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In Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 some drivers flourished while others faltered. The unique shape of Phoenix International Raceway is always a challenge. When weird weekend weather is added to the mix it makes for an even more interesting race track. Some drivers handled the changing track conditions better than others and that was displayed in the race results Sunday evening.
Series points leader Jimmie Johnson was certainly the biggest winner. He took the checkered flag for the third time in three years at the fall race in the desert. This allowed him to increase the margin between himself and Mark Martin in the standings to 108 points.
Other victorious drivers in Sunday’s event were 2nd place Jeff Burton, 5th place Martin Truex Jr. and 7th place Clint Bowyer. The top-5 finishes for Burton and Truex were their best finishes of 2009, so far at least. Burton and Bowyer, Richard Childress Racing teammates, have been improving over the past few races which bodes well for next year.
Denny Hamlin, who finished 3rd, was not quite satisfied with his podium finish. In the previous three races at Phoenix, Hamlin has earned a 6th place earlier this year, 5th place last fall and 3rd place in the spring of ’08. Seems like a good record, but he still wanted more.
Another driver who had a rough weekend in the desert was Tony Stewart. Between mechanical issues and getting involved in on-track incidents, Stewart’s day was a long one.
Phoenix International Raceway was quite the challenge for NASCAR stars this weekend. Now, as the circuit heads to the final race of the year in Homestead-Miami Speedway there is only one more chance for the drivers to prove themselves before Daytona next year.
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