Phoenix preview: Labonte up for the Cup
With just three races to go, the quest for the NASCAR Winston Cup reaches boiling point this weekend as the series moves into the heart of the Arizona Desert
Bobby Labonte (Pontiac) holds a 201-point lead over Dale Earnhardt (Chevrolet) and can win the title this weekend at the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway. Labonte, who has never won the Winston Cup, needs to gain 159-points more than the seven-time champion this weekend. That would effectively mean Labonte has to win on Sunday with Earnhardt failing to finish.
Labonte has an ace up his sleeve: team-mate Tony Stewart is a renowned master of the Phoenix oval and Bobby finished third there last year after racing with his set-up. Stewart himself will be attempting to go for back-to-back Phoenix successes, a feat only ever achieved by the late Davey Allison.
Earnhardt had a glorious opportunity to catch up at Rockingham a fortnight ago when Labonte suffered a puncture and had to pit under green racing conditions, restricting him to a 19th place finish. 'The Intimidator' also hit tyre trouble, though, when his last set of tyres created a handling imbalance that dropped him from the leading bunch to 17th at the flag, meaning he only eroded Labonte's score by nine points.
"We gained a few points on him, but nothing like we needed to. The numbers will still work for us though," he said.
Labonte has won four times this season - one less than he managed last season when he finished runner-up to Dale Jarrett. This weekend he will be looking to enhance his points lead in the shadow of the Estrella Mountains: "If it wasn't for the tyre at Rockingham then maybe we woulda picked up 50 more points or so. We'll just go to the next one," he said.
In the battle for Rookie of the Year honours, another Earnhardt is playing catch-up. Dale Jnr, who races a Chevrolet run by his dad, is 28 points behind Matt Kenseth (Ford). The pair duked it out in the Busch Grand National Division for the last two years and are again evenly matched in the Winston Cup.
Kenseth, who can claim the title this weekend, is looking forward to a calmer race than he had at Rockingham when his car burst into flames at a pitstop, causing his gas man to suffer burns. "I had a crazy weekend at Rockingham and I'm ready for a less dramatic time," he said. "I enjoy this racetrack, and the Phoenix area is a really cool part of the country to come visit."
These are how the battles match up...
1 BOBBY LABONTE, 4645, 31, 4, 16
2 DALE EARNHARDT, 4444, 31, 2, 12
1 MATT KENSETH, 276
2 DALE EARNHARDT JNR, 248
The F1 nearly-man winding back the clock in NASCAR’s European cousin
A multiple F3000 race winner, Marc Goossens was on the precipice of making Formula 1 in the 1990s - but a lack of budget left him without a path to the promised land. Turning to an illustrious racing career in sportscars, Goossens left the endurance circuit to try his hand at racing stock cars - and now calls the NASCAR Euro Series home
Why a British prospect is trying to make it in NASCAR
There has never been a full-time British driver in the NASCAR Cup. But Alex Sedgwick, who is rising through the stock car ranks, wants that to change and could be a trailblazer for European talents to reach the top echelons of the NASCAR ladder
How Earnhardt’s death changed American motorsport
It's 20 years since legendary driver Dale Earnhardt Sr died at the Daytona 500, but the legacy of his crash continues today through the pioneering safety work done by NASCAR
The NASCAR subplots to keep an eye on in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season
How a second-chance NASCAR ace is rebuilding his career
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a shot at redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith
Autosport's top 5 NASCAR machines
The American stock car scene is more famous for its close racing and occasional punch-ups, but there have been some fantastic machines too. As part of Autosport's 70th anniversary celebrations in 2020, we picked out five of its best
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future
Why Johnson’s playoff failure won’t tarnish his legacy
The last season of a retiring NASCAR great has shown promise, and may have resulted in another playoff push without small issues outside his control. 2020 won't be the year Jimmie Johnson would have wanted, but it won't be what he is remembered for
