The 29th Annual Can-Am 500 from Phoenix International Speedway is set go down on Sunday, November 13th. The last race of the Round of 8 will start at 2:30 p.m. ET and will be telecast on the NBC Network. Alex Bowman, the fill-in driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr., sits out front for the start of the final race to set the championship.
Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are already locked in to the finale’ at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Four competitors are right on top of each other for the final two available spots.
Kevin Harvick and teammate Kurt Busch probably need a victory to advance, but that certainly isn’t out of the question. The race’s defending winner has won five of the last six races at the speedy one mile oval.
Kevin Harvick: is the best driver at Phoenix International Speedway and it is not even close. The freaky fast driver has won five of the last six races and the one race he did not win he led 143 laps and finished second.
Harvick has an average finishing position of 1.2 and has led an average of 198.8 laps at Phoenix International Speedway. The #4 team has never failed to win when the team faced a must win situation. Las Vegas insiders have Harvick at 3/2 to win and race for his second championship.
Denny Hamlin: has always been great on the short, flat tracks. The Joe Gibbs racer has one win and 10 finishes in the top five at Phoenix International Speedway. Hamlin is two points behind the cutoff line for the Chase, so he will need to at least finish in the top 10 Sunday.
The closest track that resembles Phoenix is Richmond International Speedway. The talented young driver took the checkered flag in that event in September. Line setters have Hamlin as a 8/1 favorite to drive on to victory on Sunday.
Kyle Busch: will need a solid result Sunday if he wants a chance to defend his 2015 NASCAR title in Miami. “Rowdy” Busch is the only driver who has finished all seven races on the short, flat tracks in the top 10. He has finished the last two races at Phoenix in the fourth position.
The savvy driver should keep his momentum going at Phoenix and find himself in next week’s event with a chance to defend. Odds gurus have the defending champion at 6/1 to take the checkered flag this weekend.
Joey Logano: is the driver you want on your fantasy ticket if you plan to play it safe this week. The Penske racer has finished five of the last six Chase races in the top 10. He has also finished five of the last six races at Phoenix International Speedway in the top 10. Logano has never won in the desert, but he is a safe pick for a top 10 result on Sunday. Odds makers have the Penske driver at 8/1 to drive on to glory on Sunday afternoon.
Matt Kenseth: is a solid bet to make it to the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a chance to race for another championship title. In fact, he is the best driver at compiling top 10 finishes. Matty K has finished three of the last four contests on the short, flat tracks in the top four.
The #20 Dollar General team is one point behind the cutoff line for advancing to Homestead. As a result, a top four finish this week should earn him a place in the title race next week. Las Vegas has Kenseth slotted as a 9/1 favorite to win it all at Phoenix International Speedway.
Ryan Blaney: has only competed in one showdown at Phoenix International Speedway in a Sprint Cup Series hot-rod. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate qualified 12th and finished 10th.
The hopeful driver has proven to be a quick learner. The youngster has as good a chance as any B driver to finish in the top 10 this week. Odds makers have placed him as a 80/1 favorite to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Sunday.
Alex Bowman: will once again be driving the #88 Nationwide Chevrolet car. The fill-in driver has been proving to the NASCAR world that he belongs up front with the big boys. The Arizona native will be at his home track this week and should do well in good equipment. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished fifth in the Phoenix race in March. Odds gurus have the impressive talent at 40/1 to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
