(WOMR file photo)
Sunday in Ft. Worth, TX, Tony Stewart backed up his “trash talk” to Carl Edwards by winning the AAA Texas 500.
Without a race win in “the regular season”, this victory was Stewart’s fourth win in the first eight races in the Chase, as well as his 43rd career victory! Stewart won this race in a very dominating fashion leading 173 of the 334 laps of the race.
Is this starting to sound like the past five years when Jimmie Johnson would dominate in the Chase races? It would appear that the Chase has been whittled down to a two car race, Stewart and Edwards. Which of these two drivers will be the one who wrestles the Sprint Cup championship from the grasp of “Mr Five Time”, Jimmie Johnson?
This victory was not enough to give Stewart the Chase points lead. However, this victory did eat into the points spread that Edwards had prior to the start of the race. Stewart cut into the previous eight point lead, now trailing Edwards by just 3 points with two races left in the season.
The Sprint Cup drivers now head back out West to a newly paved, and reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway. With new pavement and a slight configuration change, all the race teams have had to throw away their notebooks on PIR, and start fresh in their approach to this race track. Phoenix is going to be challenging for all teams exactly for the above mentioned reasons.
Therefore, Phoenix may be looked at by all race teams in the same fashion that the race teams viewed Talladega two weeks ago. There is the new unknown regarding PIR. Who will master the reconfigured facility? There is no doubt that, in light of this very tight championship race, Phoenix is going to play a very integral part of crowning the Sprint Cup champion!
Check out the unofficial results from the AAA Texas 500.
Here is the Chase standings after the finish of the AAA Texas 500.
Twelve drivers, now two races, one championship, who will be the last man standing?
See you next weekend from the Phoenix International Raceway!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
