Sprint Cup drivers were back to Phoenix as four more drivers at the end of the race are going to be eliminated and not get a chance to win the championship at Miami. For the first time in his Sprint Cup career replacement driver Alex Bowman got the pole for an event.
Before the end of the first lap we get the first caution of the day as Kyle Larson spins out. As the race restarted it was long green flag run time. Alex Bowman took the race lead and was leading lap after lap after lap. The green flag racing went on so long the first round of green flag pit stops started around lap 82. Ryan Newman though spun out trying to get on pit road and brought out the caution. Cars that did not pit yet do with Alex Bowman keeping the race lead. Under the caution time Martin Truex Jr. picked up a penalty for passing the pace car under caution.
As the race restarted Joey Logano was able to get the race lead for the first time today. As the green flag continued Jimmie Johnson got hot and took the race lead at lap 120. Twelve more laps go by and the debris caution comes out. The leaders pit and Joey Logano was able to get the lead off pit road. Jimmie Johnson though was the next car to get penalized under the caution for passing the pace car.
The race continued with Joey Logano leading laps. Alex Bowman though got hot again and took the race lead at lap 157. Alex kept on leading laps and finally at lap 210 we get a new debris caution. The leaders pit and Alex Bowman keeps the race lead.
The race restarts and we quickly get back to the caution as Austin Dillion spins out. Jimmie Johnson also wound up with some damage from this as well. When pit road was finally open some cars topped off on fuel while cars up front all stayed out.
We get a new long green flag run that ends at lap 255 as Martin Truex Jr. smacks the wall. Denny Hamlin stays out to lead the race while cars on the lead lap pit. When the race restarts Matt Kenseth on fresher tires was able to get the race lead. With 47 laps left we get a new debris caution.
We get a new long green flag run where Matt Kenseth gets to lead lap after lap. As the laps were winding down Alex Bowman was moving up through the field and got up to second place. Kevin Harvicki had his best car at time and was up to fifth right behind Joey Logano who needed to stay in fourth to knock out Kyle Busch from getting a chance next week at the championship in third. With two laps left Michael McDowell blows a tire to bring out the caution to make things very interesting.
The green / white checker finish comes out and the caution quickly comes out as Kyle Busch makes an attempt low to pass Alex Bowman, but Alex blocks the attempt. Then Matt Kenseth goes low, but that caused him to get spun out by Alex Bowman and bring out the caution. This put Joey Logano into the race lead and pushed Matt out of winning the championship.
The second green / white checker start was a clean one as Joey Logano took the race lead and easily the win of the race.
“So much on the line,” said Joey Logano who gets his shot at the championship with the race win.
“Tough fifteen minutes,” said Matt Kenseth on the end of the race. “I really don’t know what happened.”
“I don’t know if the spotter cleared him(Matt Kenseth),” said Alex Bowman.
“I feel horrible,” said Kyle Busch on the late race wreck.
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