2014 Team Spotlight Review: Roush Fenway Racing

Roush Fenway Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Team Stats

Wins: 2

Top 5: 11

Top 10: 30

Pole: 0

In 2013 RFR had to watch former RFR driver Matt Kenseth dominate most of the year racking up 7 wins. In 2014 they had to think all season long about who was coming back in 2015. Was that a factor in why the team didn't quite perform up to expectations? We may never truly know, but in 2014 Roush Fenway just didn't have the speed that other teams did have (including another Ford team, Penske). 

In the end it may have also helped lose another one of RFR top drivers for the 2015 season, Carl Edwards. But lets stick to the season in review, 2014.

In 2014 all the major stats were down from 2013. All together RFR only had two wins (both Carl Edwards), 11 top 5's, and 30 top 10's. Most concerning is not one of the three drivers found a pole award in 2014, which is explained because of there lack of power. 

Still, in a disappointing season RFR manage to get two drivers into the 2014 Sprint Cup Chase (Edwards and Biffle). 

Carl Edwards

• 2014 marked Carl's last season with RFR, but lets focus on the season itself. Not many times during the season did I think to myself that Carl was one of the fastest cars on the track. Actually, it seemed like most of the year he hung out from 8-15th each race. Yet, he was still the best RFR driver in 2014 (statistically speaking). Carl ended up with his third straight season of 13+ average finish position (15.1). He had 2 wins, 7 top 5's, and 14 top 10's while finishing 9th in points (which was actually his highest finish since 2011).  

Greg Biffle

• 2014 was Biffle's worst season since his down year in 2011 when he also came up win-less. Even at tracks he normally runs well at he seemed to lack the speed he needed to run up front. He finished the 2014 season with 0 wins, 3 top 5's, and 11 top 10's while finishing the season 14th in points. However, he did make the Chase since it was expanded this season to 16 drivers.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr

• Was it the lack of RFR speed? Or was it a huge driver regression? Not sure what happened but the promise of Ricky's Rookie 2013 run is all but forgotten after 2014. He again didn't have a win, he had the same amount of top 5's (1), and 5 top 10's (up from 3), yet his average finish ended up being 22.4 (down from 18.9). 2015 will be a big season for Ricky and RFR.

Previous Team Spotlight Review: Michael Waltrip Racing

2015 Happy New Year: NASCAR Addition

By Richard Tix

Last year I started the NASCAR New Year article, so I thought I would revisit it again in 2015. This article is dedicated to the NASCAR drivers who will be celebrating a little harder then the rest. No, not Kevin Harvick after he won the Championship, but rather guys who want to forget the 2014 season. If you need a reminder of how it works, look back at last years Happy New Year: NASCAR Addition.

Tony Stewart

Smoke was looking forward to the 2014 after a huge let down in 2013 because of an injury he suffered in a Sprint Car race which left him missing races. He had a few surgeries and looked like he would slowly ease back into the 2014 season. However, Smoke never seemed to really make it back into old form. For the first time in his career Tony Stewart went a full Cup season without at least one win in NASCAR's highest level. He also had a bunch of off the track news that helped hold a cloud over his 2014 season, so Smoke will be as ready as anyone for 2015.

Clint Bowyer

Bowyer still seems to be reeling after the "spin gate" in 2013 at Richmond. I'm sure that event isn't the main reason, but it is ironic. Yet again Bowyer had a win less season and ended up finishing the season outside the 16 driver Chase. To make matters worse he finished a career worst 19th in the points and had his lowest number of top 10's since his rookie year.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr

I hate putting a second year guy on this list, but Ricky did not take a jump in the right direction in year two. Heck, he didn't even really take a baby step. Year three needs to be a bigger show of improvement for him not to be on this list again. Here is to an improved 2015!

Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch made the Chase by winning one race during the first 26 races, but that is where most of the good news ends in 2014. Some off the track issues came up that may have lead to him losing focus, or maybe it was just a down year for him. One thing is for sure, he had a better season in 2013 with a small team than he did in his first year with Stewart-Haas Racing. Here is to 2015!

Greg Biffle

Ill be honest, RFR should be on here in general. Something was just missing in 2014 with those cars. So not all of this falls on the drivers. That being said, Greg still went win less in 2014 even when Carl Edwards still found a way. His 2014 numbers were some of his worst numbers in the last three years so Biffle is looking forward to the new year.

Jimmie Johnson

If this is just based on an average drivers numbers than JJ would never touch this list, but he gets judged on a different scale, a JJ scale. In JJ standards he had a very below average season. His average finish of 15.3 was the highest of his career. He finished 11th in points which is the first time he finished above 6th (and he only finished about 5th once). So JJ and the #48 team will be looking forward to the new year in 2015 and getting back into there comfort zone.

Happy New Year Race Fans!

2014 Team Spotlight Review: Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Team Stats

Wins: 0

Top 5: 8

Top 10: 24

Pole: 1

Just as recently as 2012 I thought this MWR team was on the verge of being a big player when it came to NASCAR teams. They entered 2013 and had a great season until it fell apart at Richmond before the 2013 Chase when "spin gate" became a term.

Enter 2014. Not much has changed since that incident at Richmond. The team and sport has moved on (for the most part), yet MWR still is in that same funk how they left the 2013 season. In 2014 MWR moved back to only two drivers because spin gate cost them NAPA Auto Parts as a sponsor. Martin Truex Jr lost his spot on MWR due to that sponsorship loss and no new sponsors for a third car were brought in.

Clint Bowyer came back in the #15 and Brian Vickers was cleared to race and took over the #55 full time. Nothing was smooth sailing in 2014 for either driver as neither found a win or made the Chase. 

Clint Bowyer

• Before Richmond in 2013 (spin gate) Clint seemed to be making a push to be a rising star. He had just finished 2nd in 2012 and he was helping MWR try and reach a new level. A lot of things seemed to have crashed down after the incident at Richmond and he hasn't quite found his step yet. Some of this maybe due to the lack of speed some Toyota's experienced in 2014 compared to 2013, but maybe spin gate has something to do with it. He finished 2014 with 0 wins, 5 top 5's, and 15 top 10's while having an average finish of 17.1. All of those stats were lower than 2013 and most of them were close to career low's.

Brian Vickers

• Expectations were not as high for Vickers entering 2014. 2014 was the first time he ran a full time schedule since 2009, which in itself is a win for the #55 team and his health. Bad news struck this offseason that he will have to have heart surgery again and will miss the start of 2015. With lower expectations Vickers did about what most thought he would when he posted stats of 0 wins, 3 top 5's, 9 top 10's, 1 pole, while finishing the season 22nd in points.

Previous Team Spotlight Review: Ganassi Racing

2014 Team Spotlight Review: Chip Ganassi Racing

Ganassi Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Season Stats

Wins: 0

Top 5: 15

Top 10: 30

Pole: 3

In 2013 Ganassi parted ways with Juan Pablo Montoya and turned to rising young gun Kyle Larson. Larson didn't have much NASCAR top tier experience but was trusted to take over for the #42 team. That left Jamie McMurray as the lone veteran coming back to Ganassi in 2014. I thought going into the season Kyle would be up and down as most knew he had talent, but he was also raw. So, my thought's were about the same for the Ganassi team in 2014.

I wasn't sure what to expect as J Mac has bounced around most of his career and Kyle is a rising young gun. By the end of the season Larson was trying to lock in one of the last spots in the Chase and Jamie wasn't too far behind. However, neither one found the win they needed to assure there spot which left both drivers just short (17th and 18th in points). 

All in all 2014 was a success at Chip Ganassi Racing in my opinion. Kyle Larson had an exciting season which accumulated in the Rookie of the Year Awards and Jamie McMurray was competitive week to week. It's hard to look back between this season and last because the driver stable changed so much, but for a rebuilding team (something you don't hear used much in NASCAR) they took strides in the right direction.

Jamie McMurray

• McMurray had 7 career wins in his 12 seasons as a full time Cup driver, but in 2014 when it would have locked him into the Chase he couldn't get it done. That's the bad news, the good news is he had more top 10 finishes then he has had since his 2004 (13). He finished the seaosn with 0 wins, 7 top 5's, 13 top 10's, and 2 poles while finished 18th in points. 

Kyle Larson

• Larson's rookie season ended up with him finishing one spot shy of the Chase field (17th). Not a bad rookie campaign. His 2014 season will be a big stepping stone for him going forward. The next step for him will be locking in a Chase spot in 2015 and also getting his first Cup win. In 2014 he ended the season with 0 wins, 8 top 5's, 17 top 10's, and 1 pole. All of these stats lead the Ganassi team in 2014 except for poles. 

Previous Team Review: Richard Petty Motorsports

2014 Team Spotlight Review: Richard Petty Motorsports

Richard Petty Motorsports 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Team Stats

Wins: 1

Top 5: 5

Top 10: 14

Pole: 0

Coming into 2014 I thought this new Chase opened the door for guys at RPM to make the Chase. Like most people, that chance looked like it would be Marcus Ambrose's at a road course where he specializes. Well, Ambrose was shut out at both road courses missing his shot at the Chase. However, my statement was still someone correct before the season because the door did open for a RPM car to make the Chase. That car was the #43 of Aric Almirola after he won a rain shortened Daytona race. 

In the end RPM took a step forward in 2014. The win at Daytona was nice. It was Almirola's first Cup win but also broke a long win less streak for the famed #43. But, the increased consistency was also a plus on the season. RPM ended the season with 4 more top 5's then 2013 and two more top 10's. It was a step in the right direction for RPM that they will try and carry over into 2015.

Aric Almirola

• Aric made his first Chase appearance of his career after his first career win which came at Daytona. He didn't do much with the appearance but the experience and confidence it brought the whole team could help going forward. He had 1 win, 2 top 5's (1 more than 2013), and 7 top 10's (1 more than 2013). He also finished a career high 16th in the points (previous high 18th in 2013).

Marcus Ambrose

• 2014 marked Ambrose's last full time season in Cup. Unfortunately he left it on a sour note when he didn't notch a win at either road course. One thing is for sure, Marcus was one of the most entertaining road course racer's of any NASCAR Era. I am hopefully that someone will give him a decent ride in 2015 for NASCAR's two road course stops, but I maybe dreaming. He finished 2014 with 0 wins, 3 top 5's, and 7 top 10's. He finished his final season in Cup 23rd in points.

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B-

2014 was Justin Allgaier's first full time season on the Cup level. He ran four races in 2013 to get his feet wet and finished in the top 25 once. But the real focus is what he did in his rookie season, 2014. Justin didn't notch any top 10's in his first year running the #51, but he did manage to lead 16 laps.

Justin finished the season with a total of 10 top 20's which was a good number to hit in his first year with a small one car team. Add to that he had 16 top 25's and he had a pretty steady rookie year (all in 35 races). If it wasn't for a huge rookie class lead by Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon , Allgaier would have received a bit more attention in 2014.

Year two will be a big stepping stone for the young Cup driver and will show how his future may go. Its always hard to evaluate young drivers that get a ride with a small underfunded team because you don't get to see them in the best equipment. If we only think about the kind of ride he was in Justin had a solid rookie year. The brightest part about his season was that he ended it with 5 top 20's in the last 8 races (1 of those a top 15). In that time many Chase drivers were pushing it as hard as they could to get to the next round, so those top 20's will be an impressive stat when looking into his early 2015 season.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: C+

Danica Partick entered 2014 after finally putting in a full season's work in 2013. Many NASCAR fans took a keen eye on her 2014 season. Some because they love Danica, but other's because they wanted to use any chance they got to cut her down as a NASCAR driver.

I was watching to look for improvement. As we all know it, two years in the sport isn't a very long time, yet it seems like she has been given a shorter leash then many. Now, some of it is fair because she hasn't put up overwhelming statistics in her 82 race career, but she has taken her opportunity to join and learn the sport.

In 2014 she improve in many important categories, maybe not as some may expect, but none the less many people have looked past her having a better 2014 than 2013. She notched 3 top 10's (1 in 2013) and two of them came at non restricter plate tracks (Kansas and Atlanta). In fact those two races were impressive by her. 

Unfortunately, she didn't put those kinds of runs up very consistently. However she did put up 14 top 20's in 2014 which was up from 9 in 2013. The promising part about that is that 8 of those top 20's came in the final 14 races. So, she started to improve a little bit more to close the season out which is always promising. 

She also led more laps in 2014 than she ever has before. Now, 15 total laps led on a Cup's standard isn't amazing, but it is still more than she ever had. Also keep in mind, any ole driver maybe able to lead a lap here or there (pit strategy, etc) but leading 15 isn't a mistake, its still a great accomplishment. 

Even when Danica's on track performance doesn't stand out to me, I always notice that her desire to get better does. She shows that she wants to get better and learn. On top of that she has helped NASCAR bring in new fans when they were desperately hurting for them. Some fans only point the finger with what is in front of them. Sure, her stats have been underwhelming, but think about the impact she has on the future of NASCAR. She has been a great role model and maybe in the future she will be the reason a child grew up and became the next big NASCAR star all in two years time.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B-

The famed #43 car was finally back in victory lane in 2014. It had been a long while since the #43 made famous by Richard Petty graced Victory Lane, but is finally happened again in 2014. Was it in an action packed last minute finish? No. Did the #43 beat and bang its way in? No. Well, did the #43 run away with the win leading the field by 8 seconds? Nope, not even that. 

Instead, Aric Almirola and the #43 won a rain shortened race at Daytona. Now, that isn't taking a single thing away from the win. The team still had to put themselves in the position to take a gamble that the weather would play a factor. In fact, many other teams were going to try the same thing, but Aric just happened to be the one with the best.

Call it luck, or a shortened win. In NASCAR a win is a win and in 2014 that win got the #43 into the Chase for the first time. That Daytona win was also Aric Almirola's first Sprint Cup win in his career breaking a length streak of his own (not to mention the #43's win less streak). 

It was a great feel good story that NASCAR should continue to see moving forward with this new Chase system. It gives some of the other guys something to shoot for and who knows, maybe once they know they can get to this level they will use it to shoot for bigger accomplishments. All in all Aric and the #43 team had a fine season with a win, two top 5's (most of career), and seven top 10's (most of career).

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: AJ Allmendinger

AJ Allmendinger 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B+

2013 was the initial come back campaign for AJ Allmendinger but 2014 marked his appearance back in a full time Cup ride. It was a long road for AJ but it paid off in the end. His 2014 story line was one of the better ones when it comes to underdogs.

After not having a full time ride at the Cup series for a few years, JTG-Daugherty gave him a chance to sit in the #47 ride. A one car team, JTG took AJ in like family and in the end it paid off.

The biggest success of the season was when AJ Allmendinger brought the #47 to victory lane at Watkins Glen which clinched his spot in the new Chase. It was AJ's first Cup win and his first appearance in the Sprint Cup Chase.

The greatest part of the win was to see the true emotion drivers and owners get when they win. Its not that Johnson, Hendrick, Gibbs, Gordon, etc don't have the same real life emotion, but they have so many wins you don't always see that raw emotion with everyone of there victory lane trips. With AJ and Brad Daugherty, you saw every littler ounce of emotion, and the sport, fans, and media loved it.

In short, AJ was the underdog and comeback story of 2014 and we can just leave it at that.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Jamie McMurray

Jamie McMurray 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B-

Jamie McMurray entered the 2014 season coming off one of his best seasons (2013) since 2010 when he won three races. IN 2014 he continued where he left off in 2013.

By the end of the season J Mac had more top 5's (7 compared to 4) and top 10's (13 compared to 9) in 2014 then he has the season prior. In fact, he hadn't had 13 top 10's since 2004 (23) and those 13 were a career second best (also had 13 in 2003). It has been a long and winding journey but in 2014 McMurray ended up getting back some consistency he had lacked lately.

However, he may have had some consistency but bad luck still followed him and ruined a bunch of race days. He ended up with an average finish of 16.2 (second only to 13.2 in 2004) on the season but had 6 finishes of 30th or higher. Which shows you he had a bunch of good runs to counter those bad finishes.

In his last 16 races he notched top 10's half of the time (8). The thing that sticks out the most to me is the way he finished the season. If you take away Talladega (35th) he has 3 top 5's in the last 6 races. The other two finishes in that time were 14th and 16th. So he ran well to end the season. Between he and Kyle Larson, Ganassi had a pretty good 2014 campaign and look to roll into 2015 on that run.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B-

Austin Dillon came into the 2014 season as a favorite, along with Kyle Larson, to win Rookie of the Year. Austin Dillon came short of ROY, but not all was lost in 2014. Dillon still gained a lot of experience throughout the year and still finished second in the ROY award.

Coming into the season the biggest news may have been the number he was driving, not the actual fact that he was running his first full time season at the Cup level. Many fans were outraged that the #3 was being brought back for him. Through the season the rage seemed to die down, but that may have been more because Austin wasn't normally a front runner.

In fact, if I had to sum up his first season I would put him in the 15-20 pack. Which, for a rookie is not a bad thing, but when you are going up for ROY against a guy who is flashing sign's of being a top 5 guy it puts a damper on your season. 

If we take a step back and stop comparing him to Kyle Larson and his rookie season we find that Dillon had a decent season where he finished 20th in points. In fact, at one point during the season he looked to also have a shot at the 16th spot in the Chase. 

Austin came up short of the Chase in 2014 and his stat line that most people see doesn't look all that amazing (0 wins, 1 top 5, and 4 top 10's), but lets look past that. If you dig deeper you see a more consistent rookie. Dillon may have only finished in the top 10 4 times, but he had 17 top 15's. On top of that he had 27 top 20's on the season. That is only 9 races outside of the top 20 on the season. If he added a few more top 10's it would be the same kind of season his RCR teammate Ryan Newman had (consistent, but not amazing). 

So, just because the normal stats we look at as fans (wins, top 5's, and top 10's) do not jump off the page does not mean we can just throw away his first season. It was just that, a first season at the highest level in NASCAR. The bigger test is to continue on a path of getting better each year in his first three seasons and hopefully notching a few more top 10's in 2015.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: A-

After a season like Kyle Larson just had you would forget he was just a 22 year old rookie in 2014. The season started and he didn't even get his own spotlight, instead he was included in the underdogs preview.

Well, welcome Larson, you get your own review after that rookie season debut. 

I am a fan of Larson, but even coming into his rookie year I was skeptical because of his limited amount of seat time in a NASCAR level car. He spent just 43 races between Nationwide (33 races), Truck (6 races), and Cup (4 races) before the 2014 season. That's not a whole lot of grooming before getting a ride with the "big boys." 

I thought he could have an alright season, but he far exceeded my expectations. I knew it would be between him and Austin Dillon for the 2014 Rookie of the Year, but in my mind Kyle won by a land slide. I'm not talking about in the case of points (which he won pretty easily), but just on the eye test. Don't get me wrong, Austin had a pretty good rookie season himself, but some races Kyle just jumped off the track with his performance.

He took pushing the Cup guys to the edge in Nationwide races in 2013 (think Kyle Busch v Kyle Larson) and brought it on a whole new level in 2014. Still, after how well his 2014 rookie season went he has room to grow. He pushed his car into the top 5 a bunch of times in 2014 but couldn't come up with a win. 

Kyle finished 2014 with 8 top 5's and 17 top 10's but in the end missed out on the Chase. The promising thing is Kyle was close to notching his first win in his first season at the Cup level. At 22 years old he almost made the Chase based on points (finished 17th). Yet, he still has much to learn, which is exciting as a fan of NASCAR. Kyle Larson proved in 2014 that he is here to stay and is ready to front line a new wave of young NASCAR talent.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Paul Menard

Paul Menard 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: C-

Once again 2014 started on a high note for Paul Menard. Not Daytona or Phoenix, but the next five races Menard had four top 10's (one top five). That prompted me to give Menard the spotlight during the regular season when NASCAR headed to Darlington.

"So far Menard has passed the early season test, but if he wants to avoid another season where he finishes around the 16th-20th spot in points he needs a good finish this weekend. If he can manage a quality win and maybe even a top 10 at Darlington we maybe talking about Paul Menards first season finishing in the top 15. If not, we might be able to just expect the same Paul down the stretch." -Season Spotlight

Turns out, Menard ran into some bad luck and finished 41st at Darlington. He never fully turned back to his early season success which has been a trend the last few years of his career. After Darlington he picked up only 9 more top 10's (28 races), in the first 8 races he had four top 10's. That's a dramatic percentage drop of for Paul when it comes to top 10 finishes.

It actually seems to happen more often then not. In 2013 he picked up 4 of his season total 9 top 10's before Darlington (race 11 in 2013). So, we are really just waiting for Menard to put it together for a full season starting at Darlington ever year (or about race 8-11). 

Menard ended up finishing the season 21st in points after not winning a race again in 2014. On a side note: Menard did win his first Nationwide race since 2006 this past season. Even through all the bad, Menard had an ok season. He had a child in 2014, which is exciting news for any driver. Paul also still managed to post new career high's in top 5's (5) and top 10's (13), yet notched a three year low in average finish position of 17.9. 

So, all was not lost in 2014 even though some of the season trends don't go his way. Paul could finally finish in the top 15 if he could just take early season success and continue it on after Darlington (race 8-11 the past few years). The most important thing going forward will be to find a way to win in the first 26 races. 

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

" 2014 will be year two in the Gen-6 car and Ford should make some kind of improvement. If Ford does find more speed in 2014 it should mean Carl can get back off to a fast start but will he continue it this time?" -Season Preview

That was my statement to start the 2014 season in Carl Edwards Driver Preview. The problem with that? Roush Fenway Racing Ford's did not find speed in 2014. Actually, the RFR Ford's may have been worse the year one in the Gen-6 cars. But, it wasn't just the Fords, as Team Penske was one of the fastest teams all season.

Something was missing at RFR and maybe that could have been the reason for Carl's end of the season news that he was moving to Joe Gibb's Racing. Or, maybe it was the fact that Carl knows JGR is a premiere NASCAR program right now and should have a huge bounce back in 2015? 

However, after stating all the downfalls of RFR in 2014 Carl Edwards still fought through and ended the season with two wins. Was he one of the fastest cars week to week? No. Was he always contending for a top 5? No. But, did he make the Chase? Yes. With 10 races to go in the season did he put himself in position to win a Championship? Yes.

That's where the high points might end for Carl, though. He only notched three top 10's during the Chase which just isn't enough to get it done. He also finished outside the top 15 five times in those ten races.

Carl Edwards did keep fighting in 2014 even though he could have easily had his mind set on a new team in 2015. As a whole RFR's season didn't go the way it was planned, but for Carl Edwards that will be a thing of the past in 2015. 

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Greg Biffle

Greg Biffle 2014 Review

Season Preview

Season Grade: C-

"In 2013 the Biff made the Chase yet again (5th time in 6 years) but once again didn't do much with it. He finished 9th, which was his worst finish in a season that he made the Chase. Biffle also had only one win, 4 top 5's, 13 top 10's, and zero Poles." -Driver Preview

2014 was another year, another Chase bid, and another disappointment at the end of the season. Really, some of the disappointment may have been Biffle, but some of the blame may need to be laid on Roush Fenway Racing. Throughout the season the RFR Ford's just never seemed to have the speed they needed to compete.

2014 was one of Biffle's lower points in his career (0 wins, 3 top 5's, and 11 top 10's), but with the expanded Chase field he got to participate in the first Chase in NASCAR's new era. Unfortunately for Greg, he started the first round of the Chase with only one top 20 finish. In fact, he only notched one top 10 in the final 10 races and only 4 top 15's. 

Adding to a down season was some contract uncertainty during the stretch of the summer season in which no one knew where Biffle and teammate Carl Edwards would end up. In the end Carl left for JGR and Biffle stayed put to be the lone veteran in the RFR stable. My main reason for keeping Biffle even in the C range while grading is because he got his new contract and still is with a team with a lot of resources at its disposal. All in all his on track performance was lacking in 2014 and he isn't getting any younger in 2015, so a big step back will be needed if he wants a shot at a Championship.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: C+

"2014 will mark Kasey's third season at Hendrick Motorsports and in my mind the season he needs to show he is worth his spot at Hendrick. Regardless of how he runs on the track Kasey has been a great guy to have in marketing (same with Jr). Also, season after season it seems like we talk about how fast he is, but at the end of the year it never seems to show in the standings." -Season Preview

Sure enough I thought 2014 would be the season where Kasey had to prove it. Then the season ended after what I would call a lack luster season and Hendrick gives him a three year extension. Great news for Kahne going forward but confusing to some of the rest of us. 

The fact is, Kahne had a down season when you look at it. However, he snuck in a late season victory at Atlanta to make the Chase. All that mattered in 2014 was getting in the Chase. It didn't matter how you got there, but that you made it. Maybe that is what Rick Hendrick was thinking when he offered the extension to Kahne.

Or maybe, Rick was thinking Kahne is still in the prime of his career and is a great marketing tool for the four car team? Either way, the pressure will be on Kahne to compete at a high level for the next few years. Something that does concerns me is that Kahne only had one top 10 in the Chase and only 4 top 15's. Its not a great way to end a season when speaking about momentum. He also posted a new career low average finish position while with Hendrick. The one plus side is he does have a four season streak going with at least one win, and he has at least one win in 8 of his 11 full time season's. So, he has the talent to win, but is it enough to be as dominate as some other Hendrick drivers have been? Time will tell, but he will have the opportunity in the next four years to show us that Rick Hendrick made a smart decision.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: D

Tony Stewart had races 15 total season heading into the 2014 season. In all 15 years he had at least one Sprint Cup win:

"Smoke is Chasing Richard Petty's 18 straight seasons with at least one win. Stewart, even after only racing in 21 races, is at 15 straight seasons (which is every year in his Cup career). Last year and 2008 are the only seasons he had not had multiple victories in a season. Other then 2006 (11th), 2013 was the only time he finished outside the top 9 in standings."- Season Preview

Well, 2014 brought a sad end to that streak for Smoke. Most of the season he still didn't look like himself. Maybe it was a hurting leg to start the year or maybe it was other off the Sprint Cup track incidents that had his mind at bay. One way or another, Tony Stewart just wasn't at the level we have come to know. 

Some fans doubted Tony Stewart'c ability to come back after his injury. Myself, I thought there was no way he would be slowed down and that he would come back strong in 2014:

"I have no doubt in my mind Tony Stewart will come back, make the Chase, and possibly push for his 4th Championship. The only question is, when will he get his first win of 2014? When will he get 50 career wins?" - Preseason Preview

I was obviously wrong about 2014. Smoke had season lows in wins, top 5's (3), top 10's (7), and average finish (20) even though he raced 33 of 36 races compared to 21 in 2013. It may or may not have been a low point for Tony, only he knows, but he ended the season with a silver lining.

That silver lining? A driver that was part of the team he own's (and his buddy) won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. So, no matter all the up's and downs he has had the last two years, Smoke can take pride in that while he looks to bounce back.

• A list of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B

"In 2014 Newman will be set to start fresh at Richard Childress Racing in the #31 Chevy. Newman is hoping a change in scenery will help him bounce back to the once promising career he had (He had 8 total wins in 2003). We have seen team changes work out for the best in the past, most recently with Matt Kenseth this past season. They can also be the last stop in a drivers career if it doesn't work out. So the next few years will be important for Ryan Newman and RCR." -Preseason Preview

Fast forward past the 2014 Driver Spotlight Preview, Newman has just finished his first season with RCR. It's easy to say he didn't have a bounce back, break out type season that guys like Matt Kenseth had in 2013, or Kevin Harvick had in 2014, but I don't think all was lost.

In fact, Newman took advantage of the new Chase system and with a solid season and very few terrible finishes he found himself in the Finale at Homestead-Miami. Some fans were upset with Newman in the Finale (many might be more accurate). He still had a chance to win his first NASCAR Championship without a win.

I think if he would have finished the highest at Miami most NASCAR fans would have had a hard time taking it. I may have even had a tough time and I have liked Newman since he days with Dodge and Penske. But, it didn't happen and I like the fact that you can get to the Finale in many different ways. If a favorite wins the next five years (assuming the Chase stays the same) and a guy like Newman wins the sixth year I think it will be easier to swallow. That's because I think some fans might come around to the possibility of a Cinderella or underdog after they see a majority of years a favorite wins.

But, lets move back to Newmans season and how he went as far as he did. Newman only had four finishes above 20th. Only 10 of his finishes were outside the top 15 all year. So, he may have only had 5 top 10's, but he had a total of 26 top 15 runs all season and didn't have many of those crippling 35th or higher finishes. In 2003 he won 8 races with an average finish of 13.9. In 2014 Newman had a career best average finish position of 12.7, which is better then that of his great 2003 season.

So, no NASCAR fans, winning isn't everything. It goes to show you can still get to the end with good points days, but at some point that may not be enough. All in all Ryan had a consistent season when his teammates struggled to put together back to back good finishes. If RCR gets a bit more speed in 2015 maybe he can notch a win or two again.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson 2014 Review

Season Grade: C

Who stole Jimmie Johnson and where did you put him? That is how you can sum up the #48's 2014 season. Yet, JJ finished the season with 4 total wins. Four wins is a great amount for any driver in a single season so JJ has nothing to complain about there, yet he was still lacking something.

That's because even with four wins, he still finished a career worst 11th place in the points. It wouldn't have been much better under a points only system either. But, that's just showing how dominate JJ has been over his career in NASCAR. 

His 15.3 average finish was the worst of his career as well, but in 471 races he has an average finish position of 11.9. His four wins brought him to 70 career wins and his 20 top 10's means he has 13 straight season's with 20+ top 10's. 

Jimmie Johnson is on another level when we judge him. Considering almost every fan will agree he had a down season, almost bad. Yet, his 4 win, 11 top 5, 20 top 10 stat line would lead you to believe he had an above average season. Sometimes you have to think back and grade someone on everyone else's curve and not just his own curve he has set so high.

That's why he gets a grade of a C and not lower. Yes, it was a rough season for Chad and JJ, yet they can take a lot of positives from it and move on. JJ has hit his peak, and I personally believe he has a few more years before he regresses. But, the fact is the sport has a lot of star drivers in the making and a whole crop full of young talent on the way.

Title number 7 and possibly beyond wont be an easy task the longer it takes him to get to the next, so it will be fun to watch young guns come up the ranks and try and compete against JJ in his last years in NASCAR (trust me, I'm sure he has 8+ JJ type years left in him).

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Clint Bowyer

Clint Boywer 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: D+

Well, if the 2013 season ended in a terrible way for Bowyer, then the whole 2014 season had to be look at as a disappointment, that is on the track. Off the track Bowyer and his wife on there first born during the season. But, moving on and back to to on track performance. Bowyer had a season of controversy in 2013 which led me to look further into his season last year in my preview:

"So even though Clint had a great season because he was consistent, we can now see why he couldn't get a win in 2013, he couldn't close the deal. As if that wasn't bad enough, look at his 10 race Chase run. In 2012 he ended the season hot (9.4 average finish in the Chase with a win), but in 2013 he finished the Chase with a 10.9 average finish position and no wins. So not only did Bowyer not finish during the season, but he also couldn't close the deal during the Chase." -Season Preview

After a year of not being able to close the deal and a rough 2013 Chase, Clint moved onto 2014 which didn't get too much better. Actually, 2014 was Bowyer's worst season with MWR and statistically one of his worst in his career. He posted his lowest average finish since he was a rookie (17.1) and once again didn't notch a win.

The lack of winning has now become a trend that he would like see get erased. He is now win-less in his last two season's and he also missed the 2014 Chase. On the bright side Bowyer stayed out of the controversial spotlight for the most part, but will need to get back on track in 2015 or he may never get it back. He finished 19th in the points in 2014 (new Chase format) which was the lowest mark of the season. That might be on his mind all offseason, but lets hope Clint just focus on his new family and can come back strong next year.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: C-

Kurt Busch had a heck of a run in 2013 with Furniture Row. He helped bring that team a ton of success which may have helped them bring in Martin Truex Jr when Kurt departed. In 2014 he got another shot with a major team when he went to Stewart-Haas Racing. After the last few years of seeing competitive drivers move to a new team, jump right in, and run very well. Many thought Kurt might do the same as those drivers.

"That brings us to 2014, and Kurt Busch, for the first time in two seasons, will be back with a major team in NASCAR.  If we take a little walk down memory lane, some will remember that Kurt once had a streak of ten seasons with at least 1 win and that he also has won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in 2004. Now he will have a big team that is getting some top notch equipment and funding to back him while he drives the #41 Chevy."- 2014 Driver Spotlight Preview: Kurt Busch

Looking back on the preview, I would have to say 2014 was a let down for Kurt Busch. Things seemed to be looking up for him and he actually regressed (other than a win in 2014). However, lets take a look at the season he had in general. He started the season slow. In Kurt's first 13 races he had 11 finishes higher than 18th. Eight of those 11 were out of the top 25. That's just plan bad.

Fast forward and take a look at the remaining 23 races. Kurt only had 7 finishes outside the top 15 and only 5 of those were outside the top 25 (down from 11 in 13 races). Four of his eleven top 10's in 2014 came during the Chase. So, things started pushing into the right direction late for Kurt, which saved his season and why he didn't earn lower than a C-. Plus, he was given the benefit of starting fresh on a new team.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

Personally, going into 2014 I thought Kyle Busch was going to have a big year. I bought into it after he had a good end to the 2013 season. You can even notice it in my preview of him before the season:

"The 2014 season could be one of Kyle's best if he can take his Chase momentum and continue it all season long (and maybe figure out Kansas along the way). Kyle Busch has to be looked at as a driver ready to take down Jimmie Johnson and also one of JJ's biggest threats. A lot of young guns are hitting the prime of there racing career and Rowdy might be leading the pack." - Season Preview

However, for most of the season I was disappointing. I still think a lot of it had to do with the lack of speed in the JGR camp, more specifically the Toyota Racing Development camp. Not that Toyota's were the slowest thinks out there (looking at you Roush Fenway), but they just didn't have the consistent speed to stay with Hendrick and Penske (or anything with a HMS engine, Harvick). 

But in the end, no excuses. Rowdy tied an all time low in win's (1) and top 5's in his full time career (9). He also had his second lowest season total in top 10's (15. He had 13 twice). To add injury to insult, his average finish of 17.6 is his worst average since his rookie year (full time seasons only).

Not all was lost, though. Kyle finished the year with 6 top 10's in the Chase (3 top 5's). He was in a position to keep advancing in the Chase until he tried playing it safe at Talladega and got hit from behind during a caution, ruining his day and leaving him out of the Eliminator Round. At the end of the day, Rowdy had an off season but still had the chance to keep advancing with a bunch of top 10's during the Chase. He is one of many drivers looking to put 2014 behind him and move onto the new season.

• List of Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B

Year two for Matt Kenseth at JGR. First up, lets take a look at my preview of 2014:

"So, normally you would figure year two a team can get stronger, but is that possible? I do think that even though Kenseth was strong he has room for improvement in 2014. The #20 team seemed to be inconsistent at times and blazing fast others. In 2014 it is very possible he will post more top 5's and 10's but might fall off in the wins category and yet it could be a good thing. Consistency is what matters at the end of the day as long as you can get a few wins in the Chase." -Season Preview

If you are wondering, Matt Kenseth in fact did have less win's in 2014, more top 5's, and more top 10's. He was consistent and it almost paid off in 2014 (even without a win). However, the key part of my preseason statement was "as long as you can get a few wins in the Chase." That didn't happen and Kenseth finished 7th in points to end the year.

It was pretty obvious going into 2014 that he wouldn't have as many wins as he did in 2013 (7), but I don't think anyone thought he would end up win-less in 2014. Overachieving with a new team in 2013 might be part of it. JGR having fast cars in 2013 might have been part of it. JGR having slower cars in 2014 might have been part of it. Heck, maybe Matt Kenseth is starting to get past his prime?

One thing is for sure, Kenseth just wasn't dominate in 2014. He was a front runner in many races as he proved with his 13 top 5's, 22 top 10's (most since 2007), and two Pole Awards. So not all was lost in 2014, but that zero in the win column (first time since 2010) will eat at Matt all offseason.

• List of Past Driver Sporlights

2014-15 NASCAR Offseason News

News, Links, Photos, and Tweets from the 2014-15 NASCAR Offseason

By Richard Tix

The NASCAR offseason is one of the shortest offseason's in sports, yet to fans it feel's like it is the longest. @annoyingracefan even had to spotlight NOD this year (NASCAR Offseason Disorder), its a real problem people. So, NASCAR Behind the Wall is going to collect as much offseason news, photos, links, tweets, etc to give you the inside scoop on what's going on. Rather, this is to help you get through NOD during this long offseason.

Links:

• Jay Mohr roasts NASCAR drivers at awards banquet
• Kasey at the bat: Kahne needs to step up with new crew chief
• FOX Sports, NBC Sports team up to unleash new era in NASCAR TV
• Ben Rhodes joins stout JR Motorsports lineup for 2015
• Darrell Wallace Jr. granted release from Joe Gibbs Racing
• NASCAR: Kyle Busch undergoes scheduled left foot surgery
• What no-testing policy? NASCAR adds 13 'open' tests for 2015
• NASCAR elevates five staff to Vice President roles
• Sprint ending sponsorship of NASCAR's Cup series
• Expanded Sprint Unlimited field to feature Chase drivers
• Brian Vickers has heart surgery
• Sprint to End NASCAR Sponsorship After 2016 Season
• Will NASCAR still thrive without Sprint as top series' title sponsor?
• Menards stays on as NASCAR XFINITY sponsor for RCR
• Kurt Busch: I repeatedly told ex-girlfriend to leave motorhome
• NASCAR: Sprint Cup rookie of the year Kyle Larson now a Dad (PHOTO)
• 2014 NASCAR Season in Review: Best of NASCAR fights
• NASCAR: Dale Jr. expects even more performance in 2015
• Money troubles? NASCAR Hall of Fame looking for forgiveness
• Reports: Only manufacturer of NASCAR-themed trading cards may be ceasing operations
• NASCAR: BK Racing moves into new Charlotte shop
• Hearing Begins for NASCAR Driver Kurt Busch Over Ex's Claims
• Kyle Larson, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. among NASCAR drivers in Chili Bowl
• NASCAR: JR Motorsports moves into Truck Series with Cole Custer
• NASCAR: Brian France talks possibility of mid-week races, road race in Chase
• NASCAR's Kurt Busch Claims Ex-Girlfriend Is a Hired Killer
• NASCAR driver Kurt Busch says ex-girlfriend who accused him of abuse is trained assassin
• Eight new members named to NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel
• NASCAR: Michael Waltrip Racing sued by former pit crew member
• NASCAR will use 45 remote HD cameras to record every pit stop
• Jeff Gordon announces 2015 will be his last NASCAR season
• NASCAR star Jeff Gordon to retire as full-time driver
• It's official: NASCAR bids farewell to popular souvenir trailers at tracks
• Brian Vickers cleared to return to racing in early March
• NASCAR considering multiyear track contracts
• Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski join FOX NASCAR team
• NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett to join NASCAR coverage on NBC, NBCSN
• NASCAR's Jamie McMurray, Kyle Larson help Ganassi win Daytona 24-hour race
• DMi Games Acquires 'NASCAR' License, to Release New Title in 2016
• New app improves NASCAR inspection process
• Helton named Vice Chairman of NASCAR, Dewar added to Board of Directors
• Six drivers who could win NASCAR's Sprint Cup championship
• Jeb Burton goes from unemployed to Cup ride with BK Racing
• NASCAR announces format for Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

Random:

"Movember" ended

Stealing Woman's hearts from day 1.

Stealing Smokes heart from day 1

Press Pass may stop making NASCAR Themed trading cards.

This could have been