Top three drivers in Chase well aware of consequences behind running well at Phoenix
Sunday will mark the 27th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held at Phoenix International Raceway.
// Mark Sluder, NASCAR Scene
Related story: Chase For The Sprint Cup glance: Phoenix International Raceway
Mark Martin has 40 NASCAR Cup wins to his credit, but he still has special memories of his victory at Phoenix International Raceway earlier this season.
That was Martin's first win with his Alan Gustafson-led Hendrick Motorsports team. Now, he heads back to the track second in the standings in the Chase For The Sprint Cup and looking for another memorable outing. He's 73 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson heading into Sunday's Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, one of two races remaining this season.
Martin and his team may carry added enthusiasm into the race because of that win - and the memory of how it felt.
"That was such an incredible night," Martin says. "I knew going into the race that we had a really, really good race car. I knew that we had a very good shot at winning, and I didn't want to disappoint any of the guys on this team because you could see it in their faces that they were excited. We went out there and the car was nearly perfect all night. We had great pit stops, and when the yellow came out there at the end, I thought, 'You've got to be kidding me!'
"We held Tony [Stewart] off, and crossing that finish line was such a mix of gratitude, disbelief and relief. I couldn't believe we won. It was just an amazing night. All of the people that came into victory lane that night, that blew me away. It still does. That's what I race for. It's the people, not the trophies. And I'll never forget them all coming to shake my hand and the things they said. That night was incredible, and I owe that to [team owner] Rick [Hendrick] and Alan. They gave me this opportunity, and we are making the most of every minute."
Martin is not, however, the only one trying to make the most of the race weekend.
Johnson is looking to get back on track in the Chase and his quest for an unprecedented fourth straight Cup title. An early crash in last weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway and 38th-place finish cut Johnson’s 184-point edge in the standings to just the 73.
He obviously not only wants to avoid a similar setback but also to return to the top form he's historically displayed in Chase races. Johnson views this weekend's race as a good chance to do that.
Johnson has eight consecutive finishes of seventh or better at the track, including three wins in the last four races.
Clearly, he views this as a weekend when he can at least maintain his lead in the standings.
“I would say that looking at the schedule, the best track remaining for us would be PIR," Johnson says. "We had a really fast car in the spring and had some different issues on pit road and some bad luck with the timing of the caution that kept us back in the pack and still ended up with a reasonable finish, but we passed a lot of cars, and in our opinion felt like we had the strongest car. …
“For me it's a great track but it's also a great track for Jeff [Gordon]. He runs very consistent there, and then Mark won in the spring. The two guys I'm trying to stay ahead of in the points have that track as a strong one, as well. At the end of the day I feel very confident. I feel very strong about the performance Hendrick Motorsports will have. I just hope it's the 48 car on top of the heap."
Gordon, who trails Johnson by 112 points, is a little more cautious about Phoenix. He hasn't enjoyed consistent finishes at the track in recent years. While he won the April 2007 race there, he has since finished in the top 10 only once and has finishes of 25th and 41st in the last two races there. Overall, he has 15 top-10s in 21 starts at the track, including the win and eight top-fives.
Still, he knows that anything can happen there and that he needs to survive potential setbacks.
So while Johnson and Martin see Phoenix as a place to gain ground in the standings, Gordon seems to see it as a place where he needs to survive.
“Phoenix has certainly been on our radar because it’s a track that’s been hit or miss for us,” Gordon says. “I’m a little disappointed in how we performed earlier this year, and we certainly need to improve on that this weekend.
“A lot still has to happen if we are going to realistically battle for the championship in the season finale. But we need to make sure we do everything in our control to secure as many points as possible this weekend."
