Checker Auto Parts 500 presented by Pennzoil Race Preview

Phoenix International Raceway -- 11/09/08

Author: Becca Gladden

Published: Monday Nov 3 2008 11:50pm

Read all of Becca Gladden's articles here


Last year, the November race at Phoenix International Raceway was called the `Checker Auto Parts 500.` This year, it's the `Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Presented by Pennzoil.` A sign of the times, I guess.

PIR is a one-mile racetrack, so you might think (understandably) that a race called the `500` would be 500 laps. But the Phoenix race is actually 312 laps, because the 500 in this case refers to kilometers, not miles.

The track at Phoenix is a tri-oval in shape with a sharp dogleg on the backstretch. It's a flat track, with turns 1 and 2 banked at 11 degrees and turns 3 and 4 at 9 degrees. Turns 1 and 2 are relatively tight compared to the more sweeping curve in 3 and 4, but turn 4 has traditionally been the trouble spot at PIR.

The last six Phoenix races, including both the spring and fall dates, have been won by Chevy drivers, with Jimmie Johnson (+400) winning here earlier this year as well as last fall. Kevin Harvick (+1500) swept here in 2006 and Kyle Busch (+800), then with Hendrick, won the November race in 2005.

Overall, four drivers have posted two Cup wins each at Phoenix. Along with Johnson and Harvick, the others are Jeff Burton (+1500) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (+1200), who won the fall race in '03 and '04 with DEI.

Single race winners include Matt Kenseth (+1800), Tony Stewart (+1200), Jeff Gordon (+1500), Kurt Busch (+3000), Mark Martin (+2000), and Kyle Busch.

Once again, Jimmie Johnson leads in the average finish category with a very low 6.0. In 10 starts, Johnson has two straight wins, four straight top-5 finishes, and six straight top 10s.

Johnson is followed in the average finish category by Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Burton.

In terms of total points, including bonus points, earned at PIR in the last five races, Johnson again leads all drivers. In fact, whether you narrow the field to two races or expand it to ten, Johnson is still in the lead.

Over a five-race period, Johnson is followed in the points report by Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Jeff Burton, but counting just the two most recent races, the drivers following Johnson are Greg Biffle (+1200), Clint Bowyer (+1800), Martin Truex Jr. (+2000), and Burton.

Johnson will be going for his third straight Phoenix win this Sunday and if he succeeds, he will be the first to achieve that feat here.

Chasing Johnson in the points is Carl Edwards, who finished 4th here in April and started on the pole last November, but succumbed to an engine failure after leading the first 87 laps of the race. Greg Biffle, third in points, also hasn't won at PIR, but finished 2nd here last fall and 9th in the spring. The Roush Fords have been successful at PIR in the past, but the last Ford to win here was Kurt Busch, then with Roush, in April of 2005.

Neither Dodge nor Toyota has won a Cup race in Phoenix, though Kyle Busch put Toyota in Victory Lane in the Nationwide Series here in April.

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GripexDoes anyone think JJ can be caught? Would Edwards use the bumper in Phoenix or Homestead?
ReggieI think Edwards still has a shot, 2 races to go, and hes flying. its definately jimmies to lose
spinoutI think this race becomes more important for Johnson because it would be the record for 3 in a row in Phoenix. He`s missed the records at other tracks so this is his chance to get it.
DirtdaddyI think that the only way jj can be caught is if he suffers some bad luck. He is the only chase driver to dodge that the entire chase. He is one part breaking away from losing the lead. Everyone seems to forget that.
LastPlaceI know that Carl Edwards hasn`t won here yet but his performance in the last two races still leads me to think that he has a very good chance of taking this race. JJ just seems to have lost his spark the last two races.
CountDownSpark or not I think that JJ still looks real good for this. This is another one that basically he owns the track-something would have to go badly wrong for him to not win or at least place really highly.
CalI am not really sure man, it seems JJ has had like up and down luck this year while the most recent was tolerable I am not sure he can swing it.
elgerYou know its very possible he could manage to pull this off but its going to be hard for anyone to do so. I have a feeling he will going at this with all he can.
racegirlI don`t know who is going to win this one but I kind of hope it`s Carl Edwards. That would certainly make the last race more interesting!
racefanI think Carl Edwards has a good chance here as well. He seems to be on fire here with the last couple of races. I can`t wait to see the finish line!
Vroom!It seems a good many people had confidence in Carl Edwards for this race, and were likely let down when he didn`t win. I can only hope that you didn`t all lose too much money on this one when he didn`t.
mysteryshoppersmithI think it goes without saying ( but I`m going to say it anyway ) that Jimmy Johnson is going to win the Chase. Its all over except for the bitching and crying. Suck it up ladies.