Nascar - Phoenix - Eliminator Race #3

[GA_Boater]

Only 2 races left in the season, this week we're at Phoenix. All the series are running this weekend, here is the schedule;

Date​	Event​	Time​	Radio/TV​
THURS 11/6​	K&N Pro Series West Final Practice​	12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.​	​
​	Camping World Truck Series Practice​	3:00 p.m. - 3:55 p.m.​	​
​	K&N Pro Series West Qualifying​	4:05 p.m.​	​
​	Camping World Truck Series Final Practice​	5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.​	​
​	K&N Pro Series West Casino Arizona 100​	7:30 p.m.​	​
FRI 11/7​	Nationwide Series Practice​	12:00 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.​	FS1​
​	Sprint Cup Series Practice​	1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.​	FS1​
​	Nationwide Series Final Practice​	3:10 p.m. - 4:20 p.m.​	FS1​
​	Camping World Truck Series Qualifying​	4:45 p.m.​	FS1​
​	Sprint Cup Series Qualifying​	6:45 p.m.​	MRN/ESPN2​
​	Radio Pre-Race​	8:00 p.m.​	MRN​
​	TV Pre-Race​	8:00 p.m.​	FS1​
​	Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150​	8:30 p.m.​	MRN/FS1​
​	Green Flag​	8:47 p.m.​	MRN/FS1​
SAT 11/8​	Sprint Cup Series Practice​	11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.​	FS2​
​	Nationwide Series Qualifying​	12:45 p.m.​	FS2​
​	Sprint Cup Series Final Practice​	2:30 p.m. - 3:20 p.m.​	FS2​
​	Radio Pre-Race​	3:30 p.m.​	MRN​
​	TV Pre-Race​	3:30 p.m.​	ESPN​
​	Nationwide DAV 200 - Honoring America's Veterans ​	4:00 p.m.​	MRN/ESPN​
​	Green Flag​	4:15 p.m.​	MRN/ESPN​
SUN 11/9​	Radio Pre-Race​	2:00 p.m.​	MRN​
​	TV Pre-Race​	2:00 p.m.​	ESPN​
​	Sprint Cup Quicken Loans Race For Heroes 500​	3:00 p.m.​	MRN/ESPN​
​	Green Flag​	3:15 p.m.​	MRN/ESPN​

Going into Phoenix, there are still 8 Cup drivers trying to advance to the final race at Homestead. After the fallout in Texas, here are how things stand;
[h=2]POINT STANDINGS[/h]

Rank	Driver	Points	Behind
1	Joey Logano	4,072	Leader
2	Denny Hamlin	4,072	Leader
3	Ryan Newman	4,070	-2
4	Jeff Gordon	4,060	-12
5	Matt Kenseth	4,059	-13
6	Carl Edwards	4,059	-13
7	Brad Keselowski	4,055	-17
8	Kevin Harvick	4,054	-18

And the advancement scenarios;

Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin: 11th or better; 12th and at least one lap led; 13th and most laps led

Ryan Newman: 9th or better; 10th and at least one lap led; 11th and most laps led

Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick only control their own destiny by winning Sunday at Phoenix.

Gordon took the biggest hit after coming together with Bad Brad and finishing 29th. This race should be a good one and ought to be action-packed. Or will it? Who knows how it will play out.

We still have 2 winless guys in the thick of things, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth and Brian France says he's fine with a winless Champion. The last Champion without a win was, well, it never happened before. There have been four single race winning Champs - Matt Kenseth in 2003, Benny Parsons in 1973, Ned Jarrett in 1961 and Bill Rexford in 1950. All other past Champs were multi-race winners.

News

• The sad news first - Micheal Waltrip is no longer dancing with the stars, he was finally eliminated Monday night. On a postive note, Mikey isn't joining Celebrity Apprentice, this upcoming season anyway.
• Of course the one of the biggest things is the fines, suspensions and probations handed out as the aftermath of Sunday's fighting in the pits. Hendrick Motorsports will pay the fines for all the HMS members involved and only HMS'ers were fined, to the tune of 185,000 bucks.
• Denny Hamlin was asked in and interview "Is it a stretch to say that Brad is the most disliked driver in the garage?" His response was "I don't know. I can't speak for many other guys. But I mean it's just -- there's a lot of animosity. And that's all that you can really say. And so I don't know. It's just something that's happened and a lot of built-up frustration over the years." I think that can be boiled down to "probably".

iboats Fantasy Live

The esteemed Mr. QC took the :first: home for winning the week. He didn't get a pair of six guns like JJ, but he did have a good week in his other $$$ league.
64osby lost a few points in his overall lead, now 547 points over FlaCowboy.​

 

[QC]

OK, so now I have to protect a 106 point lead over there. She always takes Brad, so I have been doing the same to minimize risk. I think I will once again, although she could throw a hail Mary and drop her previous strategy. I don't think she will, so in that League, and again different strategy, I am going Brad K, Gordon and Harvick. Last two guys I will wait until after qualifying and practice. Thoughts are that those guys have the best equipment, and the most to gain (all three) and should be driving their guts out. Comes with risk as well, but I think that's my plan.

 

[GA_Boater]

If you can add Carl and Matt, you have all the hard chargers. Good strategy? :noidea:

 

[QC]

Thanks for the help

 

[GA_Boater]

On second thought - Skip Carl, QC. This is his first lap time in the first practice, no idea what's up.

39

Carl Edwards

8:20.790

499.583

1

6.830

8:47.097

Yes - That's an 8 minute 20 second + lap time for an average speed of 6.8 MPH.

 

[QC]

You didn't hear about the new idle speed only rule?

 

[aspeck]

Don't pick KuBu ... He may be in the poky by then ... Investigation into allegations of domestic violence in his motor home with ex-girlfriend after Dover race ... Domestic violence is a hot button topic, will see what happens. He has had temper issues in the past, but innocent till proven guilty unless it is the immoral action of the week, then it is guilty till proven innocent.

 

[ehenry]

NUFF SAID ! ! ! !!

 

[GA_Boater]

You didn't hear about the new idle speed only rule?

No, I didn't. Jeez, Nascar keeps changing rules on the fly. LOL Carl did recover and got the old, stale Twinkie moved that was jammed under the gas pedal. :smile: Harvick topped the first practice and he has good results here. Bad Brad was 3rd.

 

[GA_Boater]

Phoenix qualifying results, Chasers:

1. #11-Denny Hamlin
2. #2-Keselowski
3. #4-Harvick
4. #22-Logano - Set new track record in first round
5. #20-Kenseth
6. #18-Busch
7. #24-Gordon
8. #42-Larson
9. #55-Vickers
10. #41-Busch
11. #27-Menard
12. #13-Mears

Edwards is starting 13th and Newman is in the 20th spot.

 

[sam60]

The truck race is delayed due to a power outage. Track lights are on emergency power but doubt the timing, scoring, etc are.

 

[GA_Boater]

The truck race is delayed due to a power outage. Track lights are on emergency power but doubt the timing, scoring, etc are.

What did Brad do now? :lol:

 

[GA_Boater]

What Brad did today was get around The Twerp for the win on a G-W-C finish. And Chase Elliott clinched the Nationwide crown as the youngest and first rookie I think.

 

[ehenry]

As much as I dislike Keslowski, I dislike Kyle Bush even more.....with that being said, I have to get Keslowski a half hearted attaboy for what he did in the nationwide race.

Do yall remember the feud Bush and Keslowski had several years ago??? Keslowoski did call bush as 'a $ $' on national tv during driver introductions.

 

[GA_Boater]

Those two are at the top of my list.

Time for the fights, I mean racing. Green, Green, Greem

 

[MTboatguy]

Really, I don't dislike any of them, they all do their jobs, jobs that many of us would love to have, we might not like the way they do their jobs, but apparently those who hire them do.

 

[GA_Boater]

Joey L. isn't happy. Jamie Little was talking about how calm, cool and collected the 22 team was after the loose equipment penalty. Then she replayed Joey's radio comms and said she never heard Joey use words like that. LOL

 

[aspeck]

Congratulations Sam ... You took me on a flat tire by Landon Cassel at the end! Harvick, Logano, Hamlin, and Newman are in the finals ... Gordo finishes second and is out ...

 

[GA_Boater]

Harvick wins and goes to Homestead along with Logano, Newman and Hamlin for the Championship. Gordon, Kenseth, Keselowski and Edwards are gonna say there is always next year.

Early results have sam60 taking the week and 64osby added a few points to his overall lead.

 

[WIMUSKY]

To answer Gordon, if he was in the same position as Newman he would have done the exact same thing. All the Chase drivers would have. Keep the momentum going by using the guy on the outside to keep you out of the wall....... Hendrick had 4 and now there are none........