Joey Logano added his name to the NASCAR Championship Four by winning the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday (11/13).

The final race in the Round of Eight was full of pitfalls from the very beginning with the yellow flag flying on lap one. There would be a total of nine caution periods total in the NASCAR race. However, it would be the final two that changed not only the outcome of this race, but also which drivers would have a shot at the championship.

Alex Bowman started the race from the pole position and lead the most laps during the race with 193 laps out front in the 324 laps ran in the race.

However, while he might have played the “spoiler” to the Chase Grid drivers by winning the race while filling in for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the #88 Chevrolet, he was part of those previously mentioned final caution periods that changed the outcome of the Phoenix race.

Matt Kenseth had the lead racing around the track to take the white flag, but before he could the caution flag flew for a single car incident.

That sent the race into NASCAR’s “overtime” of a green-white-checkered finish. When the race was re-started Kyle Busch clipped the back of the #88 causing it to get into the #20 of Matt Kenseth and ended the chance for both Alex and Matt to win the race. The incident also removed the chance Matt had to advance to the Championship Four with a chance to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.

The final re-start allowed Joey Logano to rocket out to the lead, make it past the re-start line on the backstretch and hold the lead to win the race and advance to the Championship Four. Kyle Busch was able to capture a second place finish with Kyle Larson next in third place. Kevin Harvick grabbed the fourth place finish in the race with Kurt Busch rounding out the top five. See the complete race results for the Can-Am 500 at Phoenix International Raceway here.

For the most part, the point standings only mean something to the drivers now. The fans will be focusing on who will win the championship. However, if you are curious, you can see the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings here.

By winning the race, Joey Logano joined Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards with an automatic advance to the Championship Four as winners of races in the Round of Eight. That left one spot available to fill by points alone. Kyle Busch claimed that fourth spot with his second place finish at Phoenix. These four drivers will race each other next week to find out who will be this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. Of course, there will be 36 other cars on the track as well. You can see the 2016 NASCAR Chase Grid here.

We will find out who wins the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Sunday after the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, November 20th.

By: Buck Stevens