Harvick Will Sweep Phoenix; Keselowski Won't Advance

Kevin Harvick won Phoenix this past February (Photo: Google Images)

With only one race left until the championship finale next weekend in Homestead-Miami, the "Eliminator Eight" must get through this weekend's event at the Phoenix International Raceway. Potential title contenders like Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick all face elimination, while drivers like Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards can assure themselves a place in the final four and a shot at the title with solid runs on Sunday.

But ultimately, I believe it will be Harvick who wins and gets into the championship finale. He runs too well at Phoenix, sweeping the races there in 2006 and winning the last two races, including his second points race for Stewart-Haas Racing this past spring. He has an average finish of 11th aand a very impressive 12 top tens in 23 starts. And given the bad luck the No. 4 team has been plauged with all season, Harvick will no doubt be on a mission to right the ship and lock his team into a shot at the title next weekend in Miami.

But what about Gordon and Keselowski? What will become of the drivers who came to blows last weekend in Texas? I believe they were simply arguing Miller Lite's "great taste, less filling" debate and things just got out of hand, but in any event, the driver of the Miller Lite No. 2 car will see his title hopes dashed in the desert.  Keselowski might be the 2012 champion, but it'll be a while before he matures enough to win his next one. The team got lucky with their Chase-saving win at Talladega last time they were backed into a corner, but Phoenix is not Talladega. Keselowski will need t rely on his car's handling, his pit crew and his own ability behind the wheel if he hopes to advance to the

Brad Keselowski's won the pole in Phoenix this spring (Photo: Google Images)

finale.

Gordon on the other hand is probably in good shape. i still believe that this is the year his "drive for Five" will come to fruition and we will see Gordon win his first Sprint Cup title. They have run too well all season; been too consistent to not have a shot at it. And with 21 top tens and two wins in 31 starts at the track, he will no doubt be up front when it comes down to the final laps.

Speaking of consistent, there is one driver who has been something of a fly in the ointment for NASCAR all Chase long. The sanctioning body wanted winning to be the only thing that mattered. That is why winning assured you a spot in the Chase, winning assured you would advance to the next round and winning could ultimately net you a championship. But Newman and Edwards have yet to win a race and, while I can't see Edwards making it past this weekend, Newman has a shot to become the first driver to win a title without winning a race. Homestead is "highest finishing" Chase driver wins. So if Newman finishes second and can still beat his three competitors, he'll be the 2014 champion. Good thing NASCAR put such an emphasis on winning and developed the Chase. Can't have drivers like Matt Kenseth winning one race and then clinching the title early (like he did in 2003, one year before the Chase format was introduced).

So it might not match the drama of "the Brawl" in Texas last weekend, but there are still several story lines to follow in Phoenix. One race left till we decide the four championship combatants. It should be very exciting.