Alex Bowman wins, the four qualified for the Phoenix final are known

After two good intermediate segments which allowed Chase Elliott to qualify on points, an avalanche of yellow flags offered us a breathtaking finale. With 6 laps to go, Bowman defeated Denny Hamlin to fly to his 6th career victory, the 4th this season. If the driver of the #48 Chevrolet pleaded the simple racing incident, Hamlin could not contain his anger and came to provoke his opponent during the celebration of his victory. There NASCAR it is above all contact racing, a virile but sporting spectacle that the public particularly appreciates. This incident is therefore unlikely to harm the low popularity of Hamlin, still in search of a first title and often considered too smooth.

THE FRUSTRATIONS ARE OVERFLOWING pic.twitter.com/aAnHAhj37o

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021

Earlier in the race, Elliott grabbed some precious playoff points by winning the two intermediate segments. The final proved him right since he came close to retirement on several occasions and only finished in an anonymous 16th place. With Kyle Larson already qualified before the start thanks to his victories in the first two rounds of the Round of 8, there was only one place left to compete for the title in Phoenix: Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. fought until the last meters of the race.

Denny Hamlin vs. Alex Bowman © Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

The precious sesame finally went to Truex Jr., brilliant 4th in the race, for 3 small points. Very sportingly, Busch who has nothing to reproach himself with a good second place can only salute the good performance of his opponent after the race and recognize having lost his chances of final earlier in the season.

MARTINSVILLE © Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Dark day for Team Penske, three drivers of which were still in the running for the title at the start of the final qualifying phase. If Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski had to win to qualify, Ryan Blaney had a serious chance. Unfortunately his race turned into an ordeal after contact at the start of the race with Austin Dillon which disrupted the behavior of his Ford Mustang. It is therefore a zero point for the team of “Captain” Roger Penske and the promise of a studious off-season.

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳@Blaney | #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ElcYwHej0t

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 31, 2021

See you next Sunday at Phoenix Raceway for the grand finale of this magnificent season. No need to take out the calculators or the season's statistics, since among the 4 qualified drivers, the best placed at the finish will be declared champion.

Standings for the Xfinity 500 at Martinsville: