Phoenix had the eyes of NASCAR all day Sunday as the last chance “race in” was held by rare rain. While fans tuned in for the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 they instead were treated to a series of race replays showing the CHASE races and events that led up to the race at Phoenix. The victories and the eliminations, the crashes and the grudges that played out to set the circumstances of good drivers on the line or below it to advance to Homestead.
The big winner was the weather forcing NASCAR to start much later than intended only to cut the race when more rain came. The timing of the rain left the #88 of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. out front when NASCAR dropped the final red flag. That left many drivers out of it when there was still enough race left for the possibility of racing in. After a long day of waiting the weather also left fans a bit damp for not being able to see a full race and a real play of racing to the finish with those in contention to make the CHASE final four.
Jeff Gordon, winner at Martinsville after the Logano/Kenseth smash up, had the only CHASE advance win and will be joined at Homestead for a championship run by Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex, Jr. Following the delay and rain at Phoenix it was a points play for the three joining Gordon.
The championship run was ended for Joey Logano,  Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch. Logano has 6 wins in the season including the run of the three CHASE Contender races. Carl Edwards and Kurt Busch both have two season wins and Keselowski made the CHASE with one.
The four drivers going to Homestaed and the final championship race score with 4 wins with Kyle Busch, 3 wins with Kevin Harvick and one win each for Martin Truex, Jr. and Jeff Gordon. Gordon’s win was pivotal for the #24 team coming at a time when the retiring driver needed it most surviving to the Eliminator round and facing an uphill battle to stay.
The Sprint Cup championship is now on the line. Homestead and the season finale is coming up. Four remain to race for the cup. Thirty-nine others will be out there for a final season win to carry back to their sponsors and fans.
Go Racing!