2017 NASCAR Week 17: Daytona

Firecracker 400 (Coke Zero 400)

Daytona International Speedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch for?

Surprise Winner?

• Its that time again, lets talk plate racing. Now, I have not been the biggest fan of pack racing at these plate tracks and the consequences they bring, but they do bring in an interesting aspect of the surprise winner. With all the talk of the playoffs starting to heat up, a win here could mean everything to a smaller team or a win-less driver in 2017. A win here could also shake up the playoff picture a whole bunch, so it's a storyline to watch on Saturday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr's last Firecracker

• This is a storyline every week, but Junior and Daytona go hand in hand. A win this weekend would lock Jr into the playoffs (assuming we don't have 17 winners) and really help how his final season is viewed short term, and long term down the road. Junior has won two Firecracker 400's and two Daytona 500's, so a win this weekend would really cement his place in Daytona International Speedway history (as if it already isn't...).

Look to the Skies

• Oh, the weather outside is weather... It's going to be July in Florida, so it isn't a surprise to see rain forecast almost everyday this weekend. However, once again the chances of rain go up in the evening. So, once again the chances of the Firecracker 400 being impacted by rain in some way is high. Remember, Aric Almirola punched his "Chase" ticket by being in the right place at the right time when the rain came, so it's possible it could happen again. Even if the race doesn't get shortened we still have a high probability that people will run some crazy strategies in the hopes it does happen.

**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

• Austin Dillon- If AD is going to pull off another win, Daytona might just be it. His average finish of 12.6 leads all current Cup regulars.
• Joey Logano- JoLo has finishes of 6th, 4th, 6th, 22nd, and 1st dating back to that win in 2015. He consistently has been a front runner at Daytona.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Not much has to be said about Junior and plate tracks. However, he needs it this time to give him a shot at the playoffs.

The Middle

• Ryan Newman- You want a guy almost locked into finishing 20-28th? Newman is your guy. Maybe it is because he is normally in the group that sits back and waits, but whatever it is it really hasn't worked well.

The Bad

• Kasey Kahne- In his last nine races here Kahne has just three top 15s (two top ten's). He has more finishes of 25th or worse than career top tens (nine).
• Danica Partick- Bad luck seems to follow Danica. This season she has been a magnet towards the wall and almost every time it wasn't her fault. Add in the multiple wrecks she has had at Daytona and she will be lucky to make it out without an incident.
• Brad Keselowski- Talking about bad luck, BK has had the same type of luck at Daytona. While he runs very well at Talladega, DIS has been a bit more up and down. He won this race last year, but previously his last top 15 was in 2014.

About the Track: Daytona

Track Stats

• Jimmie Johnson was the first driver since Bobby Allison in 1982 to win both stops at DIS in a single season (2013)
• Tony Stewart won from 42nd starting position 7/7/12, which is the farthest back anyone has won from (Firecracker 400)
• However, Matt Kenseth won from 39th in the 2009 500, which is the farthest back anyone has won the Daytona 500
• A Toyota only has two wins at DIS (Kyle Busch 2008 Firecracker and Denny Hamlin 2016 Daytona 500)
• Chevy has won 8 of the last 16. Ford has won 8 of 17. Denny Hamlin won the other.
• Trevor Bayne is still the youngest Daytona 500 win (19 years old. 2011 Daytona 500). It is still his only Cup win.

Track Info

• Surface- Asphalt
• Length- 2.5 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 31 degrees
• Tri-Oval: 18 degrees
• Back Straight: 2 degrees

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 16: Sonoma

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Toyota/Save Mart 350

By Richard Tix

Sonoma Thoughts:

No Late Caution

• Just one week after what seemed like a phantom debris caution at MIS, the end of Sonoma looked to be in a spot where NASCAR might have a quick trigger finger for a yellow. Kevin Harvick was out front pretty easily and only had a small shot at not finishing (fuel). To NASCAR's credit, they didn't find a crazy reason to throw a yellow and instead it finished as expected (a yellow did fly right around when Harvick was about to cross the S/F).

Road Courses Still Equal Fun

• Road Courses being a fan favorite has become the norm in 2017. On Jeff Gluck's "Was it a good race" twitter poll Sonoma got an overwhelming 78% yes which is normal for a road course week. What is a bit crazy is if a finish like we had on Sunday (Harvick way out front and winning after a yellow came out on the final lap), happened at a 1.5 mile track the poll results most likely would have flip flopped a bunch. I understand much of that is also the racing action during the meat of the race, but it is still interesting to note. I am part of the "more road course" crowd (and the "real road course, not roval" crowd), but I don't want them over saturated either. Another stop or two at most in place of a 1.5 would work for me, plus add in some more short tracks....

No Surprise Winner

• To be fair, Watkins Glenn is where AJ Allmendinger really has excelled and where we get more "surprise" winners, but guys like Logano, Kenseth, and Bowyer can take a deep breath knowing AJ didn't win. Harvick winning was almost a lock and even without a win he was the highest in points (without a win), so his trip to VL posses no threat to the non win drivers for the most part. Up next is Daytona which has been arguably an even bigger wild card race than Sonoma has so everyone will be trying out any strategy necessary to win.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 16 (Week 15)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- After a blown engine the end result wasn't what he wanted, but before it blew up on him Truex was a top contender to beat on Sunday.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- Zero wins makes it tough to put Rowdy right behind Truex, but he does have three straight top tens and six top tens in his last seven. A win is coming for this team soon if they can stop losing CC's.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-4)- I said it for about three weeks, then didn't say it last week in the power rankings: "a win is coming for this team." Well, it finally came Sunday at Sonoma. "Happy" has lead at least ten laps in nine of sixteen races this season.
4. Kyle Larson (LW-2)- After taking the pole, Sunday didn't exactly go Larson's way at Sonoma. Even after a poor day, he actually kept the top spot in the standings from Truex Jr who also had late issues.
5. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- Chase is starting to surge again after a lull from races nine to twelve. He is starting to consistently run in the top ten again, but will still need to close a race out (restarts, pit stops, CC strategy) if he wants to win before the playoffs.
6. Jamie McMurray (LW-5)- Consistency king, JMac is tied for third for most top tens (ten top tens, two driver have eleven). Three more top tens and he will match his best in a season other than the lone season he had 23 (2004).
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-6)- 3, 3, and 6. That is JJ's wins, top fives, and top tens in 2017. He is perfectly safe, but one has to think they would want to rack up some more playoff points at some point while Truex keeps knocking them off.
8. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Another JGR car starting to come to life as of late. Slowly, the 11 is starting to catch the pack. Sonoma was his second straight 4th place finish and his fourth top ten in five races.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW-10)- BK got back on track on Sunday after finishing 3rd in a car that looked like it was just part of the county fair demo derby. 
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-11)- Blaney had a pretty solid run at Sonoma for only his second Cup start here. He started 7th and finished 9th and picked up 39 points which was good for fourth most.
11. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Kurt is on the every other race top ten streak. The good: Sonoma was a top ten week. The bad: Daytona is on a non top ten week....
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-NR)- He's back. It's been awhile since Junior cracked the top 12 on NBTW, but after his second top ten in a row he will grace the very bottom as we head to one of his best tracks, Daytona.

Dropped Out: Matt Kenseth (LW-8) and Erik Jones (LW-12)

Just Missed: Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, and Ryan Newman

2017 NASCAR Week 16: Sonoma

Toyota/Save Mart 350

Sonoma Raceway

By Richard Tix

15 down, 11 to go. 11 more races until the NASCAR Playoffs get started. This weekend is as important as any for drivers still looking to lock in a spot in the top 16. Road courses open up opportunities for a few drivers to peak into the spotlight for a bit, but will it end up with a surprise trip to Victory Lane? The odds are we won't see a crazy winner, but you never know. So, buckle up and get ready for this weekend at Sonoma. Take a look at a few things worth following this weekend.

What to watch for?

Will Truex Jr. or Larson create some separation in the points?

• Only five points separate the 42 and 78 (42 with the lead) heading into Sonoma. Both drivers have been the head of the field in 2017 and will look to keep it going. Truex Jr. has recently won here (2013) and Larson has steadily shown improvement (28th, 15th, and then 12th). The perfect storm could be coming if these two can battle for the lead late on Sunday.

The battle for 16th place in the standings

• The battle for number one isn't the only one to watch. "But if you're not first, you're last!" (pipe down in the back Ricky Bobby) As it stands right now, Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth are in a tie for the 16th spot with Bowyer just missing the cut. Even though it is for 15th and 16th (not 16th and 17th), it will be fun to watch two drivers with a past history try and stay off the bubble spot at number 16.

Can AJ Allmendinger tame Sonoma?

• Allmendinger's name is always the first one brought up when NASCAR heads to road course and for good reason as he has won at Watkins Glenn (Cup), Elkhart Lake (Xfinity), and Mid-Ohio (Xfinity). However, Sonoma hasn't been his track yet at the Cup level. AJ has managed a pole and two other front row starts in his last three races here, but the finishes haven't come as easy. With the Playoffs quickly coming up on the horizon, it is go time for the No. 47 team this weekend.

**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

• Kyle Busch- Rowdy has back to back top tens here at Sonoma including a win in 2015. He also runs really well at Watkins Glenn, so he know hows to wheel it to the left and right.
• Clint Bowyer- Eight top tens in eleven career starts at Sonoma. Bowyer also has a win here in 2012. Bowyer could really use a win as he sits 17th in points right now.
• Martin Truex Jr- Truex won here back in 2013, had a couple rough finishes, and then finished fifth last season.

The Middle

• Jimmie Johnson- When you think of JJ you don't normally think of road course racing, but he actually has fared really well here at Sonoma. In his last eight starts here he has seven top tens, three top fives, and a win (2010).

The Bad

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr- Ricky only has one top 20 in his first four career starts here at Sonoma. He also has the same amount of top 25's, not, good. 
• Denny Hamlin- Last year Hamlin finished second, but before that he had zero top 15's in his previous six races and only one top 20.
• Matt Kenseth- 17 career Sonoma starts and one top ten, Kenseth's struggles here have been well documented. His last top 15 was 2012.

About the Track: Sonoma

Track Stats

• 18 total drivers have won a Cup race at Sonoma. Only six have multiple wins (Gordon, Stewart, Busch, Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace, and Ernie Ervan).
• Of those six, two have more than two wins (Jeff Gordon- 5 and Tony Stewart- 3)
• Gordon also has the most top 5's (14) and top 10's (18) in a career
• Gordon has the most career poles (5) and Ricky Rudd the second most (4)
• Gordon has the best career average finish (8.3) followed by Dale Earnhardt (8.6)
• Rusty Wallace had an average start position of 6.9 over 17 career starts
• Sonoma has been won by the Pole 5 times in 28 Cup races
• The last Pole win was 2004- Jeff Gordon (11 races ago)

Track Info

• Surface- Asphalt
• Length- 1.99 miles
• Turns- 12

2017 NASCAR Schedule: Sonoma

Toyota/Save Mart 350

By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern (ET)


Sonoma Raceway

Friday June 23rd, 2017

• 3-4:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series first practice- FS1
• 6:30-7:55 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice- FS1

Saturday June 24th, 2017

• 2:45 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Qualifying- FS1

Sunday June 25th, 2017

• 3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350 (110 laps)- FS1

Iowa Speedway (Xfinity and Trucks)

Friday June 23rd, 2017

• 10 a.m.-11:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice- FS1
• 12:15-1:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
• 2-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- FS1
• 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- FS1
• 6:05 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying
• 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Series M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store (200 laps)- FS1

Saturday June 24th, 2017

• 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Qualifying- FS1
• 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series American Ethanol E15 250 presented by Enogen (250 laps)- FS1

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 15: Michigan

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

FireKeepers Casino 400

By Richard Tix

MIS Thoughts:

NASCAR's Debris Cautions

• While some of these during the day were legit, yet very strange, one of the late "debris" cautions felt a lot like last years phantom cautions that plagued the series. Instead of an intriguing finish on who might make it on fuel and who could catch whom, NASCAR threw the yellow and a cluster of pileup's ensued. Call me what you will, but I would have rather seen that race finish green and see the strategies played out. We already have stages NASCAR, don't bring back the phantom debris. If it's real, get your TV partners to show it because many fans just don't believe it's really there or worth the caution...

DeLana Harvick

• Outspoken? Yes. Brash? Yup. Opinionated? Heck, yeah. Entitled to share what she wants on SOCIAL MEDIA? Of course. Heck, she has more right as an emotional spouse to a Cup driver then the couch potato fan does, yet the new Ryan Blaney fan base went right after her Sunday. Her tweet read: "WTH was the 19 doin'? And no 21, the 4 didn't just run into ya..." First, she has a better seat than Blaney, but in the heat of the moment Blaney is also entitled to an opinion and saying it on the radio. Two, the anger in her tweet was more towards the 19 and not the 21. She was merely pointing out that the 21 was wrong over the radio (fact) and backing her husband up from being attacked. Blaney and DeLana hashed it out and made up because they're both responsible for there actions, but some of the 21 fan base took way to much offence in the tweet and even got down to saying that she should "keep her mouth shut." TBH, I don't always agree with her, but the sport needs to have brash folks just like it needs the quiet guys in the corner. Keep bringing it DeLana!

CGR is on a Roll

• CGR already has two wins in 2017 (both Kyle Larson) and is setting the pace for a fantastic season. It's obvious they have found something while other Chevy teams (cough cough HMS) are still searching for it. So far Larson and McMurray have amassed 19 top tens, nine top fives, two wins, and two poles. Last year they finished with 27 top tens, 12 top fives, one win, and zero poles. Both drivers are well on there way to posting career numbers and Larson is on the verge (if not past it) of becoming a HUGE star in NASCAR.

Is JGR Turning it Around?

• Hamlin finished 4th, Busch finished 7th, and Kenseth finished 11th. Even more important than where they finished is that all of them ran up front for a larger portion of the race. Hamlin had an average running position of 6th, Busch 3rd, and Kenseth 7th. They have played second fiddle to Furniture Row when it comes to Toyota performance, but they may finally be catching up a bit when it comes to the rest of the field. As it stand's even with a slow start that includes zero JGR wins, Busch is still 3rd in points while Hamlin is 9th and Kenseth is 11th. Yes, all of this leaves out Suarez but he is getting adjusted to the Cup level as a whole so some growing pains are expected. Even with that considered, he has run very consistent and if JGR gets some added speed he could start to find the front more often.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 15 (Week 14)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- The top spot just got closer, but Truex gets the small nudge over Larson with his Cup leading 20 playoff points.
2. Kyle Larson (LW-4)- Larson went back to back at  MIS and now has 15 total playoff points in a season where CGR is showing tons of speed.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- JGR is struggling compared to where they were a year ago (total domination), but Rowdy is still third in points.... Scary for the field to think where he will be if they get it going.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Something just isn't fully clicking with the 4 team. This time they got caught up in the mess with the 19 when the 21 bunched everyone up, but they still didn't have a winning car before that.
5. Jamie McMurray (LW-9)- When JMac is having a career year you know CGR has hit on something. No knock on McMurray, but so far this season has been an outlier in his career stats, but it's really good to see.
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW-5)- JJ had an alright day and still notched a top ten, not too shabby.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- He is alive. Hamlin finally reveled to everyone on Sunday he still races in MENCS.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW-8)- Kenseth's day was like his car, simple and clean, but kind of blah. However, blah is actually a good description for Kenseth right now since earlier this year it would be described much more harshly. Kenseth seems to be on the up and up right now heading into Sonoma.
9. Chase Elliott (LW-NR)- Three straight second place finishes for Elliott at MIS. That's a second place finish for every time he has run a Cup race at MIS....
10. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK had a top ten car, but fell out late and never made it back up while his teammate Joey Logano charged late.
11. Ryan Blaney (LW-10)- Blaney was good most of the day until a late restart had him get loose and fall way back.
12. Erik Jones (LW-11)- Erik quietly keeps performing and stacking up quality finishes, but he will need a win to get into the Playoffs as a rookie.

Dropped Out: Ryan Newman (LW-12th)

Just Missed: Joey Logano, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Kurt Busch, and Dale Earnhardt Jr

Behind the Wall Hits 1,000

By Richard Tix

Yup, 1,000 articles. I can't wrap my head around it either, HOW ARE YOU FOLKS STILL HERE READING THIS STUFF! Just kidding. :). 1,000 articles, countless words, hundreds of race previews, reviews, power rankings, and driver spotlights. Plus, don't forget the thousands of typos that come with my (mostly) unedited blog posts.

If I had the time not like I did when I started we would be far past 1,000 by now because I truly enjoy creating content for this hobby and this sport. Everything started back in 2013 when I decided I didn't want to look at the main stream NASCAR media for Power Rankings, because rankings like that are partially opinion and I wanted to form my own.

In my very first Power Rankings article none other than Jimmie Johnson graced the number one spot. Guys like Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, and Greg Biffle all were mentioned and are all now not running in 2017. While I miss those times, we have come a long way up until now.

I love this sport and I love this hobby. It keeps me engaged week to week even when I miss a race and lets me look at things from a bit of a different perspective than that of just a casual fan (not that anything is wrong with that). Oh, and best of all it helps me interact with other fans like myself when I need more than 140 characters...

The Behind the Wall peak so far was 2014 and 2015 where each year I pushed out 328 and 303 articles respectively. Folks in NASCAR like to talk about the "good ole days," and when it come to NBTW those were the years! I had a lot more time on my hands and my position at my real life job (yes, I have one of those) was much less time demanding which let me explore plenty of extra opinion pieces. Once 2016 started I had a brand new position/promotion, and a lot less time. Over time things dwindled down to mostly just weekend previews and weekly power rankings. Yet, most of y'all stuck with me through it all.

If you're just joining or have been around for all 1,000, I truly thank you. Seeing people actually visiting the blog or responding to articles is more than I even hoped when I started. Since for the most part my personal opinions and tidbits get thrown in and out of articles, it's hard to follow, so I will catch you up on some NBTW facts about me.


Getting to know NBTW at 1,000:

• Behind the Wall is 100% run by just one person, me, myself, and I. 
• Power Rankings and Paint Schemes were the original basis for starting NBTW
• I honestly just wanted to track them for my own viewing pleasure
• I'm 29 years old and became a fan in the 1990's
• I first clung onto Jeff Gordon, but once I was more diverse in the sport I branched out in fandom
• Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott, and Ricky Rudd were who I normally pulled for
• I went to my first actual Cup race in August of 2006 at MIS speedway.
• This was a graduation present from my oldest brother, who originally got me into the sport.
• I haven't missed a MIS race in Aug. since then (technically I missed the 2007 race, but was at the track that weekend before it was rained out).
• Every year in MI we stay with some friends and meet other friends who travel from CT. We all became so close that the whole group attended my wedding in 2015.
• The only other Cup track I have gone to is Charlotte Motor Speedway (ASR in 2016).
• I try to stay unbiased on here and Twitter, but my number one is Brad Keselwoski and has been since his early days with HMS. Past that it is a bunch of guys I like to follow.
• When BK went to Dodge and had Miller Lite on his car it was a lock that he was #1, 2, and 3.
• I like Miller Lite
• Been a Dodge fan my whole life
• Because of Dodge I have "fan" ties to Newman and Kahne. 
• I'm also a fan of Chase Elliott (because of his dad), Ryan Blaney (BKR when he was in the truck), Bowyer (because he is hilarious), and Kyle Larson
• Some lower level guys I like: Ty Majeski, Bubba Wallace (now in Cup), Byron, Hemric, Seig, Enfinger, Grala, Gragson, Jordan Anderson, Tommy Joe Martin, etc, etc. (Seriously the list goes on of guys I like especially because many of them are so good at responding/being available on social media)
• Favorite Tracks (in no order): Martinsville, Dover, Bristol, Richmond, WG, NHMS, and Darlington
• Runner Ups: Auto Club and Phoenix
• Track I want to be added to the Cup Schedule: Iowa Speedway (I'm from Minnesota, people!!)
• Current Point Standings yes or no: Yes, I love the mix of season long performance and playoff drama that will come.
• Playoffs yes or no: Yes. I liked straight up points too, but the playoffs helps increase a casual fans ability to relate it with other sports, IMO.

NBTW Personal (non NASCAR) Facts:

• Have lived in Minnesota my whole life
• Grew up in a town of 163 people
• Went to Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Hockey is our one DI sport
• Fun Fact: Minnesota Vikings WR Adam Thielen went to MNSU
• Vikings training camp has been held on campus since 1966 (might be moving soon)
• The new Vikings headquarters will be about 5 min from my house (might be where they move training camp to)
• I'm an avid sports fan all around.
• Played basketball in HS (only Varsity sport I went out for for some dumb reason)
• I'm 5'9" so basketball wasn't the easiest of choices
• Still play Beer League Softball (used to play 3-4 nights a week)
• Fun fact: My sister is in the USSSA Hall of Fame (a softball association)
• She plays in "World's" every year in FL and has been named MVP more than once
• I am a hometown sports fan (Vikings, Twins, Wild, Wolves, and Gophers).
• UNC is my number one for NCAA Basketball though. They have been since I was little. 
• I am an "oops." My closest sibling is 13 years from me. She loved Jordon, hence me picking up on UNC...
• I dabble in watching Golf and soccer as well. I also dabble in playing golf (a slice is a nice way of putting it)
• I have partial season tickets for the Minnesota Twins
• #MLBsBasement was a thing last year
• I have a Golden Retriever named Cooper, he's pretty cool

Well, that's it, that's 1,000. If you need to know even more about me I won't be going anywhere, I just may not post as many articles :). Or, you can always ask me in the comments below or on Twitter @NASCARBTW. 

As for y'all, thank you again! Number 1,000 is only possible with at least a small following coming on and checking out the weekly articles. It means a ton that NASCAR fans care so much that they will find their way to my site from time to time. Thanks again and here is to the next 1,000!

2017 NASCAR Week 15: Michigan

FireKeepers Casino 400

Michigan International Speedway

By Richard Tix

We are at race 15 of the 2017 season which means we're closing in on the final ten races of the regular season. With that in mind (and Blaney's first Cup win still fresh on our minds), let's take a look at how crazy the playoff picture is shaping up to be.

As most of you know 16 drivers get into the NASCAR Playoffs and anyone with a win (that isn't a cucumber, um, I mean encumbered) gets an automatic spot as long as they're in the top 30 (everyone will be). Already this year we have had surprise and/or first time wins by guys like Newman, Stenhouse Jr, A. Dillon, and Ryan Blaney which clouds the Playoff picture. At this point even Kurt Busch's Daytona 500 win looks like a surprising one since he hasn't spent much time up front since that race one win.

That leaves us with ten 2017 winners currently and only nine of those win's count for the playoffs (Joey Logano's win was penalized and does not count as an automatic playoff lock). So, after 14 races we're left with only seven spots open for the taking.

Seven seems like a decent number until you start looking at the drivers without a win. Still win less in 2017 are guys like Harvick, Logano (win doesn't count), Ky. Busch, Elliott, Hamlin, Earnhardt Jr, Kenesth, Jones, McMurray, Kahne, and Suarez. At this point I don't thing guys like Suarez, Jones, and Kahne to win, but Jones has shown the speed (similar to what Blaney showed previous to his win) so it isn't out of the question he takes a trip to VL as a rookie.

Above I listed 20 drivers if you include winners and the list of key names that haven't won yet. That isn't even mentioning A.J. Allmendinger, which get's to the next point of previewing how crazy this regular season finish could be.

If just looking at the drivers and wins wasn't enough to spotlight how fun 2017 has been, taking a closer look at the tracks left will really get your head spinning with "what if's."

This weekend at MIS poses an interesting spot for guys without a win (as will the same MIS stop in August). Last year Kyle Larson got his first Cup win at MIS in the Fall and a well known win less driver by the name of Chase Elliott finished second twice. MIS could be the spring board into full out insanity when it comes to the Playoff picture if Elliott or a guy like Jones wins this Sunday (or August). The 77/78 camp has been very fast all year and MIS can be won by fuel mileage and HP so its not out of the question as I stated above.

After MIS is Sonoma, Sonoma isn't a lock for "Dinger," but it has given us wins by Smoke, Bowyer, and Kahne since 2009. It can be a wildcard, but really hasn't played out that way much as of late (past Smoke's last win last year).

Another stop at Pocono is left as well as Indianapolis (could be fuel mileage) and some short tracks (always a small chance). But, the two biggest races which could be wildcards not mentioned yet are Daytona and Watkins Glenn. We have seen it time and time again that Daytona can open it's hand to a wildcard winner and spring someone into the Playoffs. Daytona brings in names like McMurray, Bayne, Ragan, and Almirola (doubtful to be back by then, INJ). Stakes will be high when NASCAR runs the Firecracker 400 because drivers know they all have a shot during the closing laps.

As always, the biggest question mark on the schedule still is WG and if A.J. Allmendinger can dominate and win. Once WG is over we will have a four race sprint to the playoffs so it could turn the standings into a wildfire depending on who wins at Daytona and WG.

As you can see even the simplest scenario of AJ winning WG and someone surprising at Daytona creates a ton of chaos and would give us 11 different winners (not even including the races between them). With all this considered it will be a fun finish to the season even before the playoffs start and have drivers and fans of the 1, 4, 11, 14, 18, 20, 22, 77, 88, etc on the edge of their seats.

**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

• Chase Elliott- Small sample size alert: Chase Elliott has a career average finish of 2nd here at MIS. Yup, that's in only two career starts, but this has been one of his most promising tracks to get his first career win at.
• Joey Logano- JoLo might need a good finish this weekend more than anyone and MIS is the spot to get it. He currently has eight straight top tens here, including two wins.
• Kyle Larson- MIS, the home of Larson's first career Cup win. Last year Larson win here and finished third. I think he builds on it again this year.

The Middle

• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth has a long track record of running well at MIS. Part of that mixed with the old RFR dominance here, but even after that he still has a win since joining JGR. Still, in his eight races with JGR at MIS he only has three top tens, but seven top 15's.

The Bad

• Kyle Busch- MIS just isn't Rowdy's track. Last time I said something like that and tagged Kyle in it I was blocked, no seriously, just over something not even directed at him but at fans... After I was blocked, he went on to figure that track out and run well there (you're welcome). That track was Kansas, so I now fully expect Kyle to figure out MIS and dominate it (though I can't tag him on Twitter this time).
• Clint Bowyer- Three straight finishes of 23rd or worse (two of them in the 40's), but to give him a break two of those three were with HScott. Before that stretch he ran pretty well while with MWR, so he could have a big bounce back this weekend.
• Ryan Newman- In Newman's last ten races here he has only two top tens (both 8th's). 

About the Track: Michigan

Track Stats

• Cale Yarborough won the first race at MIS in 1969 and also two of the first three.
• The furthest back a driver has started a race from and won was 32nd in 2009 by Mark Martin.
• A MIS race has been won 20 times from the Pole position including the last race in 2015 at MIS by Matt Kenseth and the first stop in 2016 by Joey Logano.
• A MIS race has been won from the pole five times in the last eight races
• Most cautions was 10 in 2006 and the race was won by Matt Kenseth. This is also the only MIS race that had double digit cautions in 89 races.
• David Pearson has the most career MIS wins with 9. Cale Yarborough follows with 8
• Cale Yarborough has the most top 5 finishes with 21 followed by Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon (19).
• Mark Martin has the most career top 10's with 31, followed by Bill Elliott with 29.
• David Pearson has 10 career Poles at MIS (Cup leading)

Track Info

• Length: 2 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 18 degrees
• Start/Finish: 12 degrees
• Backstretch: 5 degrees

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 14: Pocono

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Axalta Presents the Pocono 400

By Richard Tix

Yup, this week's power rankings are coming in all kinds of late. With that in mind I will be skipping most of the review which is normally just a bunch of rambling opinions anyways!

I do want to mention how fantastic the end of Pocono really was. Respect to Kyle Busch for running Ryan Blaney hard and doing everything he could to hold the lead while not wrecking him. Respect to Kevin Harvick for pushing as hard as he could for the win. And huge respect to Blaney on his first career Cup win. The win couldn't have been scripted any better and he couldn't have found a more deserving way to earn it. He worked his way around on of the best in the sport (Busch) and was being chased down by a guy nicknamed by some as "the closer" (Harvick).

The win on Sunday by Blaney and the Wood Brothers will go down as one of the most popular wins of the season and possibly even the last three (up there with Stewart's last and Gordon's last). Wood Brothers and Blaney doing well is overall good for the sport in my opinion, so soak it in while it lasts.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 14 (Week 13)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Truex has been the best Toyota and Cup car all season. Just check out the nice cushion he is giving himself for the playoffs.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick was chasing Blaney down in the closing laps but couldn't get right to his bumper to either move him or make a pass (or both). It was good to see another strong run from the No. 4, but I am sure they're more than ready for that win.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-5)- Easily one of the best, if not the best, car on Sunday. He lead more laps this race then all of his other Pocono races combined. In the end, he did all he could to hold the lead and it wasn't enough, but mad props for making Blaney earn it.
4. Kyle Larson (LW-4)- Not enough on Sunday, but he lead a few laps including one to finish up a stage and grab a point. Larson is starting to gain some steam again.
5. Jimmie Johnson (LW-2)- A slip up by HMS or Chevy, the breaks at Pocono happened to be an issue. Luckily JJ was alright after a hard hit.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-8)- Luck turned around for BK on Sunday. BK pitted and got back out just to see a yellow that put him in the front row with Rowdy. Unfortunately for BK he didn't have winning speed Sunday and fell back a bit.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Hamlin is just hanging around, not really doing much, but not really being terrible either. Honestly, every week I struggle with what to say and where to put him.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW-9)- The JGR Toyota's are slowly moving up, but the only one showing real speed at the moment is Kyle Busch. Don't overlook Kenseth though, as he is moving up the standings after his second top ten in the last three races and four straight races with a top 12.
9. Jamie McMurray (LW-6)- Just like JJ, breaks were the story in the No. 1 camp. In fact, the brake failure hit JMac and JJ at the same time, crazy.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-NR)- What a win. He wasn't just handed this win or have mother nature cave in, he took it from one of the best (Ky. Busch) and was chased down by another (Harvick).
11. Erik Jones (LW-NR)- Erik had his best overall run as a Cup rookie on Sunday and it also resulted in his best finish (3rd). After a crazy year that includes first time winners like Dillon, Stenhouse Jr, and Blaney I don't think it's 100% out of the realm of possibilities that Jones wins before the Playoffs start.
12. Ryan Newman (LW-11)- This final spot was a close call between Suarez, A. Dillon, and Newman. In this case the vet got the spot after a slight bobble at Pocono (14th). Perviously Newman had two straight top tens.

2017 NASCAR Week 14: Pocono

Axalta Presents the Pocono 400

Pocono Raceway 

By Richard Tix

Last year we left the second Pocono race (which happens to be right after the first one) talking about Chris Buescher's fuel mileage win. This year we have already had two such strategy calls end in trips to victory lane for surprise winners (Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon). So, could it happen again?

Pocono and the way it runs does leave us with a high probability of a fuel mileage finish. Dale Earnhardt Jr beat out Brad Keselowski in 2014 when BK ran short. Just this week The Morning Drive on Sirius spoke about how sometimes Pocono ends up being run like a road course were a driver will make an early pit stop to change a fuel window and come out with a larger lead than they had before.

However, this year will also give us stages for the first time at Pocono and figuring out how that will play is intriguing. The last stage will still leave plenty of room for fuel strategy but how the field decides to pit around the end of stage one will also bring it's own strategy.

All in all Pocono seems to be shaping up to be a bit more interesting then in years past and give fans plenty of strategies to watch. For me, the strategies alone are enough to tune in, but hopefully we also get some quality racing as well.

**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- BK has finished in the top three here three straight times and four times in the last six. He also has a win in 2011 and came up just short to Junior in 2014.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- Speaking for Junior, he could use another good run here at Pocono. In his last eleven starts here he has two wins, six top fives, and nine top tens.
• Kyle Larson- We're still waiting for Larson to knock off a win here, but he has been fast in the past. In Six career starts Larson has finishes of 5th, 11th, 8th, 12th, 11th, and 6th.

The Middle

• Ryan Newman- The Pocono consistency king. Newman has 25 top 20's, 23 top 15's, 14 top tens, nine top fives, and a win here in 30 career starts. Not too bad, huh?

The Bad

• Kyle Busch- Pocono is a track Rowdy hasn't won at yet and in 24 starts has just four top fives and nine top tens. The two poles show he can be fast here, but he just has to finish.
• Jamie McMurray- If you were to bet on McMurray having a good run at Pocono, 2017 would be the year. However, he has only seven top tens in 28 tries here.
• Paul Menard- In the last eight races, EIGHT, Paul has finished better then 30th just twice (he has three top 30's in that same time). That's flat out embarrassing. 

About the Track: Pocono Raceway

Track Stats

• Of current drivers (full time), Denny Hamlin has the most wins (4)
• Of current drivers (full time),  Kurt Busch has the most top 5's (13)
• Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin have the most Pole's of current drivers (3)
• Jeff Gordon has the most career Pocono wins (6) followed by Bill Elliott (5)
• Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon have the most career Pocono top 5's (20)
• Ricky Rudd has the most career Pocono starts (55) followed by Mark Martin (54)
• Of drivers with at least 10 Pocono starts, Davey Allison has the best average finish (9.8 in 13 starts).
• A Pocono race has been won from the Pole 15 times in 76 Cup races
• Chevy has won the last 7 of 9 races 8 of the last 12. Including Dale Earnhardt Jr sweeping in 2014.
• The furthest back anyone has started and won was 29th in 2005 when Carl Edwards won in the first Pocono stop of the year.

Track Info

• Surface: Asphalt
• Length: 2.5 Miles
• Banking
• Turn 1: 14 degrees
• Turn 2: 8 degrees
• Turn 3: 6 degrees

2017 NASCAR Schedule: Pocono

Axalta presents the Pocono 400

By Richard Tix

All Times Are Eastern (ET)

Friday June 9th, 2017

• 11 a.m.- 12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice- FS1
• 1- 1:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice- FS1
• 3- 3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- FS1
• 4 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Coors Light Pole qualifying- FS1

Saturday June 10th, 2017

• 9:35 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole qualifying- FS1
• 11:30 a.m.- 12:25 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice- FS1
• 1 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Pocono Green 250 (100 laps)- FOX

Sunday June 11th, 2017

• 3 p.m.: Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Axalta presents the Pocono 400 (160 laps)- FS1

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 13: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

AAA 400 Drive For Autism

By Richard Tix

Elko Speedway Recap:

Stand. Alone. Racing. 

Short tracks. Grassroots. 

These are the things many NASCAR fans have been beating the drum for lately (heck, for awhile).

If you were paying attention Saturday then you know that ARCA and Elko Speedway put on one heck of a show Saturday night. If you weren't, well it's ok because before getting into the racing on Sunday I am going to put a little focus on Elko Speedway to catch you up (my home track in Minnesota).

Let's start out by being fair, ARCA produces a ton of good shows as do other levels of racing that tend to hit more "local" trackssuch as the Super Late Model's that have featured Ty Majeski and Harrison Burton as of late. However, Saturday was a showcase of why NASCAR needs to get back to spotlighting these series AND the Xfinity and Truck series in there own stand alone events.

Saturday night at Elko was a finish that will be remembered for awhile for race fans who were lucky enough to catch it on MAVTV, watched some of my periscope (some short videos here), or were physically there at the track. During the closing laps of the Shore Lunch 250 Austin Theriault (#52 for Ken Schrader) gave a bump and run on Christian Eckes (#15 Venturini Motorsports) and took the lead, but the battle wasn't over just yet. On the final lap in turn's three and four with a four way battle for the win Eckes (second) tried the same move on Austin (first) which brought them side by side down the front stretch of the short 3/8th mile Elko Speedway and gave race fans a finish where both cars crossed within inches of each other. Austin nudged Christian for the win and a trip to VL (well, a VL created on the front stretch for fans to see and listen to the post race interview).

Right behind them Riley Herbst (#18 Joe Gibbs Racing) and Zane Smith (#55 Venturini Motorsports) got into each other and caused a huge puff of smoke to cover the track behind them. A few others were caught up in the last lap carnage as you might expect on such a short track. Zane was taken to a local hospital but was released later when Venturini Motorsports gave an official release via twitter. 

The race gave us a look back at what good hard short track racing has and always will be. Both Austin and Christian walked away knowing they gave it all they had but didn't take each other out in the process. These types of track's and event's are what many fans think are missing in today's truck (and Xfinity) series. If NASCAR could bring back some stand alone races at short tracks around the country it could really help booster the lack of shine they tend to get on a given weekend plus help these local tracks create a destination event.

If anything, Saturday night showed that Minnesota has a gem that many people had no idea existed which ARCA helped bring to light. Elko isn't the only gem around either, these track's are all over and if ARCA, Xfinity, or the truck series branched out and had more stand alone event's I could only see it helping racing as a whole. If each series down the line is stronger because of it, so will Cup down the line.

Dover Recap:

As always, Saturday wasn't the only racing of the weekend. Cup was back at Dover International Speedway on Sunday which was the cherry on top of my own personal weekend that included the trip to Elko Speedway and a local Mopar car show (Mopars in the Park). Dover is a track I have towards the top of my list and in my opinion it produced this weekend.

Early on Miles the Monster took over and caused a ton of action which continued on for the whole race. As the day went on the track opened up and even without a substance to help grip seemed to have two lanes (maybe small lanes, but two none the less). The day's story lines were dominated for the most part by Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Larson, and Jimmie Johnson (mis in Ty Dillon for a late call which lead to him leading the race for 27 laps). Larson (241 led) and Truex (102 led) dominated most of the day, but not in full run away fashion like some of JJ's old wins. JJ started the day in back and made quick work of the field to get up front and remind Larson and Truex who the king of Dover still is.

Though he only led 7 laps on the day, JJ still had one of the top cars on the day. The 48 team was helped by a late caution that bunched the group up and ran Larson thru some speedy dry, but he may have got to him anyways on a "clean" track. Sundays win by Johnson was his 83rd of his career which includes 11 at Dover (which is the most by any driver current or retired). We truly are watching one of the sports best so just realize you're watching history before it is history..

Overall, Dover gave us fun hard racing with plenty of strategy calls and late drama to pass as a good race no matter what the detractors might say. However, once again a good race won't be the front page news as things like the "overtime line" are bound to top the headlines.

Sure, the overtime line is something many fans can't get behind, but lets look at this race for the competitiveness on the track and how well the product seemed to have produced and not another rule that fan's love to cling on and bash. I mean, sure it's nice to finish at something called the start/finish line, but we would have wrecked most likely anyways and torn up half the field no matter where the official line was on Sunday. Don't yell at NASCAR for something that the driver's thought was a good idea after Harvick created a hot mess at Talladega a few years back, its not just one person or entities fault for the rule being in place but rather a lot of forces at play that created a drama filled finish at Dover on Sunday.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 13 (Week 12)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Truex is the head of the class right now. Your points leader, your playoff points leader, your led laps leader, and your top ten leader. 
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Quiet day for Harvick that still led to a third straight top. However, after leading laps in seven straight races, he didn't find the front all day at Dover.
3. Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)- 83 wins, 11 at Dover, 7 Championships. Not much else has to be said about JJ. He now has a season leading 3 wins that gives him 15 playoff points (second only to Truex).
4. Kyle Larson (LW-6)- Larson was really, really good on Sunday and had the car to beat. Unfortunately for him, the best car for a whole race doesn't always win late in the race given the situations.
5. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- Kyle went through it all on Sunday but climbed out of the hole by mid race. He fell off late, but still had a productive day worth of info they will use in the playoffs.
6. Jamie McMurray (LW-5)- Seventh on Sunday, the last time JMac finished worse then 12th was Martinsville (the sixth race of 2017).
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-9)- Back to back top tens for Denny, maybe he is starting to turn the corner?
8. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- How far do you keep dropping back luck? Last week he was taken out early and I dropped him four spots, this week I am doing the same. If he goes three for three bad luck may take him out of the top 12 even though he has been fast when he is on track.
9. Matt Kesneth (LW-12)- Kenseth has just been average this year, it's about time he breaks out. I really thought it would be Dover, but he had to settle for a 13th place finish even after a small tussle with Blaney.
10. Daniel Suarez (LW-NR)- Suarez is really starting to come around and I am not sure how many fans are noticing. a solid 6th place finish on Sunday now gives him four top 15's in the last five races.
11. Ryan Newman (LW-NR)- Newman spent some time up front late in the race holding back traffic from catching Ty Dillon. Ryan now has back to back top tens to go with his win earlier this season.
12. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- Another RCR car on the list and getting mentioned after Dover. Dillon didn't run an amazing race, but he put up a 12th place finish one week after winning CMS.

Dropped Out: Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-8), Joey Logano (LW-10), and Clint Bowyer (LW-11)

Just Missed: Chase Elliott and Dale Earnhardt Jr