Busch wins XFINITY Series DAV 200 in Phoenix

“Phoenix is going to be an exciting race that is for sure”, he said in a team release this week. “When I first showed up to the tracks and it said “24” in the grass at a few of the mile-and-a-half tracks, or on the walls, it really put a big smile on my face”.

Joey Logano walks through the garage area before qualifying for…

Non-chaser Jimmie Johnson, fresh off a win last week will start from the pole on Sunday. Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski came oh-so-close to clinching berths in the season finale but instead are on the outside desperately looking in.

“I think our chances are good and we are going to play to the strength of our team”, Busch said.

Jones will attempt to win his third consecutive Truck Series race on Friday night at a track where he’s undefeated.

Earnhardt, Harvick, Logano and Kyle Busch pitted under green just before the yellow flag but remained on the lead lap and moved into the top four positions when others pitted under yellow.

“It’s kind of bittersweet”, said Harvick, a seven-time victor at Phoenix who led 143 of the 219 laps.

One driver who was happy was Harvick, the defending champion who dominated the race before the final caution period and the rain. Kyle Busch wants that first crack at a Sprint Cup Championship and the final step to that opportunity awaits him at Phoenix. “Our team is fired up and working hard on that Homestead auto ever since we won at Martinsville, and we know we’ve got a few tough competitors to go up against, but I love Homestead”.

That did not set well with the four drivers still fighting to advance to the championship race.

After a mediocre qualifying effort from both Penske drivers at Phoenix, Keselowski didn’t seem thrilled with the task at hand. He fought back from 43rd position and finished seventh, but ended the race 21 points below the Chase cutoff. Advancing into the season finale next Sunday were reigning series champion Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. Another performance like that, maybe a little better, and Truex just may find himself running for a championship at Homestead. A year ago: Kevin Harvick won to earn an automatic spot in the four-man championship finale. Erik Jones was substituted for the suspended driver Matt Kenseth in the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for the second week. Harvick is also 10 points ahead of the guy feeling the fifth-place squeeze, Carl Edwards, who qualified fourth.

“It’s really nice to have the swagger back that we’re used to having”, said Johnson, who got his first pole over the past 58 races.

“We had a fast vehicle and I’m excited to go race now”. We will mirror the 4 vehicle as much as we need to until we feel like they have left us a gap, or they haven’t quite capitalized on a ideal pit call, and we will make that decision when its crunch time.