Update: Phoenix

Kasey Kahne posted one of the fastest five laps in the first round of qualification, and then a strange malfunction with the Electronic Fuel Injector sent him to the garage. His official starting position of 24th will be listed in the books, but with a new engine, he drops to the back of the pack.

Jimmie Johnson advanced to the final round of qualification and on his first lap he posted a speed that put him fifth on the grid. On the second lap, his steering wheel came off in his hands and he crashed hard into the turn one wall. It seems that even the most experienced drivers in the field can sometimes make a mistake; he had forgotten to lock the steering wheel in place before his qualification attempt.

Kevin Harvick had a particularly bad qualification attempt and failed to advance to the top 12. He will come from deep in the pack in 18th and would seem to have a steep hill to climb. By the time Saturday rolled around, fantasy owners wondered what else could happen. As it turned out, the cream rose to the top Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Harvick and Kurt Busch posted the first- and second-fastest times in each session. Busch topped the morning practice and Harvick was top of the board in final practice, so it appears that after a few laps, they will both get to the front of the pack.

Races are not often won in single lap bursts, however, and the driver with the best consecutive 10-lap average in final practice came as a bit of a surprise. Kahne posted a speed of 135.339 mph. Coming off a solid top-10 last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he could be one of this week’s top dark horses if he can tiptoe through the field. The elder Busch was second on this chart.

Kurt also dominated the five- and 10-lap averages in the morning session. He rolls off the grid fourth and should have a much easier time finding the front of the pack than his teammate Harvick.

Martin Truex Jr. is another solid dark horse choice. He posted the fourth-fastest time in Friday’s practice, was fourth Saturday morning, and eighth in final practice. That gives him an average ranking in these three practices of 5.3, which is only behind the two Haasketeers.

Kyle Busch won the pole and was followed across the line by his teammates Carl Edwards in second and Denny Hamlin in third. Matt Kenseth is only three spots back in sixth, so Joe Gibbs Racing has to be favored as the strongest overall team.

Players who want to roll the dice on a long shot should consider Matt DiBenedetto. He qualified solidly in 23rd and had the 20th-fastest single lap in Happy Hour. If cautions wave just right, he could contend for a top-15, which will make him the best value in his cap range in any game.