2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 1: Daytona

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Daytona 500

By Richard Tix

Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series rings in its new sponsorship with the No. 41 Monster Energy Stewart Haas Racing Ford Fusion in Victory Lane. No, really, you can't even make that up or script it even better.

Oh, and before you go all conspiracy theory -- I know some of you already have somehow decided it was rigged -- NASCAR can not script 35 of 40 cars getting in a wreck and somehow Kurt Busch keeps it together enough to get to Victory Lane. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't script it that he gets the lead on the very last lap or goes through the grass earlier in a wreck but the splitter doesn't come flying off.

But, here we are with a Monster Energy car in Victory Lane in a Monster Energy sponsored series, pretty cool. You know what's even cooler? The post race emotion when Tony Gibson was interviewed on his box on pit road. Man, he showed every emotion he had in his body and laid it on the line which was fantastic to see.

After a week of working and fighting for every second of speed, it paid off for the No. 41 team and to see Tony show us all what it meant to him and his friends and family was great. 

When it comes to the race it had a lot of just about everything. The race started out clean and organized after a weekend filled with beat up and flying cars/trucks. Then stage right comes JGR and the Toyota crew that started bringing us plenty of strategy to gnaw on. We had lead changes and some close calls, and eventually the cautions started to act up. Once they started it was like a leaky faucet that just couldn't be turned off -- folks, that's plate track racing if you haven't noticed.

The rule package on this February Sunday afternoon wouldn't have mattered, the gimmick of plate racing will lead to these types of races from time to time. Yet, each year no matter the rules, cars, or anything else, fan's go the easy route and blame it on whatever recent change NASCAR has made. That's a simple mind blaming changes on something after one race without really taking it in fully and seeing it play out at different types of tracks.

That's because no one want's to really point out it's more based on the nature of plate racing and not the current scoring option chosen by NASCAR, Monster, its drivers, and it's teams. Daytona and Talladega are two huge names on the NASCAR schedule to outside fans so actually partially blaming something only found at those track's is the hard thing to do so why not take the easy way out?

Look, I still enjoy the heck out of plate racing, but I understand the race right now is more gimmick then skill. Yes, skill is needed to navigate and make your way to the front. Yes, tons of skill goes into understanding aero on these tracks and knowing how to use it to your advantage. But, that's a huge but, at any moment 15 cars can be taken out by the simplest move and take all that knowledge and skill right out of the race. The percentage odds of that happening at a plate track compared to other tracks is just so much higher that it's hard to judge a new rule or package solely on this race.

So, sit back and enjoy Atlanta next week. Let the point system and new rules really set in before attacking media members with tweets complaining about NASCAR and what they did this time to screw up the sport.

Now, enough about plate racing because we will put it behind us for a few weeks, lets get into this weeks Behind the Wall Power Rankings! Oh and one last thought about the upcoming season after Daytona -- more GRONK in NASCAR!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 1 (Preseason)

1. Joey Logano (LW-3)- JoLo had a rough start as he hit pit road early, but he fought back and gave himself a shot late in the race. He finished second in the second stage and was part of the last group standing in the closing laps.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Guess who's fourth in points after only completing 197 of 200 laps? Yeah, this team will love the stage points because of how consistently fast they are week in and week out.
3. Kurt Busch (LW-11)- What a win. Tony Gibson showed just how much the Daytona 500 means to him and his team. Kurt put on the perfect move at the perfect time in what was an entertaining 500.
4. Chase Elliott (LW-6)- For awhile it looked like it was Elliott's to lose, and in the end it was. He had an issue late and was mysteriously holding the high line -- instead of the low line. Either way, he was impressive all weekend long and will take lessons learned with him to Atlanta.
5. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- The Toyota's were on their own strategy from the start but because of how things played out we never got to see how it would fully work out. Unfortunately for Kyle he randomly lost a tire and took a bunch of guys with him.
6. Ryan Blaney (LW-17)- Wow, was Blaney impressive all day. Heck, Ryan showed he was ready in year two all weekend. He couldn't get a late push tp help him get to Kurt's back bumper, but he still displayed some impressive moves.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Well, JJ's week could have gone better. It's like everyone said "lets take out JJ this week in Daytona."Just like that David Ragan, Trevor Bayne, and Jamie McMurray took care of business. JJ will be back in Atlanta.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-8)- What could have been. Larson moved his way up front only to come up short on fuel late that had him fall way back. 
9. Denny Hamlin (LW-9)- Another Toyota caught up in a bunch of messes, DH and team still fought through and came away with the ninth most points even after only finishing 199 laps.
10. Kasey Kahne (LW-16)- At one point Kahne fans were breathing more heavily yet trying to act like they weren't noticing it in case they would jinx him. Well, it didn't work, but it was still refreshing seeing him in a spot to contend late in the race.
11. Martin Truex Jr (LW-4)- After that horrid start to the race it was impressive to see the No. 78 up front with that right front taped up and a chance to win.
12. Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- A fast car all weekend with some nice stage points, BK couldn't escape all of the wreckage and eventually got caught up.