AVONDALE, Ariz. — It could be feast or famine for three organizations trying to advance their drivers into NASCAR’s championship race of the Sprint Cup season.
Only longtime star Jeff Gordon has locked up a berth in next weekend’s title-deciding race, and three slots are up for grabs Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway. Seven drivers are jockeying for those berths, and that group includes three sets of teammates.
If Kevin Harvick makes it, Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch could miss the cut.
Same goes for Kyle Busch. Should he make the final four, Joe Gibbs Racing probably will fail to advance Carl Edwards.
And the maddening issue at Team Penske? 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. There’s a strong possibility neither advances past Sunday’s race, and if one does, it almost certainly will be at the expense of his teammate.
Martin Truex Jr., of Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, qualified fifth after strong second and third rounds Friday.
“Once we get out on the racetrack, it’s every man for himself,” Edwards said.
A win by one of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship drivers Sunday at Phoenix earns an automatic berth into the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gordon earned his spot by winning at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway two weeks ago, but that victory probably was going to Logano before he was wrecked while leading.
The accident was a deliberate payback from Matt Kenseth, who was fuming for two weeks over being wrecked by Logano while racing for a win that Kenseth needed to stay in the Chase. Eliminated from contention, Kenseth retaliated and potentially ruined Logano’s title chances.
