Friday Faceoff: Does Brad Keselowski or Joey Logano Have a Better Chance of Making The Chase?

1) Is anyone in the wrong for the Carson Hocevar/Denny Hamlin incident at Sonoma Raceway?

Kyle Benjamin: Actually, Alex Bowman is the unintentional instigator here. If you look at the aerial replay of the incident, you can see Bowman hit Brad Keselowski, who then hit Carson Hocevar, who then clipped Denny Hamlin. If this were an accident on I-77 in Mooresville, N.C., the last car in line of a fender bender would be held liable.  Was it malicious? No. Certainly one of those racing deals.

Andrew Stoddard: I’m leaning toward no. Turn 7 at Sonoma Raceway is a tight right-hander that can be tough to negotiate in traffic, as the drivers were dealing with immediately following a restart. Watching the aerial replay, it looked as though there was an accordion effect involving Bowman, Keselowski, Hocevar, and Hamlin that led to the latter of the four getting spun around. There’s no one to blame.

Christopher Hansen: No. After a calm first two stages with no natural cautions, it seemed only right for drivers to push the issue during the final stage, trying to get all the positions possible. Road-course racing tends to lead to more aggressive racing with drivers on top of one another, which is what led to Hocevar getting into Hamlin. Because it was Hocevar who initiated the contact, Hamlin had every right to be upset. At the end of the day, aggressive racing on road courses should be expected.

Michael Bellifemini: No, it looked like a normal restart at Sonoma. With no cautions, the restart at that point was crucial, and we often see drivers trying to outbrake one another. This led to drivers going too hard into the turn, and that gave Hocevar a shot at Hamlin and spun him around.

2) Of Chicagoland Speedway, Naval Base Coronado and the Chicago street course, which one would you prefer on the 2027 schedule the most?

Stoddard: I may be in the minority on this one, but I would love to see a few more road/street courses on the NASCAR schedule compared to the four we’ve had this year, and I’d definitely like to see one in The Chase in 2027. It adds some character and variety to the NASCAR Cup Series schedule and tests the drivers’ complete set of skills, so that rules out Chicagoland Speedway right off the bat. Between the other two, I’m going with the street course. The logistics of racing at an active naval base are probably tougher for NASCAR to navigate than Chicago. It’s also hard to beat the city backdrop of the Windy City.

Hansen: Chicagoland. It’s been seven years since the last Cup race in 2019, and it would be a shame if Chicagoland were only on the schedule for one year if NASCAR opts to resume racing at the Chicago street course in its place. Coronado proved to be a success with some incredible racing at its debut a couple of weeks ago, but of the three tracks, Chicagoland deserves to remain on the schedule for the 2027 season.

Benjamin: NASCAR needs at least one more year at Coronado to judge whether or not it is a viable market and venue. There were obvious growing pains (and based on fan accounts, a severe lack of logistical planning). The organizers should get one more crack at it. Some minor adjustments to the course are needed for safety, but overall, the abrasive surface contributed to a fantastic race weekend. As for Chicagoland, it’s the same argument. We know the surface is rough, so tire falloff is going to be big. We also know that the racing is better when there is falloff and drivers have to manage tires for a full run. I have high hopes we’re going to get a certified banger across the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and Cup.

Bellifemini: With all the excitement around Chicagoland’s return, it would be a shame if it were only a one-year thing. If the racing product is great this weekend, it would only make it more disappointing to see it go away again. San Diego was a cool event, but it seems difficult to get another race on a naval base. NASCAR should try to have one street race a season in some form, but for this choice, I’m going with Chicagoland.

3) Which former Cup champion currently below the cut line has a better chance of making The Chase: Brad Keselowski or Joey Logano?

Hansen: Keselowski. Entering this weekend’s race at Chicagoland, Keselowski currently sits 25 points out of a Chase spot with eight races remaining in the regular season. While he hasn’t had the flashiest year, recording only two top fives and four top-10 finishes, Keselowski has to be encouraged by the speed of teammate Chris Buescher, currently seventh in points. Of the remaining tracks leading up to The Chase, EchoPark Speedway and Daytona International Speedway are the best opportunities for Keselowski to return to victory lane, giving him a better chance to run for the Cup title.

Bellifemini: Keselowski has a better shot than Joey Logano right now. Keselowski started the year strong, while Logano has yet to find his form. The upcoming schedule suits both drivers well, as they have had success at multiple upcoming tracks. Additionally, the series is done with the end of the road courses. They both are going to have to jump a handful of drivers to get in, but it wouldn’t surprise me if one or even both of them did it.

Benjamin: Neither Logano nor Keselowski has shown they’ve got the speed to contend this year. Without the win-and-you’re-in format, both are going to have to muscle their cars to the front and stay there for a win. The field is too competitive this year for that to happen. The Nos. 6 and 22 are, at best, somewhere between 20th and 25th-best this season.

Stoddard: This is a tough one to call. Both Keselowski and Logano drive for Ford, a manufacturer that has been clearly underachieving so far this season, and both are about the same position below the cut line. Keselowski is 18th in the standings at 25 points behind 16th-place Austin Cindric, while Logano is 20th and 31 points away from his Team Penske teammate. As for their teams, RFK Racing has probably been more consistent while Penske displays more raw speed. When in doubt, I fall back on the old saying: hell hath no fury like Logano in an even-numbered year. The three-time Cup champion will find a way to get the No. 22 team into The Chase.

4) Will Parker Retzlaff make The Chase in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series?

Bellifemini: Yes. Parker Retzlaff has built up a comfortable 61-point gap to the cutoff, and he’s running consistently enough up front that he won’t drop out. The only way he’ll get into trouble is if he runs into a cold stretch where he keeps crashing out or if Taylor Gray or William Sawalich gets hot enough to pass him before The Chase starts.

Hansen: Yes. Retzlaff has been one of the most consistent drivers in the entire field, steadily earning stage points, and solid finishes are what will help make The Chase in the NOAPS. On the strength of back-to-back top-10 finishes at Coronado and Sonoma, Retzlaff finds himself 61 points ahead of current 13th-place driver Sawalich. As long as Viking Motorsports continues bringing fast cars each weekend, Retzlaff will race for a title this season.

Stoddard: He will, but it will be close. Retzlaff and Viking have a lot of skilled drivers and elite NOAPS teams that they’ll need to hold off for a Chase spot, including Sam Mayer of Haas Factory Team as well as Joe Gibbs Racing trio Brent Crews, Gray and Sawalich and part-time JR Motorsports driver Rajah Caruth. That said, we’re deep enough into the season to know that Retzlaff and the No. 99 team are absolutely for real. They’ll make The Chase. It just might be difficult for them to contend for the championship once they get there.

Benjamin: Retzlaff should be racing on Sundays. Both he and his teammate Anthony Alfredo have outkicked the historical performance of the Viking cars this season. It is not a fluke to see those cars inside the top five week in and week out, and it’s a credit to the team and drivers for the improvement. I would not be shocked to see both cars in The Chase, nor to see Retzlaff finish inside the top five in points.