Race action at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. [Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
by Dan Margetta and John Wiedemann
With the Daytona festivities in the rear view mirror, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series gets down to business this weekend out West as the Phoenix International Raceway hosts the Profit on CNBC 500 Sunday afternoon.
Phoenix is a flat course with minimal banking and while the Daytona race was unpredictable in nature, Phoenix tends to be a place where the favorites shine. Drivers to watch at Phoenix typically perform well at other flatter tracks on the circuit, such as New Hampshire, Richmond, Pocono, Indianapolis, and Martinsville.
The following are some drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Phoenix in the Profit on CNBC 500.
Denny Hamlin
Dan Margetta: After suffering through an injury-riddled 2013 season, Hamlin and the #11 team came out in full confidence in 2014, capitalizing on their season-ending Homestead win with victories in the Sprint Unlimited and Budweiser Duel before finishing a strong second in the Daytona 500. Hamlin performs extremely well on flat tracks and one Phoenix win to go along with eight top five finishes. His average Phoenix finish is only second to Jimmie Johnson and that stat is skewed a bit by a late race fuel miscue in 2011. The team is on quite a roll and Hamlin is money on the flat tracks. Any questions?
Matt Kenseth
John Wiedemann: I’m on the Matt Kenseth bandwagon and think that he will be the top driver in the series this season. Kenseth may not be the champion at the end of 2014, but well that’s a whole different conversation. Kenseth had a solid Speedweeks and there is no doubt that he will pick it up even more this weekend. After a disappointing race in the fall at Phoenix, I predict that Kenseth and his Joe Gibbs Racing team will return with a chip on their combined shoulders. Nothing fires up that driver and team like a challenge. Show the track who’s boss and wipe away the memories of the last years race with a win this weekend. That is my prediction.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
DM: Another team and driver on a roll of late is Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his #88 team, winners of the Daytona 500. Nothing builds momentum like a win and this team already is running a streak of six straight top ten results dating back to Talladega last year. Dale Jr.’s overall emotion displayed in victory lane last weekend shows how bad this team wants to win in what will be crew chief Steve Letarte’s last season. Last year, Earnhardt racked up top five finishes in both Phoenix events and he does have two Arizona victories to his credit. Daytona could have awakened a sleeping giant and Junior Nation may have another week to celebrate in Phoenix.
Carl Edwards
JW: Carl Edwards has two wins at Phoenix, including this race last season. With eleven top tens in nineteen runs, it’s a solid bet that Edwards will be a contender at the one mile track. Look for a solid if not spectacular run and a good indication of where the Fords are in comparison to the other makes based on Edward’s results.
Kevin Harvick
DM: Kevin Harvick has made the Phoenix International Raceway his playground lately with two of his four Phoenix victories coming in the last four races. He also owns seven top five finishes in the desert, but these results were all behind the wheel of a Richard Childress Chevrolet. Harvick rolls into Phoenix this year with a new crew, piloting the #4 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet. Harvick had a strong Daytona however, and the Stewart-Haas team has had success on the flat tracks with past victories at Martinsville and Indianapolis. In his last seven starts, Harvick has scored four top five finishes and a win on Sunday would break a tie with Jimmie Johnson for the most victories on the flat Phoenix one mile oval.
Kasey Kahne
JW: Kasey Kahne needs a good run to wash away a bitter Daytona 500 experience. Kahne finished second to Harvick in the fall Phoenix race and has three top four finishes in his last five races at the track including a win in 2011. Points probably don’t matter to Kahne as he is looking for a win to try to lock in the Chase, but a solid rebound from the opener would be welcome.
Kurt Busch
DM: Kurt Busch could be another driver to watch for this Sunday as he has had success at Phoenix with one win and five top five finishes. However, his performances have been extremely inconsistent with his strong runs being mixed with very poor showings. Busch was fifth at this track last Fall and coming off a steady Daytona where a late spin took him out of contention, Busch and the #41 team should be hungry to get back up front this weekend. If he can avoid trouble early and stay in contention in the later stages, Kurt Busch could be a force to be reckoned with at Phoenix.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
JW: Roush Fenway Racing runs pretty well at Phoenix and their rookie driver Ricky Stenhouse fits right in with the team. Finishes of 12th and 16th last year showed that Stenhouse can get around Phoenix pretty good. Following up a seventh place finish at Daytona with a finish around tenth to fifteenth is definitely in the cards for the Ford racer. Another top ten wouldn’t be out of the question either.
Ryan Newman
DM: Ryan Newman may be a driver overlooked by some this weekend despite having scored flat track wins at both Martinsville and Indianapolis in the past. Newman does have one Phoenix win to go along with eight top five finishes and this season he comes to Phoenix driving for Richard Childress Racing, the same organization with which Kevin Harvick delivered four Phoenix victories. Newman has shown the ability to get it done on the flat surfaces and he’s in proven equipment at Phoenix in 2014. Also seeing as Harvick now drives for the team that released Newman, there is extra incentive to grab the win at Phoenix. Keep your eye on the #31 car and Ryan Newman this weekend.
Jimmie Johnson
JW: Why are we leaving Jimmie Johnson for the last pick? Johnson has a average finish of sixth with four wins and seventeen top tens in twenty-one races at Phoenix. Everyone is picking him to win his seventh championship this season and he is a threat to win almost any race. Why did we leave him for last? Well, it’s such an easy pick and I just wanted to make sure you read the whole article.