Sprint Cup Chase 2015: NASCAR Standings, Schedule After AAA Texas 500
You knew it would happen before the Chase was over. On Sunday, Jimmie Johnson played spoiler as he won the AAA Texas 500. He led only six laps, but one of them was the final revolution of Texas Motor Speedway.
Despite having been eliminated from the Chase early, Johnson's experience and the speed of his No. 48 car proved to be a winning combination. Brad Keselowski had led 312 of the 334 laps of the race, but Johnson would not relent.
"I just kept pressure on him," Johnson said in Victory Lane, per Nascar.com.
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"I could see that he was really tight and that was the first I had seen him that vulnerable all day. I just kept the pressure on him, kept searching for a line. He saw me coming on the top and protected it. I just kept trying to put pressure on him hoping for a mistake."
Ultimately, Keselowski broke and the late falter cost him the win and a much higher spot in the Chase standings. With just two races remaining, Jeff Gordon is still in the top spot after a ninth-place finish. Here's a look at the updated standings, per Nascar.com:
| 24 | 4082 | Leader | 1 | |
| 18 | 4080 | -2 | 4 | ||
| 4 | 4079 | -3 | 3 | |
| 78 | 4076 | -6 | 1 | |
| 19 | 4069 | -13 | 2 | |
| 2 | 4057 | -25 | 1 | |
| 41 | 4048 | -34 | 2 | |
| 22 | 4013 | -69 | 6 |
Two to Go
Gordon had to settle for a ninth-place finish, and he didn't lead one lap of the race, but he's still in the catbird seat. On Sunday, at the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500 at the Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), Gordon will try to take a giant step toward his fifth NASCAR championship.
Before Gordon pulled out the victory at the Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500, the thought of the No. 24 car adding to its trophy case seemed like a great story but not necessarily a realistic angle.
With the bad blood between Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth dominating headlines, Gordon's championship legitimacy wasn't getting the press it deserved.
After a cleaner finish in Sunday's race, and one that didn't see any Chase-eligible driver take the checkered flag, it's time we give the concept of Gordon as champ some serious thought. In what will be his final season, Gordon is locked in the final four in the Chase and poised for a special finish to his legendary career.
Looking Ahead to Phoenix
Kevin Harvick will be hard to beat in Phoenix. He has won the last four Sprint Cup Series races at PIR, and that includes the CampingWorld.com 500 back in March. The man who led the standings most of the regular season is just three points behind Gordon in third place.
He could stifle any would-be spoilers and help to snuff out Gordon's momentum. In case you're wondering, the last time Gordon won at PIR was back in February 2011 at the Subway Fresh Fit 500. We'll see if the No. 24 car can come up with another big win in the desert.
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