Qucken Loans Race For Heroes 500
Week 35
By Richard Tix
NASCAR heads to Phoenix International Speedway for its second to last race of the 2014 season. Doesn't it just feel like yesterday that the season started and Dale Earnhardt Jr was winning the Daytona 500?
The season started with many fans totally against a new change in the points (these are all based on personal opinions I saw on social media). It seems like every step of the way the new NASCAR format has been gaining followers. People have been digging the drama and action on the track during this stretch. In my opinion, this is what sports is all about (and what playoffs bring to a sport).
Yes, I get the old school, never change opinion, that they "best full season driver" may not win, but I will say to them, then why don't we just run 45 races a year and let the guy with the highest points win the Championship? Well because that would be flat out boring. Kind of like if the NBA played 100 games and then said, alright, you have the best record, you win the title.
No, NASCAR is not all these other stick and ball sports, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have a compelling playoff system that awards a team for sticking through adversity. I still find it more satisfying as a fan (and would as a driver or owner) to fight through a playoff system to win the title. Just look at the emotion it brings out! And before you go cussing BK, just think, this sport needs BK's and Rowdy's otherwise it would just be boring. Different personalities are what make this sport and what MANY fans have been asking for years, now we have it.
So, sit back, grab a cold beverage or two, and enjoy the show because the first New Era Chase Format is almost over.
The season started with many fans totally against a new change in the points (these are all based on personal opinions I saw on social media). It seems like every step of the way the new NASCAR format has been gaining followers. People have been digging the drama and action on the track during this stretch. In my opinion, this is what sports is all about (and what playoffs bring to a sport).
Yes, I get the old school, never change opinion, that they "best full season driver" may not win, but I will say to them, then why don't we just run 45 races a year and let the guy with the highest points win the Championship? Well because that would be flat out boring. Kind of like if the NBA played 100 games and then said, alright, you have the best record, you win the title.
No, NASCAR is not all these other stick and ball sports, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't have a compelling playoff system that awards a team for sticking through adversity. I still find it more satisfying as a fan (and would as a driver or owner) to fight through a playoff system to win the title. Just look at the emotion it brings out! And before you go cussing BK, just think, this sport needs BK's and Rowdy's otherwise it would just be boring. Different personalities are what make this sport and what MANY fans have been asking for years, now we have it.
So, sit back, grab a cold beverage or two, and enjoy the show because the first New Era Chase Format is almost over.
The Good
- Kevin Harvick- Want to talk about dominate? Its Harvicks last 4 races here. He has 3 wins in that time frame (the other was 13th). Earlier this year he lead 224 laps on his way to an easy win. If you go back 5 races you can add a runner up finish in 2012. He is the one to beat this weekend.
- Jimmie Johnson- 2nd, 3rd, and 6th. That's JJ's last three Phoenix finishes. In his career he only has four finishes outside the top 10, and only 1 out of the top 15. That's 22 career races with 18 top 10's. He is the king of consistency here.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr- This spot is all about the short term. If you look at his full career at Phoenix it is nothing to get excited about, but his last three finishes have been 5th, 4th, and 2nd (earlier this year). In those races he has been running mostly in the top 10, so maybe Jr has something figured out here he didn't earlier in his career.
- Extra Credit- Brad Keselowski
The Middle
- Matt Kenseth- For how well Kenseth has run over his career, I think most would say Phoenix isn't his best track. In 24 career starts he only has 9 top 10's and 5 top 5's. However, he does have a win at Phoenix and he normally doesn't finish outside the top 15.
The Bad
- Danica Patrick- Danica's first start here was a great 17th place run, but since she has three straight finishes of 33rd or higher. In all three of those races her average running position was 30th or higher.
- Casey Mears- Mears has 20 starts at Phoenix and not a single top 10. It's not that he has been terrible here, but in those 20 races he still only has four top 15's (which I normally judge guys like him on small teams on).
- Martin Truex Jr- In his last four races at Phoenix he has one 8th place finish and three above 22nd. In his last 9 he still only has that lone top 10. It has been a rough stretch for Martin.
Track Stats
- Kevin Harvick has won 3 of the last 4 races
- Chevy won 10 straight races from 2005-10
- In the last 8 races here Chevy has won 4 races, Ford 2, and Toyota 2
- Mark Martin has the most top 10's (21) followed by Jeff Gordon (20) in track history
- Jimmie Johnson has the best Average Finish position with 6.3 over his career (22 races)
- First NASCAR Cup Win at Phoenix in 1988 was by Alan Kulwicki. Also, his first career Cup win
- First Night race at Phoenix was run in 2005, won by Kurt Busch
- Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from 29th position. Still the farthest back a winner has started
- Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers (Ford 1993 and Chevy 2009)
- Mark Martin's last Career Pole was at Phoenix Intl Raceway
More Phoenix Articles:
- TV Schedule
- Entry List
- Power Rankings
- Fantasy Preview- TimersSports
- "It's Racing Folks, and I Love it" -Jeff Nathans from TimersSports
No comments:
Post a Comment