NASCAR THIS WEEK 8 - THE DERRICK. / The News-Herald Wednesday, November 6, 2019 SPEED FREAKS QUESTIONS & ATTITUDE A few questions we Compelling questions ... and had to ask ourselves maybe a few actual answers OK, who joins Kevin Harvick PHOENIX Where’s your bandwagon? and Martin Truex Jr. in the final four? THREE THINGS TO WATCH Behind the wall. We’re gonna load it on GODSPEAK: Kyle Busch the hauler and ship it back to the shop. wins and Joey Logano gets 1. Nerve-rattling It’s been too fickle all year. First, we had in on points. Denny Hamlin at the controls. Then Kyle KEN’S CALL: Denny Hamlin, The NASCAR Cup Series is Busch, until Kevin Harvick took a turn who wins this week, and down to a pair of races, and at the wheel. Then Martin Truex Jr., only Kyle Busch. I’ve been this week’s race at ISM Race- to see Hamlin yank back the control. wrong before, by the way. way (Phoenix) will decide Then Truex again, and now Harvick the remaining two positions again, with Hamlin running alongside Have you given up picking a in the final four. Martin Truex and trying to hop aboard like a hobo on favorite yet? Jr. and Kevin Harvick are in a freight. GODSPEAK: I’m giving the thanks to race wins. Kyle early nod to Martin Truex Busch and Joey Logano are So, Homestead should be wild? Jr. If Denny Hamlin makes third and fourth in points. it through, he would be my Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney In theory, we should arrive at the season first choice. and Kyle Larson are in finale next week with a wide-open ball- KEN’S CALL: Absolutely. striking range. Chase Elliott game, no favorites. But in reality, there’s By this time next week, we needs to win. “I look forward always some crew chief and some set of might all be back in the to getting out there,” Elliott engineers who find that extra ounce of Kyle Busch camp. Hope not. said. handling or oomph and take control to win. Yes, the championship is currently 2. Losing ground being won in a lab outside Charlotte. FEUD OF THE This detour through the grass at Texas Motor Speedway might WEEK Denny Hamlin has had a have cost Denny Hamlin a championship opportunity. [AP/LARRY Ken Willis, ken.willis@news-jrnl. championship air about him PAPKE] com KYLE LARSON VS. BUBBA since winning the Daytona WALLACE: Larson accused 500. Now he’s in deep, dou- to win,” he said. shaped, 1-mile course was Wallace of spinning out ble-digit trouble. He went “flipped” this year. Turns 1 NASCAR CUP STANDINGS on purpose, bringing out from 22 points to the good to 3. Last penultimate and 2 used to be Turns 3 and a yellow flag on Lap 242. 20 points to the bad at Texas, 4. Kyle Busch won the spring 1. Martin Truex Jr. 4133 The caution period caused or a 42-point swing. He was The second to last shall be race but he hasn’t won a 2. Kevin Harvick 4113 Larson to lose track posi- a victim of the traction com- last in 2020. When NASCAR Cup event since June 2. “I’m 2. Kyle Busch 4113 tion. Larson finished 12th. pound sprayed on the Texas revealed the 2020 Cup Series optimistic about it. I think 4. Joey Logano 4111 GODWIN KELLY’S TAKE: race surface. His No. 11 schedule, ISM Raceway was we can do OK,” he said. 5. Denny Hamlin 4091 Richard Petty Motorsports Toyota spun off the track and moved from its long-stand- 6. Ryan Blaney 4088 cried innocent by sending was damaged in the grass. ing penultimate position to Godwin Kelly, godwin. 6. Kyle Larson 4088 out a photo of Wallace’s “We’ll go to Phoenix and try the season finale. The oddly [email protected] 8. Chase Elliott 4033 flat left-rear tire on social 9. Brad Keselowski 2265 media after the race. Both 10. William Byron 2247 drivers are under the Chevy 11. Clint Bowyer 2225 banner. 12. Alex Bowman 2215 13. Aric Almirola 2204 14. Kurt Busch 2193 GODWIN’S PICKS TEXAS 15. Ryan Newman 2170 FOR PHOENIX 16. Erik Jones 2127 17. Daniel Suarez 801 WINNER: Kyle Busch THREE THINGS WE LEARNED 18. Jimmie Johnson 784 REST OF TOP 5: Denny 19. Paul Menard 732 Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle 1. Happy Harvick 20. Chris Buescher 687 Larson, Joey Logano FIRST ONE OUT: Erik Jones Kevin Harvick knows how to DARK HORSE: Chase Elliott find his way into the Champi- WHAT’S ON TAP DON’T BE SURPRISED IF: onship Round at Homestead. (All times Eastern) Busch ends his winless With his win at Texas, streak, which started in Harvick will compete for the CUP SERIES: Bluegreen Vacations 500 June after winning Pocono title in two weeks. Since this SITE: ISM Raceway (1-mile oval, 1. format was introduced six Phoenix) years ago, he has qualified SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (NBC Sports for Homestead five times. Oh Network, 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.). Satur- M O T O R M O U T H S yeah, he won it all in 2014. day, qualifying (NBCSN, 2 p.m.). Sunday, PODCAST race (NBC, coverage begins at 1:30 p.m., 2. Traction reaction green flag, 2:30 p.m.) By the time they get to Phoenix, we’ll be podding. Texas Speedway sprayed Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning Texas and punching his XFINITY: Desert Diamond Casino 200 some traction compound in Championship Round ticket to Homestead. [AP/LARRY PAPKE] SITE: ISM Raceway Tune in online at the turns, and it caused driv- SCHEDULE: Friday, practice (NBCSN, www.news-journalonline. ers fits and a few crashes. 3. Chase slips really hate that it happened. 6 p.m.). Saturday, qualifying (NBCSN, com/daytonamotormouths “Too many guys having Obviously, it’s not good. It’s 12:30 p.m.), race (NBC, 3:30 p.m.) trouble that are quality cars, The first casualty of the trac- just my mistake and there’s it shows that the surface tion compound was playoff really no excuse for it.” GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCKS: Lucas Oil wasn’t prepped right,” vet- driver Chase Elliott, who 150 eran driver Kurt Busch said. tagged the wall on Lap 9. “I Godwin Kelly, godwin. SITE: ISM Raceway “They don’t need to spray it made a mistake, got loose [email protected] TV SCHEDULE: Friday, race (Fox Sports that heavy.” and crashed,” he said. “I 1, 8:30 p.m.) 2 0 1 9 C U P S E R I E S Busch) July 7: Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Justin Sept. 15: South Point 400 at Las Vegas SCHEDULE AND WINNERS April 13: Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Haley) (Martin Truex Jr.) Feb. 10: Clash at Daytona (Jimmie (Martin Truex Jr.) July 13: Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Sept. 21: Federated Auto Parts 400 at Johnson) April 28: Geico 500 at Talladega (Chase (Kurt Busch) Richmond (Martin Truex Jr.) Feb. 17: Daytona 500 (Denny Hamlin) Elliott) July 21: Foxwoods 301 at New Hampshire Sept. 29: Bank of America 400 at Char- Feb. 24: Folds of Honor 500 at Atlanta May 5: Dover 400 (Martin Truex Jr.) (Kevin Harvick) lotte (Chase Elliott) (Brad Keselowski) May 11: Kansas 400 (Brad Keselowski) July 28: Gander Outdoors 400 at Pocono Oct. 6: Delaware 400 at Dover (Kyle March 3: Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas (Joey May 18: All-Star Race at Charlotte (Kyle (Denny Hamlin) Larson) Logano) Larson) Aug. 4: Go Bowling at Watkins Glen Oct. 13: 1000Bulbs.com 500 Talladega March 10: TicketGuardian 500 at Phoenix May 26: Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (Chase Elliott) (Ryan Blaney) (Kyle Busch) (Martin Truex Jr.) Aug. 11: Consumers Energy 400 at Michi- Oct. 20: Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas March 17: Auto Club 400 at Fontana (Kyle June 2: Pocono 400 (Kyle Busch) gan (Kevin Harvick) (Denny Hamlin) Busch) June 9: FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michi- Aug. 17: Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race Oct. 27: First Data 500 at Martinsville March 24: STP 500 at Martinsville (Brad gan (Joey Logano) at Bristol (Denny Hamlin) (Martin Truex Jr.) Keselowski) June 23: Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sept. 1: Southern 500 at Darlington (Erik Nov. 3: AAA Texas 500 (Kevin Harvick) March 31: O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Sonoma (Martin Truex Jr.) Jones) Nov. 10: Can-Am 500k at Phoenix Texas (Denny Hamlin) June 30: Camping World 400 at Chicago- Sept. 8: Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Nov. 17: Ford EcoBoost 400 at April 7: Food City 500 at Bristol (Kyle land (Alex Bowman) (Kevin Harvick) Homestead-Miami KEN WILLIS’ TOP 10 NASCAR DRIVER RANKINGS MARTIN KEVIN DENNY KYLE BUSCH KURT BUSCH RYAN JOEY WILLIAM KYLE CHASE TRUEX JR. HARVICK HAMLIN ’Bout time Deserved BLANEY LOGANO BYRON LARSON ELLIOTT Would rather Might win Oops to release that renewed Pin those Playing Will finish Capable of Now look be on I-95 Phoenix cruise contract ears back defense this sixth this shaking up what you’ve South anyway control week week final four done! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.