AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kevin Harvick has been backed into a corner before in NASCAR’s elimination-style playoffs. Put Harvick in a must-win situation and he’s proven repeatedly he can deliver.

So here he is again, at Phoenix International Raceway in need of a victory to continue his bid for a second Sprint Cup championship. If he is stressed, you can’t tell. Harvick sat relaxed on the wall along pit road with the cavalier attitude of a driver who isn’t at all worried about winning Sunday.

“We just have to control the things that we can control, try and put ourselves in position to where we usually do and see where it all falls,” Harvick said. “What I like about it is the sense of the unknown, the competition, the effort, the thought and everything that goes into that is intriguing for me.

“From a team standpoint, to see where everybody is at and how they approach it, is fun to me, and I like to see people performing and working at that level.”

XFINITY SERIES: Kyle Busch won for the 10th time this season on the second-tier series, getting a victory at Phoenix International Raceway, while Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Justin Allgaier and Elliott Sadler qualified to race for the title next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Austin Theriault of Fort Kent finished 27th.

FORMULA ONE: Lewis Hamilton clinched the pole position for the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo ahead of Nico Rosberg, setting the stage for Sunday’s showdown between the Mercedes teammates in their battle for the title.