Week 29 Preview (Chase Race #3)

Dover International Speedway (Chase Race #3)

Well race 3 is a make or break race for guys like Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, and Kevin Harvick. For these guys things can go south very quick. Same goes for Kenseth, Johnson, and Kyle Busch. Each of these drivers have to make the pace and not fall off of it or the hill maybe too hard to climb. Lets take a look at the Chase drivers and who fares well at Dover.

The Good:

• Jimmie Johnson- 4 times JJ has tamed the Monster Mile in his last 10 races here for a win. On top of that he has 8 top 10's in that same span. Yeah, he has been good at Dover International Speedway.
• Carl Edwards- Well Dover is just what Carl wants to see. He is kind of teatering on the edge right now and could use a great finish. He has 7 top 10's in his last 10 here but no wins in that same time.

The Middle:

• Kevin Harvick- Harvick has an average finish of 10th in his last 10 starts at Dover yet only one of those has been a top 5. Earlier this year he finished 8th here so maybe he will build on that.

The Bad:

• Ryan Newman- Well in his last 5 races at Dover has one finish within the top 20 (15th) and the rest have been higher. Not good news for a guy needing a win to stay relevant in the Chase,
• Kasey Kahne- Kahne has an average finish of 17.5 and only 4 top 10's in his last 10 races at Dover. So what I am saying is, the bad could get worse for Kasey this week. Either way, he is packing up and getting ready for 2014.

Pit Road Week 28 (Post Chase Race #2)

New Hampshire (Loudon) Chase Race #2

Well I have been on vacation and out of town the past two weekends so Nascar Behind the Wall has gotten, well, behind. Hopefully I can get back on track for the rest of the Chase season starting with the Power Rankings after New Hampshire. So lets get right into it, also take a look at the race results here.

Pit Road Week 28

1. Matt Kenseth- Coming into the Chase Kenseth was having a boom or bust season. After two Chase races he is having a boom start. Kenseth is hoping the bust doesn't come next, but so far he is the clear cut leader after starting with back-to-back wins.
2. Kyle Busch- Well, Kyle just can't find the win, but if you aren't going to win coming in second will help. Kyle should also be happy he has started this Chase out well, because he has a history of running well during it.
3. Jimmie Johnson- Back to back top 5 finishes has JJ still in the hunt. He is only 18 points behind Kenseth in the points but will need to keep running this well and hope for a slip up to add to his title resume.
4. Greg Biffle- I gave the Biff the nod over Carl and Harvick because of the strong run at NH. He finished 3rd after a disappointing 16th in the Chases opening race. Biffle hasn't been that impressive this season but maybe he has saved the best for last.
5. Carl Edwards- Carl got a top ten finish (9th) one week after finishing one spot outside the top 10 in the first Chase race. 
6. Kevin Harvick- Harvick is right on the edge of drivers who still have a small shot at the title. He will need to go on a good run but we have seen that this year so anything is possible.
7. Jeff Gordon- Gordon had a real shot at winning at NH and making a huge jump in the standings, instead he finished 15th and is on the border of being out of contention.
8. Kurt Busch- Kurt is the last guy in the standings that I think has any shot of making a run at the title (though a very small shot). After Kurt (and Gordon 2 points behind) I don't believe anyone has a chance. Kurt has been fast but can it all come together in the last 8 races?
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr- Well this spot doesn't matter, because I don't think anyone down here will make an 8 race push, but Jr just made a run up front and finished 6th just one week after having a very rough day. These guys down here are just looking to get it going and carry into 2014 on a good note.
10. Ryan Newman- Newman followed a top 10 with an uninspiring 16th place finish. Newman is just looking to next year by now as he is on his way out.
11. Clint Bowyer- See Newman (minus the on his way out). After the last race before the Chase fiasco Clint just doesn't have it going.
12. Joey Logano- One of the hottest drivers before the Chase, JoLo had a bad luck start and only a top 15 this week (14th). Back to the drawing board at Penske.
13. Kasey Kahne- Kasey took a second half of the race spin and ended up 37st, ending any thought of a title run in 2013.

2013 Current Chase Standings

Nascar now heads to Dover International Speedway where Tony Stewart stole a win earlier this year. Race three is going to be a huge race for the top 3 drivers (Kenseth, Busch, and Johnson) as if one falters it will open up the door the rest of the way. 

Week 27 Preview (Chase Race One)

Chase Race One: Chicagoland Speedway

Well this week has been a world wind of allegations and information that has left the Nascar community with spinning heads. With the dust settling and fans finding out that Martin Truex Jr was out and Ryan Newman is in we head to Chicagoland for the Chases first race.

Lucky for the Chase drivers Tony Stewart is not running, he has 10 top tens in 12 career starts at Chicagoland.  Also, the most recent winner here is not in the chase this year, that would be last years Champion Brad Keselowski.

So the question is, who has the upper hand in the first Chase race?  Lets take a look at that question in Good, Middle, and Bad this week (Only guys in the Chase). You can also check out last years Chase race at Chicagoland here.

The Good:

• Jimmie Johnson- He has 9 career top 10's in 11 career starts here and 6 top 5's, but JJ has yet to win at this track. Will this be the year he gets a win here, or will his Championship quest start out like all the rest have?
• Kevin Harvick- Well you could say Harvick is good here, he does have 2 wins, 6 top 5's, and 7 top 10's in his 12 race career here. I would say he has a great shot at getting a hot start to the Chase.
• Ryan Newman- Newman has won a Pole here, Won a race here, finished in the top 10, and top 10. He has done it all and has a career average finish of 14.9 in 11 starts.

The Middle:

• Clint Bowyer-Bowyer (Mr. Intentional Spin) has 6 top 10's in his 7 starts here, yet only one time has he finished inside the top 5. He is consistent, but he will need to push for the front if he wants to push for a title again.

The Bad:

• Greg Biffle- The Biff has 1 top 10 in his 10 starts at Chicagoland. That isn't good news to the one guy most fans are writing off as a non contender. To his defense, he does have 3 11th place finishes and a 13th place finish, so it isn't out of sight to get a top 10.

The Unlucky: (Best driver's at Chicagoland that did not make the Chase)

• Jeff Gordon- As of this article Gordon is not in the Chase (right now you never know). Jeff has 12 starts here, 7 of them being top 10's, 6 top 5's, and 1 win (plus a Pole). I can see Gordon making a big run this year during the Chase and showing Nascar fans what theyre missing out on with the #24 team missing the Chase.

Who I like here for the top 5

• Ryan Newman
• Jeff Gordon
• Kasey Kahne
• Clint Bowyer
• Jimmie Johnson

Dark Horse I like for a run at the top 10?

• Brain Vickers- Maybe even a top 5

Well after this week we will get our first taste of how the Chase will break down. This is not a make or break race but it will help mold the field. Nascar Behind the Wall's review most likely will not be up until late next week as I will be out of town on a fishing trip in Northern Minnesota. 

Pit Road Week 26

Richmond International Raceway September 7th 2013

Let me take a deep breath, that has to be just about everyone's reaction after the race at Richmond and the news in the following days.  Saturday night it was Ryan Truex getting in the Chase after a late caution in which his teammate Clint Bowyer spun out with now one around. A few days passed and then on Monday Nascar fans learned of a conspiracy, that Bowyer was told to spin out to help bring a caution that would eventually lead to Truex making the Chase.

Nascar looked into this further and Monday Evening came down on MWR. This action left Truex out of the Chase and gave Ryan Newman his spot in the Chase, that most believed he deserved after taking the lead late at RIR (right before the "spin out" caution.

In other news, Nascar now enters its 10 race Chase, if you haven't forgotten about that. Well this addition of Pit Road will reset the Power Rankings to who is hot coming in and looks to have title contention. From here on most of the focus in previews and reviews will be about drivers in the Chase (with a few side notes from other story lines).  Take a look here at the full race results. *On a side note, Ryan Newman Signed on to RCR for 2014 and will drive the #31, but this is old news by now as well*

Pit Road Week 26 Power Rankings

1. Jimmie Johnson- I'm sorry, but I just don't think the #48 team can stay in this bad luck slump during the Chase. I will believe it when I see it, until then I have him starting in the top spot. He has been there, done that, and after only winning 1 title in the past 3 years he wants it.
2. Kyle Busch- Having said that about JJ, I do think others have the chance to pounce. Kyle has been notorious for falling off during the late season, but last year he fell off and missed the Chase and then turned it around and was one of the best drivers during the Chase. He has been fast all year so if he stays hot JJ will be looking over his shoulder, and then coughing up dust.
3. Joey Logano- Yeah, JoLo is everyone's dark horse, but he happens to be the driver I was high on all year. After he finally got a win that I was eagerly predicting, he has stayed hot while entering the Chase. This is his first Chase rodeo, but his teammate and last years Champ, BK, will be there to help along the way.
4. Matt Kenseth- I am not so sure about this spot for Kenseth. At times he has looked like the best bet to take down JJ, and other times he cant stay out of trouble or bad luck. He has been on a roller coaster and that doesn't cut it in the Chase.
5. Kevin Harvick- Well for the first half of the season he was Mr Consistency, he has been a little more rock as of late but he has still been solid. He already has a ride at Stuart-Haas next year but I think he will give it his all for RCR on his way out the door.
6. Kurt Busch- This man has been fast all year, I mean fast. Kurt though, has yet to win a race while being that fast. Something has got to give, and I think he will get a win in the Chase, but I do not think he will stay consistent enough in all the other categories to contend.
7. Clint Bowyer- This might be low for Bowyer, but not too many people will complain after the news that came out. Bowyer has been up front in just about every race, but when push comes to shove he hasn't finished one out for a win. Last year he was a threat to JJ and BK but fell just short (2nd). This year he will look to build on that, but he needs to find a way to win a few.
8. Kasey Kahne- Another guy who could be too low, Kahne has been fast on many occasions this season but he has also had the same story as Kenseth, roller coaster.  If he can stay consistent he does have a chance to be a darkhorse contender.
9. Carl Edwards- It has been a nice season for Carl, but I just don't know if he has enough to win it. He does have one thing on his side, he is Nascar's most recent winner (RIR). Unfortunately for him his story of winning has got lost in the Newman/MWR fiasco.
10. Ryan Newman- The lucky dog when it comes to the Chase (not really because he deserved the win and to get in, and worked his butt off to get up front) Newman is on his swan song with SHR. Newman did have one of the best Mondays in the history of Mondays, he got into the Chase without driving and also signed on to RCR for 2014 to drive the #31 Cat car.
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr- Sorry Jr Nation, I just don't like his chances. It isn't that Jr has been bad this year, its just that he hasn't been a front running contender much, so it is tough to see him being a contender now. He did have a nice run last year before his concussion so he cant be ruled out, he just isn't an odds on favorite.
12. Greg Biffle- Well Biff, I think you are getting the low spot in a lot of individuals rankings for the Chase. I have no problem with you but I think a guy like Jeff Gordon or Brad Keselowski in your spot would not only have a better shot at the tittle but be more entertaining. If you say you realized Biffle was racing this year (other then his win) you are either a Biffle fan or lying. But in all seriousness Biffle has just been background noise this year, he has been good but not great. He could hang around the middle of the standings but I don't see him as a contender.

Well Nascar fans, its time to start the Chase. With all the resent news and drama the Chase should shape up to be a good one this year. The big question is, will there be a 4th Champion in as many years, or will JJ get another (as BK and Smoke have no chance)? Check back in for my first Chase Preview later this week.

Week 26 Preview

Richmond International Raceway: Federated Auto Parts 400

So Kyle Busch just won at Atlanta and Nascar heads to one of his best tracks, is this a sign that he may finally have a good run during the Chase? I'm not sure if he will turn this into a stretch run but it can't hurt his chance.

One thing is for sure at Richmond, a lot of drivers are going to be over aggressive and try and squeeze into a Chase spot. Guys like JoLo, Newman, Busch, Keselowski, Kahne, etc are all looking to get into the Chase and for most of them another win (or first win) would go a long way. We should have an exciting last regular season race this season to jump start the 10th ever Sprint Cup Chase. Take a look at this years results from he first trip to Richmond.

The Good:

• Kyle Busch- One of his best tracks on the Nascar Schedule, Rowdy will be a front runner again this time around.
• Jeff Gordon- In Gordon's career he has enjoyed a lot of success at Richmond International Raceway and this time around he could use a bit of the old magic he has had in the past. Gordon is winless in 2013 and is one of the drivers on the cusp of getting into the Chase. A win this weekend and he may just squeak in.
• Kevin Harvick- Nascar's winner at RIR the first time around in 2013, Harvick has had 7 top 10's, 3 top 5's, and 2 Win's in his last 10 starts here.

The Middle:

• Clint Bowyer- Well he has a track record as of late to be considered in the "Good" category, but this season it seems like Clint has been in the middle a lot. Top 5 finishes here, top 10's there, but always just short when it comes to wins.

The Bad:

• Martin Truex Jr- One top 10 in the last 10 starts here at Richmond, the other Jr hasn't fared too well at RIS. Last time around he finished 17th which was his best finish in 6 races at RIR.
• Greg Biffle- In his last 10 starts here he also only has 1 top 10. Earlier this year he finished the race 36th and 15 laps down. Biffle is on the edge but should still get into the Chase even with a poor finish here.

Need More?

• RIS Preview from the first trip here in 2013
• RIS Review with Power Rankings from earlier in 2013
• Tony Stewart Press Confrence
• RIR Entry List
• RIR/Iowa Race Schedule
• Brad Keselowski Chase Long Shot
• Driver Reports Post Atlanta

Pit Road Week 25

Atlanta Motor Speedway Summer Race 2013

Well again I have been busy and Nascar Behind the Wall has gotten behind so I will start this article off with an appology to anyone who has been coming here to read preview and reviews each and every week. My Bristol Review was an unfinished product and this week I didn't have a Hot Lanta Preview. Well this week I missed the race while being out of town on a family camping trip so I will only add in my Power Rankings and leave alone the rising and falling drivers (other than to mention BK is just about dead in the water when it comes to his bid at being a repeat Champion). Take a look at the full race results here.

Pit Road Week 25 Power Rankings

1. Joey Logano (LW-2)- Come on National Media, JoLo has averaged a 5th place finish over his last 6 races. All of those races were top 10's, and the last 3 have been top 5's (1st, 5th, and 2nd). I seem to remember a resent Penske driver getting hot around the same time last year. Now Ill step back, I don;t know that Joey can win it, but he is making a push to be a contender.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Well Kyle won at Hot Lanta and also won at the Glenn a few races ago, but will he make a change in his late season dud's he has been known for? If he figures it out this year he will be a title contender.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW-3)- I ask again this week what is going on? Will this be out of the #48 teams system come Chase time? Is there a chip in the armor?
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- One week after a win at Bristol Kenseth falls to a 12th place finish. It wasn't a bad finish but he is looking for a hot streak heading into the Chase.
5. Clint Bowyer (LW-6)- Bowyer had some more bad luck this season and just when it looked like he could finally win a race in 2013. Clint can contend come Chase time, but he will need to find some wins along the way.
6. Kasey Kahne (LW-1)- And the Kasey Kahne rollercoaster continues. Another rough outing for Kahne after a good outing the week before.
7. Kevin Harvick (LW-9)- Another week and another top 10, Harvick finished 9th Sunday night.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-8)- Two top tens in a row for Jr, this week he finished 8th but doesn't seem like a contender to get a win anytime soon.
9. Carl Edwards (LW-7)- Carl lead a bunch of laps but finished 18th Sunday night. He will look for some more speed come Chase time.
10. Juan Pablo Montoya (LW-10)- Did this firing start a fire under him or what? Ever since the Glen he has finishes of 11th, 3rd and 7th. 
11. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Kurt was fast like normal, but came up short and finished 4th. He is inching his way towards getting into the Chase but one misstep may leave him like his brother last year (out of the Chase but running well).
12. Greg Biffle (LW-11)- The Biff has been the king of midiocrity this season and once again he finished that wat in Atlanta (15th). I don't see him as much of a title contender this season.

Dropped Out: Brad Keselowski

Just Missed: Martin Truex Jr, Brian Vickers, Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, and Jamie McMurray

Lot of guys on the edge of getting in this week. This was the last Power Rankings where anyone could get there name in, starting next week it will only be drivers who are in the Chase. Also starting next week the rankings will start all over, a clean slate, like it is the beginning of the season.

Pit Road Week 24

After leaving Michigan with another first time 2013 season winner, Joey Logano, I figured the same might happen at Bristol. Well I was wrong and Matt Kenseth was the one to prove it. I missed most of the race so this weeks review will mostly be based on how they finished and how the points effected there points standings. So I am throwing out the window if a driver ran well but got caught up in a wreck. So now that you know how I am attacking this weeks review lets get after it. Check out the full results here from this past Saturday.

Rising:

• Juan Pablo Montoya- Maybe getting fired got him going, none the less starting at the track he got fired after (Watkins Glenn) he has finishes of 5th, 11th, 3rd. He might make a case for another ride in Nascar if he keeps it up.
• Paul Menard- He needs a win and a miracle but the fact is he had a 4th place finish last week in Michigan and a 6th place finish this week at Bristol. He still sits 17th in points.
• Jeff Gordon- After a struggling stretch where it looked like his Chase chances were spent Gordon finished 7th at Bristol. Surprisingly he is still 13th in points and a win would go a long way in getting that Chase spot he is seeking. 

Coasting:

• Kasey Kahne- If you take out his rough day at the Glenn Kahne has 4 top 10's in that stretch of 5 (3 top 5's). He is heating up for a stretch run, but the question is can he stay out of trouble during the Chase?

Falling:

• Brad Keselowski- It didn't look like BK was having the strongest night, but finishing 30th by the end of the night really brought him back down after making a good run as of late. He really needs to push for top 5's and more important wins in the last few races.
• Kurt Busch- Same story as BK, Kurt lands on the falling list just after making a strong push towards the top 10 (He dropped back out this week after jumping in last week). Kurt still needs that illusive win.
• Jimmie Johnson- Wow, trouble finds JJ a week after bad luck found him. Is this still the same JJ that won all those Championships? I'm sure he will put it together but this team normally is immune to bad luck.

Pit Road Week 24 Power Rankings

1. Kasey Kahne (LW-10)- I'm going way against the grain, but Kahne's last 6 goes like this (11, 3, 1, 34, 7, and 2nd this week). Someone has to take JJ's spot, and even though Kenseth just got his 5th win I don't consider someone "Hot" until they can do it for at least a mini stretch.
2. Joey Logano (LW-8)- I have been on his bandwagon since the season started, but look at the stats (5 straight top 10's with a win and 2 top 5's in the last 5 races).
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Whats going on with the #48 team? Is the dynasty starting to come to an end? Is he going to become the Patriots of Nascar (Great but not Amazing)? Or maybe its just a road bump.
4. Kyle Busch (LW-4)
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-11)
6. Clint Bowyer (LW-5)
7. Carl Edwards (LW-3)
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-9)
9. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)
10. Juan Pablo Montoya (LW-NR)
11. Greg Biffle (LW-NR)
12. Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- Fair or not BK gets to hold on after being one spot higher (11th) in the standings and by being the reigning Champ over Kurt. Let me get this straight though, both have tons of work to do and really need to find a win because neither would get the WC.

Dropped Out: Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman

Just Missed: Paul Menard and Jeff Burton

Well the past few weeks have been busy and this is the start of the Bristol Review from a few weeks ago.