Every year, Nascar rolls into the desert of Phoenix twice. Once, as the season kicks off, and once as it is ending. Both races are hard, grueling, and surprising. And more often than not, you just don’t see the results coming.

Joey Logano won the pole for the race, and when the green flag dropped he surged ahead of the field. However, he was closely followed by several drivers, among them Kyle Larson, Brad Keslowski, and Chase Elliot.

Other than a caution midway through it, segment one was relatively quiet. However, Logano was unable to run away from his pursuers, and found himself in a close battle for the lead as the segment drew to a close. Larson was right on his tail, and for the final 5 laps, the two dueled back and forth, both determined to claim the segment victory. But when the green and white checkered flag waved, Logano passed under it first, Larson second.

However, Logano was only good while in the lead. As the second segment began, Logano was once more under fire from Larson, who was now accompanied by Chase Elliot. The two stalked Elliot for a couple laps, but then came something I have never before seen. And not to toot my own horn, but that’s saying something. Both Larson and Elliot got a solid run on Logano off turn two, and both came at him in three and four. As Logano came too the start finish line, both Elliot and Larson were coming at him. Then, as if there was a psychological connection between the two, Larson went low, and Elliot went high. Logano, unable to decide who to block, was passed by both, and left in the dust. Elliot and Larson dove into turns one and two side by side, each wanting the lead, but Elliot, with the momentum of the high groove swept to the lead. And held it till the end of segment two. It was the first segment win for Chase, Hendrick Motorsports, and Chevrolet. Hats off to him.

However, the key too staying in the lead is to have good pit stops. While Elliot’s crew was good, another driver’s was better. Kyle Busch beat Elliot off pit road in a pit stop early in segment 3, and on the resulting restart Elliot lost several spots.

Now, when Busch gets the lead, good luck taking it. Over the final 100 laps, Kyle Busch laid down some hurt on the field. He drove away like it was nothing, and no one was ever even close to catching him. Lap after lap, mile after mile, it was the Kyle Busch show. What could possibly go wrong?

Heard that before. How about Joey Logano blowing a tire and smashing the wall? Even when Logano wrecks, he causes trouble for other people, Kyle Busch in particular. Just what Kyle didn’t want to see. A caution in the final ten laps. And pit stops. In which he was beat off pit road by Kyle Larson. However, that wasn’t the biggest surprise in store. Not only was Busch beat off pit road by Larson, but three cars did not pit. Ryan Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Martin true Jr., in that order, did not come to pit road.

So picture this. Newman and Stenhouse on the front row. Truex second row inside, Larson second row outside, the preferred lane. And Kyle in the third row, inside lane, where he doesn’t want to be. Go figure.

When the green flag waved, Larson drove past Truex and Stenhouse before even reaching turns one and two. However, as he dove into the corner, trying to get beneath Newman, Ricky was just far enough up that he bumped into Larson, and nearly spun him. Newman shot off of one and two, and Larson took a moment to regain his momentum. The white flag waved, and Newman was just a couple car lengths ahead of Larson. Through one and two Larson gained a little, but it seemed it would take an inhuman amount of speed to catch Newman. However, Larson threw his Chevy into turns three and four as hard as he could, and was close to Newman’s bumper. Now wait a minute. Doesn’t this give a sense of Deja Vu? In 2014, Newman put Larson in the wall so that he could get the point he needed to advance to the final four. Would Larson do the same for the win? We’ll never know. Because Ryan Newman managed to keep just ahead of Larson and win.

It was Newman’s first win in 127 races, his first with Richard Childress Racing, his first of the year (obviously), and the first for Richard Childress since Kevin Harvick won in Fall of 2013 at Phoenix. In fact, it was the first win by an RCR driver not named Kevin Harvick since 2011 with Clint Bowyer. So a big win all around. Also, it puts Newman in the Chase, which is pretty big for him, seeing as he missed it last year. Somehow, I think my whole ‘more than 16 winners’ theory is working out. But my congratulations too Newman. He earned it.

Also, fun fact. Larson finished second for the third race in a row, the fourth time in five races, and he finished second in every  segment of the race. He really must be hating the number two right now. Anyway, he is now the points leader, if that is any condolence.