Phoenix International Raceway. Jimmie and the #48 team had the pole, led the most laps and won the race. Cousin Carl brought the #99 in at 4th place. In order to clinch the 3rd consecutive championship, Jimmie has to finish 36th or better at Homestead. Edwards and the #99 Roush Ford have raced valiantly during the whole season.
It is Jimmie’s to lose. It wll take a major problem early in the running of the final race in Homestead to hand the crown to Edwards. It seems the outcome is out of his hands. He can only show up, do his job and wait for the outcome. It must be a helpless feeling. Cousin Carl will have a chance at the same experience on Saturday as well.
CUP LIGHT SERIES: Cousin Carl won the cup light event in Phoenix. He sits second in the championship driver points behind behind Clint Bowyer. There is just 56 points seperating Bowyer from Edwards in that series. Carl is the defending champion.
“Some of the best races I’ve had in my career have come here at Phoenix,” said Edwards, who also won a Nationwide race at the track in 2005. “We’ve got one more race and we’re closing in on Clint. That’s what it’s about.
“If we run like we’ve been running and perform as well as we have, we can close 56 points without Clint having trouble. They just need to have a little bit of an off day. We really needed to win and we did.”
Bowyer brought his #2 RCR Chevy home 4th after a crash that left the nose of his car mangled. The team worked feverishly to keep him on the lead lap.
NCTS: If you missed this event, kick yourself. Ron Hornaday had the pole. Anxious to lead the first lap and secure the bonus points, Hornaday raced his truck too hard into the 3rd turn with Kyle Bush on his outside. The #33 did not stick and was in the wall before completing the first lap. Johnny Benson could have made some real progress on this night, with Hornaday behind the wall for about 30 laps. There was a good thrash going on in the garage area as jack Roush sent some folks over to assist the Kevin Harvick team make repairs. Hornaday returned to the race in about 30th place.
In the meantime, Benson was on track with a seeming bullseye on his tailgate. Everybody hit Benson but Hornaday and Harvick. By the time the checkers fell on Kevin Harvick, driving his #2 entry, Hornaday actually finish one spot in front of Benson. Johnny B will go to Homestead leading the points by just 3 over Hornaday.
“All of those people came to our aid, and we had Ford guys and Chevrolet guys putting our Chevrolet back together to get into this race, and that just shows what this Truck Series is about. There aren’t really any enemies over here,” said Rick Ren, Hornaday’s crew chief.
“We’re all willing to help each other. We just kept digging. I told Ron, don’t give up.”
Did I mention the sun? The sun setting in the west is downright evil to the drivers. As they come off turn 4, all the way down to turn one, the sun is in their eyes. That spiffy high grandstand in turn 1-2 helps with its luxury boxes on top. The challenge is going from the sun in your eyes into the shade at oh, say 150mph. Grumpy has spent a few races in the AJ Foyt Grandstand which is the section west of the start/finish line before you get to turn 1. I came home each time with the whole right side of my face sunburned and my right ear cooked like Indian fry bread.
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