Kevin Harvick Wins In Wild Finish At PIR – Gordon & Bowyer Brawl!

What might have been a dominating victory by Kyle Busch in the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race turned into a wild finish when Kevin Harvick raced his no. 29 Budweiser Chevrolet to the win in the closing 15 laps on the strength of a fierce restart and another on a green-white-checkered finish.

The race was thrown into overtime when a caution period occurred a split second before the white flag was to wave.  Instead of freezing the field and ending the race with Harvick as the winner in the regulation 312 laps, a red flag was displayed for 14 minutes and 58 seconds to clean a wreck that included four cars.  It also extended the event to 319 laps.

The fireworks started with seven laps left, when Clint Bowyer made contact with Jeff Gordon, sending him into the wall. Gordon’s No. 24 car was black-flagged, but he didn’t leave the track, instead waiting for Bowyer for his chance at redemption.

He got it, slowing down until Bowyer came back around, then sliding down the track when Bowyer tried to get around him on the apron between turns 1 and 2. Both cars, along with Joey Logano’s No. 20, wrecked and were done for the day.

”Things just escalated over the year and I’d just had it,” Gordon said. ”Clint has run into me numerous times, wrecked me and he got into me on the back straightaway and pretty much ruined our day. I’ve had it, fed up with it and got him back.”

Gordon took out Bowyer, the third place championship runner still clinging to faint title hopes, Joey Logano, and Aric Almirola split seconds before new leader Harvick reached the start-finish line.  That angered Bowyer’s crew which took after Gordon’s team in a heated skirmish in the garage.

It also threw the sellout Phoenix International Raceway crowd into a frenzy.  Emotions grew wilder moments later when multiple cars wrecked as they took the checkered flag that came seven laps after the scheduled 312 circuits.

With the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in its closing stages, all eyes at the day’s beginning were on upstart Brad Keselowski who started seven points behind five-time champion Jimmie Johnson in the season’s penultimate race.  When Johnson cut his right front tire on lap 235 his Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet suffered suspension damage when it hit the turn 1 wall.  He finished 32nd, 38 laps down, and fell 20 points behind Keselowski in the championship hunt.  One race remains next week, and Keselowski needs only to finish 15th, regardless of Johnson’s performance, to clinch his first title.

Most of the sunny afternoon was spent focusing on the taillights of Busch, who led by far the most laps with 237.  “It (his pole-sitting no. 18 M&M’s Toyota) was an awesome piece, and I gave the race away,” he said forlornly.  “I guess I didn’t know how to win it.”

Keselowski barely made it past the Gordon-Bowyer wreck on his way to a sixth place finish, saying, “I thought I was going to wreck, so I just hoped I could bounce off the walls and make it back to the start-finish line.”  While the new points leader was bitterly angry over what he considered late-race retaliation by some drivers, he joked about the good luck he received when Johnson hit the wall: “I’m sure maybe five years from now, if I end up winning this thing (the title), there will be somebody saying ‘Remember Phoenix, when such-and-such laid down thumbtacks and blew out Jimmie’s tire?'”

Race winner Harvick, who claimed his first checkered flag this season and third in 20 races at PIR, also offered a light touch when commenting on the fisticuffs between the Bowyer and Gordon teams: “Fights?  This sport was made on fights.  We ought to have more fights.”

The next exciting race weekend at PIR will take place in the second week of the 2013 NASCAR season when the Subway Fresh 500 headlines the March 1-3 weekend.

Fox Sports Arizona & PIR Announce New Partnership!

FOX Sports Arizona and Phoenix International Raceway have agreed to a new partnership that allows the regional sports network the ability to showcase Arizona’s premiere motorsports venue.

The historic track hosts the Southwest’s biggest racing events and has become one of NASCAR’s fastest and most exciting stops in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Beginning this Wednesday (Oct. 10), racing fans will be able to relive some of PIR’s best races in recent memory when FOX Sports Arizona debuts its new “Phoenix International Raceway Classics” series.

Produced to highlight past races at the venue won by NASCAR legends and get fans ready for this year’s Advocare 500 Weekend at PIR (Nov. 11-13), the first show will take viewers back to the 2003 Checker Auto Parts 500 that was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr. The series will offer four different one-hour episodes hosted by Valley resident Chris Neville, who is part of NASCAR’s coverage on TNT and SPEED TV.

Other races that will air in the series include the 2006 Subway Fresh 500 won by Kevin Harvick, the 2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500 won by Jeff Gordon and the 2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500 won by Mark Martin. Here is the complete schedule:

Oct. 10 @ 7:00 pm        2003 Checker Auto Parts 500
Oct. 15 @ 7:00 pm        2006 Subway Fresh 500
Oct. 24 @ 7:00 pm        2007 Subway Fresh Fit 500
Oct. 30 @ 7:00 pm        2009 Subway Fresh Fit 500

With the victory in 2007, Gordon tied Dale Earnhardt with his 76th all-time win and he recently said this about the moment, “What stands out to me is winning that race, tying Dale Earnhardt and carrying the No. 3 flag. That was a big deal. I looked up to Dale so much, admired him, respected him, to accomplish anything that he did in this sport was huge, so we wanted to honor him.”

When also asked a few weeks ago about his 2009 victory in Phoenix, Mark Martin said “That race was real special because it certainly looked like I wouldn’t win another race in my career at that time and it had been a few years since I’d won.”

This new agreement will also have FOX Sports Arizona produce a half-hour program in the Spring that highlights all the happenings from the 2013 Subway Fresh Fit 500. Phoenix International Raceway is one of just 12 tracks to host two Sprint Cup Races in one season and this program will bring to light everything that happens on not only the 1.0-mile oval, but off the track and outside PIR during race week. The air date and time for the show will be announced at a later date.

“Our new partnership with Phoenix International Raceway expands FOX Sports Arizona’s coverage of the local sports scene even further and strengthens our reputation as the network Arizona sports fans turn to first for comprehensive local sports programming,” said Brian Hogan, FOX Sports Arizona Sr. Vice President & General Manager.

“We’re tremendously excited to work with FOX Sports Arizona on a project that showcases many of the dramatic victories that have occurred at PIR over the years,” said Phoenix International Raceway President Bryan R. Sperber.  “It will be a real treat for fans to watch some of these historical accomplishments as we draw closer to our 2012 semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup – the AdvoCare 500.”

In addition to the Sprint Cup Races, PIR is also home to the Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series, K&N Pro Series West and the first NASCAR Mexico Series race to ever be held in the United States on March 1, 2013.

FOX Sports Arizona televises the most regional sports action in the state and is the exclusive cable television home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Arizona Cardinals, Northern Arizona University and Phoenix Mercury. FOX Sports Arizona is currently seen in 2.5 million households in Arizona & New Mexico and can also be seen across the country via home satellite services. And for even more coverage of the local sports scene, log onto www.foxsportsarizona.com, www.twitter.com/foxsportsaz and www.facebook.com/foxsportsarizona.

Denny Hamlin Wins The Subway Fresh Fit 500!

Denny Hamlin led the most laps in the Daytona 500 but had to settle for fourth. Today, he didn’t lead the most laps, but did take home the victory in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. He led the final 59 laps for his 18th career win.

In his second race with 2011 Sprint Cup championship crew chief Darian Grubb on his pit box, Hamlin held off Kevin Harvick in a 53-lap green-flag run to finish the 312-lap race at the one-mile track and took over the series points lead for the first time since surrendering it in the final race of 2010 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Hamlin surged into the lead after a restart on Lap 254, passing Harvick and pulling away. Ryan Newman’s hard contact with the Turn 4 wall two laps later caused the seventh caution of the afternoon, but Hamlin again stretched his advantage over Harvick after a restart on Lap 260 and held on the rest of the way.

Harvick was concerned about having enough fuel to get to the end and just missed it, the No. 29 coasting over the line just ahead of Greg Biffle for second.  Jimmie Johnson, who started off strong then faded, rallied to finish forth.  And Brad Keselowski snunk in to round out the top five.

Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Joey Logano, completed the top ten respectively.

After the race, Hamlin said that initially he didn’t think he had a winning car today.

“If you would have asked me at the beginning of the day I would have said I would have taken a top 15 finish,” said Hamlin. “Just an amazing job by this FedEx office team. We just kept working on it and every time they worked on it, it kept getting better.”

Hamlin sits atop the points standings after two races, which is an unfamiliar spot for him so early in the season.

“Huge momentum. We’ve never been in this position so early in the season. We’ve always struggled. We’ve always taken our time, 5 or 6 races in before we hut our stride.”

It’s a long season to go, but the 11 team seems to have the right attitude and momentum for their 2012 campaign.

Hamlin, Bowyer and Harvick Headline All-Star Cast of Celebrity Appearances at PIR’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 Weekend!

Racing fans will be treated to a star-studded lineup of NASCAR drivers and celebrity guests making special appearances throughout the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ race weekend, Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4 at Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR superstars Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick headline the list of drivers and VIPs who will makes special appearances at the track.

Drivers will talk about what to expect during the weekend’s race action, their forecasts for the 2012 NASCAR season and discuss their own personal stories.  Other celebrities participating in the weekend’s race festivities will also be on hand to meet fans and discuss their passion for racing.

Following is a list of guest appearances scheduled throughout the SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500™ race weekend. Denny Hamlin will also appear at Budweiser ROLL-BAR and Octane on Sunday, March 4. Fans are encouraged to visit www.PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway for the exact times of those appearances and for additional appearance schedule updates.

Saturday, March 3

Budweiser ROLL-BAR
10:00 a.m………………… A.J. Allmendinger
10:30 a.m………………… Denny Hamlin
11:00 a.m………………… Michael McDowell

Octane
10:30 a.m. ………………. Martin Truex Jr.

Turn 4 Wine Trackside Club
10:30 a.m. ………………. Michael McDowell

 

Sunday, March 4

Budweiser ROLL-BAR
9:00 a.m…………………. Clint Bowyer
9:30 a.m…………………. Dominick Cruz
10:00 a.m………………… Kevin Harvick

Octane
9:30 a.m…………………. A.J. Allmendinger
10:00 a.m………………… Robby Gordon
10:15 a.m………………… Dominick Cruz
2:30 p.m…………………. Ndamukong Suh

Turn 4 Wine Trackside Club
10:20 a.m………………… Robby Gordon

Why Jimmie Johnson is Going to Win his 5th Straight Championship this Sunday!

By Patrick Blackburn, NASCAR Senior Staff Writer

After the shocking turn of events in the final 15 laps in Phoenix on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson is in the driver’s seat to win his 5th straight championship next Sunday at Homestead in Miami.

Denny Hamlin will start the race as the Cup leader, 15 points over Johnson and 46 points to the good on Kevin Harvick. When the Chase started, had anyone told Hamlin that he would leave Phoenix with a 15 point lead over the reigning champion, he would have been ecstatic and confident. Nobody, however, could have predicted how the last 15 laps were going to shake out. Of the three contenders, Hamlin dominated the race. It took him no time to drive from his starting position, 17th, to the front, and he remained there throughout most of the race. With 12 laps to go, Hamlin came in for his final pit stop to get enough fuel into his tank to take him to the finish. Everyone knew Harvick was going to stay out, having about ten laps fewer on his tank. The big question was whether the 48 would play it safe and pit or risk his entire championship and stay out. Chad Knaus, being the champion crew chief that he is, prepared for this scenario all the way back to lap 89, when Jimmie made his final pit stop. Knowing that the Phoenix race has come down to fuel many times before, Knaus told Jimmie to start saving fuel. Remember, Johnson won his first Phoenix race in 2008 with superior fuel strategy.