Logano wins as Sadler wrecks to hurt title chances

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. moved a big step closer toward defending his Nationwide Series championship with a strong run at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

He also got some help from Elliott Sadler, who had a rough day start to finish. The two title contenders started Saturday tied for the championship, and likely would have gone into next weekend’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway locked into a tight race. But as Stenhouse battled Joey Logano and Brian Vickers for the lead headed to the white flag, Elliott Sadler imploded 10 positions behind them in a three-car wreck.

Logano won the …

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. moved a big step closer toward defending his Nationwide Series championship with a strong run at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

He also got some help from Elliott Sadler, who had a rough day start to finish. The two title contenders started Saturday tied for the championship, and likely would have gone into next weekend’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway locked into a tight race. But as Stenhouse battled Joey Logano and Brian Vickers for the lead headed to the white flag, Elliott Sadler imploded 10 positions behind them in a three-car wreck.

Logano won the race with Stenhouse third. Stenhouse needs to finish 16th or better next week to clinch the title.

Keselowski keeps it clean

It would have been easy for Brad Keselowski to wreck Jimmie Johnson at the end of last week’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Keselowski would have won the race, surged ahead of Johnson in their championship battle and maybe even put enough separation on him to win his first career Sprint Cup title.

But he said he wouldn’t have felt good about winning that way. He placed second.

Johnson went on to his second consecutive victory, and took a seven-point lead over Keselowski into today’s race at Phoenix, the penultimate event in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup.

“Jimmie has never done anything to me to deserve to be raced in that manner,” he said. “When I race people the way I race them, I race them off of a code that you know usually exists off how they’ve started racing me. … Now obviously if somebody does something to push me around, that’s a little different.”

Patrick out of Indy 500

Danica Patrick has decided not to race in the Indianapolis 500 next season, sources told AP.