in Stage 1 and won Stage 2 to put himself in position to advance as the final qualifier for Homestead. But Chase Elliott muscled Hamlin’s No. 11 into the wall with about 50 laps to go, causing a tire rub that resulted in a blown tire that crashed Hamlin out of the race. He finished 35th.

    “I guess we’re both a-holes for causing the other to miss qualifying for Homestead,” Hamlin said. “I guess that makes us even.”

    7. Ryan Blaney: Blaney won the pole at Phoenix and finished 17th in the Can-Am 500.

    “There appears to be a great feud brewing between Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott,” Blaney said. “Will it amount to anything? I doubt it. Not in this age of NASCAR. But I guess there is a chance for physical violence. A champion will be crowned, so there will be a celebration. And you can’t have a celebration without beverages. If that beverage is punch, then I’d say there’s a good chance that ‘punch is thrown.’”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth passed Chase Elliott with nine laps to go to win the Can-Am 500.

    “I can certainly understand Chase Elliott’s desire for revenge on Denny Hamlin,” Kenseth said. “I’ve been there, and in this sport, it happens a lot. So, for those of you who think NASCAR lacks enough female representation, just remember, payback’s a ‘bitch.’”

    9. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson, needing a win to make the final at Homestead, blew a tire and crashed with 164 laps to go. He finished 39th.

    “I think the pressure of winning Cup No. 8 just became too overwhelming,” Johnson said. “So the ‘Weight For 8′ is responsible for the ‘Wait For 8.’”

    10. Jamie McMurray: McMurray finished sixth at Phoenix, posting his 17th top 10 of the year.

    “The SAFER barrier caught on fire after a burning brake rotor set it ablaze,” McMurray said. “Now, at this time of year in NASCAR, when someone sounds the ‘fire alarm,’ a lot of drivers get nervous.”

  • Harvick Fastest in Final Practice at Phoenix

    Harvick Fastest in Final Practice at Phoenix

    Kevin Harvick topped the chart in final Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was the fastest with a time of 26.672 and a speed of 134.973 mph. Kyle Busch was second in his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 26.799 and a speed of 134.333 mph. Kasey Kahne was third in his No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 28.800 and a speed of 134.328 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.803 and a speed of 134.313 mph. Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five in his No. 14 SHR Ford with a time of 26.813 and a speed of 134.263 mph.

    Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney rounded out the top-10.

    Chase Elliott rounded out the Playoff drivers in 17th.

    Johnson posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 133.549 mph.

    Second Practice Results

    First Practice Results

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/C1735_PRACFINAL.pdf”]

  • Harvick Fastest at Phoenix in Second Practice

    Harvick Fastest at Phoenix in Second Practice

    Kevin Harvick topped the chart in second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice at Phoenix Raceway.

    The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was the fastest with a time of 26.800 and a speed of 134.328 mph. Chase Elliott was second in his No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with a time of 26.833 and a speed of 134.163 mph. Kasey Kahne was third in his No. 5 Hendrick Chevrolet with a time of 26.849 and a speed of 134.083 mph. Martin Truex Jr. was fourth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota with a time of 26.854 and a speed of 134.058 mph. Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five in his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with a time of 26.879 and a speed of 133.934 mph.

    Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Kyle Larson rounded out the top-five.

    Jimmie Johnson was 14th, Ryan Blaney was 20th and Brad Keselowski rounded out the Playoff drivers in 21st.

    Erik Jones, who posted the 13th-fastest single-lap, posted the fastest 10 consecutive lap average at a speed of 133.060 mph.

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