NASCAR at Texas 2015: Race Schedule, Live Stream Info and Drivers to Watch
The Chase for the Sprint Cup has been as advertised going into the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway this Sunday—electric, controversial and entertaining.
Electric and entertaining? Jeff Gordon secured the first win of his farewell season last weekend, making a championship before riding off into the sunset not just plausible, but maybe likely.
Controversial? Matt Kenseth's banned for two races after wrecking Joey Logano last weekend, the guy who won three races in a row. Now he's on the outside looking in among the eight drivers left with three races to go.
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With the unpredictable Phoenix up after Texas, expect nothing short of another as-advertised day as those in contention look to set themselves up well for the final two races.
Viewing Details
Where: Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
When: Sunday, Nov. 8, at 2 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Live Extra
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
Sprint Cup Standings
| 1 | Jeff Gordon | 4047 |
| 2 | Kyle Busch | 4039 |
| 3 | Martin Truex Jr. | 4039 |
| 4 | Kevin Harvick | 4037 |
| 5 | Carl Edwards | 4030 |
| 6 | Brad Keselowski | 4013 |
| 7 | Kurt Busch | 4011 |
| 8 | Joey Logano | 4009 |
| 9 | Denny Hamlin | 2251 |
| 10 | Ryan Newman | 2231 |
| 11 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 2221 |
| 12 | Jamie McMurray | 2201 |
| 13 | Matt Kenseth | 2197 |
| 14 | Jimmie Johnson | 2193 |
| 15 | Paul Menard | 2177 |
| 16 | Clint Bowyer | 2124 |
Drivers to Watch
Brad Keselowski
Logano's going to get the attention because he sits in last place and had his elite form ruined a week ago thanks to an intentional wreck, but it's best not to sleep on Brad Keselowski given the circumstances.
Keselowski gave everyone a stark reminder of this during the week by seizing the pole position.
According to Tom Jensen of FoxSports.com, Keselowski wants to use this familiar territory to grab a win: “Very similar to where we were at Kansas. Really fast in practice, really fast in qualifying. We just needed it to stay with us during the race. And we didn’t get that in Kansas, so we’ve got a lot of work to do tomorrow to make sure that happens.”
Keselowski has to hope he can turn the great starting spot into something special because he wound up 32nd last week and has yet to win at this track. That said, he owns two top fives in his last two outings in Texas, so perhaps the starting spot will help get him over the proverbial hump and secure an automatic bid.
Jeff Gordon
Folks asked all year when Gordon would seize the first checkered flag of his goodbye season, if at all.
It turns out the answer was Martinsville, where Gordon led 35 laps after starting fifth and managed to mostly stay clear of the wild driving.
The question now becomes just how aggressive Gordon will race this weekend with an automatic bid in hand. As he hinted when speaking with ESPN.com's Bob Pockrass, the outlook would be different if he hadn't found his way to Victory Lane last weekend:
"I'm probably a little less aggressive in that scenario. If that was for the win at Homestead, now, that is a different scenario -- you're talking about for the championship. For us this weekend, having a solid performance and if we have a shot at the win and if I could do it a clean way, I will go for it.
"
Gordon toes the line there given the sport's recent controversies, but at the same time, it's hard to imagine he won't come out racing like his usual self and help dictate who he has to deal with in a few weeks at the final race of the Chase.
For the first time all season, Gordon is one of the top names to watch for a new reason. It's quite a good one, too.
Kurt Busch
Kyle Busch gets most of the headlines thanks to a miracle season and his sitting well within reach of making the Chase's final race, but it's Kurt Busch whom observers may want to keep a closer eye on in Texas.
The elder Busch brother sits in seventh and in danger of elimination after wrecking out in Martinsville to finish 34th despite leading 22 laps. As Stewart-Haas Racing captured, Busch isn't waving a white flag:
Desperation is one heck of a motivator. Guys like Kevin Harvick and even Kyle Busch have shown what a driver with his back to the wall can do at almost any track.
Kurt Busch has 13 top-10 finishes at Texas. It's not his best track by any means, but he also knows how to play the field and get in contention. Down the stretch, as last week showed, anything is possible.
Given the circumstances, Busch might just be the best sleeper candidate to watch Sunday.
Stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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