Thursday, May 30, 2013

Pit Road Week 12

Charlotte Motor Speedway: Coca-Cola 600

This is not only a late Pit Road article for Nascar Behind the Wall but also will be a short one. I am going to skip right to the updated Power Rankings. Reason behind that is I was out of town with friends and family for Memorial weekend and only caught about 50 laps of the Coca-Cola 600. Instead of writing up some BS about the Rising, Coasting, and Falling drivers I am going to just update the Rankings bye the articles I have read and how the drivers final results were. So on to the rankings and on to the Monster Mile this week! Check out the Coca-Cola 600 Results here.

**Keep in mind these Rankings only include points races so their is no consideration from the All-Star Race**


Pit Road (Week 12 Power Rankings)
  1. Matt Kenseth (LW-1)- He did finish the night in 15th, but he also led 112 laps on the night. Between him or Jimmie Johnson I will stay with last weeks number one.
  2. Jimmie Johnson (LW-2)- Late race wreak that had him spinning off the track sent him back to a 22nd place finish. He was having a solid night before that happened. He has been unstoppable at the Monster Mile so he may climb back to number 1 soon.
  3. Carl Edwards (LW-3)- Carl has been a mainstay at the top of the Power rankings. He didn't do enough to move past the bad finishes of Kenseth or JJ but his 11th place finish also didn't move him down. The top 3 guys in the Power Rankings all have a good track record at Dover in the last 10 races.
  4. Kevin Harvick (LW-7)- Harvick has been hot as of late and is having a pretty solid season. He is now up to 7th in the Points Standings with 2 wins in 2013
  5. Clint Bowyer (LW-5)- Clint stays put after notching another top 10 finish (8th). He sits 4th in the points and has 6 top 10's this year.
  6. Kasey Kahn (LW-8)- Kahne comes up as the Brides Maid again at a 1.5 mile track. He has been good but just not good enough to squeak out the wins at those tracks this year. He has 5 top 5's which ties him with Kyle Busch for the second most on the season.
  7. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-4)- Well Jr makes a fall this week due to trouble at Charlotte, but mostly because other drivers around him got hot. Its just a tough 3 through 7 but he may stay down this way with Dover not being kind to him in the last 10 races there.
  8. Denny Hamlin (LW-NR)- After being out with his injury, Denny has made a strong run back with 3 straight top 10's (2 of the top 5's). He also makes his way back on the Power Rankings with slumping drivers all around.
  9. Kyle Busch (LW-8)- Caught up with a camera hitting his car and then having engine problems (nothing to do with the camera problem) Kyle had another weekend where he can not wait to leave.
  10. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Well Kurt has found himself back on the Power Rankings in 2013 with a 3rd place finish at Charlotte. That would be two top 5's in a row and three top 10's in his last 5 races. Every race that goes bye the Furniture Row team gets better and looks more and more like they will find a win (which could mean a Wild Card spot).
  11. Martin Truex Jr (LW-12)- Who hung on with all the newcomers taking up spots? Truex did with his 9th place finish. He actually has made a case to be higher on this list but its tough going. Another solid finish at the Monster Mile and he will make a dramatic jump. He is still 9th in points and has 5 top 5's in 2013
  12. Ryan Newman (LW-NR)- Well Newman marks the 3rd driver who wasn't ranked after out last race that made this weeks Rankings. That is how bad the slumping (and crashes) seemed to have affected the guys down here on the bubble. Newman the only halfway bright spot this season at Stewart-Hass finished 6th at Charlotte.
Dropped Out: Brad Keselowski (6th), Jeff Gordon (10th), and Aric Almirola (11th).
Just Missed: Joey Logano

Well onto the Monster Mile where many drivers will be looking to get back on track while getting pushed all around the track.
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Week 12 Preview

Charlotte Motor Speedway: Coca-Cola 600

Well Jimmie Johnson started the two week Charlotte visit with his forth All-Star win in his career. That fourth win is now a Nascar record which broke him away from Jeff Gordon (both had 3 All-Star wins before Saturday) and the late Dale Earnhardt. Now can Johnson get the win that really matters this next Saturday and catch back up to Matt Kensth in season wins, who was also this weeks driver in Driver Spotlight?

During the All-Star race is seemed like maybe Jimmie Johnson is finding his Charlotte groove that he had back in the mid 2000's (Won 5 of 6 races from 2003-2005). Unlike that run, the last 9 races at Charlotte have resulted in 9 different winners including Kasey Kahne (Spring) and Clint Bowyer (Fall) last year.

With that many different winners it seems that the chances of a repeat driver in the 10th race is likely, but who will it be? Johnson has 6 career wins, Jeff Gordon 5, and guys like Jeff Burton (3) and David Reutimann (1) even have recent wins. So lets get on with it, the Good, Middle, and Bad drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway. If you need a look back, check out the Spring 2012 results here.


The Good:
  • Kyle Busch- I will take this even after he looked like he would win all night at the All-Star race. I will take this even though he has yet to win at Charlotte in 18 starts. In the last 10 races during a points race, Kyle has 9 top 10's and 7 top 5's. Best Chance Forecast: It isn't a long shot, yet it is because he hasn't won here yet, I'm taking him for the Win.
  • Kasey Kahne- 10 races here and only one driver has won more then one race, that's Kahne. Winning last year and in 2008 Kahne also has 7 top 10's and 5 top 5's in the last 10. Best Chance Forecast: As long as he and Kyle are not running one and two at the races end (never know who will spin out, always seems to be Kasey) then he should be looking at a top 5 with a shot at winning.
  • Joey Logano- Who has the best average finish position of current drivers here? Well of course Joey Logano. Though he only has 8 career starts at Charlotte his average finish of 10.1 give him 3rd best in the last 10 races. Best Chance Forecast: Sliced bread was runner up at the All-Star race and has had a pretty good season less the penalty, I think he can find another top 10 and might run top 5.
  • Runner ups- Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle
The Middle:
  • Jimmie Johnson- Jimmie just won the All-Star race which is now a Nascar record 4th time, and he has 6 career wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway which is the most among current drivers yet he is in the middle class? Well his last 10 have produced a 17.5 average finish. He does have 4 top 10's with 3 of those being top 5's in his last 10. Johnson showed in the All-Star race he may have regained his grasp on the track.
The Bad:
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr- I know Jr Nation won't like this, but stats are stats. In his last 9 races (missed last years Chase race) he has an average finish 22.4. He also starts on average in 18.4 position which is part of the problem. Only 3 top 10's in those last 9 means Jr needs to turn it around here. Lucky for him he has had a good year of turning it around other then some bad luck here and there.
  • Paul Menard- Six drivers down that average finish position list is Menard (24.3). In his last he has only placed in the top 10 once and that was 2010. In those 10 races he has only finished better then 20th 3 times! Not a good sign for Paul this weekend.
Laying Low:
  • Kurt Busch- I am not sure he is every laying low anymore, but Kurt is one of 9 drivers to have a win in the last 10 races (2010). 4 top 10's and 3 top 5's in the past 10 races here he could find his first win on the 2013 season and make getting into the Chase that much closer. Also not he ran well in the All-Star race and has been hot this season just about everywhere.
  • Martin Truex Jr- This is a bit of a long shot when in his last 10 he has an average finish of 18.9 and only two top 10's but last season he finished 12th and 10th so I think he has it in him to find the top 10. Still probably wont be a factor to win though.
  • Tony Stewart- Yeah he has been demoted to the part of a "laying low" driver. His last 10 here do not look pretty (1 top 10) so this is a risky pick, but it's they laying low section so I can take as many long shots as I want. I feel like I need to tell myself again and again this is a past champion and he knows how to race. Anyways, if you take out the last 10, he has 18 races with 11 top 10's, 6 top 5's, and a win.

Still want more? Well check out some quick links to other articles:

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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Driver Spotlight: Matt Kenseth

Nascar Behind the Wall Driver spotlight: Matt Kenseth. This segment will be a short article about where each driver is right now during the 2013 season. At the end of the season I will review some of the more interesting stories from Driver Spotlight

Who better to spotlight on All-Star weekend then the guy who just moved to first in the Power Rankings and has been on fire in 2013. That guy is obviously Matt Kenseth. Last season at Richard Childress Racing Matt Kenseth had a typical season in his books, 3 wins, 13 top 5's, and 19 top 10's. Kenseth made the Chase in 2012 and ended up finishing 7th overall but by the end of the season
knew he was moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013.

Some thought he may get distracted and fall off some but he still managed two of his three wins on the season during the Chase. But whats new, Kenseth has been one of the most consistant yet quiet drivers since he made full time Sprint Cup.

Starting 2013 Kenseth didn't just have some doubters, but many. Many thought he may have a slow transition to JGR expecially since he has spent most his career at Roush. Once again, everyone was wrong, instead he has matched 2012 in Wins through 11 races, sitting third in the standings, has the best starting position average in his career (9.0), and is arguabley the hottest driver thus far in Nascar.

So when will he get comfortable at Joe Gibbs Racing? The better question is can he keep this going and make a run at the Sprint Cup Title? The 2013 season could not have gone any better for Kenseth and the #20 team but can they get hot (or stay hot) through the Chase when it matters? So the real story to watch while Matt Kenseth is untouchable is how will he do when the pressure is on and can he get his second Sprint Cup Title (first one in 2003)?


                                    2013               2003 Title Season (Season Total)
                                                     (*Through 11 Races*)
                               Top 10:     7                                        9 (25)
                                 Top 5:     3                                        4 (11)
                                  Wins:     3                                        1 (1)
                         Finish Avg:    11.8                                   8.27  (10.3)

So after a look at this season and his title season through 11 races you can tell how hot 2013 has been. In 2012 he was definatly more consistant and that followed through during the 2nd half of the year where he didnt pick up a second win but he has his best career average finish position other then 2006 when he finished second and had averaged 9.8.  It will be intersting to see if at the end of this season we come back to this article and find a season lost, or find where a two-time Champion was born.

**6/2/13 Update: Well since the ASR Kenseth has finished 15th and 40th. This week at Dover (40th) he had a car that looked like it was the one to beat, but his TRD engine blew up on him and finished his day when he went behind the wall. Kenseth is still fine and will get into the Chase no matter what happens, but will the Toyota engines have any factor by the time the Chase comes around or is this just a case of bad luck? It will be interesting to watch play out down the stretch.**
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Sunday, May 12, 2013

Pit Road Week 11

Darlington Raceway
 
So, we leave Darlington and Matt Kenseth is our winner, sound familiar this season?  People were wondering how long it would take Kenseth to adjust at Joe Gibbs Racing, I don't think anyone has any doubts anymore. The better question is will he get is second Sprint Cup Title this season? The last and only title he has was in 2013, so maybe 3 is his number.

As for the rest of the race it was pretty top heavy with the heavy hitters in Nascar. Denny Hamlin had a great showing but is leaving Darlington upset because he needs some wins to have any shot.  Lets not get too into it, most of us watched the race. Lets move on to Rising, Coasting, and Falling drivers after week 11. Need the race results? Look here, Bojangles Southern 500.


Rising, Coasting, and Falling Drivers After Darlington Raceway

Rising:
  • Matt Kenseth- Can he rise anymore? Well he makes the list this week because he just secured a Chase spot. No way he drops out of the top 20 and 3 wins will be enough. Bigger question is will he win the title.
  • Denny Hamlin- He needed this race. He finished second, but he also needed a win. Denny has the talent to get a few wins before the Chase so this race was a reason for optimism in 2013.
  • Jeff Gordon- Well this is the first week the top 3 drivers are also the top 3 finishers in the previous race, but Gordon has been running well. Gordon slowly worked his way from the bottom into the Chase.
  • Ryan Newman- Another top 10 for Newman. That is his 5th of the season which is the same ore better then 5 guys who are in a Chase spot right now. He will need to start getting top 5's and wins soon though.
Coasting:
  • Carl Edwards- Three straight top 10's for Edwards leaving him safely in second in the standings. He seems to be over looked week by week but he has had a great bounce back season.
Falling:
  • Brad Keselowski- Starting to get in worry mode, BK is down to 6th in the standings. He has had a lot of bad luck, I mean a lot. If it was a battle he would be right there with Kyle Busch. Anyways he doesn't have a win yet so he will be worrying until he does.
  • Aric Almirola- Almirola, this past weeks Driver Spotlight driver, had three straight top 10's before finishing 20th this week. He is still in a Chase spot but he needs to run well week by week to fight off guys like Truex, Newman, and McMurray.

Pit Road (Week 11 Power Rankings)
  1. Matt Kenseth (LW-2)- Jimmie Johnson did nothing to lose the top spot, but Kenseth has just been red hot. He has the most wins in Nascar (3), just retained points taken from him earlier this season, and now hasn't finished higher then 14th in 7 races (5 top 10's and 2 Win's).
  2. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- JJ didn't lose 1st but rather Kenseth took it. JJ hasn't nothing to worry about, he is first in the standings and he just finished in the top 5 again (6th of the season).
  3. Carl Edwards (LW-3)- Carl has been consistent in 2013 and just wont fall off. Finishing 7th at Darlington gives him his 7th top 10 of the season.
  4. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-6)- Jr gets back into the top 5 in the Power Rankings while getting back into the top 10 at Darlington (9).
  5. Clint Bowyer (LW-5)- Didn't have a great run at Darlington but he managed a 11th place finish which comes up huge come Chase time.
  6. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- BK started 2013 off like he ended 2012, as a Champ, but lately bad luck and bad runs have taken a tole. He has slipped to 6th in the Standings with zero wins on the season.
  7. Kevin Harvick (LW-9)- If you take out the two plate races Harvick hasn't finished worse then 14th (2 crashes at Daytona and Dega took him out). He also only has 3 top 10's on the season. Consistent but not great, yet, Harvick could make a run during the Chase.
  8. Kyle Busch (LW-10)- Kyle dominated most of the evening until getting anywhere near Kahne, when he took a turn for the worst. He still managed a 6th place finish and is safe for the Chase right now. Tough standings to move in has Kyle sitting pretty still until he makes another run.
  9. Kasey Kahne (LW-8)- Kahne had a great run until Kyle got near him, which has been bad luck this season. Those too just can't run side by side this year without the air taken one or both of there cars to the wall.
  10. Jeff Gordon (LW-NR)- Jumping into the Sprint Cup Chase top 12, and jumping back into the NBTW Power Rankings. Gordon has quietly been running pretty well as of late and that was topped off with a 3rd place finish Saturday.
  11. Aric Almirola (LW-7)- Last week he went 11 to 7, this week right back down. He is still having a great season but he will be on the edge all season long until he finds career win number one.
  12. Martin Truex Jr (LW-11)- Tough call this week on Truex and Menard who were 11 and 12 last week, plus Biffle had a good run. Unfortunately for them Truex finished 12th and has had a good season after making the Chase last year, but will need more if he wants to make it back to back years.
Dropped Out: Paul Menard
Just Missed: Greg Biffle

Well we have an "off" week, which means the excitement of the All-Star race at Charlotte which has no points included but tons of money for the taking. I will not have a race preview or review for All Star weekend but will have articles including Tweets of the Week All Star addition.
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Tweets of The Week: Darlington

Just some tweets.
























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Driver Spotlight: Aric Almirola

Nascar Behind the Wall Driver spotlight: Aric Almirola. This segment will be a short article about where each driver is right now during the 2013 season. At the end of the season I will review some of the more interesting stories from Driver Spotlight

Last season Aric Almirola joined Richard Petty Motorsports to start his first full Nascar season. Almirola followed that up by racing in 36 races. Aric only found the top 10 4 times last season but that doubled his career total before that (2).  Also in 2012 he notched his 2nd career top 5, a 4th place finish at Martinsville in the Fall (during the Chase). He ended last season with an average finishing position of 20.0 and he also finished 20th in the Sprint Cup Standings. Overall he had a pretty good season in his first full year with RPM.

The 2013 season started out the way he ended 2012, on the upswing. In the first four races he didn't finish outside 16th, yet he wanted more. In those four races another story wasn't being told, he didn't finish above 13th. Nascar entered Martinsville, the place where Aric had just finished top 5 late last year, and he had troubles and finished 37th. That has been his only real speed bump.

Well as of late Almirola has found what he was searching for at the beginning of the season. In the past four races Aric Almirola has had four straight top 10's. Those four top 10's already match his total from last season alone. Not only that, but he is sitting in a great position to make the Chase, 7th, and possibly get his first career Sprint Cup win.

If the rest of the season goes like his short career has with RPM then he will be in victory lane in no time and may get Richard Petty back into the Chase this season. The thing to watch is if he can find a dominate car on a week to week basis for long stretches. He will need to find a way to be a player for a win here and there to keep a safe spot at the Chase with guys like Gordon, Logano, and Newman on the outside looking in. So will he get in? Will he find career win #1? Hopefully we are reviewing these at the end of the season in Driver Spotlight Review.

Season Stats:

           2013    Career
Starts:   10         81
Wins:    0            0
Top 5:   0            2
Top 10: 4          10
Finish: 25.9      14.8




**6/2/13 Update: Since the original Spotlight came out on Almirola he has done nothing but go downhill. He lost his spot in the Chase and has yet to record another top 10 in a points race (3 races). He did however finish 7th in the ASR. After an 18th place finish at Dover his season is starting to hit a cross road. Aric sits 12th in the points standings but does not have a Chase spot due to the fact he does not have a win. The big question still will be can he get his first Sprint Cup Win this season and if he does can it help him get into the Chase?
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Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Week 11 Preview

Darlington Raceway: Bojangles Southern 500

Week 10 on the Nascar season is about to arrive at Darlington Raceway just one week after Talladega put a dent in some drivers spot in the standings. Darlington has the potential to do the same thing this Saturday.  After a crazy finish that brought Nascar fans two small car teams, that happened to be from the same team, finishing one and two can Darlington exceed that excitment? This Saturday night trip is the only stop at Darlington Raceway on the 2013 season. Last year none other than Jimmie Johnson got the win. In 2011 Darlington brought Regan Smith a win so anything is possible.

Lets get into this weeks Good, Middle, and Bad category drivers at Darlington. For results of last years race at Darlington Raceways look here.


The Good:
  • Jeff Gordon- Not only does Gordon have the most career wins at Darlington of current drivers, but he also has notched one in his last 6 races (plus 4 top 5's). Best Chance Forecast: If he doesn't add another Darlington Stripe he could have a real shot at a top 5 and helping out his Chase chances.
  • Jimmie Johnson- The second Hendrick driver on the list, JJ was not only the last winner at Darlington (2012) but also 2 other wins, 6 top 5's, and 7 top 10's in his last 10. Best Chance Forecast: JJ has a good track record here and in the Sprint Cup, I will take a for sure top 10.
  • Ryan Newman- Best Driver to not have a win at Darlington in the last 10 races? Newman. Ryan has 7 top 10's in the last 10, 5 of those top 5's. Best Chance Forecast: If I was taking a long shot this week for the win, Newman would be it. But look for a chance at the top 10 and continuing to be the best Stewart-Haas driver this season.
The Middle:
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr- Jr is going to be my spotlighted middle man. He has struggled in his last 4 races here, only getting one top 15. But if you just look at the last 10 as a whole he has 5 top 10's and 2 top 5's. Something has to give and maybe this time around he finds the top 10 again.
The Bad:
  • Paul Menard- Having a good season, but a bump in the road last week at Dega and now a place where his career average finish position is 24.5 isn't what Menard wants to see. If their is a bright side, in his past three starts he has finished better in each (including 13th last year).
  • Clint Bowyer- Last year Clint did finish 11th and he also had a Pole in 2007, but his average finish is 22.6 in 7 career starts (only 1 top 10).
  • Juan Pablo Montoya- I guess in a way finishing in the 20's isn't "bad" but it sure isn't good either. In 6 career starts he did finish 5th once, but his other 5 go like this, 24, 23, 20, 23, and 23. So id you are looking for a guy to finish in the mid 20's you have found the guy.
Laying Low:
  • Aric Almirola- Well he is a long shot. Aric only has one career start here and he finished 19th. Darlington is a tough track for young drivers but if he stays clean he has been hot so he could get lucky.
  • Martin Truex Jr- He has back to back top 10's at Darlington. He had a good run for a few weeks where it looked like he would break his win less streak but came up short. I don't know that he can win but another top 10 isn't out of the question.
Could we get another crazy week like we have come accustom to this 2013 season? Will Kenseth keep his hot streak going this season by figuring out another track he hasn't been dominate at? Can another small car team come out of no where for a win? Tune in this Saturday to find out! Need more, check out these links:

           JGR and Kenseth penalties reduced.
           Penske penalties reduced.
           Paint Scheme's for Darlington
           Air Titan at Talladega

Check back later for Tweets of the Week! Also, with a Saturday race, Pit Road Week 10 on Sunday with Power Rankings.
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Sunday, May 5, 2013

Pit Road: Week 10

Aaron's 499 Talladega Superspeedway

Sunday the race started and then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally after a long break and the Air Titan doing its job Nascar got the cars back on the track just in time to get the race in before darkness hit. As normal, drivers were trying to beat more then the darkness, but they were also trying to avoid the wrecks that end many drivers days.

Talladega was no different this year taking out Kahne, Kyle Busch, Harvick and more early on. Towards the end of the race promising runs by Kurt Busch, Newman, and Bowyer were all diminished. In the end it was Front Row Motor sports vs Edwards and Kenseth and "David" won. Not just the David vs the Goliath but David Ragan. It was a huge win for him and his team. But lets not go too long on about the race, I'm sure you sat long enough through the rain delay. Here is full results of the Aarons 499.


Rising, Coasting, and Falling drivers after Talladega.

Rising:
  • David Ragan- The list has to start with him. Talladega sure is a place where a small team can come up big but still no one saw that finish coming. Him and his team mate, Gilliland, made there way to the front on the last lap to finish 1 2. Great win for Front Row.
  • Aric Almirola- If you are keeping count, that is his 4th top 10 in a row. Don't look now but he is getting into position to get a Richard Petty Motorsports car into the Chase. I also think he is in line to finally get a win this year.
  • Carl Edwards- He is making a huge push this year with 5 top 5's in 10 races. Plus he has a 6th place finish that he almost notched another top 5. He had a rough year last year, is this the year he makes a run in the Chase again? Maybe get a Championship?
Coasting:
  • Matt Kenseth- Seriously when is he going to get comfortable at JGR? He hasn't missed a beat with his new team, in fact he has been running out of his mind. I'm sure he is disappointed with an 8th place finish after running so well all day and looked to be the guy to beat.
  • Jeff Gordon- He had a terrible day, yet he finished 11th and is on the cusp of a Chase spot. Gritting through Dega may be a race he looks back at as on that would have been much worse but didn't.
Falling:
  • Kyle Busch- He was part of the first crash at Dega. He is on a bad luck streak right now and it isn't pretty.
  • Kasey Kahne- Another guy bit early by the crash and bad luck bug. A guy who was one of the hotest drivers a few weeks ago has had back to back disappointing weeks.
  • Greg Biffle- 36th is not the finish he is looking for, yet he has two of them in a row. He is slipping as of late and needs a solid run to get it turned around
Pit Road (Week 10 Power Rankings)
  1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Well another top 5 in his 2013 belt. He was in the running down the stretch but was quiet compared to Ragan getting the win so people will forget he was up front.
  2. Matt Kenseth (LW-2)- No change here. May have fallen back to 8th at the end but he was the car to beat most of the race, and it has been that way in a majority of the races.
  3. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- After a huge jump last week up the rankings, Carl continues his steady rise with a 3rd place finish. He was first robbed a win when they got the cars back out after a rain delay, and then again when Ragan and Gilliland came out of no where to take the top 2 spots over.
  4. Brad Keselowski (LW-3)- He finished 15th and wasn't much of a factor Sunday, but no one under him can really make much of a point to be higher then him after Dega.
  5. Clint Bowyer (LW-5)- Going no where and staying 5th, Bowyer finished 18th after he got caught up in a late race wreck. He was having a very good day which he has been known for on plate tracks. Tough finish for him though.
  6. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-7)- Not a great day for Jr, but he got what he could out of his very average car finishing 17th. One of these weeks he will turn it back around and make another stretch run, but when?
  7. Aric Almirola (LW-11)- Aric now has 4 top 10's in arrow and every week putting himself in better position for a Chase spot. Petty sure would love to get a car into the Chase again.
  8. Kasey Kahne (LW-6)- What are you suppose to do with the rankings when power houses like Kahne, Busch, Harvick, and Biffle all go out early? Even Menard had a rough week. Kahne gets the draw because he was the highest last week and the wreck wasn't his fault.
  9. Kevin Harvick (LW-9)- Jumping Busch? Well he won last week, that's all I have got. Plus Kyle was the cause of the wreck that took many out early. (He did apologize for coming up too quick on Kahne).
  10. Kyle Busch (LW-8)- He is in a dry spell. He got up on Kahne too fast and gave him too much of a push and it ruined his day. Not what Kyle needed to get it turned around. He has a Chase spot on lock so he has time to get it figured out.
  11. Martin Truex Jr (LW-NR)- If you take out his 17th last week he has 3 top 20s in his last 4 (two of those top 5's).
  12. Paul Menard (LW-10)- Menard gets the nod over Gordon because this was his worst finish of the season, and its only 26th. In fact in the 10 races his other "bad" finishes were 21st, 20th, and 19th. He is still sitting with a Chase spot.
Dropped Out: Greg Biffle
Just Missed: Jeff Gordon


On to Darlington! If you didn't check it out, take a look at the Nascar Quarter Season Review from this past week that looks at the first 9 races.  Also make sure to come back and check out the race preview for Darlington later in the week. Also follow me on Twitter for up to date Nascar Driver stats!
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Nascar 2013 Quarter Season Review


Let's get to a review of the top half of the drivers standings.

On Vacation (Drivers In)
  • Jimmie Johnson- It is the Quarter mark to the Nascar 2013 season and JJ has already amounted a 43 point lead in the point standings. In that time he has 2 Wins, 4 top 5's and 6 top 10's while finishing every race. On top of that, guys like Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth have been hit with fines from Nascar and also ran into some bad luck that has left JJ by himself at the top. Nothing to see here, just JJ already marking his spot in the Chase. The rest of the way him and Chad will be just fine tuning.
  • Carl Edwards- He started the season off by getting a win week two and ever since then has been very consistent. He also has 4 top 5's and 5 top 10's in those 9 races. It is hard to see at this point Carl not staying in the top 20 and not getting a Chase spot.
  • Kasey Kahne- Kasey had a hot stretch where no one could touch him, well except for Matt Kenseth (finishing 2nd to him twice). Kahne also has an early season win that should help him keep a Chase spot at the end of 2013
  • Kyle Busch-Well the last two weeks have been ugly for Kyle, but he has his hot start of the season to fall back on. He has two early season wins that will at the very least get him the Wild Card spot (most likely). Kyle has been known to fall of once the Chase comes around, so that should start being the focus soon.
  • Matt Kenseth- Kenseth is in the same boat as Kyle with two wins almost assuring himself to at least a WC spot. Other then the Toyota Racing incident (50 points deducted) Kenseth hasn't had too many miss steps along the way.
Sitting Pretty (Looking good but can use some more in the next Quarter)
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr-I think he is a lock to get into the Chase but he still doesn't have a win and has had a few bad luck cases as of late. 3 top 5's and 6 top 10's have helped Jr stay in 3rd in the standings. Maybe Talladega he can get going again with a Win. Even without the wins he is 3rd so no real worries here.
  • Brad Keselowski- Well the current Champ has gone through just about everything a driver could in the past few weeks. Nascar penalties, fantum pit stop penalties, speeding penalties, spies, hitting the wall early, or finishing the race with half the car you started with, BK has done it. That being said he still has 7 top 10's in the first 9 races which is the most in Nascar. What BK needs is to get past the bad luck and get a win to really make sure he solidifies his spot. Can he do it at a track where his first Nascar win came and without his crew chief?
  • Clint Bowyer-He is really the third driver in this list that I think will end up in but a win would really help. Like I mentioned, Clint and the previous two drivers have done it all but just need to get that win to get it off there backs and make sure they are in for sure. Then they all can start getting ready for the Chase. Bowyer has only 5 top 10's but 4 of those are top 5's.


Work To Be Done (In the top 12 right now, but need to get moving)
  • Kevin Harvick- He is the safest driver in this section. Harvick just got his first win of the season at Richmond after finishing in the 12th-14th spot most weeks early on. The win will help him in the long run as will solid finishes, but if he gets hot watch out he could be sitting well by Chase time.
  • Greg Biffle- The Biff has had quite the ride so far this year. He started off with a top 10, then struggled a few races, then back on track, and now lately had two races with struggles.  This is part of the reason he hasn't finished above 3rs in the final season rankings since 2008. He will need to find consistency and at the right time to have a chance in 2013.
  • Paul Menard- Can he hold on to a Chase spot? That is the big question with Menard. Mostly because Menard is not normally in this position. He is almost half way to his career mark for top 10's in a season (at four now) but has yet to finish above 16th in the standings. If one thing is on his side, every season he has been getting better.
  • Aric Almirola- Who wants a Chase spot more, Aric or Richard Petty? Almirola started off the season on a good note not finishing worse then 16th in the first 4 races. In the middle he had two mis steps but in the last 3 races he has 3 straight top 10's. I would love to see the ole STP car back in a title chase but he needs to keep it up and find his first career win this season to releave some stress.
  • Jamie McMurray- If you didn't know the standings would you really think McMurray is in if the season ended after 9 races? Well even though he is in a spot now, his mind set doesn't change because he needs to get going. He has been very inconsistent but has racked up 3 top 10's/ McMurray just needs to find a win in the next quarter and stop riding the roller coaster ride in finishing position.
Sweating It (Guys outside the top 12 who have a decent shot, but better not wait too long)
  • Jeff Gordon- Well he had an up and down start to the season, and has had some issues that have held back his run the past few races but he managed a 13th and 11th back to back weeks. Gordon has a good chance with his track record to get into the Chase but it wont be easy. A few wins would really help his chances.
  • Martin Truex Jr- Well he made a two week run where he had a chance to break his win less streak but came up short. He sits just outside the top 12 but mostly because of those two races. Truex needs to find some top 10's in the next 9 races to have a shot to get in.
  • Ryan Newman- If you take out his bad luck races to start the season and the one other race (Martinsville) he hasn't finished higher then 15th (6 races).  4 top 10's and a top 5 in the early season has shown he still can run. He maybe the only chance for Stewart-Haas to get into the Chace this year. I think he has a good chance to sneak in if he avoids the 30+ finished that have him sitting so low.
  • Joey Logano- He would look a lot better with those 25 points back, say in a top 12 spot. Needless to say the Penske Nascar penalty hit this team hard but he has put together a good start to the season. He has been in some races down the stretch and in position to win so he has a shot to make the Chase if he gets really hot.


Starting to Worry
  • Denny Hamlin- DH is cleared to get back in the car at Dega. The thoughts are that he will start the race and sit towards the back until he can switch out so he can collect some points. He is 28th in points right now, or 71 points out of 20th. He still has an outside chance but no one really knows how he will come back. If he comes back to a slow start and he doesn't feel comfortable he may just shut it down for the season.
  • Kurt Busch- The little team that could. He has been impressive with his small team and has had some nice runs. I just don't know if it will be enough. He has an outside shot if he can stay consistent and in the top 20 and find a win or two.
  • Tony Stewart- A terrible season yet he is in 21st. Smoke could find a way to get hot and find some wins in 2013. If he does he could sneak in with a wild card spot and get hot at the right time. But the way he has looked this year it is hard to imagine that big of a turn around. I say he becomes more of the owner for the season and give everything he has to get Newman in and Danica as much advise as she wants.

Pack It Up (Guys who's Chase chances are slim to none)
  • Juan Pablo Montoya- Until last week at Richmond JPM hasn't been seen. He has had a dismal season and just doesn't have it this year. He always does have the long shot of getting a win or two because of road courses, but he still has not won on an oval.
  • Ricky stenhouse Jr- He has run pretty well for his first full season in Nascar, but I don't seeing it being enough. He will finish the season above fellow rookie and girlfriend Danica Patrick
  • Danick Patrick- Speaking of Danica, she doesn't have a chance at the Chase, but no one thought she did. She will just continue this season learning week by week and trying to get some top 10's. (And beating Smoke)
  • Jeff Burton- Burton just doesn't seem to have it again this season, so I doubt he will get back into the Chase and may have missed his window to ever have a good chance again. He will be focusing on just getting another win to snap his streak.
Who I like to get in at this point in the season: (Safest drivers towards the top)
  1. Jimmie Johnson
  2. Kyle Busch
  3. Matt Kenseth
  4. Dale Earnhardt Jr
  5. Carl Edwards
  6. Brad Keselowski
  7. Clint Bowyer
  8. Kasey Kahne
  9. Kevin Harvick
  10. Jeff Gordon
  11. Greg Biffle
  12. Ryan Newman
Making it close: Tony Stewart, Paul Menard, Kurt Busch, and Joey Logano. We will see how the next 9 races pan out and take a second look at how the Chase will shape up. Until then here are some extra links to take a look at.

Sprint Cup Standings
Latest Power Rankings: Pit Road Week 9
Rest of the Season Nascar Schedule
Talladega Preview

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Tweets of the Week: Talladega

Late addition of Tweets of the Week. A review on some last minute Talladega Statistics and a few Clint Bowyer late night Tweets!


















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