Turn 4 Transitions

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

By Natalie Anthony

 

 

 

 

 

Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500

November 15, 2009 (Sunday) 3:30 pm – ABC

 

           

 

 

 If it wasn’t for the best kind of bad luck, the points chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship of the 2009 season may have looked oddly similar to the last three seasons.  I had a conversation with another NASCAR enthusiast regarding the humdrum outcome of the chase in the last couple years and about the fact that we (NASCAR Nation) were headed toward that boring path again unless something of a negative nature were to happen to the points leader and the negative something would have to happen early on in the race at Texas.  We chuckled at the likelihood and the reprecussions of a driver who might do the deed and take out the three time champion.  And what my surprised eyes did see on Lap 3 at Texas that filled me with glee, the #48 and the #77 crashing together in turn three.  Oh don’t worry Jimmie Johnson fans, he is still in the lead for the championship and Jimmie only lost a hundred or so points over the weekend.  But I thank the NASCAR gods who got together and threw the preverbial wrench into the points chase and put a few of the drivers back into mathematical contention for the chase.  Before last Sunday’s race, the chase technically had only three drivers who had to beat out each other for the Cup (Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon).  After the points upset for the Chad Knaus managed crew at Texas, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart now have a slim, but possible chance to battle for the championship. 

            Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) poses a perplexing problem for points chasers.  With only two races to go before NASCAR crowns its next champion, the race at PIR will do more than build up the anticipation for the last race of the season at Homestead-Miami.  Does another chase driver fall off the podium by finishing the day with a DNF at Phoenix?  Not this Sunday they don’t; well not all of them.  Four of the Top five drivers in the chase won’t loose sleep about this weekend’s event except for Jeff Gordon.  Jeff was handed the points lead last Sunday at Texas and lost control of that when he was the last car on the lead lap and almost involved in a multiple car pile-up.  Jeff looks to drop a spot in the points because Jeff’s last two races at PIR have resulted in a 25^th place finish and a DNF.  The rest of the drivers that are not in the chase don’t stand a chance in taking away the top spots from the chase drivers.  Only three of the Top 10 best average finish drivers at PIR are non-chase drivers (Marcus Ambrose, Jeff Burton, and Kevin Harvick).

 

 

 

Track Stats

 

Checker Auto Parts 500

(November 9, 2008)   

Top 10 Results  

1.  Jimmie Johnson

2.  Kurt Busch

3.  Jamie McMurray

4.  Carl Edwards

5.  Denny Hamlin

6.  Dale Earnhardt Jr.

7.  Kevin Harvick

8.  Kyle Busch

9.  Jeff Burton

10.David Ragan

 

 

Subway Fresh Fit 500

(April 18, 2009)          

Top 10 Results  

1.  Mark Martin

2.  Tony Stewart

3.  Kurt Busch

4.  Jimmie Johnson

5.  Greg Biffle

6.  Denny Hamlin

7.  Martin Truex Jr.

8.  David Reutimann

9.  Sam Hornish Jr.

10.Carl Edwards

 

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