NASCAR: #FlashbackFriday at Phoenix

The Sprint Cup Series is rolling into the Arizona this weekend for the Good Sam 500, and I have selected five of the coolest moments in the history of Phoenix International Raceway for today’s #FBF.

The history at PIR has been short in relation to most tracks on the Cup schedule, as the first race at the track having been held in 1988. The first winner of this race was Alan Kulwicki, who earned his first victory in the Checker 500.  Was this moment you favorite Phoenix memory? Or were you more entertained by Harvick’s must win in 2014 with Ryan Newman’s last lap shove past Kyle Larson for a Chase berth?

Here’s a collection of “quintessential” races at Phoenix (yes, I said quintessential):

2005 Checker Auto Parts 500

This race is well-known for the controversy that surrounded it involving Kurt Busch. During a night prior to the running of the Checker Auto Parts 500, Kurt Busch was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and reckless driving. Roush Racing decided to act on the arrest and suspend Kurt before an investigation took place. Kenny Wallace was selected to fill the seat while Kurt was suspended for the final two races of the season.

This became Kurt’s termination with Roush Racing, serving as a tumultuous end to his championship-winning career with the No. 97 team.  He would be signed by Penske Racing in the offseason to replace the retiring Rusty Wallace, and has certainly been at the center of controversy ever since.

As for the race, it just so happened to be a bittersweet weekend for the Busch family, as younger brother Kyle earned his second career victory in the event, holding off Greg Biffle in a great seesaw affair in the waning laps. Kyle was passed by Biffle, who had newer tires, but Kyle overcame Biffle with 28 laps to go and held the lead to the finish.

2010 Subway Fresh Fit 600

This race has the distinction of being the closest finish in the history of Phoenix International Raceway. It was also the only 600 kilometer event run at PIR, as NASCAR decided to give the race an extra 100 kilometers (63 laps) in an attempt to capitalize on the great racing that the track provides. It would prove to no avail though, despite a great finish, as the race was the only 600 kilometer event at Phoenix to date.

The race was dominated by three drivers, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch. Busch was the leader in the final laps cruising to victory when an incident brought out the caution and set up a green-white-checkered finish. Several drivers stayed out while the leaders pitted, and Kyle and Jimmie were set back to the fourth row for the final restart. Leader Jeff Gordon picked the outside line, with Ryan Newman on the inside. Newman cleared Gordon in the dogleg and set sail for victory, edging Gordon to the line by 0.130 seconds.

This was Newman’s first victory for Stewart-Haas Racing and his first win since the 2008 Daytona 500, and also served as his lone win at Phoenix to date.

1988 Checker 500

Alan Kulwicki earned his first victory in the No. 7 Ford Thunderbird in the first running of the Checker 500 in 1988. Kulwicki ran up front for most of the race and needed some luck to get his first win.

Ricky Rudd was the leader with 16 laps to go and appeared ready to cruise to victory at PIR, but his No. 26 Buick developed an engine issue and he was forced to pit, surrendering the lead to Kulwicki. Rudd would have to got o the garage and was retired from the event, going from the lead to a lackluster 26th place finish.

When Kulwicki took the checkered-flag for his first career win, he performed a never-before-seen celebration that will make this race forever remembered. Kulwicki debuted his “Polish Victory Lap,” where he drove the No. 7 Ford backwards around the racetrack, while thanking the fans. This became Kulwicki’s signature celebration and has been duplicated by many drivers since this event.

2010 Kobalt Tools 500

This race is one Denny Hamlin would love to forget. This event has been though of as the beginning of the demise for Hamlin’s championship collapse. Hamlin dominated the race, coming out of a victory at Texas that saw him take over the points lead by 33 points over four-time consecutive champion Jimmie Johnson.

Hamlin led 190 of the first 265 laps, but the team decided to play the strategy game and was trying to conserve fuel towards the finish. Carl Edwards took the lead on lap 266 and never relinquished it. The major development of the race was the No. 11 team’s fuel mileage. Hamlin was forced to pit with fourteen laps to go surrendering his second place finish. The team had failed on strategy and was relegated to a 12th place finish.

Just when it looked like Denny Hamlin was going to expand on his lead in the points and look to dethrone Jimmie Johnson, the team played the cards wrong and lost valuable points. Even though Hamlin still held the points lead following this race (15 points), Hamlin would struggle in the Ford 400 and lose the championship to Jimmie Johnson. Many look to this race as the turning point in the 2010 Chase for Sprint Cup.

2014 Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500

This race served as the final elimination for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, in the first running of the revitalized elimination-style Chase NASCAR had debuted that season. There was a great deal of anticipation before the event, as eight drivers had a chance to earn a berth in the Championship Round at Homestead.

Kevin Harvick, the class of the 2014 season in his first year at Stewart-Haas Racing, had to win the race to earn a berth to the final four. There was a great deal of pressure on this team because the No. 4 car was the dominant race car all season. The No. 4 team did not succumb to the pressure though, as Harvick continued his domination of Phoenix International Raceway in recent memory. Harvick led 264 of the 312 laps, including the final 187 and a late-race restart to win and guarantee a berth at Homestead.

More racing: NASCAR: Projecting The Chases After Las Vegas

The race will be remembered for many years for Harvick’s must-win success, and also for the move by Ryan Newman on the final corner to earn a Championship Round berth. Newman needed to earn one more position to surpass Jeff Gordon for the final cutoff spot as the white flag flew. Newman slammed Kyle Larson out of the way on the final corner and finished in 11th place, which gave him one more point to pass Gordon in points, who was running second at the checkered-flag. The move was one of the best moments of the 2014 Chase and will be remembered for quite some time.