No. 4: Can-Am 500 at Phoenix T
Phoenix comes up with classic
This is the second of a fivepart series featuring the five best NASCAR Cup Series races of 2017. This is race No. 4 on the list of NASCAR’s best events.
he penultimate race on the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series comes in at No. 4 on the list of top-five races of the season.
The Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Nov. 12 had a little something for everyone, including an unexpected walk-off victory by a former Cup Series champion.
This was the last race of Round 3 in the NASCAR playoffs, and a win by an eligible driver would mean a place in the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Denny Hamlin, who was one of those eight drivers vying for a seat at Homestead, had the car to beat that day. Hamlin, wheeling the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, led three times for a race-high 193 laps.
But Hamlin’s day ended early, on Lap 276, when his car went into the Turn 3 wall. He had a tire go down, with a payback assist from Chase Elliott.
The two had made contact earlier, which caused a tire rub on Hamlin’s Toyota. It was that rub that eventually led to the flat that sent his car into the wall.
“We got ran into the fence by the No. 24 (Elliott) when we were running up front all day,” Hamlin said. “We had a bad pit stop, and then we didn’t really make any adjustments.
“Our car got really tight, and we were just battling all we could to keep our track position. We weren’t, and we allowed our competition to get close to us.”
Elliott offered no apologies to Hamlin. Two weeks before, Hamlin had spun Elliott’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet at Martinsville Speedway.
“Oh well, I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said at Phoenix. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me, and that’s the way I see it.”
With Hamlin stewing in the garage area, it opened the door to a number of challengers, including Elliott, who went to the lead on Lap 284.
Elliott, who could have advanced to the Championship Round with a win, looked like a lock for his first visit to Victory Lane. Matt Kenseth had other ideas. Kenseth, who was making his last two starts for car owner Joe Gibbs, saw an opportunity.
As the laps wound down, Kenseth’s machine suddenly activated, and with 15 laps to go, Elliott’s jog to Victory Lane suddenly became an intense battle between youth (Elliott, 21) and experience (Kenseth, 45).
Kenseth got to Elliott’s rear bumper on Lap 300 and three laps later blew past the rising NASCAR star.
When the checkered flag was shown at the finish line, Kenseth had built a 1.207-second margin of victory and a face full of tears.
Kenseth, who has no ride lined up for 2018, realized the triumph might be the last of his long, distinguished Cup Series career, including the 2003 championship.
“I don’t know what to say except thank the Lord,” Kenseth said. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I know I’m a big baby right now. Just have one race left, and everybody dreams about going out a winner.
“We won, and nobody can take that away from us. That was a heck of a battle with Chase there. I have to thank all our partners. Thanks to JGR, it’s been a great five years. It’s been quite the journey in this No. 20.”
Kenseth raced Elliott clean. There was no bump-and-run. The veteran just powered around the young driver, who is still looking for that first career Cup Series victory after two years of trying.
“It’s just such a bummer,” Elliott said. “I was telling my guys, ‘We’ll get it right someday, or I’ll get it right someday.’
“We’ve had so many good opportunities and at some point, we’ve just got to close.”
The drivers who advanced out of Phoenix to the Championship Round were Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch on wins, and Martin Truex Jr. and Brad Keselowski on points.