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CUP: SPEED Crew Talks Phoenix And The Championship
NASCAR Sprint Cup teams are out West for Sunday’s stop at Phoenix International Raceway...
Phoenix International Raceway is host to two annual NASCAR weekends. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
With two races remaining in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, teams head out West for Sunday’s stop at Phoenix International Raceway. Below, SPEED on-air personalities break down the weekend’s event and the championship picture:
Q: Phoenix is a very short race. How does the significance of qualifying at PIR compare to other tracks?
“There is little question qualifying up front provides many advantages, especially in championship races as tight as this one. Momentum also goes a long way at this stage of the season. A good qualifying effort can help lay the foundation for a great weekend.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Past races show drivers can qualify outside the top 10 at Phoenix and still win. It has happened, but they must gain track position quickly because the race is so short there aren’t many opportunities to adjust on the car. That also places a premium on practice to get the car hooked up because the race goes by so quickly.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Qualifying is extremely important everywhere but even more so this weekend. We’ve seen all year long that track position can make or break a team’s day, and this is especially true at Phoenix.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: Has the pit strategy Paul Wolfe employs changed the way other teams approach or call a race?
“It seems Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 team enter each weekend with their own plan and don't worry about others. Perhaps that is the reason they are enjoying great success. I'm not sure how their plan impacts others, and I'm not sure they care about anyone else.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Yes. The No. 2 team lays out its own strategy and isn’t too concerned with what tradition would dictate. Chad Knaus has even said the way Wolfe calls a race has quickened the pace of the races. Things you’d never consider doing – such as taking two tires at certain times – he has done and often made work. In many ways, Wolfe has been a game changer on pit road.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“The last couple weeks, Wolfe's strategy has been to let his driver make the key call. Thus other teams would benefit from Paul's example only if they had Brad Keselowski in their car!”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“I don’t think so. I think everyone still has to race their own race. The No. 48 team may keep a little bit of an eye on the No. 2, but it would be a big mistake for anyone to worry too much about what they’re doing.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: We saw Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin scuffle a bit in last weekend’s Nationwide Series race. Should Cup drivers be allowed to compete in the Nationwide Series late in the season when the championship is on the line?
“I have always thought Cup regulars running Nationwide and Truck Series races is good for many reasons, but they should run the race, collect their money and go home. I could live without the ‘I'm here to teach these guys a lesson’ attitude.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“It’s the age-old debate. On one side, Jimmy Spencer, for example, says when he entered the Nationwide Series he learned to race against Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip, so he had the benefit of racing against the best. But on the other hand, I don’t agree with Cup drivers competing in the Nationwide Series this late in the championship battle. Cup drivers and their teams are so well-funded and have such good resources that their presence hurts the Nationwide Series championship.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Do we think this a Cup driver problem or just a Denny Hamlin problem? This week it's (Austin) Dillon, last week it was (Matt) Crafton in the Truck Series, and the history goes all the way back to Hamlin's on-track shoving match with (Brad) Keselowski when Brad was still in Nationwide. Afterward Hamlin's criticism was that BK didn't race ‘like a Cup driver.’ Nothing's changed. Denny seems to have trouble remembering which series he's racing.”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“We never should bar anyone from competing in any series. If a Cup driver goes over to the Nationwide Series, they raise the competition level and increase the number of eyes on it. If a Nationwide regular beats Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick, they’ve beaten the best. It’s great the Cup guys can’t run for the Nationwide championship, but we should never say they shouldn’t compete.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: Who is your pick to win the Cup race at PIR and why?
“Picking a winner for any Cup race is a wildcard, but if Vegas called me for advice I would put Jimmie Johnson at the top of the betting board. It’s hard to pick against a guy who has won from the pole in consecutive weeks and led the most laps in the process.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Kyle Busch. He’s come close and led laps at Phoenix since it was reconfigured, and I think he has a lot to prove. I also think it’s been difficult for him not to compete in many of the Nationwide and Truck races this year, so I think it’s his time and he’ll put one in the win column at Phoenix.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Never mind Johnson's awe-inspiring record at Phoenix. He's the logical pick simply because this is a crucial race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Over the last seven years, who's won more of those than the 48 team?”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“Kasey Kahne. He’s due for a win. He is great at Phoenix, and I think everybody else will be so worried about other things, such as the championship, that he’ll sneak in there and get the win.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: Phoenix is a very short race. How does the significance of qualifying at PIR compare to other tracks?
“There is little question qualifying up front provides many advantages, especially in championship races as tight as this one. Momentum also goes a long way at this stage of the season. A good qualifying effort can help lay the foundation for a great weekend.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Past races show drivers can qualify outside the top 10 at Phoenix and still win. It has happened, but they must gain track position quickly because the race is so short there aren’t many opportunities to adjust on the car. That also places a premium on practice to get the car hooked up because the race goes by so quickly.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Qualifying is extremely important everywhere but even more so this weekend. We’ve seen all year long that track position can make or break a team’s day, and this is especially true at Phoenix.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: Has the pit strategy Paul Wolfe employs changed the way other teams approach or call a race?
“It seems Paul Wolfe and the No. 2 team enter each weekend with their own plan and don't worry about others. Perhaps that is the reason they are enjoying great success. I'm not sure how their plan impacts others, and I'm not sure they care about anyone else.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Yes. The No. 2 team lays out its own strategy and isn’t too concerned with what tradition would dictate. Chad Knaus has even said the way Wolfe calls a race has quickened the pace of the races. Things you’d never consider doing – such as taking two tires at certain times – he has done and often made work. In many ways, Wolfe has been a game changer on pit road.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“The last couple weeks, Wolfe's strategy has been to let his driver make the key call. Thus other teams would benefit from Paul's example only if they had Brad Keselowski in their car!”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“I don’t think so. I think everyone still has to race their own race. The No. 48 team may keep a little bit of an eye on the No. 2, but it would be a big mistake for anyone to worry too much about what they’re doing.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: We saw Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin scuffle a bit in last weekend’s Nationwide Series race. Should Cup drivers be allowed to compete in the Nationwide Series late in the season when the championship is on the line?
“I have always thought Cup regulars running Nationwide and Truck Series races is good for many reasons, but they should run the race, collect their money and go home. I could live without the ‘I'm here to teach these guys a lesson’ attitude.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“It’s the age-old debate. On one side, Jimmy Spencer, for example, says when he entered the Nationwide Series he learned to race against Dale Earnhardt and Darrell Waltrip, so he had the benefit of racing against the best. But on the other hand, I don’t agree with Cup drivers competing in the Nationwide Series this late in the championship battle. Cup drivers and their teams are so well-funded and have such good resources that their presence hurts the Nationwide Series championship.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Do we think this a Cup driver problem or just a Denny Hamlin problem? This week it's (Austin) Dillon, last week it was (Matt) Crafton in the Truck Series, and the history goes all the way back to Hamlin's on-track shoving match with (Brad) Keselowski when Brad was still in Nationwide. Afterward Hamlin's criticism was that BK didn't race ‘like a Cup driver.’ Nothing's changed. Denny seems to have trouble remembering which series he's racing.”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“We never should bar anyone from competing in any series. If a Cup driver goes over to the Nationwide Series, they raise the competition level and increase the number of eyes on it. If a Nationwide regular beats Denny Hamlin or Kevin Harvick, they’ve beaten the best. It’s great the Cup guys can’t run for the Nationwide championship, but we should never say they shouldn’t compete.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
Q: Who is your pick to win the Cup race at PIR and why?
“Picking a winner for any Cup race is a wildcard, but if Vegas called me for advice I would put Jimmie Johnson at the top of the betting board. It’s hard to pick against a guy who has won from the pole in consecutive weeks and led the most laps in the process.”
--Adam Alexander, host of SPEED Center
“Kyle Busch. He’s come close and led laps at Phoenix since it was reconfigured, and I think he has a lot to prove. I also think it’s been difficult for him not to compete in many of the Nationwide and Truck races this year, so I think it’s his time and he’ll put one in the win column at Phoenix.”
--Steve Byrnes, host of NASCAR Race Hub
“Never mind Johnson's awe-inspiring record at Phoenix. He's the logical pick simply because this is a crucial race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Over the last seven years, who's won more of those than the 48 team?”
--Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel
“Kasey Kahne. He’s due for a win. He is great at Phoenix, and I think everybody else will be so worried about other things, such as the championship, that he’ll sneak in there and get the win.”
--John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay
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