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