2016 NASCAR Week 33 Preview: Martinsville

Goody's Fast Relief 500

Martinsville Speedway

By Richard Tix

Behind the Wall Rant:

Points racing. This one statement of two words joined together seems to cause pure chaos in the racing community. Why? Well, it's something that stumps me year after year.

From the start of a point system way back in the "good ole days" racing has always been part points racing. As long as the standings have some type of points system in place drivers will be points racing.

The biggest misconception fans took from the new Chase Era was that more emphasis was on winning. That's what NASCAR said and what fans believed. Oh, and you should believe that. We do have a bigger emphasis on winning then we did before, but NASCAR never said winning will be everything and points mean nothing.

Points are there for a reason folks, for guys to accumulate and used to advance in an upwards position in the standings. Regular season drivers will use points to get into the Chase if they don't have a win, or assure a spot after one win.

In the playoffs points are used in the first two rounds to safely move on. Again, the safest way to advance is winning (hence a bigger emphasis), but if you can't win, points racing will work. Now, each round it gets tougher and tougher to points race because a win can assure your competitor will advance before you (or win the Championship if its Miami), but it can still be done (see Newman in 2014).

Points racing isn't the first option (winning always will be for a driver), but certain situations will lead to a driver focusing on points and not winning if they're not in a good spot for it.

So, just be aware, "points racing" isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Unless the standings only include wins, teams will be focused on racking up points each round just in case they can't get a win.

Race Preview:

Now, lets move onto Martinsville and some short track racing. Nothing's better then short track racing in NASCAR. I posed a question on twitter this week which was, "If you had to try and sell NASCAR fandom to someone who has never watch before, how would you do it?" 

It's not an easy answer as NASCAR is a tough sell in 2016, however a few things came up in most responses. "Take them to a race." Seems right, seeing it in person can really real someone in. "Bring a scanner that easily identifies the driver.team." I could not agree more, scanners are a must at tracks. I will admit I feel like we heard more on the radios 5-10 years ago, but they're still key. "Know the person who you're taking and cater to their likes.dislikes." Genius, not everyone likes the sport for the same things.

The one that came up more then not, "take them to a short track race for there first race." Ding, ding, ding, its Martinsville week, which means I will harp the idea NASCAR needs to get back to some more short tracks and in turn drop a few 1.5 tracks that get two stops. 

So, if you know someone who isn't a fan yet, but is willing to go to a race, get them to a short track, bring a scanner, and try and find out what will hook them. Maybe it is our job to help NASCAR retain some fans while they struggle through the new school vs old school fan dilemma. 

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jeff Gordon- Not a full time driver in 2016, but I feel like writing about him again. He will be in the No. 88 this weekend for Junior and what a better place to see him run. For his career he has 9 wins, 29 top 5's, 37 top 10's in 46 races at Martinsville.
• Jimmie Johnson- Trailing Gordon by one win, JJ has eight and might have to fight off Gordon from gaining another on him. You can almost lock in a top 10 for JJ at Martinsville.
• Denny Hamlin- Next in line behind Gordon and JJ for Martinsville Master? Well, that would be Hamlin with 5 career wins already in just 21 career starts here.

The Middle

• Matt Kenseth- 15.1 average finish here at Martinsville, yet he has hasn't won and only has five top 5's and twelve top 10's in 33 races. That means he is crazy consistent, but just might not be a front runner on Sunday.

The Bad

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Only nine starts here but he has a average finish of 31st so far. That's. Not. Good. His two best finishes are a 15th in 2014 and 25th in 2013. 
• Kurt Busch- Kurt famously won this race a few years ago with a beat up car after getting into it with BK, but past that he hasn't had a ton of success. Two wins, three top 5's, and five top 10's in 32 career starts.
• Greg Biffle- In 27 tries the Biff has yet to pick up a top 5 and only has five top 10's. Add on top RFR just hasn't been great lately and you can see where this might end up.

About the Track: Martinsville

Track Stats

• 8 straight Chevy wins here at Martinsville before Denny Hamlin won in 2015. 9 of the last 11 have been Chevy.
• Other then Denny Hamlin (Toyota) and Kyle Busch (Toyota) Chevy has won 18 straight races. That's 18 of the past 24 races. If you add in Rusty Wallace's win in 2004 (Dodge) its 20 of the past 27.
• The race has been won from the Pole 4 times in the last 16 races. 0 times in the last 6 races.
• Most cautions was 21 in 2007 for 127 laps.
• The farthest back a winner has started from was 36th (Kurt Busch) in 2002 (10/20/2002). Kurt won in 2014 after starting 22nd (3/30/2014) and Dale Jr won after starting 23 (10/26/14)
• Since 2003 Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, or Denny Hamlin have won 19 of 27 races.
• Richard Petty has the most career Martinsville wins: 15 to go along with 30 top 5's and 37 top 10's. 
• Darrell Waltrip has the most career pole awards at Martinsville with 8.

Track Info

• Surface
• Asphalt/Concrete
• Length- 0.526 miles
• Banking
• Turns- 12 degrees
• Straights- 0 degrees

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Martinsville

Goody's Fast Relief 500

By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern Timezone (ET)


Friday October 28, 2016

• 11 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice- FS1
• 2:30-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
• 4:40 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN

Saturday October 29, 2016

• 9-9:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- CNBC
• 10:15 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS1
• 12-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 1:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Texas Roadhouse 200 presented by Alpha Energy Solutions (200 laps)- FS1

Sunday October 30, 2016

• 1 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Goody's Fast Relief 500 (500 laps)- NBCSN

2016 Pit Road Week 32: Talladega

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Hellman's 500

By Richard Tix

I'm going to leave most of the ranting out of this week's preview (though this is normally where I get my full opinion out in one piece and not 140 characters at a time). I think I covered enough on twitter and if you're really curious as to my opinion of Talladega or Joe Gibbs Racing at Dega, just ask me and I will enlighten you.

So, Ill leave it at this: They still have a chance to win the war without winning the battle. Even while losing the battle they didn't take many casualties because they were smart with strategy, but rather set themselves up for a better shot at winning the war.

When you're in a spot to win a war, you can take any strategy it takes as long as you do not take on added casualties to get there. I'd say no wrecked cars or injured drivers will suffice for nor casualties.

Oh, and if JGR wins a Championship they will gain more fans then they lost during the "layup" at Dega.

Now, onto the Power Rankings that finally gives hope to non Chase drivers again! That's because we still have twelve spots but only the top eight have to be the current Chase drivers, the last four spots are fair game!

A review of the Chase Power Ranking Rules:

For the first three races we will have 16 drivers ranked and they will all come from the Chase field. Once NASCAR cuts the field to 12 so will Behind the Wall (again, all Chase drivers). Once we cut to 8 drivers I will still rank the top 12, but the top 8 will be only drivers left in the Chase and the remaining four can be anyone (previous Chase drivers OR someone who was never in the Chase). This type format will continue all the way down to the final (so in the end the Champion will be number one and the other eleven can be anyone in the Sprint Cup.

We're down to 8 Chase drivers so only those 8 are in the top 8 and the bottom four can be anyone.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 32 (Week 31)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Was the Kevin Kurt thing just a misunderstanding? I have no idea still if Kurt bumped Kevin in celebration or what it was, but Kevin sure came in like that raging bull. KH and crew are not one to be messed with when it comes to Championship contender once again this year.
2. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Quietly JJ also hung back and stayed out of trouble. Why risk tearing up a car or worse, injury, when you're locked in? He has run very well this Chase and not enough people have been talking about him.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Try and tell me the guy who runs Xfinity races and wins a ton wasn't pissed off he was sitting back and playing it safe on Sunday. Sunday was his first non top 10 since Darlington when he finished 11th, yeah I'm sure he loved it.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-4)- Kenseth's top 10 streak was shorter by one race then Kyles, only dating to Chicagoland, but I'm sure he wasn't having fun hanging back, either. But, Championship teams do what they have to to have a shot.
5. Joey Logano (LW-7)- Gritty win by a team that needed the boost. It's crazy to think the No. 22 only has two wins after Sundays trip to Victory Lane. They still can win the Championship and will have the help of the No. 2 along the way. 
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-12)- The No. 11 need ALL of that finish on Sunday. They actually tied Austin Dillon for the eighth and final spot, but got the transfer because they finished a round best 3rd. This round plays much better for Hamlin and he could bounce back with a trip to the final four.
7. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- I can't believe Kurt is this low with how consistent he has been, but he just hasn't had the same speed as some of these other guys. He can still points his way to the final four, but it will be tough. 
8. Carl Edwards (LW-6)- Carl just keeps doing what he has to round by round. Can that continue? We will see.
9. Austin Dillon (LW-10)- One spot, at Talladega. Just one. I haven't looked at the results but I am sure he finished mere fractions of a second behind Aric Almirola. It was one heck of an effort by a team most counted out when the Chase started. 
10. Chase Elliott (LW-11)- Fun run by Chase, who remember is just a rookie... He was fast to finish this season but he just couldn't find his way past the front seven guys playing follow the leader on Sunday. 
11. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- We still only have four spots open to grab in these rankings, but Kyle got the nod for two top 6 finishes in this round (three races). If CGR can find speed and he can start mixing in taking care of his equipment (meaning not running it into the wall driving the wheels off), then he might end up competing for a Championship sooner rather then later.
12. Brad Keseloski (LW-9)- BK needed a win, or a very good finish at the very least, and his engine blew up while trying. Tough spot deciding to get trash off and when it's too late. The No. 2 couldn't stop finding it, either. Not a good way to end a great season, but that's how it goes.

Dropped Out: Martin Truex Jr (LW-5) - Does he deserve to drop out? Nope. I'd really say we have a 12a and 12b, but that's not how my rankings work. He was another very fast car in 2016 that just couldn't get by some bad finishes in a round. 

2016 NASCAR Week 32 Preview: Talladega

Alabama 500

Talladega Superspeedway

By Richard Tix

The comforting thing about Talladega is it's a place anyone can win at on any given weekend. An underdog story can be made or a clutch moment to move on in the Chase can be had. However, that is where most of the comforts end when talking about this high banking superspeedway.

In once sense, a track like this is a great spot for Brad Keselowski (or any driver) to make up some points and possibly even win (see 2014 Chase) and move on. At the same time Dega is a place where one wrong move, or one wrong move by a guy in front of you, or one wrong move by the guy next to you (I think you get the point), will leave you picking up the pieces (literally for track crews).

So, as the second round comes to a close and twelve drivers bunch up together and bump each other for eight spots, they also have to look out for the big one. The same move that can lead you to the front of the pack and take you to Victory Lane is also the same one that can leave you answering questions in the garage about how your season just ended.

So, which will it be for each of these twelve drivers (yes, I know two are locked in for next round)? Will they be pumping their fist in VL, or hanging their heads waiting for the 2017 season to get underway so they have a chance at redemption?

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Brad Keselowski- If you can call anything a sure thing at Dega right now (hint: you can't), BK would be the closest thing to it. A few more wins and his name can be thrown around with the Earnhardts here (Dale Sr has 10 wins, Dale Jr has 6, BK only has 4 so it's a ways away still). 
• Clint Bowyer- Even with a craptastic car (yes I made that word up), Bowyer finished 7th earlier in the year here. That was after starting 34th (which means nothing at Dega).
• Kevin Harvick- Harvick just seems to be consistent here. He has six straight top 15's and three of those are top 10's. For a track like this, those top 15's means days you can hang your hat on.

The Middle

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Don't look now, but Ricky is actually pretty good at making his moves around Talladega. In only six career starts he has three top 10's and all but one was 16th or better. This is your longshot/sleeper this weekend.

The Bad

• Kasey Kahne- Talladega serves a large test to a guy who has quietly been running very well as of late. In the last eight races here Kasey only has one top 10.
• AJ Allmendinger- Im not sure why, but every time a driver I like is near AJ on a superspeedway I get a bit nervous. Maybe it's because he always ran into me on NASCAR 14 at these same track, or maybe it's because he only has one top 10 (a top 5) in 13 races here,
• Carl Edwards- 24 career races and only six top 10 finishes. Those don't seem to be numbers that associate with a name like Carl Edwards. What's worse? Nine of those have been 30th or worse..

We're skipping the normal track facts here this week. Talladega is such a crazy place that every driver will go through up's and down's which makes the fun facts not as fun (or easy to get). Instead, here is an old Behind the Wall article on "The Big One" here at Talladega.

2016 Pit Road Week 31: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Hollywood Casino 400

Photo: Jason Hanna Getty Images

By Richard Tix

Hard racing and post race interviewing don't always go as well as you think they would in your head. Not wanting to answer a question right after a heated race and answering with "that's racing, I guess." It's a line every NASCAR Cup driver has used almost every season they have raced at least once. Sometimes a driver let's out exactly what they're thinking and gets bashed by social media couch critics. Other time's they use a generic line like above and we all move on and thinking of it as just another boring interview. But, Sunday social media didn't move on.

Why is that? Well because it was Kyle Busch that said that line after his racing run in with teammate Carl Edwards late in the race at Kansas. The one thing we know about Kyle Busch is no move goes without a social media outrage.

Sure, he may have a past where he was looked at as whinny (maybe even some of you still think that), but a whole ton of drivers have said the same things and been applauded for holding back and being a bigger man and not in the shade of "crying."

Kyle gets lambasted from social media because of his past (I guess), but 99.9% of the time if the comment "that's racing, I guess" came out of another drivers mouth we would take it with a grain of salt and move on. Would we know that driver probably didn't fully mean it? Sure, we can see past typical BS lines and know their is more, but for some reason we keep nitpicking Rowdy for every single thing he does.

I get it if you don't like him, almost every fan in the sport has a guy they dislike, but cut him some slack because if your driver said that you would be looking at this 180 degrees the other way. I would say 80% of the time (yes making up numbers here) the social media outrage on Kyle Busch is total fan hypocrisy. Hate on him when it's a valid reason, but answering the question with a generic line is what most drivers do when they don't want to talk about it, just be happy he didn't walk off (one of those times I get being upset with him).

Now, lets get to the Power Rankings since my rant backing a driver I am not even a fan of has gone long enough. 

A review of the Chase Power Ranking Rules:

For the first three races we will have 16 drivers ranked and they will all come from the Chase field. Once NASCAR cuts the field to 12 so will Behind the Wall (again, all Chase drivers). Once we cut to 8 drivers I will still rank the top 12, but the top 8 will be only drivers left in the Chase and the remaining four can be anyone (previous Chase drivers OR someone who was never in the Chase). This type format will continue all the way down to the final (so in the end the Champion will be number one and the other eleven can be anyone in the Sprint Cup.

We're down to 12 Chase drivers so only those 12 are in the rankings this week.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 31 (Week 30)

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-4)- This is the best I have seen the No. 48 run in awhile. Sunday he wasn't going to win (and didn't need to), but he worked his way to the front and stayed clean, something he will want to do again at Dega (though he is already in the final eight). 
2. Kyle Busch (LW-5)- I'm not sure Kyle was catching Harvick even if he got around the No. 19, but he was fast to end the race. He has been good all Chase long.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-10)- Was he too low last week? Probably. But that's how this Chase has gone so far for "Happy." It's been up and down, but this team fights through adversity by bringing speed every week. Oh, and check out last weeks quote on ole No. 4: "Heads up No. 4 fans, he can win at anytime." See, all is good for the moment with Harvick.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-3)- Five Chase races and five top 10's, Kenseth is staying out of trouble and not mixing it up with anyone, which is a good Chase formula. 
5. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- After two wins in the first round, Truex now has two finishes of 11th or worse in the second round.
6. Carl Edwards (LW-7)- 12th and 2nd this round, that doesn't seem great but with Talladega on the schedule if he does it again he should be safe.
7. Joey Logano (LW-11)- He raced his way back to the top 8 (tied with Dillon), but still has to stay clean and run well at Talladega to advance. Weird spot after such a great 2015 season.
8. Kurt Busch (LW-6)- Kurt has flown under the radar all Chase. Mostly because he really hasn't been that good, but he hasn't been bad either. That's how this season may end for him too.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW-2)- "Must win." NBC analysis need to realize we're going to Dega where someone could have trouble like BK did at Kansas. BK has been top 10 fast all year and consistent, he still has a shot without a win.
10. Austin Dillon (LW-12)- What a Chase for AD. Give the man his due, he is sticking in it and is in a nice spot right now. Who would have thought, AD in the round of eight? It's only one great finish away.
11. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Chase can't catch a break this round. He has been fast and he finished 5th after getting the pole last time out at Dega. He has to be this low in the rankings, but it's not crazy to think he could win..
12. Denny Hamlin (LW-9)- Trouble at Charlotte did DH no favors and his 15th place finish this weekend didn't help. The other guys who were in a hole helped themselves out unlike Hamlin. He needs to stay clean and have a great finish at Dega.

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Talladega

Alabama 500

By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)

Friday October 21, 2016

• 1-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice- FS1
• 2-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
• 4:30-5:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN

Saturday October 22, 2016

• 10:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS1
• 1 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series fred's 250 Powered by Coca-Cola (94 laps)- FOX
• 4 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN

Sunday October 23, 2016

• 2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Alabama 500 (188 laps)- NBCSN

2016 NASCAR Week 31 Preview: Kansas

Hollywood Casino 400

Kansas Speedway

By Richard Tix

Week 31.... Let that sink in for a moment. Another season has come and gone as we round up the final twelve drivers and crown a Champion. Another year of writing in this space about just about anything that I feel is relevant in my life or the world of NASCAR. 

With all of that being said why are you still here!? For real though, I appreciate all of you that do come weekly to check out the Power Rankings and Race Previews. I also appreciate all of the interaction on Twitter (if you don't already follow me, check out @NASCARBTW and @UNC_Coastin). The first is this blogs twitter which I do most of my tweetering, but the second is my personal twitter (which I rarely use). 

It has been a crazy year and an even crazier Fall for me. I felt like I have missed a ton of content on here (sorry guys) and a ton of action on the track. None the less, we continue to push on to Miami and then into the vast offseason where N.O.D. becomes a real scare to fans of the sport (credit @annoyingracefan).

Before we get ahead of ourselves, we still have five more races left including Kansas Speedway this weekend. So, lets get into the "Good, Middle, and Bad" drivers here.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson- Coming off a win at Charlotte, this is not what anyone wants to see except for the No 48 team and Rick Hendrick. JJ has 16 top 10 finishes in 20 Kansas starts including three wins.
• Kevin Harvick- Four times in the last six Kansas races has Harvick finshed first or second (one win). He also has three pole awards in that same time. KH need's it this week after back to back rough finishes.
• Kyle Busch- Kansas hasn't always been a good track for Kyle (19.2 average finish), but he has three staright top 5 finishes here including a win earlier this year.
• Extra Credit: Joey Logano

The Middle

• Carl Edwards- Kansas has been one of Carl's best tracks (10.6 average finish in 18 races), yet he hasn't won here yet. Can he get it done this weekend?

The Bad

• Tony Stewart- On one hand Smoke has two career Kansas wins, on the other he has six straight finishes outside the top 10 and eight out of the last nine. 
• Jamie McMurray- McMurray matches Smokes six straight finishes outside the top 10, but one ups him with only one top 10 in his last 17 Kansas starts.
• Danica Patrick- Eight career Kansas races and only one top 10, and three top 20's. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. 

About the Track: Kansas

Track Stats

• Kansas has 13 different career winners in 21 Cup races
• Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are tied for most career Kansas wins with 3
• In 2011 Kansas started to have two races a year.
• Manufacture win count: Chevy 10, Ford 6, Toyota 3, and Dodge 2
• Brad Keselowski won after starting 25th in 2011, the furthest back a winner has come from
• JJ, Harvick, and Kahne are tied for most career Poles at Kansas (3)
• Most cautions in a Kansas race was 2013 in the Fall Chase race (15)

Track Details

• Surface: Asphalt
• Length: 1.5 mile
• Banking
• Turns: 24 degrees
• Straights: 5 degrees 

2016 Pit Road Week 30: Charlotte

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Photo: Mike McCarn — The Associated Press

By Richard Tix

Five, count them, five drivers from the Chase field of twelve finished 30th or worse on Sunday. This is not the round you want to start out like that and all five now have a hole to get out of. Lucky for them one of them can advance on points alone and all five will have a shot to win the wild card race at Talladega.

Now that I think about it, why doesn't NASCAR move Talladega to the first round? I know how NASCAR is with the schedule (and how tracks are), but Dega as a wild card race makes more sense as in a wild card round like the first round. It gives a team like Chirs Buescher some legitimate hope in making the next round. I would love to keep a superspeedway in the Chase, because like the road course argument, a track of every type should make the schedule. However, in the second round where all 12 guys are legit title contenders it seems a bit too fluky to me.

Anyways, they heat will get turned up another notch this weekend especially with five drivers already on the hot seat.

A review of the Chase Power Ranking Rules:

For the first three races we will have 16 drivers ranked and they will all come from the Chase field. Once NASCAR cuts the field to 12 so will Behind the Wall (again, all Chase drivers). Once we cut to 8 drivers I will still rank the top 12, but the top 8 will be only drivers left in the Chase and the remaining four can be anyone (previous Chase drivers OR someone who was never in the Chase). This type format will continue all the way down to the final (so in the end the Champion will be number one and the other eleven can be anyone in the Sprint Cup.

We're down to 12 Chase drivers so only those 12 are in the rankings this week.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 30 (Week 29)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Not the finish they were looking for, especially on a 1.5 mile track. They still have tons of momentum and until they post two poor finishes in a row this spot is his.
2. Brad Keselowski (LW-2)- BK's consistency just keeps coming. If the No 2 stays away from bad luck it should be enough to advance him to the round of eight.
3. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Great run after starting 17th, but it just wasn't enough. That is four straight top 10 finishes this Chase and his second runner up.
4. Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)- JJ is locked in as one of the final eight drivers in the 2016 Chase after winning at Charlotte. That has to be a great feeling during an up and down season.
5. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- Quietly finishing well, Rowdy has a string of five straight top 10's going right now. He has also led at least one lap in every Chase race so far.
6. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- This round has started out much better then how last round went (one top 10), but will the No 41 team keep it going?
7. Carl Edwards (LW-12)- It was only a twelfth place finish, but after Edwards the Chase drivers fell off. He is safe for now, but still needs to run better.
8. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- What a run for Chase on Sunday until being involved in a wreck on lap 260. He led 103 laps which was second only to JJ.
9. Denny Hamlin (LW-8)- 52 laps led and engine issues, rough way to start the second round. But, Hamlin has been fast so he can work his way out of it.
10. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- This just isn't Harvick's Chase right now is it? Head up No. 4 fans, he can win at anytime.
11. Joey Logano (LW-4)- Speaking of needing a win, JoLo had issues all day staying on the track and finished poorly as a result. It's early, but he may also need a win to advance.
12. Austin Dillon (LW-11)- Another car caught up in a wreck. Expect the same at Dega which means all five of these guys still have a shot if they stay clean.

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Kansas

Hollywood Casino 400

By Richard Tix

All times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)


Friday October 14, 2016

• 1-2:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 2:30-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
• 4:35-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
• 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN

Saturday October 15, 2016

• 11-11:50 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- CNBC
• 12p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- CNBC
• 1:3 0-2:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 3 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Kansas Lottery 300 (200 laps)- NBC

Sunday October 16, 2016

• 2:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 (267 laps)- NBC

2016 NASCAR Week 30 Preview: Charlotte

Bank of America 500

Charlotte Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

Race four in the 2016 Cup Chase is right around the corner. This weekend NASCAR hits Charlotte Motor Speedway after a lack luster first round. But, what do you expect? The first round is always the round with the least amount of drama.

From here on out, the drama will increase and I expect Twitter NASCAR fan's heads to start exploding. Something is bound to happen to one set of fans driver and the reaction on social media is always a fun and intense time.

So sit back and get your popcorn ready, the Chase and social media are about to get fired up.

**This section is just a quick look at some of Cup drivers latest finishes. This is not a tool for fantasy purposes and NBTW only is looking at end results. No deep statistic's are involved, but rather it is just a quick way to get ready for the race and get caught up on who has finished well at each track**

The Good

• Joey Logano- JoLo won this race last year in the Chase and won this years All Star Race. He has figured out Charlotte pretty well and might get off to a nice start this round.
• Carl Edwards- Edwards needs CMS after an unispirering first round. In 23 career races here he almost has an average finish in the top 10 (10.9).
• Brad Keselowski- BK has three straight top 10's here and five top 10's in the last six stops. Included in those last six was a win in 2013.

The Middle

• Denny Hamlin- Look, Hamlin has been very good here lately, but he just hasn't sealed the deal on a trip to Victory Lane yet. Look for another nice run this weekend.

The Bad

• Jimmie Johnson- You're not reading this wrong.. Yes, JJ has been very good here and I wouldn't bet against him, but three have his last four have all resulted in finishes of 17th or worse. I expect him to bounce back, but these stats should be noted.
• Kasey Kahne- Kahne has also had a nice career here (four wins), but none since 2012 and his last five have yielded only one top 10 and his average start position has been 25.25 in the last four.
• Paul Menard- 19 races. Two top 10's. That's really all you need to know here.

About the Track: Charlotte

Track Stats

• Martin Truex Jr was the first driver not named Jimmie Johnson to win from the pole earlier this year. The last time someone won a Charlotte race from the Pole not named Jimmie Johnson was 1998, Jeff Gordon. JJ has won 2 from the Pole since then (2004 and 2009)
• JJ won 4 straight from 2004 to 2005, sweeping both times. Four straight is also a track Cup record
• In that same stretch he (JJ) won 5 of 6 from 2003-2005 dropping the only race to Tony Stewart
• The most cautions was 22 during the 2005 May Charlotte race, which JJ ended up winning.
• In Jimmie Johnson's 7 wins, he (JJ) won 3 from the Pole, including this race in 2014.
• Those 7 wins are the most by any driver in a career.
• Bobby Allison has the second most wins with 6 total in 43 attempts
• Of current drivers Ryan Newman has the most poles (9). 
• David Pearson has the most career poles at Charlotte with 14.
• Jimmie Johnson has led 1,740 or 10,355 career laps he has run at Charlotte. That is enough for second most behind Bobby Allison (2,338 total).
• Richard Petty has the most top 10's in a career with 31 in 64 attempts. He is also tied with Bobby Allison for the most top 5's (23 total).

Track Info

• Surface: Asphalt
• Length: 1.5 mile
• Banking
• Turns: 24 degrees
• Straights: 5 degrees 

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Charlotte

Bank of America 500

By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)

Thursday October 6, 2016

• 1:30-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
• 5:30-6:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
• 7:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN

Friday October 7, 2016

• 3:30-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- NBCSN
• 4:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
• 6:30-7:20 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 8 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Drive for the Cure 300 Presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC (200 laps)- NBCSN

Saturday October 8, 2016

• 6:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 (334 laps)- NBC

2016 Pit Road Week 29: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Dover International Speedway

By Richard Tix

First thing's first: being called a hater by someone who has never read your articles or a tweet of your's before is ironic, because that person is as much a hater as you are since they know nothing about you.

I was called a hater on Sunday for calling out TV media (and others) who continue to try and hold onto the notion that Furniture Row is still a small team beating the odds. They're trying to sell the Cinderella story when the story has run it's course.

Why is this wrong? Because Furniture Row is no longer a small team, they're a legit title contender who is practically a fifth Joe Gibbs Racing car. That is no slight to Furniture Row, those guys worked their butt's off to get to this point and overcome the odds.

But, that story ended last season, it's time to stop harping on an old story and move on with the truth.

I like Martin Truex Jr and love that a once small team is expanding and becoming a real threat in NASCAR. However, this is like Gonzaga in college basketball (hopefully some of you get this). They were a media Cinderella darling for a short period of time, but eventually got so big they were a legit contender and the story-line was gone. College media understood that, the fans understood that, and Gonzaga understood that.

Story-lines change and we need to adapt with them. It doesn't make you a hater, it makes you a person who understands the context of situations and how they're forever changing. I try and keep is as real and unbiased as I can here. So, lets hit a few things you need to know if you just started following me.

I run Behind the Wall and try and keep my bias of drivers neutral for rankings and articles.

I am a huge Brad Keseloski fan and have been since he was working his way up. I am a Dodge fan so many of my drivers roots have passed through those ram horns.

I also like Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott (I know, weird situation), Ryan Newman, Clint Bowyer, and Kyle Larson.

When I first started watching in the 90's I was a young kid and latched onto Jeff Gordon like so many fans did over time. 

I was raised a King Petty guy (Mopar). By oldest brother is much older then me (I was an oops) and he was a Petty guy, so I followed suit. 

I have since dropped Gordon, Hamlin, and Kahne when people ask me who I am a fan of, but only because my list is huge (well some other things have turned me off from Denny as well). If you asked me, I would say I'm a BK fan, but I really do like a lot of guys. It comes with the nature of writing and just loving the sport.

I do like the newest Chase format and have from the start. However, I have always had a few thing's that I though needed adjustment (adding tracks to the full schedule and changing the final race year to year to name a few).

Even drivers I have disliked in the past have had their up's and downs when compared to m,y opinion. To be honest, I have had some of the best discussions on Twitter with fans of drivers I am not a big fan of. 

Last thing: I really wish they would add a few more short tracks (Iowa Speedway being one) and even a road course or two. I have held this opinion for awhile now and will not change it. I think they could drop a few 1.5 mile tracks that have two stops to make room. 

Oh, and I am from Minnesota and its tough to find a ton of people who consider themselves NASCAR fans. We're here, but we're hard to find. 

Now, onto the Power Rankings.

A review of the Chase Power Ranking Rules:

For the first three races we will have 16 drivers ranked and they will all come from the Chase field. Once NASCAR cuts the field to 12 so will Behind the Wall (again, all Chase drivers). Once we cut to 8 drivers I will still rank the top 12, but the top 8 will be only drivers left in the Chase and the remaining four can be anyone (previous Chase drivers OR someone who was never in the Chase). This type format will continue all the way down to the final (so in the end the Champion will be number one and the other eleven can be anyone in the Sprint Cup.

We're down to 12 Chase drivers so only those 12 are in the rankings this week.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 29 (Week 28)

1. Martin Truex (LW-1)- Right now Truex is as hot as they come and NASCAR will hit two 1.5 mile tracks in the next three. Why is that important? Well, because he has been pretty darn good on 1.5 mile's while at Furniture Row.
2. Brad Keselowski (LW-2)- Three top 5's in the Chase, tied for the most wins this season, the most top 5's all year, and stuck in 7th place in the standings. Weird, huh? It's a non factor if BK keeps running this well, these stats will advance him to Miami if he keeps it up. 
3. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Rowdy led a lap ion every Chase race and also finished in the top 10 all three times. He was runner up at Dover on Sunday and knows how to navigate this Chase.
4. Joey Logano (LW-5)- It's a bit crazy to think JoLo has only won one race in 2016, but that's where we are right now. 
5. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Tough luck on Sunday, but guys it can happen at anytime, why all the Rodney Childers attacking on twitter? Harvick still looks like a title contender and already had a win.
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Hard to argue with 9th, 2nd, and 5th place finishes during the Chase. Nice work running well and advancing.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- This season is the lowest on average I have ever had JJ in the rankings, weird. Whats not weird is the No. 48 team is running better in the Chase, but can they keep it going against JGR?
8. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Ten top 10's in the last eleven races, not bad Hamlin. The last time he was out of the top 15 was thirteen races ago, and that was the unpredictable Daytona.
9. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- Will he win the Championship as a rookie? Odds are 99% no, but two third place finishes this round are impressive stats to add to a great rookie campaign. 
10. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- They survived with a lone top 10 and three top 15's. It wasn't pretty and they will need more this round, but they made it.
11. Austin Dillon (LW-13)- Yeah, a poor running by CGR helped, but Dillon didn't hurt himself by finishing 8th, and that's what it is all about. Nice work moving on and doing what you could to gain points.
12. Carl Edwards (LW-11)- I'm not sure what to think of the No 19 team. They would reel off two wins in this round at any moment, but right now they're lagging behind the other four JGR cars (yes, the No. 78 is a fifth JGR car).