The Place: Phoenix Raceway

The Date: Sunday, November 8

The Time: 3 p.m. ET

TV: NBC, 2 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio

Distance: 312 miles (312 Laps); Stage 1 (Ends on Lap 75),

Stage 2 (Ends on Lap 190), Final Stage (Ends on Lap 312)

NASCAR Cup Series

Spotlight turns to Phoenix Raceway for Championship Weekend

It was announced back in March of 2019, that the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Weekend would be held at Phoenix Raceway in 2020. After a long, unpredictable, and unprecedented season the series has arrived, and four drivers and teams are ready give it their all and decide who will be crowned the 2020 champion.

This season marks the first year the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race will be held at Phoenix Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona. Since the inception of the Playoffs in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2004, Phoenix Raceway has occupied three different positions on the postseason schedule. In 2004, the Phoenix Raceway hosted the eighth race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs – the event was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then from 2005 – 2019 (last 15 seasons), Phoenix Raceway has hosted the penultimate (ninth) race in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. 

Seven different drivers have won the Playoff races at Phoenix Raceway, led by Kevin Harvick with four Playoff wins (2006, 2012, 2013 and 2014).

Four non-Playoff drivers have won the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at Phoenix Raceway. In 2005, Kyle Busch won the Phoenix Playoff race and was ranked 19th in the points at the time of the win. In 2011, Kasey Kahne won the Phoenix Playoff race and was ranked 14th in the points at the time of the win. In 2015, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Phoenix Playoff race and was seventh in points at the time of the win. Earnhardt Jr. had made the Playoffs in 2015 but was eliminated in the Round of 12. And in 2017, Matt Kenseth won the Phoenix Playoff race and was seventh in points at the time of the win. Kenseth had made the Playoffs in 2017 but was eliminated in the Round of 12.

Prior to the 2020 season, Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s season finale from 2004-2019 (last 16 seasons). A total of 11 different drivers have won the season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, led by Greg Biffle with three victories (2004 – 2006).

Seven times the winner of the season finale race at Homestead-Miami Speedway has won the championship during the Playoff Era (2004-Present). In 2011, Tony Stewart won from the 15th starting position at Homestead, and as a result secured his third-career NASCAR Cup Series championship in the closest points battle in series history – tied with Carl Edwards – Stewart won the title by virtue of the tiebreaker: most wins. In 2014, Kevin Harvick won from the fifth starting position at Homestead in the first year of the elimination-style format of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, as a result he won his first series title. In 2015, Kyle Busch won from the third starting position at Homestead in the second year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, as a result he won his first series championship. In 2016, Jimmie Johnson won from the 14th starting position at Homestead in the third year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he tied NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the series-most titles with seven each. In 2017, Martin Truex Jr. won from the second starting position at Homestead in the fourth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship. In 2018, Joey Logano won from the fifth starting position at Homestead in the fifth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he won his first series championship. In 2019, Kyle Busch won from the fourth starting position at Homestead in the sixth year of the elimination-style format of the Playoffs, and as a result he became just the second active driver with multiple titles (2015, 2019) joining seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.  

The worst finish in a Playoff race by the eventual series champion at Homestead-Miami Speedway is 15th (three times): Tony Stewart in 2005, Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and Brad Keselowski in 2012. Plus, two non-Playoff drivers have won the Homestead-Miami season finale Playoff race: Greg Biffle (2004 and 2006) and Denny Hamlin (2013). 

This weekend at Phoenix only two of the Championship 4 drivers have won at the one-mile raceway – Joey Logano (two wins) and Denny Hamlin (two wins). But don’t count out Chase Elliott (2017) and Brad Keselowski (2018) they have career-best finishes at Phoenix of runner-up.

In total Phoenix Raceway has hosted 48 NASCAR Cup Series races dating back to the inaugural event on November 6, 1988. The race was won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki in a Ford. The 48 series events at Phoenix have produced 25 different pole winners and 24 different race winners. Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman lead the series in starts at Phoenix with 35 each. Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick lead the series in poles at Phoenix with four each and Harvick also leads the series in wins (nine) and top fives (18). NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin leads the series in lead lap finishes at Phoenix with 30 in 34 starts. Kevin Harvick leads the series in laps led (1,662) and laps completed (10,906) at Phoenix. NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Championship 4 contender Joey Logano is the most recent winner at Phoenix, taking the checkered flag back in March after starting 13th.  

By The Numbers: Phoenix Raceway / Season Finale

1 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races Phoenix Raceway has hosted (2020).

2 – Number of 2020 Championship 4 drivers with a former win at Phoenix Raceway – Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano.

5 – Number of wins from the pole or first starting position at Phoenix Raceway – most recent Kevin Harvick’s win in March of 2015.

7 – Number of times the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series championship season finale race has won the title during the Playoff Era (2004-Present); including the last six seasons in the elimination-style format of the Playoffs - Tony Stewart, 2011; Kevin Harvick, 2014; Kyle Busch, 2015; Jimmie Johnson, 2016; Martin Truex Jr., 2017; Joey Logano, 2018; and Kyle Busch, 2019 – Note: All the wins listed were at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

8 – Number of former NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix race winners entered in this weekend’s season finale – Kevin Harvick (nine wins), Jimmie Johnson (four), Kyle Busch (three), Denny Hamlin (two), Matt Kenseth (two), Joey Logano (two), Ryan Newman (two) and Kurt Busch (one). 

8 – Number of former NASCAR Cup Series champions entered in this weekend’s season finale race at Phoenix Raceway – Jimmie Johnson (seven title), Kyle Busch (two), Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.      

9 – The degrees of banking in Turns 3 and 4 of Phoenix Raceway.

11 – The degrees of banking in Turns 1 and 2 of Phoenix Raceway.

12 – The most cautions in a single NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway; has happened twice – most recently earlier this season (03/08/2020).

15 – The worst finish by the eventual series champion in the season finale race (at Homestead-Miami Speedway) - it happened three times: Tony Stewart in 2005, Jimmie Johnson in 2008 and Brad Keselowski in 2012. 

16 – Total number of NASCAR Cup Series Playoff races held at Phoenix Raceway (2004-2019).

20 – The age of the youngest NASCAR Cup Series race winner at Phoenix Raceway: Kyle Busch (November 13, 2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days).

24 – Number of different NASCAR Cup Series winners at Phoenix Raceway; led by Kevin Harvick with nine victories.

25 – Number of different NASCAR Cup Series Busch pole winners at Phoenix Raceway; led by Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick with four each.

28 – The greatest number of lead changes in a single race at Phoenix Raceway (Feb. 27, 2011) – earlier this season the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix produced 20 lead changes.

29 – The lowest starting position by a race winner at Phoenix Raceway (Ricky Rudd, 1995).

35 – Most NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway starts; led by Kurt Busch, Kevin Harvick and Ryan Newman with 35 each. 

48 – Total number of NASCAR Cup Series races held at Phoenix Raceway.

312 – Number of laps scheduled for this weekend’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway.

Season Finale Title-Clinching Performances

Sunday’s Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) will mark the conclusion of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season. The 2020 season marks the first year the championship race will be held at Phoenix Raceway but below is a look at how the last 10 NASCAR Cup Series season finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway have turned out:

2010 – Jimmie Johnson Tracks Down Denny Hamlin For Fifth Straight Title

Denny Hamlin held a comfortable 15-point lead on Jimmie Johnson for the championship heading into the season finale. However, Hamlin could not close out the title. Hamlin damaged his Toyota with an early-race spin and finished 14th as a result. Kevin Harvick, who was third in points entering the race, finished third. Johnson placed runner-up to take home his fifth consecutive championship.

2011 – Tony Stewart Wins Third Championship In Epic Race

Trailing leader Carl Edwards by three points entering the 2011 season finale, Tony Stewart virtually needed a win to capture the title – especially considering that Edwards ultimately finished runner-up in the race.

Stewart drove to the front from the back of the field twice and edged out Edwards to get to Victory Lane.

The pair finished the season tied in points, but Stewart held the tiebreaker over Edwards of most wins during the season (five to one). It was the first title for Stewart-Haas Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series.

2012 – Brad Keselowski Fends Off Jimmie Johnson For First Championship

Brad Keselowski entered the 2012 season finale 20 points ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff standings.

Keselowski, who won two Playoff races to help put himself in championship-clinching position, didn’t produce his best performance with a 15th-place showing at Homestead-Miami.

But problems in the pits for Johnson caused the five-time champion to finish 36th and helped Keselowski secure his first championship, as well as the first title for Team Penske.

2013 – Jimmie Johnson Closes In On Earnhardt And Petty With Sixth Title

After building up his points lead on the strength of six wins, 16 top fives and 23 top 10s, Jimmie Johnson needed to finish 23rd to capture his sixth NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Following an incident on a restart just shy of the 200-lap mark, Johnson ended up 23rd when it all sorted itself out.

By the end of the race, he worked his way up to finish ninth, earning Hendrick Motorsports a record 11th championship.

2014 – Harvick Rides To Two ‘Do Or Die’ Victories To Earn First Series Title

Kevin Harvick started the penultimate race of the 2014 season needing a win to get into the Championship 4 race at Phoenix. He dominated the contest, leading 264 laps to earn the victory and a spot in the Championship 4. After playing mind games throughout Homestead week with the rest of the field, Harvick held off runner-up Ryan Newman to earn his first career NASCAR Cup Series title and the second for Stewart-Haas Racing.

2015 – Kyle Busch Overcomes Injury For Improbable Comeback

Just ninth months after breaking his right leg and fracturing his left foot, Kyle Busch edged out defending champion Kevin Harvick for the Homestead race win and his first NASCAR Cup Series championship. Busch missed the first 11 races of the season after sustaining his injuries in a crash in the season-opening NASCAR Xfinity race at Daytona. He came back to win five races in the NASCAR Cup Series that year and cement his name in NASCAR history.

2016 – Johnson Ties Series Record With Seventh Championship

Jimmie Johnson proved once again to not count him out in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. He won his way into the Round of 8 with a victory at Charlotte, then took the checkered flag at Martinsville to punch his ticket to Homestead. He provided a walk-off win at Homestead to capture his seventh championship, tying NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty for the NASCAR Cup Series record.

2017 – Martin Truex Jr. Earns First Championship

Driving for the Denver-based Furniture Row Racing, Truex turned a career-best season into a championship for the ages. His victory in the Homestead finale was a personal best eighth on the year. He led the final 34 laps and held off a hard charging Kyle Busch by .681-seconds to earn the trophy hoist. It was an emotional victory with team owner, Barney Visser recovering from a recent heart attack back in Denver and Truex’s longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex trackside after a year of major medical obstacles.

2018 – Joey Logano Wins First Championship

After qualifying for the Championship 4 in the Round of 8 opening race at Martinsville Speedway, the 28-year old Logano headed to Homestead-Miami largely considered the “underdog” to 2018’s “Big 3” – Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick. The threesome (Busch, 9, Harvick, 8 and Truex, 4) won 21 of the first 35 races in 2018. However, the Team Penske driver grabbed his opportunity and took it to the Big 3, winning the season finale by a sizable 1.7-seconds over Truex, Harvick and Busch and taking his career first NASCAR Cup Series championship trophy – Team Penske’s second.

2019 – Kyle Busch grabs second title, fifth for JGR

After putting up four wins early in the 2019 NACAR Cup Series season, Kyle Busch went winless for 21 races. He pointed his way into the Championship 4 but when his back was against the wall he answered and won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway passing Kevin Harvick in the closing laps and the holding off his hard charging Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. by 4.578-seconds to win his second championship. With the feat, Busch became just the second active multiple champion joining Jimmie Johnson (seven titles). The title was also the fifth for Joe Gibbs Racing - Bobby Labonte (2000), Tony Stewart (2002 and 2005) and Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019).

Chances a spoiler steals the show this weekend at Phoenix

Since the introduction of the "win and you’re in" elimination-style Playoff format, the eventual champion has won the season finale race (at Homestead-Miami Speedway) each of the six years (Kevin Harvick, 2014; Kyle Busch, 2015; Jimmie Johnson, 2016; Martin Truex Jr., 2017; Joey Logano, 2018; Kyle Busch, 2019). Still, with a new venue this season (Phoenix) hosting the championship event there is still a chance a driver out of championship contention can win the event.

The name that rises to the top of the list of possible spoilers this weekend, is NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway wins leader, Kevin Harvick, who has spent a career mastering the one-mile raceway putting up nine series victories, including four Playoff wins. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver, Harvick, failed to make the Championship 4 this season, the first regular season champion since its inception in 2017 to not make the final round, would like nothing more than to steal one more win. Harvick leads the series in victories this year with a career-best nine wins (2006 sweep, 2012 Playoff race, 2013 Playoff race, 2014 sweep, 2015 Spring race, 2016 Spring race, 2018 Spring race).

Expect Harvick to be in the mix for the lead no matter what this weekend. Phoenix Raceway is his best track. At Phoenix, Harvick leads the series in wins (nine), top fives (18) and lap led (1,662). Plus, he leads the series in key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 8.231 and a Driver Rating of 111.2. 

Next up on the list of possible spoilers this weekend at Phoenix is four-time NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway winner and Hendrick Motorsports driver Jimmie Johnson. Phoenix has been pivotal in the success of Johnson over the years and this weekend the veteran would like nothing more than to go out with one last victory. The feat would not only tie him with NASCAR Hall of Famers Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for fourth on the series all-time wins list but would also end the current winless streak he has been on that has reached a career-long 130 races. Johnson has made 34 series starts at Phoenix posting four wins (2007 Playoffs, 2008 sweep, 2009 Playoffs), 15 top fives and 21 top 10s. Johnson plans to retire from fulltime NASCAR Cup Series competition at the end of the 2020 season.

And the last driver making our possible spoilers at Phoenix list this weekend is Joe Gibbs Racing and three-time NASCAR Cup Series Phoenix Raceway winner Kyle Busch. Busch just recently, at Texas two weeks ago, snapped a 33-race wineless streak that dated back to last season’s championship finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 2020 season has been rough for Kyle Busch, he was eliminated from the Playoffs in the Round 12, becoming the first defending champion not to make the Championship 4 round the following season since the establishment of the elimination-style Playoff format in 2014. Busch would like nothing more than to end the season on a high note and win this weekend at Phoenix. The Las Vegas native has made 30 starts at Phoenix posting four poles, three wins (2005, 2018 Playoff race, 2019), 12 top fives and 22 top 10s.

Best of the Rest

Just because only four drivers made it to the Championship 4, doesn’t mean the rest of the field doesn’t have something to fight for this weekend at Phoenix Raceway in the Season Finale 500 (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

As the points stand now, Kevin Harvick sits in fifth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with a 34-point advantage over sixth place Alex Bowman and a 66-point edge over seventh place Martin Truex Jr. Bowman hopes to hang on to his sixth place position amongst the two former champions as it would be his career best finish in the final series championship standings. His previous best finish in the points was 12th last season.

As for the top non-Playoff drivers from this season, Erik Jones (17th), veteran Jimmie Johnson (18th) and rookie Tyler Reddick (19th) have been battling it out for the 17th position since the Playoffs began. As of now, Jones holds a 59-point advantage on Johnson heading into Phoenix and a 96 -point lead over Richard Childress Racing’s Tyler Reddick. Jones recently announced he would be moving to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021 to pilot the famous No. 43. Despite missing the Playoffs, Jones had a solid season putting up nine top fives and 13 top 10s. He also hasn’t been too shabby at Phoenix, in eight start he has one top five and four top 10s.

Saying farewell to a NASCAR icon: Jimmie Johnson

Since signing with Hendrick Motorsports and pairing up with Chad Knaus, no driver has been more dominant over the last two decades than El Cajon, California’s Jimmie Johnson.

In 19 full seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series, Johnson has managed to win seven championships (2006-2010, 2013, 2016) tying the series all-time record held by NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Plus, he was the first driver in series history to win five consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championships (2006-10). He also holds the record for the most NASCAR Cup Series Playoff berths with 15. In total, he has made 685 starts in his career and this weekend, his 686th will be his last in fulltime NASCAR Cup Series competition.

In those 685 career NASCAR Cup Series starts, Jimmie Johnson has thrilled us and proven no matter the points format, nor the layout of the car, he was going to succeed. Johnson is currently tied for sixth on the NASCAR Cup Series all-time wins list with NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough with 83 wins each. Johnson has won at 21 different tracks on the series schedule; including this weekend’s venue – Phoenix Raceway.  Not to mention, he is a two-time Daytona 500 champion (2006, ‘13), and four-time Brickyard 400 winner (2006, ’08, ’09, ’12).

But Johnson’s legacy transcended off the track as well, not only has he spent a large amount of time working with his foundation the Jimmie Johnson Foundation, but he was also recognized by the national media as an outstanding human being and named him the 2009 Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

After making 34 starts at Phoenix Raceway posting four wins, 15 top fives and 21 top 10s in his career, Johnson will be making his last start in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet this Sunday. Johnson will start from the 26th position at Phoenix this weekend.

How Far They’ve Come: From ARCA Menards Series to Championship 4

The ARCA Menards Series has evolved and developed into the preeminent driver development series in stock car racing. The bridge between local and regional racing and the professional leagues of stock car series nationally, the ARCA Menards Series platform has seen dozens of drivers participate as they made their way up the ladder.

Of the 99 drivers that participated in the season openers at Daytona for the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series, and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series, 86 of them had experience in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and/or ARCA Menards Series West. Thirty-seven of them have accumulated 132 total ARCA Menards Series wins and six championships, twenty-nine of them accumulated 93 total East wins and six championships, and twelve of them accumulated a total of 51 West victories and four championships.

All twelve drivers competing for national series titles at Phoenix have ARCA experience, and ten of them have wins within the ARCA Menards Series platform.

Chase Elliott made 12 ARCA Menards Series starts over three seasons, with one win (Pocono, 2013), six top-five, and eleven top-ten finishes. He also scored wins in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series East (Iowa, 2012) and ARCA Menards Series West (Sonoma, 2016).

Brad Keselowski made three ARCA Menards Series starts, two in 2004 and one in 2006 for three different owners. Keselowski didn't fare well in any of the three starts, with a best finish of 17th at Michigan in his final appearance. Keselowski is the son of 1989 ARCA Menards Series champion Bob Keselowski and won ARCA-sanctioned super late model races at Toledo Speedway before moving up the ranks to NASCAR Gander Truck Series competition.

Joey Logano has four career ARCA Menards Series starts to his credit, and he's won half of them (Rockingham, 2008, Pocono, 2009). His worst ARCA finish? Second, twice, at Talladega in 2008 and Daytona in 2009.

Denny Hamlin made two ARCA Menards Series appearances, one in 2004 at Talladega and the other at Nashville in 2005. He finished third in his debut at Talladega.

Chase Briscoe is the 2006 ARCA Menards Series champion. He won six times on his way to the championship, at Winchester, Iowa, Lucas Oil, Pocono, Chicagoland, and Kansas. He finished in the top five 14 times and had 18 top-10 finishes in 20 starts that season.

Austin Cindric has eight ARCA Menards Series starts, with one win (Kentucky, 2017). He has led laps in seven of his eight career starts. He also has two career wins in two ARCA Menards Series East starts, on the road courses at Virginia International and Watkins Glen.

Justin Haley began racing full-bodied stock cars in the Late Model Sportsman division at ARCA-sanctioned Toledo Speedway in 2013. He earned the first of seven top-five ARCA Menards Series finishes at the age of 15 in 2014. He has three series wins, at Springfield, Talladega, and Pocono. He is also the 2016 ARCA Menards Series East champion with two wins and 14 top-10 finishes in 14 starts.

Justin Allgaier is the 2008 ARCA Menards Series champion, taking the series title with an impressive three-race win streak to close the season. He has eight total series wins in 86 starts.

Grant Enfinger is the 2015 ARCA Menards Series champion. In 2014 and 2015, he opened the season with three consecutive wins. Enfinger has 16 total series wins in 95 appearances.

Sheldon Creed is the 2018 ARCA Menards Series champion, with four wins and 18 top-10 finishes in 20 starts. He also has one career ARCA Menards Series West win, on the dirt at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Zane Smith is the 2018 ARCA Menards Series runner-up and Bounty Rookie of the Year. He finished the season with four wins and finished in the top ten in 13 of his 20 starts.

Brett Moffitt has 10 career ARCA Menards Series East wins, and from 2009 through 2013 finished either second or third in the final series standings. He has 62 career starts, 34 top-five and 45 top-ten finishes.

Sunoco Rookie Cole Custer To Claim Honors In Phoenix

In what was an intense competition throughout the season from one of the most highly touted Sunoco Rookie of the Year classes in several seasons, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer has come out on top of the rookie standings heading into Phoenix Raceway and will look to claim the end of the season honors following the event.

The Ladera Ranch, California native, Custer, pretty much sealed his Sunoco Rookie of the Year fate with his last lap pass for the win at Kentucky Speedway earlier this season guaranteeing his spot in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. As the only rookie to qualify for the postseason, Custer’s points lead in the reseeded standings was unreachable by the other rookies who failed to make the Playoffs. Custer was the first rookie since 2016 (Chris Buescher) to win a race in the NASCAR Cup Series.

In 35 starts this season, the 22-year old Custer posted one win (Kentucky), two top fives and seven top 10s. His average starting position this season was 20.0 and his average finish was 19.0. He also led five laps. 

The rest of the 2020 Sunoco Rookie of the Year class put their best foot forward this season and really performed amongst the best in the business.

Tyler Reddick has made 35 starts this season putting up three top fives and nine top 10s. His best finish on the season was runner-up at Texas-1.

Christopher Bell has made 35 starts this season amassing two top fives and seven top 10s. His best finish on the season was third at Texas-2.

John Hunter Nemechek has made 35 starts this season collecting three top 10s. His best finish on the season was eighth (twice) at Talladega-1 and Talladega-2.

Brennan Poole has made 34 starts this season putting up one top-10 finish. His best finish on the season was ninth at Talladega-2.

Quin Houff has made 35 starts this season posting a best finish of 13th at Talladega-2.

Ford Motor Company to clinch their 17th Cup Series Manufacturers title

After winning double that of their competitors this season (18 victories) in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ford Motor Company will clinch their 17th NASCAR Cup Series Manufacturers Championship (1956, ’57, ’63, ’64, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’92, ’94, ’97, ’99, 2000, ‘02, ’18, ’20) this weekend in the Season Finale 500 at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 18 victories by Ford during the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season were spread amongst two organizations – Stewart-Haas Racing (10 wins) and Team Penske (eight wins) – and five drivers Kevin Harvick (nine wins), Brad Keselowski (four), Joey Logano (three), Cole Custer and Ryan Blaney (each have one win). 

NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 (In Alphabetical Order)

The 2020 season comes down to this. The stage is set, and four drivers will contend for the championship and prestigious Bill France Cup this Sunday in the Season Finale 500 for the first time at Phoenix Raceway (3 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). 

That foursome, comprised of Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin and Team Penske’s Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski, have accounted for 18 victories in the 35 races leading up to Sunday’s finale.

Two of the four drivers are former champions – Keselowski (2012) and Logano (2018) - with Hamlin and Elliott looking for their first Cup titles.

Here’s an in-depth look at the championship contenders in 2020: 

Elliott By The Numbers:

1 – Number of career appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 (2020).

2 – Number of top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway. 

4 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series race wins in 2020.

5 – Number of top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway.

9.2 – Average starting position during the first 35 races of 2020 season.

9.6 – Average finishing position during the first nine races of the 2020 Playoffs.

10 – Number of stage wins during the 2020 season.

12.0 – Average finishing position during the 2020 season.

13.0 – Average finishing position at Phoenix Raceway.

14 – Number of top-five finishes in the first 35 races of 2020 season.

21 – Number of top-10 finishes during the 2020 season.

27 – Total number of Playoff points accumulated in 2020.

102.3 – Season-to-date driver rating – second-best among active drivers.

105.3 – Career driver rating at Phoenix Raceway – second-best among active drivers.

249 – Total number of laps led at Phoenix Raceway.

1,094 - Total number of laps led in the 2020 season.

9,229 - Total number of laps completed in the 2020 season (96.1%).

Elliott has chance to join his father as a NASCAR Cup Series champion

NASCAR has been built by hard working and dedicated families like the Frances, Pettys, Jarretts, Earnhardts and this weekend Hendrick Motorsport’s driver Chase Elliott has the chance to add to his family’s legacy and join his NASCAR Hall of Fame father Bill Elliott (1988) as a champion in the highest form of stock car racing – the NASCAR Cup Series.

If Elliott accomplishes the feat the Elliotts (Bill: 1988) would join the Pettys (Lee: 1954, 1958, 1959 and Richard: 1964, 1967, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979), and the Jarretts (Ned: 1961, 1965 and Dale: 1999) as just the third father-son combo to win the NASCAR Cup Series title.

Elliott’s talent was apparent early in his career. The Georgia native jumped in the national NASCAR scene in 2013 in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series on a part-time basis, making nine starts and winning at Canadian Tire in just his sixth start. He then climbed up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsport and became the first rookie in series history to win the series championship in 2014. He ran one more season in Xfinity, finishing runner-up in the points in 2015 before moving up to the NASCAR Cup Series fulltime in 2016. Elliott has qualified for the Playoffs all five seasons he has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, but this is the first one in which he has a clear shot at the title. Since running fulltime in the series, Elliott has put up 10 wins, 58 top fives and 95 top 10s.

Mr. ‘Most Popular’ is looking to cap off a career season

Hendrick Motorsport’s Chase Elliott is having a career year and not only because he made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Championship 4 round for the first time, but also because he has racked up four wins on the season – also a career first.

The reigning series Most Popular Driver, Elliott had a slow start to the 2020 season with three finishes outside the top-15 in the first six races, but all that changed when he got to Charlotte. Elliott was strong in both Charlotte oval races, leading 38 laps in the first event and finishing runner-up, but followed that up in the next race by leading 28 laps and winning his first event of the season. The 24-year old then rallied off 10 top-10 finishes and another win at the Charlotte ROVAL to finish out the regular season.

Elliott entered the 2020 Playoffs as the fifth seed with 20 Playoff points to his credit.

Unfortunately, an incident with Martin Truex Jr. for the lead at Darlington relegated him to a 20th-place finish to open the postseason, but Elliott was quick to rebound, finishing fifth at Richmond and seventh at Bristol to advance to the Round of 12. Again, Elliott struggled at the start of the next round, finishing 22nd at Las Vegas but found his momentum at Talladega with a fifth-place finish and secured his spot in the Round of 8 with a win at the Charlotte ROVAL.

Elliott then finished sixth at Kansas and slipped to a 20th-place finish at Texas in the Round of 8. As a result, Elliott was in a precarious position 25 points behind the Championship 4 cutoff heading into the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville Speedway. But the rising star answered the call and won at Martinsville Speedway, becoming the third driver since the inception of the elimination-style format in 2014 to win his way into the Championship 4 round; joining Kevin Harvick in 2014 and Denny Hamlin in 2019. His previous best finish in the final championship standings was fifth in 2017.

Through 35 races this season Chase Elliott has put up four wins, 14 top fives and 21 top 10s. He has led 1,094 laps and has an average finish of 12.0. He also has the second-best season-to-date driver rating (105.3) on the year. 

Elliott’s prowess in the Valley of the Sun

For the first time in series history Phoenix Raceway will host the season finale race and set the stage for the Championship 4 to battle it out for the NASCAR Cup Series title. And the recent change could not have come at a better time for Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott, who has performed much better at Phoenix than the previous season finale venue Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Elliott has made nine starts at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series, posting two top fives, five top 10s and a pole. His average finish at Phoenix is a strong 13.0, sixth-best in the series and second-best in the Championship 4 behind Denny Hamlin’s 11.3. Elliott is also near the top of the charts in several pre-race Loop Data categories at Phoenix with an Average Running Position of 8.930, second-best in the series, a Driver Rating of 105.3, second-best, 243 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-best and 2,418 Laps in the Top 15 (85.5%), 13th-most. He started from the pole and finished seventh at Phoenix earlier this season.

Crew Chief Corner: Adam Gustafson  

Since making his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series as a Hendrick Motorsport’s crew chief in 2005, Adam Gustafson has shown that he is one of the best in the sport. During his 16 seasons of full-time competition, Gustafson has worked with five different drivers: Kyle Busch (2005-2007), Casey Mears (2008), Mark Martin (2009, 2010), Jeff Gordon (2011-2015) and Chase Elliott (2016-Present). And during those 16 seasons he led his drivers to 13 Playoff appearances and to wins in 12 of the seasons. This weekend at Phoenix will mark his second appearance in the Championship 4, his first appearance was with NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon in 2015, they finished the season third in points.

The Elliott-Gustafson pair has combined for the following achievements in 176 NASCAR Cup Series races together since 2016:

• 10 wins
• 57 top fives
• 94 top 10s
• 2,938 laps led
• 9 poles
• One NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 appearance (2020)
• Five consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs appearances (2016-2020)

The two will look to capture their first NASCAR Cup Series championship together this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. If they accomplish the feat, Gustafson will become the 41st different crew chief in the series with a championship.

Adding to the historic legacy of Hendrick Motorsports

When it comes to winning titles in the NASCAR Cup Series, no organization does it better than Hendrick Motorsports with their series leading 12 championships among three drivers – Jimmie Johnson (2016, ’13, ’10, ’09, ’08, ’07, ’06), NASCAR Hall of Famers Jeff Gordon (2001, ’98, ’97, ’95) and Terry Labonte (1996).

Overall Hendrick Motorsports has 15 NASCAR national series owner championships, the all-time record in NASCAR.

And to boot, Hendrick Motorsports was the first organization in the series history to win four straight, from 1995-98 (Jeff Gordon in 1995 and 1997-98; Terry Labonte 1996). And then upped their record in the series with five straight, from 2006-2010 (Jimmie Johnson). Hendrick Motorsports has won 12 of the last 25 NASCAR Cup Series championships (1995-2019), putting the team's title-winning percentage during that span at 48% - series-best.

Hamlin By The Numbers:

2 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series career wins at Phoenix Raceway (2012, 2019).

3 – Number of appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff’s Championship 4 (2014, ’19 ‘20)

7 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series race wins during the 2020 season.

11 – Number of stage wins during the 2020 season.

9.0 – Average starting position for the first 35 races of the 2020 season.

9.5 – Average finishing position for the first 35 races of the 2020 season.

10.2 – Average starting position at Phoenix Raceway.

11.1 – Average finishing position during the first nine races of the 2020 Playoffs.

11.3 – Average finishing position at Phoenix Raceway. 

13 – Number of career top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway. 

17 – Number of career top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway.

17 – Number of top-five finishes during the 2020 season.

20 – Number of top-10 finishes during the 2020 season.

54 – Total number of Playoff points accumulated in 2020, most among Champ 4.

97.7 – Career driver rating at Phoenix Raceway, fifth-best among active drivers.

100.3 – Season-to-date driver rating, fourth-best among active drivers.

821 – Total number of laps led at Phoenix Raceway.

1,083 - Total number of laps led in the 2020 season.

9,301 - Total number of laps completed in the 2020 season (99.3%).

Third time might be the charm for Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin burst on the NASCAR Cup Series scene fulltime in 2006, and ever since he has been a force in the series, year-in and year-out. The 39-year old has competed in the series for 15 full-time seasons, qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in 14 of them. This season will mark the third time the Virginian has made the Championship 4 round (2014, 2019, 2020) and Hamlin is hoping this time is the year he gets his first title. If Hamlin were to accomplish the feat this weekend, he would also become the first NASCAR Cup Series driver from Virginia to win a championship.

In 2014 he qualified for the final round in the Playoffs, but finished seventh in the season finale at Homestead-Miami and ultimately third in the championship standings. Last season he advanced to Championship 4 for second time in his career, but a tough call on pit road in the season finale was costly for Hamlin and he finished the race in 10th and ultimately fourth in the final championship standings.

Hamlin’s best finish in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings came in 2010 when he finished runner-up in the points behind Jimmie Johnson.

Hamlin kicked off 2020 with his third victory in the Daytona 500, locking himself into the Playoffs in the opening week of the schedule. Since then, Hamlin has been one of the best in the series this year. In 35 starts, he has posted seven wins, 17 top fives and 20 top 10s. His average finish this season is a stout 9.5.

The path to Phoenix was a rocky one for Hamlin

The Joe Gibbs Racing standout, Denny Hamlin, had to bank on his series leading 54 Playoff points a few times this postseason, but despite the slow start he has advanced to the Championship 4.

Hamlin stumbled out of the gate this Playoffs finishing 13th (Darlington), 12th (Richmond) and 31st (Bristol) in the Round of 16. It wasn’t until the Round of 12 did he start to step it up, when he finished third at Las Vegas and won at Talladega to guarantee his spot in the Round of 8. He finished the Round of 12 with a 15th-place finish at the Charlotte ROVAL. In the Round of 8, Hamlin was methodical with his strategy and pointed his way into the Championship 4 by finishing 15th (Kansas), ninth (Texas) and 11th (Martinsville).

Denny Hamlin is the only driver from last season’s Championship 4 (Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick) to make it back to the final round in 2020. Hamlin and Joey Logano are the only two remaining title contenders with previous Championship 4 experience. Brad Keselowski won his series title in 2012 prior to the inception of the elimination-style Playoff format in 2014 and Elliott will be making his Championship 4 debut this weekend.

Hamlin’s previous performance in cactus country

For the first time in series history Phoenix Raceway will host the season finale race and set the stage for the Championship 4 to compete for the NASCAR Cup Series title. And the change in venue is a welcome one for Denny Hamlin.

The one-mile Phoenix Raceway is one of the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s best tracks in the NASCAR Cup Series, having made 30 series starts collecting two wins (2012, 2019), 13 top fives, 17 top 10s and two poles. His average finish at Phoenix is 11.267, fifth-best in the series and best among the Championship 4. He also ranks in the top 10 in several key pre-race Loop Data categories at Phoenix with an Average Running Position of 11.487, sixth-best in the series, a Driver Rating of 97.7, fifth-best, 453 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-best and 6,759 Laps in the Top 15 (72.2), fifth-most. He started third and finished 20th in the Phoenix Cup race earlier this season.

Crew Chief Corner: Chris Gabehart

The powerful duo of driver Denny Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart are the only team from last season’s Championship 4 to make it in this season’s, proving they are a force to be reckoned with.

Since joining forces with Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team, Gabehart has led the crew to 13 wins, including two Daytona 500 victories (2019, 2020), two Playoff appearances and two Championship 4 appearances (2019, 2020).

The Hamlin-Gabehart pair has combined for the following achievements in 68 NASCAR Cup Series races together since 2017:

• 13 wins
• 35 top fives
• 43 top 10s
• 1,874 laps led
• 3 poles
• Two consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 appearances (2019, 2020)
• Two consecutive NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs appearances (2019, 2020)

Under Gabehart’s leadership this season, Hamlin has earned 15 top fives, 18 top 10s and has hoisted the most trophies (seven) since a career best eight-win year in 2010.

If Hamlin and Gabehart win the championship this season, Gabehart will become the 41st different crew chief in the series to win a championship.

Continuing Joe Gibbs Racing’s excellence

Denny Hamlin earned his first NASCAR Cup Series pole position at Phoenix in 2005 in only his sixth career start. The following year he marked his fulltime debut with Joe Gibbs Racing and he immediately started things on the right foot, winning the 2006 Daytona Speedweeks season-opening exhibition event, the Budweiser Shootout, in his first try. Since then Hamlin has earned 44 Cup points-race victories – picking up his third Daytona 500 win this February. Now the 39-year old is looking to bring the Joe Gibbs Racing organization it’s sixth NASCAR Cup Series championship; joining Bobby Labonte (2000), Tony Stewart (2002 and 2005) and Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019).

Keselowski By The Numbers:

2 – Number of career appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 (2017, 2020).

6 – Number of top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway. 

4 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series wins in 2020

7 – Number of stage wins during the 2020 season.

7.7 – Average starting position during the first 35 races of 2020 season.

10 – Number of top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway.

10.3 – Average finishing position during the 2020 season.

12 – Number of top-five finishes in the first 35 races of 2020 season.

12.1 – Average finishing position during the first nine races of the 2020 Playoffs.

13.5 – Average finishing position at Phoenix Raceway.

23 – Number of top-10 finishes during the 2020 season.

35 – Total number of Playoff points accumulated in 2020.

93.8 – Career driver rating at Phoenix Raceway – seventh-best among active drivers.

99.4 – Season-to-date driver rating – sixth-best among active drivers.

248 – Total number of laps led at Phoenix Raceway.

936 - Total number of laps led in the 2020 season.

9,427 - Total number of laps completed in the 2020 season (98.2%).

Keselowski looks to become third active multi-time Cup champion

Over the last two decades, winning multiple NASCAR Cup Series championships has been rare, only three drivers have accomplished the feat from 2000 to 2019 – seven-time champ Jimmie Johnson (2006-2010, 2013, 2016), three-time champ and NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (2002, 2005, 2011) and two-time champ Kyle Busch (2015, 2019). This season, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski has the chance to add his name to the list and become just the third active driver with multiple titles.

Keselowski brought Team Penske their first NASCAR Cup Series championship back in 2012 and then Joey Logano secured the organization’s second Cup title in 2018.

One thing that has been consistent through the years at Team Penske is that Keselowski has been impressive in his career. He is currently riding a 10-year streak of at least one win each season in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has made the Playoffs nine times in his career and this weekend marks the second time he has advanced to the Championship 4 round (2017, 2020). In total, the 36-year old has put up 34 NASCAR Cup Series victories.

Looking back at the 2020 season, Keselowski slipped in the season-opener at Daytona finishing 36th due to an incident, but quickly recovered to ramble off three wins (Charlotte-1, Bristol and New Hampshire) and 19 top 10s to secure his spot in the postseason. He entered the Playoffs seeded third with 29 Playoffs points.

A late surge lifts Keselowski to Championship 4

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have been a roller coaster ride for Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski. The 2012 series champ jumped into the postseason with an 11th-place finish at Darlington and then followed that up with a win at Richmond Raceway to secure his spot in the Round of 12.

Following his win at Richmond, Keselowski went on a skid laying down a 34th-place finish at Bristol, a 13th at Las Vegas and then 18th at both Talladega and the Charlotte ROVAL. Buoyed by his Playoff points, Keselowski barely made the Round of 8, but the opportunity gave him the chance to turn his postseason around and he did so by finishing fourth at Kansas and sixth at Texas. Heading into Martinsville last week Keselowski, held the fourth and final transfer spot into the Championship 4 and his fourth-place result at 0.526-mile track was enough to land his No. 2 team into the Championship 4.

Keselowski’s career performances in the Arizona desert

Though he has yet to win at Phoenix Raceway, Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski enters this weekend with a lot of optimism he can grab his second title.

The Michigan native driver has made 22 series starts at Phoenix Raceway posting six top fives and 10 top 10s. His average finish at Phoenix is 13.5, seventh-best in series and third-best among the Championship 4. Keselowski is also ranked in the top 10 in several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 12.179, seventh-best in the series, a Driver Rating of 93.8, seventh-best, 366 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-best and 4,898 Laps in the Top 15 (71.3%), 10th-most. Keselowski started 14th and finished 11th in the Cup race at Phoenix early this season.

Crew Chief Corner: Jeremy Bullins

During the 2019 offseason Team Penske made headlines with a crew chief shake-up amongst its three teams and for the first time in in the Cup Series, Brad Keselowski and Jeremy Bullins were paired together for the 2020 season.

Jeremy Bullins began his NASCAR career with the Wood Brothers in 2000 as race engineer on the famous No. 21 team; a position he held until June 2002. From 2003 to 2011, Bullins worked with three different teams as race engineer in the NASCAR Cup Series – ST Motorsports, Robert Yates Racing and Richard Childress Racing.

In 2012, he accepted a position as crew chief for Team Penske’s No. 22 NASCAR Xfinity Series team. He led five drivers in 2012 and posted three wins with former champion Brad Keselowski – including the inaugural Indy 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Bullins served as crew chief for four drivers in 2013 at Team Penske, leading the crew to 12 wins and Roger Penske’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series owner title. Bullins led the No. 22 team and five drivers in 2014 to Team Penske’s second NASCAR Xfinity Series owner title after posting six wins.

In 2015, Bullins returned to the Wood Brothers organization to lead the No. 21 team with Ryan Blaney in the NASCAR Cup Series. The pair worked together for three years at the Wood Brothers Racing organization before making the transition back to Team Penske in 2018 where he led Ryan Blaney to the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs. Blaney eventually finished 10th in the final Cup Series point standings as he scored then career bests in top fives (eight), top 10s (16), poles (three) and laps led (660). Last season the duo closed out 2019 by finishing a career-best seventh in the final NASCAR Cup Series standings.

This season, Keselowski and Bullins have both been pulling in the same direction and it shows. The No. 2 team has not only qualified for the Championship 4 but has also put up some pretty decent numbers in the first 35 races together

• 4 wins
• 12 top fives
• 23 top 10s
• 936 laps led
• NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 appearance in inaugural season together (2020)
• NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs appearances in inaugural season together (2020)

If Keselowski and Bullins win the championship this season, Bullins will become the 41st different crew chief in the series to win a championship.

Delivering Team Penske its third title

He has done it once, he can do it again. At least that is what Team Penske is hoping this weekend at Phoenix Raceway as Brad Keselowski will attempt to bring the organization its third NASCAR Cup Series championship. Keselowski secured Roger Penske his first Cup title back in 2012 and Joey Logano grabbed the second in 2018.

In the Modern Era (1972-Present), only eight organizations have won multiple NASCAR Cup Series championships. Currently Team Penske (2012, 2018) is tied with Roush Fenway Racing (2003, 2004), and Stewart-Haas Racing (2011, 2014) with two titles each and looks to break the tie this weekend at Phoenix. 

Team Penske has won three times at Phoenix Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series – the first was in 1998 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace, and the next two were by Joey Logano in the Playoff race of 2016 and earlier this season.

Logano By The Numbers:

2 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series race wins at Phoenix Raceway. 

3 – Number of NASCAR Cup Series wins in 2020.

4 – Number of career appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 (2020).

5 – Number of top-five finishes at Phoenix Raceway. 

6 – Number of stage wins during the 2020 season.

6.5 – Average starting position during the first 35 races of 2020 season.

8.1 – Average finishing position during the first nine races of the 2020 Playoffs.

11 – Number of top-five finishes in the first 35 races of 2020 season.

12 – Number of top-10 finishes at Phoenix Raceway.

12.1 – Average finishing position during the 2020 season.

14.3 – Average finishing position at Phoenix Raceway.

20 – Number of top-10 finishes in the first 35 races of 2020 season.

22 – Total number of Playoff points accumulated in 2020.

98.4 – Career driver rating at Phoenix Raceway – eighth-best among active drivers.

101.0 – Season-to-date driver rating – third-best among active drivers.

449 – Total number of laps led at Phoenix Raceway.

814 - Total number of laps led in the 2020 season.

9,473 - Total number of laps completed in the 2020 season (98.7%).

Logano has a shot at second Cup title in three years

Team Penske’s Joey Logano has a chance to become just the 11th different driver to win two or more titles within three seasons and the 17th to win multiple NASCAR Cup Series championships.

Herb Thomas, Buck Baker, Joe Weatherly, Lee Petty, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson all won two or more of their multiple NASCAR Cup Series titles within a three-year period.

Joey Logano started the 2020 season with high hopes in landing new crew chief Paul Wolfe. But they had a rough start in the season-opening Daytona 500 following an incident that relegated him to a 26th-place finish. But the 30-year old didn’t take any time to wallow, bouncing back the following week at Las Vegas with a win and an automatic berth to the Playoffs. He then collected another win at Phoenix Raceway just before the pandemic swept the nation. Once the series returned to action, Logano’s success slowed, and the 2018 series champ put up 12 top 10s to round out the regular season. He entered the 2020 Playoffs as the fourth seed with 22 Playoffs points.

No. 22 team’s path to the season finale at Phoenix

Team Penske’s Joey Logano has been a staple in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs. He has qualified for the Playoffs in seven of 12 seasons he has competed fulltime NASCAR Cup Series, and since the inception of the elimination-style format in 2014, Logano has made the Championship 4 round a total of four times (2014, 2016, 2018, 2020).

Besides the wild card that is Talladega, Joey Logano’s 2020 Playoff campaign has been the most consistent among the Championship 4. Logano not touts the best average finish (8.1) among the four title contenders through the first nine races of the postseason, but he also grabbed the first win of the Round of 8 to guarantee his spot in the season finale. 

In the Round of 16, No. 22 team and driver Joey Logano put up back-to-back third-place finishes at Darlington and Richmond and then closed out the round with an 11th at Bristol. The Round of 12 was the most treacherous for Logano throughout the postseason. He finished 14th at Las Vegas, 26th at Talladega due to an incident, but managed pullout a runner-up finish at the Charlotte ROVAL to advance to the Round of 8. Logano took the victory in Kansas locking himself into the Championship 4 and has been on cruise control ever since, finishing 10th at Texas and third last week at Martinsville.

Logano’s time to shine in the Valley of the Sun

Of the four drivers vying for the NASCAR Cup Series title this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, Team Penske Joey Logano has to be the most thrilled it will be decided on the one-mile oval in the Valley of the Sun, as he is the most recent winner.

Back in March, Joey Logano started 13th at Phoenix and raced his way to the win leading 60 of the scheduled 316 laps. Logano actually passed his teammate Brad Keselowski for the lead in the closing laps for the victory. In total, Logano has made 23 series starts at Phoenix posting two wins (2016, 2020), five top fives and 12 top 10s. His average finish is 14.348, ninth-best in the series, but fourth among the Championship 4. Expect Logano to be in the mix this weekend at Phoenix, he ranked in the top 10 in several key pre-race Loop Data categories with an Average Running Position of 12.205, eighth-best, a Driver Rating of 91.4, eighth-best, 215 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-best and 5,001 Laps in the Top 15 (69.7%), ninth-most.

The Wolfe in the room 

Of the four crew chiefs contending this weekend for the NASCAR Cup Series title, none have been as successful as Paul Wolfe, and now the veteran crew chief has another chance at becoming the 16th different crew chief with multiple Cup championships. 

Before becoming a crew chief, Paul Wolfe competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series driving for car owners Ray Evernham, Armando Fitz, Tommy Baldwin Jr. and Eddie D’Hondt from

2003 – 2005. Wolfe’s first NASCAR crew chief opportunity came at Fitz Bradshaw Racing in 2006. He then moved to Braun Racing in 2008 and then CJM Racing in 2009 before settling at Team Penske in 2010. 

In 2010 Wolfe led Brad Keselowski to the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship after posting six wins on the season. In 2011 the duo made the leap to the NASCAR Cup Series and in just their second season together in the NASCAR Cup Series (2012), he led Brad Keselowski to the series championship, becoming the first crew chief in NASCAR history to win a NASCAR Cup Series and a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship as the duo posted five wins in 2012.

From 2011-2019, Keselowski and Wolfe put up 29 wins, 110 top fives and 175 top 10s. This season Wolfe joined Joey Logano and the No. 22 team and hasn’t missed a beat. In 2020, the No. 22 team has posted three wins, 11 top fives and 20 top 10s – including the victory at Phoenix earlier this season.

Team Penske’s chance at a third title

The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship 4 is comprised of four drivers from three organizations – Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske. Since one organization managed to qualify two teams for the Championship 4, their odds of winning are double that of the other two organizations – making Team Penske the odds-on favorite for the title this weekend.

Not only has Team Penske won the most recent race at Phoenix Raceway (back in March), but the organization has a total of three wins at the one-mile track – Rusty Wallace (1998), Joey Logano (2016 and 2020).