![]() Chastain would score the team's first win in dramatic fashion at COTA in May and instantly become a title contender. They made a huge leap by purchasing Ganassi Racing and were instantly competitive. They were another team that was solid and putting together top ten finishes with Daniel Suarez but weren’t close to competing for a title. The same could be said about the team he drives for with Trackhouse racing. While he had put together some good races last season in the #42 for Chip Ganassi, he was never considered a title contender by any means. No one could have seen Chastain’s ascent to the top happening this year. It has truly been a Cinderella season for Ross Chastain. He will need to do much better than that if he wants to win his first championship. In his previous five starts here, Bell has only finished in the top ten twice. While he has plenty of momentum, he has struggled here at Phoenix. Bell is by far the driver that is on the hottest streak going into Phoenix. Whenever Bell’s back was against the wall, he and his crew-chief Adam Stevens always found a way to bounce back to move on to the next round with a win. In the first round, his average finish was 4th with two victories. He was solid in the regular season with a win at New Hampshire but not many would think he would go on the run that he has. Of course, he has a victory here back in 2020 when he clinched the championship.Ĭhristopher Bell has had quite the resurgence in the playoffs this season. Overall, Phoenix is an average track for him, the finishes haven’t been there, but he has been strong overall as he’s led over 17 percent of the laps run at this track since 2019. Luckily, Elliott had those five victories in the regular season to fall back on, and it saved him from missing the championship race. At the Roval he led the most laps but was taken out by Tyler Reddick on the final restart. For example, he easily had the fastest car at Texas but a flat tire derailed his day. It’s important to note that these results have not been indicative of how fast he has been in these races. He currently has the lowest average finish amongst the four (16.5). After Martinsville, Chase had to fight and claw to get into the championship race after an abysmal playoff. Arguably he’s had the best season but as we all know in this system, it all comes down to one race. If there is anyone who deserves the championship the most it has to be him. Could 2022 be his redemption arc? Look for Joey Logano to be strong on the track come Sunday.Ĭhase Elliott has easily had the best season of his career, he’s scored 5 victories, 12 top fives, 20 top tens, and has led 857 laps. Back in 2020, Logano was well on his way to a second title, but an ill-handling race car cost him his chance. He’s scored 1 win here and has led over 19 percent of the laps here. Of all active drivers, Logano has the second-highest average finish at this racetrack since 2019. What makes Joey stand out amongst the other three is how fast he has been at Phoenix. Logano has had a pretty solid playoffs this year with an average finish of 13.3, so he has been a contender. ![]() He would really begin to shine after his first win at Darlington, as he would follow up his victory with a win two weeks later at Gateway. 2022 started out a bit slow after a disappointing 21st finish at Daytona, but in the next five races he would record 3 top tens and a top five at Fontana. After a victory at Las Vegas, the 2018 champion established himself as the pre-race favorite to win this year, and it makes sense considering the season he has had. The first driver to punch his ticket to the championship race was Joey Logano. This is shaping up to be a season finale to remember for a season to remember Consistency has been the key this year with this brand-new car, and these final four prove it. When you look at the average finish amongst the four, they are only separated by one position. Those four drivers have all had different paths to get to this point not just this season but in their careers as it’s one of the most diverse final fours we have ever seen. It has truly been one of the most memorable seasons in recent memory and now it all comes down to Sunday as four drivers will battle at Phoenix Raceway for the crown. Over the past 35 weeks, we have seen literally everything from first time winners, flipped race cars, hard hits and short tempers. The time has come, the final race of the 2022 season. ![]()
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