USA TODAY International Edition
Keselowski pointed toward title shot as Kenseth wins
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Redemption for Matt Kenseth. Revenge, but ultimately more disappointment, for Chase Elliott. A mediocre day, but a championship chance, for Brad Keselowski. A delay in title chasing for Jimmie Johnson.
That was the sum of all the parts on a remarkable race day in the Arizona desert Sunday as a wave of differing emotions swept over NASCAR’s top drivers.
For Kenseth, it was a glowing moment. Cast aside for younger driver Erik Jones by Joe Gibbs Racing after five years and without a ride for 2018, the Wisconsin driver charged to the front late and won the Can-Am 500, his first victory in his last 51 Cup races. With Kenseth’s Cup career probably ending with next week’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the opportunity to get one more win was a landmark day in a long and productive career.
Martin Truex Jr., finishing third, watched Kenseth take the checkered flag with a certain amount of pleasure and admiration. “He’s such a good guy,” Truex said. “He’s done so much for the sport. I know this year has been really tough on him. You can see it when you talk to him. To see him on his roof, you could see the excitement.”
Kenseth, perhaps the sport’s most laconic driver since Hall of Famer David Pearson (a driver he’s often compared to), rarely puts his emotions on public display. That reticence ended Sunday as he jumped out of his car near the startfinish line, climbed onto its roof and thrust his arms into the air.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” Kenseth said. “Just got one race left and everybody dreams of going out a winner. We won today. Nobody can take that away from us.”
At 45, he proved he still has the drive and the talent, even if the sport has closed the door in his face.
The loser in Kenseth’s great adventure was Chase Elliott, who energized the Phoenix crowd by challenging nemesis Denny Hamlin on the high ground and winning that battle but ultimately losing the war to Kenseth.
Elliott surged past Hamlin in a tense battle for third place late in the race, making contact with Hamlin and pushing him into the outside wall. Damage from that contact caused Hamlin’s car to blow a tire four laps later, putting him out of the race — and thus out of championship contention.
Elliott later passed Kenseth to take first place, but Kenseth rallied to return to the lead with 10 laps to go.
Elliott’s fierce challenge of Hamlin was viewed as revenge for Hamlin crashing Elliott two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway.
Elliott didn’t move away from that analysis after the race.
“I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said. “I’m happy to race guys like they race me.”
In the end, it was yet another secondplace finish for Elliott, the guy who can’t seem to find victory. His championship hopes wait for another year, but he has many more years to chase them.
The only positive about Keselowski’s day in Phoenix was that he left town with a ticket to Homestead in hand. He didn’t run well, finishing 16th, but Kenseth’s victory threw the playoff decision into the hands of the points standings, and Keselowski had enough to collect the fourth championship slot. “This feels a little bit like Christmas,” he said on pit road after the race.
So the title will be decided Sunday among two Toyota drivers (Truex and Kyle Busch) and two Ford drivers (Kevin Harvick and Keselowski). Chevrolet, which boasts about half of every Cup field, will be simply along for the ride at Homestead, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. riding into the sunset, his career at an end.
Among those Chevrolet drivers who won’t be in the title race is seven-time champion Johnson, whose hopes for a record eighth went up in (tire) smoke Sunday. He’ll be back, he says, for at least three more seasons and more chances at No. 8, but next week he’ll be mainly just another driver.
Entering Homestead, Toyota has won nine of the last 12 events and seven of the nine playoff races. The drive, daring and stubbornness of Harvick and Keselowski should not be overlooked, but the Toyota machine certainly has a leg, an arm, both eyes and maybe an ear up as the championship race moves to Florida.