None of the four championship contenders was prepared to declare a “favorite” among them. When it comes to the one-mile Phoenix Raceway, they all have compelling cases to consider themselves trophy-worthy.
And with a series-best five wins, John Hunter Nemechek acknowledged there’s a certain target on his back this week. None of these four – Nemechek, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith or Matt Crafton has won previously at Phoenix. In fact Smith, who earned his Championship 4 opportunity with a “walk-off” victory last weekend at Martinsville, Va. boasts the best average finish at Phoenix; runner-up in his only start last year.
Crafton, 45, who has 20 starts at Phoenix, has the top average finish (10.0) among those four with multiple starts, followed by Rhodes (10.3) and Nemechek (13.7).
Crafton, a three-time series champion from California who has won late model races at Phoenix, was asked if he would be okay claiming the 2021 championship trophy without winning a truck series race during the season. Without missing a beat, Crafton said, “at the end, of the day I’ll sleep just fine.”
Source: Holly Cain | NASCAR Wire Service
