Chase-chasing Logano has early tire issue in Texas

The turnaround is a result of the team appearing more comfortable with the “traditional” 2015 rules package, the one teams started the year with but didn’t race in four events this summer as NASCAR experimented with rules packages for the 2016 season. From that point on, we had to swallow that pill, and certainly disappointed that the hopes for the championship were gone. It is unfortunate that we finished how we did.

Victory was within Keselowski’s grasp, and instead of making it to Victory Lane where he would don the celebratory cowboy hat and fire a pair of pistols, that honor went to Johnson, who’s not even in the Chase having been cut in Round 1.

“I knew that he gave me the opportunity and then it was just a good ol’ fashioned race, where you race your guts out and that was fun”, Johnson said.

“Came up one spot short, which is unfortunate”, Keselowski said. Not knowing what that might be at this moment makes a little bit easier to digest.

Until Texas fall favorite Jimmie Johnson came charging after the final restart. We did what we needed to do.

“We’re still in good shape but it sure would have been nice to have those five or six points that we lost, ” Truex said. It could be the difference. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him, hoping for a mistake. It was impressive to watch, consistently beating guys off the restarts and cruising away into unassailable leads, and not since Kevin Harvick back at Dover has one driver taken a race they had to win by the scruff of the neck in such a way. He is third in points and has won the last four races at Phoenix global Raceway, the site of the next race. “The way those two cars have become so successful and fast is the way they’ve worked together”. He said he had no indication the tire was going down.

Keselowski had no complaints at the flag, and even went to apologise to Truex – who simply replied “that’s racing”.

If we’ve learned anything with this new elimination-style Chase format though, it’s to expect the unexpected.

“We’ve really only had one smooth weekend [winning Dover]”.

“Where we will react is when we see something that goes out of bounds of hard racing”. So, I don’t really know.

Keselowski is in sixth place in the Chase, 19 points behind fourth-place Truex.

“I do not think it’s a winnable race until Kevin Harvick gets beat”, Kyle Busch said. “He’s shown that he’s certainly got the stranglehold on the Phoenix racetrack….”

He must win next week at Phoenix worldwide Speedway to advance. He led laps when Keselowski pitted under green a second time on lap 298, but on lap 300, Keselowski retook the top spot. It did damage to the inside of the auto as well, sending Logano into the pits for extended time. Harvick is third, three behind.

Also gone was Keselowski’s place as one of four drivers eligible for the championship in two weeks at Homestead-Miami Speedway. A lot to be proud of. Leaving three positions open for drivers to clinch a berth in the Chase. He’ll have triple-duty again next weekend at Phoenix. NASCAR does not want races to deteriorate into the settling of grudges, O’Donnell said. “I’ll be worn out tonight”. “It’s been fun, but it is definitely busy and hard on you”.