Hamlin wins Stage 2 at Phoenix, Johnson and Larson find trouble

He topped Matt Kenseth at the line by for his fourth stage win of 2017 as the segment ended under caution when Jimmie Johnson cut a right front tire and plowed into the wall between Turns 3 and 4. 

Erik Jones finished third in Stage 2 followed by Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Chase Elliott and Clint Bowyer. 

Other drivers in the round of eight included 12th-place Ryan Blaney and 14th-place Brad Keselowski. Johnson dropped to 32nd.

There were 20 cars on the lead lap after 150 laps.

The 22 cars on the lead lap pitted on Lap 78. Hamlin regained the lead followed by Kenseth, Larson, Kyle Busch, Elliott, Harvick, Truex, Jones, Johnson, Logano, Bowyer Newman Suarez, Blaney, McMurray, Keselowski, Busch, Earnhardt Menard and Austin Dillon. 

Hamlin held the point after the restart on  first lap, but Kyle Busch passed Kenseth for second with Larson moving to third on Lap 85. Kenseth dropped to fourth followed by Harvick, Jones, Elliott, Truex, Logano and Johnson. Keselowski climbed back into the top 15.

Larson went inside of Kyle Busch for second entering Turn 3 on Lap 89. Kenseth passes Kyle Busch for third on Lap 93 as the driver of the No. 18 Toyota tells the crew he might have a problem.

Hamlin’s lead over Larson was .442-seconds on Lap 95. Kenseth Busch, Harvick, Jones, Elliott, Truex, Johnson and Bowyer completed the top 10 

Larson was trailing Hamlin by .746-seconds when he reported to the crew on Lap 103, “I’m blowing up, I’m blowing up.”

“I think I was passing a lap earlier and when I lifted, I heard it start to blow up," Larson said in the garage. "I was hoping it wasn’t. But, by the time I got back to the gas I knew it was done. It’s just unfortunate to have four DNF’s in a row; two from engines and then two from wrecks. It’s a crappy way to end the season. I thought I had, by far, the best car here today, so I was really happy about that. The Refresh Your Car! Chevrolet was definitely the best car I’ve had at Phoenix. So, I’m happy about that. I just hate that we don’t really get a shot to race for the win.”

He led 12 laps before finishing 40th.

Kenseth moved up to second followed by Kyle Busch, Harvick, Jones, Elliott, Truex, Johnson, Bowyer and Blaney. 

With 40 laps remaining in the stage, Hamlin’s lead was 1.374-seconds over Kenseth. Kyle Busch, Harvick, Jones, Elliott, Truex, Johnson, Bowyer and McMurray completed to the top 10. Newman, Blaney, Keselowski, Logano and Kurt Busch ran 11th through 15th. 

Hamlin’s advantage was 1.427-seconds over Kenseth with 30 laps left in the stage. Kyle Busch, Jones, Harvick, Truex, Elliott, Johnson, McMurray and Bowyer rounded out the top 10. 

Truex passed Harvick for fifth on Lap 129. Elliott remained seventh followed by McMurray, Johnson and Newman. Newman passed Johnson for ninth on Lap 132. Jones passed Kyle Busch for third on Lap 136. 

Hamlin moved out to a 1.419-second lead over Kenseth with 10 laps to decide the stage. Jones, Kyle Busch, Truex, Harvick, McMurray, Newman, Elliott and Bowyer rounded out the top 10. On the next lap, Truex passed Busch for fourth-place.