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Home , 2017 AAA Texas 500, 2017 Auto Club 400, 2017 Bank of America 500, 2017 Coke Zero 400, 2017 Food City 500, 2018 Auto Club 400

8 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017

The Daytona Beach News-Journal’s Godwin Kelly & Ken Willis have covered NASCAR for nearly 60 years combined. NASCAR THIS WEEK [email protected] — [email protected]

CUP SERIES TOP-FIVE RACES No. 4: Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Phoenix comes up with classic

By Godwin Kelly [email protected]

This is the second of a five-part 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 NASCAR Cup Series comes in at No. 4 on the list of top-five races of the . The Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Interna- Ttional 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 NAS- CAR , and a win by an eligible driver would mean a place in the Championship Round at Homestead- Speedway. celebrates his unexpected victory in the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix in November. Kenseth powered past , who was one of those eight driv- in the closing laps to his 39th and possibly final Cup Series win. [NASCAR GETTY IMAGES/MATT SULLIVAN] ers vying for a seat at Homestead, had the car to beat that day. Hamlin, wheeling the No. 11 Rac- With Hamlin stewing in the garage area, it including the 2003 championship. ing , led three times for a race-high 193 laps. opened the door to a of challengers, includ- “I don’t know what to say except thank the Lord,” But Hamlin’s day ended early, on Lap 276, when ing Elliott, who went to the lead on Lap 284. Kenseth said. “It’s been an amazing journey, and I his car went into the Turn 3 wall. He had a tire go Elliott, who could have advanced to the know I’m a big baby right now. Just have one race down, with a payback assist from Chase Elliott. Championship Round with a win, looked like left, and everybody dreams about going out a winner. The two had made contact earlier, a lock for his first visit to Victory Lane. “We won, and nobody can take that away which caused a tire rub on Hamlin’s Toy- Matt Kenseth had other ideas. from us. That was a heck of a battle with ota. It was that rub that eventually led to Kenseth, who was making his last two starts Chase there. I have to thank all our partners. the flat that sent his car into the wall. for car owner Joe Gibbs, saw an opportunity. Thanks to JGR, it’s been a great five years. “We got ran into the fence by the No. 24 As the laps wound down, Kenseth’s It’s been quite the journey in this No. 20.” (Elliott) when we were running up front all machine suddenly activated, and with 15 Kenseth raced Elliott clean. There was no bump- day,” Hamlin said. “We had a bad , and laps to go, Elliott’s jog to Victory Lane sud- and-run. The veteran just powered around the then we didn’t really make any adjustments. denly became an intense battle between youth young driver, who is still looking for that first career “Our car got really tight, and we were just battling (Elliott, 21) and experience (Kenseth, 45). Cup Series victory after two years of trying. all we could to keep our track position. We weren’t, Kenseth got to Elliott’s rear bum- “It’s just such a bummer,” Elliott said. and we allowed our competition to get close to us.” per on Lap 300 and three laps later blew “I was telling my guys, ‘We’ll get it right Elliott offered no apologies to Hamlin. Two weeks past the rising NASCAR star. someday, or I’ll get it right someday.’ before, Hamlin had spun Elliott’s No. 24 Hendrick When the checkered flag was shown at the “We’ve had so many good opportunities at . finish line, Kenseth had built a 1.207-second and at some point, we’ve just got to close.” “Oh well, I’m going to race guys how they race margin of victory and a face full of tears. The drivers who advanced out of Phoe- me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott Kenseth, who has no ride lined up for nix to the Championship Round were Kevin said at Phoenix. “I’m happy to race guys how they 2018, realized the triumph might be the last Harvick and on wins, and Mar- choose to race me, and that’s the way I see it.” of his long, distinguished Cup Series career, tin Truex Jr. and on points.

QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE — Compelling questions ... and maybe a few actual answers

Are the Chiefs ahead of the new pit-rule curve? he’s attended races at Speedway. It wasn’t quite as neat as the Chiefs’ simulated sack race a Man, I’ll say. Adding to the usual offseason chores few weeks back, but it was still pretty good. and challenges, NASCAR teams are coming to grips on a new pit-stop rule reducing the number Were teams taking note? of over-the-wall crewmen from six to five. This past week, the Kansas Chiefs showed it can be Um, doubtful. NASCAR’s new pit-road rules will done with four. Kinda. force some adjustments, but adjusting will come. Right now, the five-man crews are experimenting Another TD celebration? with procedures in an effort to do the work in the same time they got it done with the previous six- Yes, and in terms of originality, this one obvi- man crews. Kyle Busch spoke the obvious: “Once ously gets high marks from race fans. After Chiefs the cycle gets through, and one team figures it receiver Tyreek Hill caught a long touchdown out a little bit better, has a better process of it, pass, he assumed a sitting-in-cockpit position it’s just going to be monkey-see, money-do, and Tyreek Hill and Chiefs teammates provided a quality shoutout to while four teammates went through pit maneu- they’re all going to start training the same.” NASCAR with this simulated pit stop as TD celebration. [ASSOCIATED vers. Fullback Anthony Sherman, who acted as PRESS/ED ZURGA] tire changer, might’ve been the catalyst, since — Ken Willis, [email protected].

2018 CUP SERIES SCHEDULE May 6: AAA 400 at Dover Aug. 18: Night Race at Bristol May 12: Go Bowling 400 at Kansas Sept. 2: at Darlington Feb. 11: Clash at Daytona May 19: All Star Race at Charlotte Sept. 9: Brickyard 400 at Feb. 15: Can-Am Duel at Daytona May 27: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Sept. 16: 400 Feb. 18: June 3: Pocono 400 Sept. 22: at Richmond Feb. 25: Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta June 10: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Sept. 30: Bank of America 500(k) at Charlotte road March 4: Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas June 24: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma course March 11: 500(k) at Phoenix July 1: Chicago 400 at Chicagoland Oct. 7: 400 at Dover March 18: at Fontana July 7: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Oct. 14: 500 at Talladega March 25: STP 500 at Martinsville July 14: 400 at Oct. 21: at Kansas April 8: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at July 22: 301 Oct. 28: First Data 500 at Martinsville April 15: Food City 500 at Bristol July 29: 400 at Pocono Nov. 4: April 21: at Richmond Aug. 5: 355 at the Glen, at Watkins Glen Nov. 11: Can-Am 500(k) at Phoenix April 29: Geico 500 at Talladega Aug. 12: Pure Michigan 400 Nov. 18: Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead

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