NASCAR at Texas 2014: Start Time, Live Stream, TV Schedule and More

Just three races remain in what has been an extremely unpredictable NASCAR Sprint Cup season, and the eight remaining Chase drivers will be vying for a spot in the Championship Round with a win at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday afternoon.

The AAA Texas 500 is the second race of the Eliminator Round, but no Chase driver has clinched a spot to race for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway just yet. Dale Earnhardt Jr. played spoiler with a win at Martinsville last week, which means things are still wide open.

Drivers are well aware that a win at Texas would give them a 25 percent shot at taking home the Sprint Cup title, so there is no doubt that the remaining Chase competitors will be aggressive at Texas.

Here is a look at all the vital information needed prior to the AAA Texas 500, along with a closer look at some of the top contenders that will be vying for a victory.

Where: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas

When: Sunday, Nov. 2, at 3 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN

Live Steam: WatchESPN

Radio: Performance Racing Network

Qualifying Order

Position	Driver	Car No.
1	Matt Kenseth	20
2	Jeff Gordon	24
3	Jimmie Johnson	48
4	Kurt Busch	41
5	Kevin Harvick	4
6	Tony Stewart	14
7	Ryan Newman	31
8	Martin Truex Jr.	78
9	Kyle Busch	18
10	Joey Logano	22
11	Carl Edwards	99
12	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	88
13	Brian Vickers	55
14	Kasey Kahne	5
15	Paul Menard	27
16	Marcos Ambrose	9
17	Kyle Larson	42
18	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	17
19	Greg Biffle	16
20	Denny Hamlin	11
21	Jamie McMurray	1
22	Aric Almirola	43
23	A.J. Allmendinger	47
24	Clint Bowyer	15
25	Trevor Bayne	21
26	Brad Keselowski	2
27	Danica Patrick	10
28	Michael McDowell	95
29	Austin Dillon	3
30	Justin Allgaier	51
31	David Gilliland	38
32	Reed Sorenson	36
33	Michael Annett	7
34	Landon Cassill	40
35	Alex Bowman	23
36	Josh Wise	98
37	David Ragan	34
38	Casey Mears	13
39	J.J. Yeley	83
40	Cole Whitt	26
41	Brett Moffitt	66
42	Timmy Hill	33
43	Joey Gase	32

Drivers to Watch

Matt Kenseth

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While Matt Kenseth is one of the winningest drivers in NASCAR over the past decade, he has yet to reach victory lane in 2014. Even so, the pilot of the No. 20 car remains in Chase contention and finds himself in fourth place, which is just above the cutoff line for the Championship Round.

Kenseth has come close to taking the checkered flag on several occasions this year, but he has always fallen just short. If he is ever going to come through with a win, though, Texas may very well represent his best opportunity.

No current driver boasts a better average finish at Texas than Kenseth's 8.2. He also has two career wins at this track, and he will start from the pole on Sunday.

Kenseth's ability isn't in question, but he may have some other things to worry about during the race. Kenseth inadvertently took out fellow Chase driver Kevin Harvick last week and potentially cost him a chance at racing for the title.

Following the incident, Harvick vowed to get back at him, according to ESPN's Marty Smith:

Per Nate Ryan of USA Today, Kenseth claims that it was a miscue on his part and that he is filled with guilt over the situation.

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I don't think it's something I'll ever feel better about. The only way I'll probably feel a little better about it or whatever is if he makes it to Homestead, because if he doesn't win a championship, at least it wasn't because of my stupid mistake. But until then, I don't know how much better I'll feel about it.

"

Kenseth's apologetic nature proves that he is a true pro, but he has to find a way to put it behind him and focus on running a great race at Texas.

He is more than capable of winning if he is on top of his game, and it will be interesting to see what kind of form he is in on Sunday.

Denny Hamlin

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

While Denny Hamlin does have a victory to his credit this season, he has had success in much the same way as Kenseth. Even though he hasn't been winning on a regular basis, Hamlin has consistently guided his No. 11 car to solid finishes.

Hamlin currently sits just two points out of the all-important fourth spot in the standings, and he is aware that he has some work to do over the next two races in order to make the Championship Round, according to Pete Pistone of MRN.com.

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We're in a decent spot, not a great spot. Last week, we let one slip away; still had a decent showing and now, we go to a track where we ran well in the spring. Even though the finish doesn't show it, we led some laps and were pretty competitive. All these tracks have been good for us. We've got to keep grinding away, getting good finishes every week and when you can, try to take advantage and get a win.

"

Texas has been one of Hamlin's better tracks over the years as he boasts an average finish just outside the top 10 and has two victories to his credit in the Lone Star State as well. 

Hamlin has managed to fly under the radar for much of the season, and that suits him well. He will have some work to do if he wants to win on Sunday as he will start from the 20th position, but he has triumphed in this race twice previously from the No. 29 and No. 30 spots respectively.

He knows how to work his way through the field at Texas, and that will be put to the test this weekend.

Carl Edwards

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Carl Edwards isn't yet in a position where it is win or bust in the Chase, but he is 15 points out of fourth place and undoubtedly needs a couple solid runs in a row in order to remain in contention for the championship.

Luckily for Edwards, Texas Motor Speedway has been kind to him. He has taken the No. 99 machine to victory lane three times at Texas, which is tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most among active drivers. Edwards is still in search of that elusive first points title, and he certainly doesn't want to let this opportunity go by the wayside.

Edwards qualified modestly as he will start from the 11th position, but it seems as though his car is faster than that would indicate. According to NASCAR's official Twitter account, he had the fastest vehicle on the track for a period of time during practice:

There is no question that Edwards has a legitimate shot to win if he is able to harness that speed, and a victory would most definitely take a great deal of pressure off him and his team entering the final Eliminator Round race.

Prediction

Observers always look at Chase drivers as potential winners at this time of the year because of how much they have riding on these races.

Kenseth, Hamlin and Edwards are all Chase drivers who have had a great deal of success in Texas in the past, and have an excellent opportunity to win this weekend as well. They are far from the only drivers worth keeping an eye on, though.

In terms of other Chase drivers, Jeff Gordon, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman have all won at Texas once. They all happen to be in the top three of the standings right now as well. They have a small buffer currently, but they would all obviously love to secure a spot in the final race this week.

As seen last week at Martinsville, though, non-Chase drivers are still trying to win as well. Earnhardt took the checkered flag last week, and he is most definitely a threat once again at Texas with 13 career top-10 finishes and one win.

Another competitor to watch from outside the Chase is Jimmie Johnson. His championship run ended in disappointment, and he has struggled as of late, but he is a three-time Texas winner who will start near the front.

This season has been so crazy that another non-Chase driver win almost feels appropriate. With that in mind, look for a Hendrick driver to steal the spotlight for the second consecutive week with Johnson crossing the finish line first.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter