2016 NASCAR Pit Road Week 21: Pocono

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Pennsylvania 400

Photo: Joseph Ressler

By Richard Tix

Let's start out this weeks review with a huge shout out to NASCAR Cup rookie Chris Buescher and his first career Cup win on Sunday Monday. Everyday those guys on that Front Row team get up and work their butts off to put a car on the track for Chris. Day in and day out, long hours, all to just get to the track.

Well on any given Sunday Monday they are supposed to have a chance, right? Well, normally its tough for a small team to legitimately have a shot let alone a rookie on a small team, but after a rain out on Sunday and weather threats all day Monday the hard work by the team and strategic calls all payed off in a big way. Give it to this team and all the work they put in, they deserve a moment in the spotlight. 

You may not see it this way, but teams view any win as a win and in the same light. In racing win's come in every way including because of the weather. That team gambled and put themselves in a good spot at that moment. Was it luck? Was it strategy? Was it smart? Yes to all of the above, but so is any other win. When a driver dominates by 10 sec to a win some luck still plays a part because at any given time a lapped car could come down on that race winner and ruin his day. A cut tire. A debris caution late. Anything. A bit of luck always plays in, but that doesn't downplay how much work a team puts in weekly to get just one chance at a moment like yesterday. That No. 34 team put themselves in that spot and deserve that win.

Buescher now has a chance at making the 2016 Sprint Cup Chase (currently 6 points outside of 30th place). Before we move deeper into the win, lets also give a shout out to Regan Smith for being at the right place to end the race (finished 3rd) and notching his first top 5 of 2016.

I also think NASCAR deserves a huge shout out this week as well. This isn't a common theme, but when it is earned it needs to be noted. Sports have to deal with the weather dealt to them and NASCAR did a wonderful job. On Monday they had plenty of time to call the race early, but they stuck it out and gave fans a chance to see a full race (what we all watch and pay for). 

NASCAR and Pocono even gave out and advanced tornado warning (one wasn't even issued by the National Weather Service) so that fans could get to safety "if" severe weather popped up. It was a smart and safe call since they were trying to hold on as long as they could, yet making sure everyone makes it home. 

In the end it was inevitable they had to call the race. The fog didn't dissipate in time before the next set of heavy rain showers came in. So, we are left with an underdog winner with his first sweet trip to victory lane. I for one am looking forward to watching the battle he and his team have ahead of them to get into the top 30. It truly will make watching battles throughout the field more entertaining. 

Its also a battle worth watching for guys trying to get in on points like Elliott, Blaney, Larson, McMurray, Dillon, Newman, etc. If he can get into the top 30 and stay there then one more spot is picked from under them. It will also be interesting how Watkins Glen picks shakes out next weekend. If A.J. Allmendinger can pull off another heroic underdog win then it will really shakes things up in the Chase picture.

As if it wasn't already, next week will be must watch TV as well as the other four regular season races that remain after WG. The pressure will continue to mount week in and week out until the last ten races where everything changes.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 21 (Week 20)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Kyle holds on this week because last week was just so dominate. It doesn't hurt he notched another top 10 this week at Pocono. Finish: 9th
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick had a great car Monday but we will never know if it was a winning car because of the weather. Monday was his fourth straight top 10. Finish: 4th
3. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- Would BK's fuel strategy he was on have been enough to win? Again, we will never know but if anyone knows how to stretch it it is the No. 2 team. Finish: 2nd
4. Joey Logano (LW-3)- One of the best cars on the day, JoLo had contact with the No. 24 when Chase got a little too aggressive and drove a bit over his head. He gets a break this week after looking like the winning car most of the day. Finish: 37th
5. Tony Stewart (LW-6)- This is a fun run. Boy I thought the first week I put Smoke on here it was for the "good ole times." Well, he has legitimately started a trend towards a Chase push. Finish: 5th
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- After a hot three races run Pocono was disappointing for Kenseth. JGR is still the class of NASCAR at the moment so he shouldn't worry too much. Finish: 17th
7. Kyle Larson (LW-11)- How fun was Larson v Dillon while it lasted? Larson v Dillon, Larson v Elliott, those things have one thing in common, Larson. Larson is going to eventually collect some wins, he just has to finish off "all the ways Larson can lose a race," first. Finish: 6th
8. Kurt Busch (LW-7)- Rough to drop a spot after a top 10, but Kurt just hasn't been the same lately. Maybe they're saving something for the Chase? Maybe they're testing some for the Chase? Whatever it is they lost the consistency that got them on top of the standings. Finish: 10th
9. Carl Edwards (LW-9)- It doesn't feel like Carl has collected the 5th most points so far in 2016, but he has. On Monday he picked up his first top 10 in his last three races. Finish: 8th
10. Denny Hamlin (LW-10)- Hamlin was one of the three JGR cars to notched a top 10 on Monday. It was his third straight, but I just don't feel he is all the way there yet. Finish: 7th
11. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- AD gets to jump back into the top 12 after his run at the front with Larson. He has five straight season's finishing 16th or better, four of those 13th or better, and two of those top 10's. Finish: 13th
12. Martin Truex Jr (LW-8)- Not a fun day for the No. 78 team on Monday after grabbing the weekend pole at a track Martin has run well at. The plus side? They got a head start out of town. Finish: 38th

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-12)