Take 5: Five Thoughts Heading Into Phoenix

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Take 2 – The chase is still an eight-man race.

With one race left to decide which four drivers will be going to championship weekend, the chase is still wide open. Even the most comfortable points leads heading into Phoenix are not all that comfortable. Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano each have a 13-point lead over the fifth place spot in the chase. However, they also only have an 18-point lead over the eighth spot in the chase. In terms of positions on the track, a finish in the mid-20’s could knock both Hamlin and Logano out. The race for the fourth spot in the top-four is even tighter as only sic points separate 4th place from 8th place. If Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick are all running in the top-10 during the last laps at Phoenix; each spot could mean a driver making or missing the cut. Phoenix is sure to provide drama and a lot of stress for the drivers and teams as they look to advance to championship weekend next week. Then of course one has to wonder if we are going to see anymore brawls after the race like we saw at Texas.