You have to like Ford's chances of wrapping up the manufacturer's championship this weekend. If any Ford driver finishes ahead of the top Chevrolet or the top Pontiac, that races is over for the season. In 11 previous races at Phoenix, a Ford has won eight times and there have been at least two Fords in the top five each year. There have been four Fords in the top five twice and three in the top five three times.
Phoenix presents a lot of statistical quirks.
Nobody has ever started on the front row and won a Winston Cup race at the track, and nobody except for the late Davey Allison has ever won twice here. Dale Earnhardt, Bill Elliott, Bobby Hamilton, Dale Jarrett, Alan Kulwicki, Mark Martin, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and defending champ Rusty Wallace are the other winners in the track's history. Each gets another opportunity for a provisional starting spot this weekend because it's the 32nd race after each had used up the seven chargeable provisionals available to them before getting the eighth this week.