2016 Pit Road Week 35: Phoenix

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Can-Am 500

By Richard Tix

Phoenix International Raceway has come and gone for the 2016 season. No rain (this year) but plenty of tears could be cried after 500 miles on Sunday. Four drivers gave everything they had and advanced to next weekend while four did the same but won't be in position to win the Championship.

At this point, I want to remind everyone that in a normal "points only" standings, or even the old Chase rules, the Championship would 90% of the time be locked up for this race. Is this Chase completely fair to those who have run well all year? Nope. Then again, what sport is? 

One of my favorite times as a little kid in sports was playing in tournaments. The spotlight of each game means more. The intensity and pressure all in one moment. A simple at bat can feel like the biggest moment in a game. Lastly, the fact that any one team could get hot and make a run gives everyone an optimistic outlook. Leaders step up and late season hero's are made.

I know most (not all) NASCAR traditionalist's hate this and will say, "well NASCAR isn't another sport. Racing is different then stick and ball sports." That's true, but it's 2016 and NASCAR thought they needed to do something. Like it or not, NASCAR was one of the few sports around who didn't have some type of elimination playoff, so that was where they focused, that and winning. Making wins matter more and have some added pressure in elimination situations is what they set out to do and successfully accomplished.

It's a long season and sometimes a tough and bitter pill to swallow when one or two of the best drivers all year get knocked out before Miami. I 100% agree it isn't always fair with this format, but in general I still am a supporter and have been open minded from the start. From that start I thought it could use some tweaks, and we have yet to see any of those, but time will tell how this era will play out and if NASCAR will make adjustments or scrap it all together.

Moving onto the race itself, the pressure was evident in the closing laps. Matt Kenseth had the lead on a late G-W-C restart with young gun Alex Bowman on the inside looking for his first NASCAR Cup win. Behind Alex was a hungry Kyle Busch trying to have the chance for back to back Championships but that meant advancing in the field and keeping his position.

Phoenix turn one can be a tricky spot, especially on restarts. Coming off the front stretch going into one the best spot's going into that turn are low and narrow so going in two wide isn't exactly what you want to get a good run to the back stretch.

We saw just how quickly it gets narrow into one on the late G-W-C restart. Alex Bowman appeared to get a bad restart and possibly spun his tires and Kyle Busch quickly jumped on his bumper. When Bowman got loose from contact with Busch he quickly tried to get back to block Kyle and keep his shot at winning his first race alive all before they reached turn one. 

At the same time as all of this commotion was going on Matt Kenseth thought he was clear to go low into turn one because that's what was relayed from his spotter. Well, Alex Bowman was still there and coming in hot on the bottom with Kyle following. All of these things mixed under the pressure of the situation and it lead to Bowman getting into Kenseth and turning him around.

It wasn't the spotters fault. It wasn't Kyle's fault for pushing so hard. It wasn't Alex's fault for coming into turn one too hot. It was a mix of all of them rolled into one small moment that feels like a blur now. 

That's what happens in these moments and though not fair, that was 100% racing the way it should be. Everyone wanting to win late in a race and racing hard side by side. Sure, we all hope for a clean finish with hard racing, but sometimes the smallest error (or combination of errors) stop that from happening.

In the end, Kenseth didn't advance, Bowman didn't get his first win, and Busch made his way to the finale in Homestead. No matter the situation at Phoenix, some drivers and teams were going home unhappy with the results, but at least we know everyone was giving it all they could to win late on Sunday because a shot at the Championship means that much.

If we have no Chase, when do those moments happen? Most of the time drivers just wrap it up and say that was a good points run and move on. Sure, they're disappointed, but not near as devastated as they're now knowing they just missed the Championship by seconds, by inches, by one pressure filled moment. Every situation has it's up's and down's including this Chase. But to me, that G-W-C moment was like when I was a kid coming up to bat in the bottom of the 9th, tie score, two down, and a runner on third with a chance to win it and go to the Championship game. It was a defining moment that will stick with the drivers and sport forever.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 35 (Week 34)

1. Joey Logano (LW-2)- JoLo is hitting his stride at the right time. He now has two wins and four top 10's in the last four races and five straight top 10's to boot. He has been in this spot before at Homestead, will he capitalize this time?
2. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Speaking of been there done that, Rowdy is back in the Finale at Homestead with a chance to go back to back, this time in a full season.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Speaking again of been there done that, is it JJ's time to get number seven? He was in cruise control the last two weeks, can he turn it on again this weekend when he needs it?
4. Carl Edwards (LW-3)- Carl has not been that fast all season, not compared to the best cars, but he is here and that's all that matters. One fast race can win him a Championship. Will he be joining Twitter soon?
5. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Try and make your argument for unfair, but in the Chase he had finishes of 20th, 20th, 37th, and 38th. He may have been one of the best cars all season long, but the Chase has done him in this time and it was too much to overcome. How's the switch to Ford going to go?
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- 3rd, 7th, and 9th, those are Hamlin's finishes this past round. That was not enough to get into Homestead. Proving a point, winning is key and points days won't always get you to the Finale (just don't tell Ryan Newman that).
7. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Man, what a finish. Matt held his cool on the radio but you know he had to be super frustrated with how everything unfolded. He was so close to a win and joining three other drivers in Homestead and then McDowell lost a tire. 
8. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- It's going to be fun to see him develop along with Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, and Ryan Blaney. He is head of the class so far, but still trails guys like Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. For now...
9. Brad Keselowski (LW-11)- His season has gone downhill since dropping out of the Chase, but it was shaping up to be a good one before that. Let's see on Sunday how hard he races other guys while trying to give JoLo a chance at a Championship.
10. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- Larson had one heck of a day and still finished 3rd. It was an impressive run but we have seen this late in a season with Kyle before. Can he translate it into next season's success?
11. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- He was almost a non factor all Chase, yet made the final eight. Not a bad season when you aren't always that fast but find a way to give yourself a shot.
12. Alex Bowman (LW-NR)- His first appearance on Behind the Wall's rankings is well deserved. What a fun run up front on Sunday after his first career pole. If you weren't on the "get him a full time quality ride" bandwagon before this race, why the heck aren't you on it now?