Phoenix Preview

By Nate Ryan

ISM Raceway will play host to the Round of 8’s final race in the NASCAR playoffs, setting the championship round field for the Nov. 17 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick are locked in; and Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are provisionally qualified. Here are my Predictor app picks for the 1.5-mile track:

STAGES

First stage (Alex Bowman, Matt DiBenedetto, Erik Jones, Ryan Newman):

PICK: Bowman. Arizona native often shines at his hometown track and is coming off a top five at Texas.

Second stage (Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson):

PICK: Hamlin. Every point matters if he wants to save his championship bid from implosion.

Third stage (Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr.)

PICK: Busch. He and Logano are locked in a tight battle for the guaranteed spot on points.

Top 3 Overall:

1. Denny Hamlin: At the track where his championship hopes have been doomed in the past, he finds redemption.

2. Chase Elliott: He seems confident about getting a victory in a must-win situation and has run well here before.

3. Kyle Busch: No. 18 team finally seeming to get back on track at the critical moment in the playoffs.