Matt Kenseth played the spoiler to the hilt.
With nothing on the line, he did the only thing he could do: win Sunday’s Can-Am 500 at Phoenix Raceway.
It was the 39th win of Kenseth’s NASCAR Cup career. He has one race remaining: next Sunday’s championship-deciding Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. While Kenseth won’t be eligible for the title, Sunday’s race is a win he’ll never forget, as it potentially will be his last Cup win (or second-to-last if he wins at Miami).
Kenseth held off a late challenge from runner-up Chase Elliott. Third through fifth were Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones and Kevin Harvick.