|
 "Next week's going to be pretty crazy," predicted Kevin Harvick,
runner-up in the AAA Texas 500 on Sunday. "I'm looking forward to
it."
Harvick goes to Phoenix with a score still unsettled. After Matt
Kenseth wrecked Harvick at Martinsville, Harvick vowed revenge.
"He won't win this championship," Harvick promised. "If we don't, he
won't."
There was no payback at Texas, where Harvick chose not to endanger
his own car, which he felt was a potential winner. At Phoenix, if
Harvick's car isn't just right, Kenseth may need to watch his back.
Same with Brad Keselowski, who on Sunday at Texas added Jeff Gordon
to an enemies list that already included Joe Gibbs Racing teammates
Denny Hamlin and Kenseth.
Gordon finished 29th after contact from Keselowski on a late restart
cut the left rear tire on Gordon's No. 24 Chevrolet.
"You don't go slam someone and cut their left rear tire," Gordon
said. "If that's what it takes, then no problem. We can do the same
thing to him."
The grudges simply add a level of intensity to a race that will
eliminate four drivers from championship consideration. And that
alone could make for a wild and crazy afternoon.
 NASCAR NUMBERS
18: The point spread between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin (tied for
first in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings) and
eighth-place Kevin Harvick. With eight drivers competing that
closely for four spots in the season finale at Homestead, Sunday's
final Eliminator Round event at Phoenix promises to be the wildest
yet.
14: The number of positions gained by Brad Keselowski by staying out
on old tires under caution on Lap 253 of Sunday's AAA Texas 500.
That call by crew chief Paul Wolfe turned the race around for the
No. 2 Team Penske Ford, eventually leading to Keselowski's
third-place finish.
9: The finishing position of Chase driver Carl Edwards, who at one
point in Sunday's race was two laps down in 30th place. Edwards used
wave-around and a free pass as the highest-scored lapped car to
return to the lead lap. Over the last 81 laps, the No. 99 Roush
Fenway Racing Ford showed a net gain of 21 positions.
191: The number of laps led by race winner Jimmie Johnson in
Sunday's AAA Texas 500. That brings his career total to 889, most
ever at the 1.5-mile track. Bragging rights for most career laps led
at Texas actually changed hands twice during the race, with
pole-sitter Matt Kenseth briefly holding the honor at 834 before
Johnson surpassed him.
8: The finishing position of Kurt Busch in his maiden voyage with
crew chief Tony Gibson, after Stewart-Haas drivers Busch and Danica
Patrick swapped crew chiefs and road crews before the Texas race.
Patrick wasn't as fortunate in her first outing with Daniel Knost on
her pit box. After hitting the wall, Patrick finished 36th, nine
laps down.
NASCAR NOTES
Currently eighth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings,
Kevin Harvick can guarantee himself a Championship Round berth at
Homestead by winning at Phoenix. With a series-leading five
victories at the 1-mile tri-oval, including wins in three of the
last four races there, the No. 4 Chevrolet driver heads to The Grand
Canyon State as a heavy favorite. ... Following a 31st-place finish
in the Eliminator Round opener at Martinsville, it looked like
series wins leader Brad Keselowski had to visit Victory Lane at
Texas or Phoenix to advance to the series championship. After a
bounce-back third-place performance in Fort Worth, Keselowski now
ranks seventh in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, just
five points behind Jeff Gordon for the final spot in the
championship round. ... For the second consecutive week, a
non-championship-qualifying driver won a race as Jimmie Johnson took
the checkered flag at Texas for the third fall in a row. He will
attempt to play spoiler again at Phoenix, where he boasts four wins,
14 top-fives and 18 top-10s in 22 starts.
NASCAR on TV
 Monday, November 3
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR's Most Outrageous Moments, FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
Tuesday, November 4
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR's Closest Calls, FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Wednesday, November 5
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
6 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR's Wildest Throw-downs, FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Thursday, November 6
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., The 10: NASCAR's Most Bizarre Moments, FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Friday, November 7
7 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
7:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
8:30 a.m., NASCAR America (re-air), NBC Sports Network
Noon, NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
[to top of second column] |
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole
Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying,
ESPN2
8 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Phoenix, FOX
Sports 1
4 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Phoenix
(re-air), FOX Sports 1
Saturday, November 8
11:30 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 2
12:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying,
FOX Sports 2
2 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 2
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 2
3 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Countdown, ESPN
4 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Phoenix, ESPN
Sunday, November 9
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Noon, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 2
1 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 1
2 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Countdown, ESPN
3 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Phoenix, ESPN
7 p.m., NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
12:30 a.m. (Mon.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Phoenix
(re-air), ESPN2
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
Next Race: Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date/Time: Sunday, Nov. 9, 3 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Next Race: DAV 200 - Honoring America's Veterans
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date/Time: Saturday, Nov. 8, 4 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
Next Race: Lucas Oil 150
Place: Phoenix International Raceway
Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 7, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: FOX Sports 1
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR National Series Standings
The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field was trimmed down to eight
for the Contender Round, after the four winless drivers with the
lowest point totals after Talladega were eliminated.
Points for all championship-qualifying drivers, regardless of
Contender Round victories, were reset to 4,000.
This year, wins matter more than in any season in the 65-year
history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Just like the previous
Chase segments, a victory in the three-race Eliminator Round
automatically advances a championship-qualifying driver into the
Championship Round event at Homestead.
At the conclusion of the Eliminator Round's third race (Phoenix),
the four winless drivers with the lowest point totals will again be
dropped from the Chase.
Chase Standings
1 -- Joey Logano 4,072
2 -- Denny Hamlin 4,072
3 -- Ryan Newman 4,070
4 -- Jeff Gordon 4,060
5 -- Matt Kenseth 4,059
6 -- Carl Edwards 4,059
7 -- Brad Keselowski 4,055
8 -- Kevin Harvick 4,054
NASCAR Nationwide Series
1 -- Chase Elliott #1,146
2 -- Regan Smith 1,098
3 -- Brian Scott 1,083
4 -- Elliott Sadler 1,078
5 -- Ty Dillon #1,071
6 -- Trevor Bayne 1,017
7 -- Chris Buescher #943
8 -- Brendan Gaughan 903
9 -- Ryan Reed #847
10 -- Dylan Kwasniewski 813
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
1 -- Matt Crafton 756
2 -- Ryan Blaney 733
3 -- Darrell Wallace Jr. 713
4 -- Johnny Sauter 704
5 -- Timothy Peters 680
6 -- Joey Coulter 645
7 -- German Quiroga 636
8 -- Jeb Burton 629
9 -- Ben Kennedy #619
10 -- Ron Hornaday Jr. 526
-----------------------------------------------
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