NASCAR at Phoenix takeaways: Matt Kenseth enjoys emotional win as retirement beckons

Matt Kenseth gets to experience victory lane for likely the final time, while Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin rekindle their feud, and Brad Keselowski earns himself a spot in the championship final.

Seeing Matt Kenseth stand on the roof of his No. 20 car fist raised in the air celebrating victory followed by a tearful interview to a national viewing audience gave the impression his win Sunday at Phoenix Raceway carried some kind of championship implication.

But there was no championship on the line. Nor even a berth in the NASCAR Cup Series championship final. Not for Kenseth, who had already been eliminated from the playoffs.

This win, the 39th of his eventual first-ballot Hall of Fame career, had even more significance. In all likelihood it represented the final time the 45-year-old Kenseth will get to experience all that goes with winning a premier division series race. It was enough to move the usually stoic Wisconsin native to tears.

That Kenseth may not to again revel in a victory lane was not a decision he made himself. More so, a broken NASCAR economic system forcing teams to adjust accordingly made the decision for him.

Amidst a youth movement that has swept across the garage, Kenseth is the most high profile driver who has found themselves swept aside for a younger and cheaper counterpart. Joe Gibbs Racing is replacing the former Cup Series champion with 21-year-old Erik Jones next season, a choice spurred by JGR lacking the necessary sponsorship to afford Kenseth’s salary without busting its budget.

Despite being the oldest full-time driver, Kenseth remains ever competitive where he would be an instant upgrade in all but a select few instances. Yet no viable opportunities to continue racing next season presented itself, leaving him little recourse but to announce he would step back from competition.

Kenseth said he’s known since August the path his career was headed, though elected not to say anything publicly until last Saturday. And on Sunday, he fulfilled his wish to get another win before he says what may is probably his final Cup Series start next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Kenseth said. “Today was a really special day for me to know that next week is almost for sure my last week behind the wheel.

“Not many people get to go out in really good cars and have a chance at winning. It’s a pretty special day -- hard to describe.”

If Kenseth’s career is indeed in its waning moments that his last win occurred at Phoenix is fitting. It was here a year ago where a late-race mistake by his spotter on a restart caused Kenseth, who was leading, to collide with second-place Alex Bowman.

The incident cost Kenseth a victory that would’ve qualified him for the four-driver championship. Something that rankled both Kenseth and crew chief Jason Ratcliff for some time, compounded by the No. 20 failing to win a race this season before Sunday. Ratcliff referred to that incident as “lowest point in my career.”

"We've had a lot of close ones ever since I felt like the snowball was here last fall when we were 10 seconds away from going to the championship four and caught that late caution and got wrecked on that restart," Kenseth said. "Ever since, it never feels like it is meant to be. Today, it was definitely meant to be."

Chase Elliott extracts revenge on Denny Hamlin

When Denny Hamlin intentionally rear-ended Chase Elliott two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway, crashing Elliott and costing him a key playoff win, it transformed Hamlin into NASCAR’s Public Enemy No. 1.

In the aftermath, Hamlin said he wasn’t going to concern himself with Elliott meting out some form of retribution. Instead, Hamlin was focused on advancing out of the semifinal round and winning a first-ever series championship.

Perhaps Hamlin should’ve been given the idea of possible payback some more thought. Because on Sunday, Elliott got his revenge and what he did was the catalyst to knock Hamlin, who had the dominant car, out of the playoffs.

In an act not as overtly as what Hamlin did to him, though just as deliberate, Elliott drove Hamlin up the track where tapped the frontstretch wall. The contact damaged Hamlin’s car and seven laps later a tire punctured sending him slamming into the outside wall.

“Each person had their own opinion of how they do things and it just proved to the people that thought I was a bad guy that he would do the exact same thing in the same circumstances,” Hamlin said. “It’s just part of racing. I got into him and he chose to retaliate, so I’m in the garage and that’s the way it is.”

Afterward, Elliott didn’t deny the intent saying he raced Hamlin only the way he had been raced at Martinsville. And the loud cheers cascading from Phoenix’s grandstands as Hamlin’s wrecked Toyota sat smoldering on the track made it obvious who fans were supporting.

It was a defining moment for Elliott, conveying a message that he wasn’t someone who would allow himself to be shoved around even by a well-respected veteran. Had he not responded to Hamlin in some fashion, competitors would’ve shown no restraint in taking advantage of Elliott, be it on a late-race restart or any other time they saw fit. You don’t need to be a bully to win Cup Series races, but you certainly cannot be timid when a situation warrants and questions about Elliott’s aggressiveness would’ve persisted.

That, however, doesn’t absolve Elliott of his actions. He is no longer merely the aggrieved party, he is now a willing participant.

“I’m going to race guys how they race me and keep a smile on my face regardless,” Elliott said. “I’m happy to race guys how they choose to race me and that’s the way I see it.”

Of course, Elliott won’t be subject to the same venom Hamlin faced. That’s not how it works in NASCAR where one driver is graced with the white hat while the other must don the black hat even if their respective misdeeds are not all that different.

Had Elliott wrecked Hamlin at Martinsville, he would’ve been celebrated. Heralded as rough-and-tumble throwback who was willing to do whatever it takes to win.

But Elliott is the popular, soft-spoken offspring of an even more popular Hall of Famer. Popularity bolstered by the ardent support of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. As for Hamlin, he can be vocal and not shy about expressing an opinion, and doesn’t enjoy a similar connection with the masses.

It isn’t fair and the hypocrisy is obvious, yet fans don’t often seen the shades of gray in these matters. What was wrong one day is acceptable another day, all depending on the participants involved.

And in narrative of Elliott vs. Hamlin there is no mistaking which roles each are playing.

Hamlin’s misfortune propels Brad Keselowski to championship final

Brad Keselowski started the day on the right side of the playoff bubble, then quickly fell on the wrong side once the race began as Hamlin’s dominating performance through the first two stages erased the 19-point advantage Keselowski held.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. Which is why despite laboring to a 16th-place finish due to a woefully handling Ford, Keselowski skirted elimination and grabbed the last open spot in the championship bracket. Not necessarily pretty, just effective.

Had Elliott and Hamlin not rekindled their feud, Keselowski would’ve certainly been one of four drivers chopped at Phoenix. Now, a gritty effort accompanied with some timely fortune keeps him eligible to race for second championship at Homestead.

“We overcame a lot of obstacles and jumped a lot of hurdles today,” Keselowski said. “I am glad I don’t have to relive this day, that is for sure. This feels a little bit like Christmas.”