NASCAR Quicken Loans 500 preview: 7 racers vie for Chase final

Everything you need to know about Sunday’s Quicken Loans 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, in three minutes:

Three things to watch

1. Kevin Harvick has won four consecutive races at Phoenix and five of the last six. If he can make it five in a row, he’s through to next week’s Chase championship round at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

2. Pole-winner Jimmie Johnson said he doesn’t view himself as a spoiler. Johnson, who’s out of the Chase, won last week at Texas, so he’s primed to be just that again. He has 75 career victories and is one shy of tying Dale Earnhardt for seventh on NASCAR’s all-time list.

3. Remember, that’s not Matt Kenseth driving the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. It’s Erik Jones, who is replacing Kenseth while he serves the second and final race of a two-race suspension for wrecking Joey Logano at Martinsville. Kenseth will be back next week at Homestead; Jones is pulling triple duty (Trucks, Xfnity, Cup) for a second consecutive week.

Observations

▪  Phoenix International Raceway said Friday it will make security changes if needed in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris.

“Phoenix International Raceway works closely with the FBI and Homeland Security, as well as other local, state and federal agencies, throughout the planning and implementation of our event security plan,” track president Bryan Sperber said in a statement. “They are closely monitoring the events in Paris and are confident in our plan based on all available information. If they provide us with additional recommendations, we will immediately act accordingly.”

▪  PIR becomes Jeff Gordon Raceway on Sunday, the track’s way of honoring of Gordon, who is in his final season as a driver.

▪  Team Penske drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano aren’t starting the race in the best of positions. Logano, who must win to advance to Chase’s final round, starts 14th; Keselowski, who is sixth in points and needs to either win or crack the top four, starts 18th.

Best bets

Three picks for your fantasy team:

Kevin Harvick: The obvious favorite, given is recent domination and Phoenix and seven career victories.

Kurt Busch: Starts on the front row with Johnson and had a fast car in practice Saturday.

Carl Edwards: Only Harvick, Johnson and Gordon have performed better at Phoenix since 2005. Desperate for finals-clinching victory, too.

He said it

“It’s just another weekend for us.” – Harvick, who has won four straight races at Phoenix and could use another one to advance to the final round.

N@SCAR

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 4:56 PM with the headline "NASCAR Quicken Loans 500 preview: 7 racers vie for Chase final."