2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 36: Homestead

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

What a year it has been. This year has been a huge transition on Behind the Wall. Real life changes and priorities have really taken away from the content on here which sucks, but life goes on. Thankfully this site started as a hobby for me to keep me closer to the sport I loved following. It developed into a bit more with it providing a better platform to get my opinion out that couldn't get done on twitter (pre-280 character counts!). This year it basically broke back down to the basic's (Power Rankings and Race Prviews) and even then it was a struggle to get those done, but I still had fun with it and that's what this is all about.

Know what else was fun? The 2017 season. I have never actually called myself a Martin Truex Jr fan, but always thought he was a great guy, one of the good guys in the garage. So to have a season like this for him and his team is something special and I am glad we all got to watch it unfold week by week. 

From the start this was a fun season. We started with five different winners before Brad Keselowski became a multi winner in the sixth race, then Jimmie Johnson won his first and second in back to back races. Following JJ going back to back Joey Logano locked his name into the playoffs just to have it taken away and give the NASCAR world a fun word of the year: "encumbered." From there we moved on and had winners like Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr TWICE, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Newman just to shake things up. Story lines all around, the year had twists and turns that many may have forgotten just because Martin Truex Jr was so dominate once he got on a roll after all the early season drivers got wins out of the way. Before we got to the Toyota takeover it looked like Team Penske, Kyle Larson, and JJ would be able to get it done all year long, but people forgot that because, after all, NASCAR has a LONG season. 

However, it's a good thing the season will be known for a dominant No. 78 team and not how some drivers thought Toyota had an advantage, because Martin Truex Jr and that team deserve it to be that way. Little other things will be remembered about the 2017 season, but Truex and his story will be up there in everyone's memory bank. As will Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, and Danica Patrick stepping away from full time Cup driving at season's end. Each are stepping away because of different life path's, but each deserve to be remembered in there own light because they all provided NASCAR and it's fans so much enjoyment. They all brought so much to the table over their careers in NASCAR and have helped shape the sport we watch every weekend. 

We maybe heading into another offseason and one without some core drivers of past, but plenty of news will be coming out every week to keep us going and new stars will start to shine. Luckily NASCAR has one of the shortest offseason's around so even when it feels like a long time, it really isn't as bad as it could be. So, brace yourself, NOD (NASCAR Offseason Disorder, credit @ANNOYINGRACEFAN) is a real thing...

Check back because I do plan on doing some Team Reviews, then Team Previews, and also a spot where you can catch all the offseason team/driver changes.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 36 (Week 35)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- What a story. What a race. It started out slow, but Martin and the No. 78 team persevered through and in the end they ended up the car to beat, just like every other week. Martin, his wife, and the team have gone though a ton of adversity and stayed humble through the whole thing so it was a great Championship win for them as a whole.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- They had the car to beat from the middle of the race on. They made a pit call during stage three that played a minor role, but they still got up front anyways. In the end the 78 was just too strong late in the race, just like all season.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick did what he could. He stayed up front all day, ran his line from light to dark, and hung tough. In the end it wasn't enough to compete with the two best cars all season long.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- Always overlooked. One day we will look back on his career and think "how didn't we hype what he was doing more?" It's because he just gets the job done. I always called him the most consistent driver on the track week in and week out. He is a future Hall of Fame driver who helped pave the way for today's NASCAR whether he tried or not (playoff system). It was nice to see him go out and win at PIR and follow it up with a strong 8th at Homestead where he hung up front a bunch but just couldn't crack the lead.
5. Chase Elliott (LW-6)- No win in 2017, but that overshadows what a great season Chase had. Kyle Larson in his third full year did have a win, 10 top fives, 15 top tens, and an average finish of 14.7, but Chase beat him in almost every category. Chase didn't get the win, but had 12 top fives, 21 top tens, and and average finish of 12th. So, lets not downplay what Chase accomplished this year just because he still doesn't have a win.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- BK just didn't have enough. Early in the race they pitted before everyone to throw off the strategy and get track position. That worked, but it wasn't enough by the end of the night. BK almost matched his statistics from 2016, but the top cars were just that much better.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Homestead was the first race since Dover that Hamlin hadn't led a lap and that's after taking the pole this past weekend. However, he still ran well all day and even to close the season.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- Larson may have been able to contend for the win on Sunday, but we will never know as he hung back late in the race and let the battle for the Championship play out for the most part. Leading a races best 145 laps is a good way to go into the offseason after the teams rough skid to end the year.
9. Joey Logano (LW-NR)- What a rough way to find rock bottom, but the No. 22 team was much better on Sunday (finishing 6th) and started to put it together down the stretch. If the last three races mean anything for 2018, it is that JoLo may get back to his norm.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-8)- The Homestead finish is not how Blaney and the Wood Brothers wanted to finish their pairing, but it is what it is. They had a better than expected playoff run which was good to see from both parties.
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-11)- Ricky finished with four straight top 15's (two of them being top tens). His stat line for 2017 was almost all career best down the line, so even though it felt like another poor season, it was a bit of a step forward.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-10)- One last time for ole Junior. If he had a choice, I'm not sure this is how he would have wanted to end his career running, but you could tell in his voice he still soaked every second of this season up on and off the track. The crowd roaring when he makes a move at Daytona will sorely be missed, but his voice of the sport won't be going anywhere. Thanks for the fun ride Junior!

Dropped Out: Erik Jones (LW-9) and Austin Dillon (LW-12)

2017 NASCAR Week 36: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For

All Eye's on the Championship Four

• This is a no brainer, of course we're watching to see who round's out the 2017 as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Champion. Will it be a first time Champion who has absolutly dominated the field most of the year (Martin Truex Jr) or will it be one of the other three all trying to become multi Champions? Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Brad Keselowski have all each won just one Cup Championship and want to make sure no one thought their first was a fluke. Busch, Harvick, and Keselowski are the only drivers not named Jimmie Johnson (2013 and 2016) to have won a Championship since 2012 when BK won. So, you have the most dominate driver of 2017 up again three of the best drivers in the last five years, so it should be fun.

Dale Earnhardt Jr

• Even for a star that is as bright as Junior, this final season hasn't seemed to be as focused on him as I thought it would be. Part of that is because he spent the early season trying to get speed for the weekend. However, all the tributes have been a nice touch (including the Budweiser video that hits you right in the feels). If you haven't watched "One Last Ride" by Budweiser, go do it now (Follow the link), trust me you won't regret it. No words can truly describe the impact he has made on the sport whether you're part of Jr Nation or not. He is one of those rare drivers that actually transcended the sport and has actually been a main stay in pop culture during his entire career. Thankfully we will still see him (and hear him) around a ton, but he will still be missed wheeling around a Cup car on Sundays.

Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick's Final Ride?

• We know it's Junior's last Cup race (at least in a full time season, time will tell if he gets an itch to run a one off), but not as certain future days lie ahead for Kenseth and Patrick. Kenseth has all but said he most likely won't be back in 2018 because he just can't find a good offer with a quality team. It's a sad reality in today's NASCAR where opportunity, sponsors, and teams trying to cut cost's all play a larger factor than a Championship driver who still wants to drive does. If it is his last ride, it was a fun career and we got to see him go out with a win at PIR last week. 
• Danica's future is even murkier. We know for a fact she will not be in the No. 10 in 2018, as that ride it being taken over by Aric Almirola next year. So, that also means we know she won't be back with SHR. What we do know is she has made a huge impact to the sport of NASCAR and it's diversity in the fan base that is hard to actually quantify. She has been a polarizing figure and if it is her last run on Sunday, it will be a big loss especially considering we may already be losing Kenseth and are losing Earnhardt Jr on the track. 

Championship Preview

Martin Truex Jr. - No. 78

• Martin hands down had the best season as anyone did in 2017. Coming into Homestead he has seven wins (a NASCAR best), 18 top fives (a NASCAR best), 25 top tens (a NASCAR best), three poles (third best in NASCAR), and he led 2,175 laps (a NASCAR best). Not a bad season if I'd say so. In the first two rounds he locked himself into the future rounds by a win (Charlette in round one and Kansas in round two). Last round Martin proved just how important all the bonus race win and stage win points really were all season as they easily helped him advance on points. In fact, they were such a help he was locked into the finale at Homestead on points before Phoenix even dropped the green flag last Sunday. He is the favorite this weekend just because of how hot his season has gone and because Miami is a 1.5 mile track. Last year he finished 36th (wreck) in this race and this hasn't always been his best track so the other drivers do have a glimmer of hope.

Kevin Harvick - No. 4

• Harvick won Texas and posted two other top fives in the final round just to remind people he is still a Championship caliber driver. Now he heads to Homestead and people are finally talking about him. However, all season he has been hanging around posting consistent finishes while SHR got adjusted to it's new manufacturer in Ford. Going into the finale Harvick still has two wins, 13 top fives, and 22 top tens in what most would call a down season for him. Sometimes I laugh at his "closer" nickname some people have given him, but this weekend it really might be a legit thing. His last three finishes at Homestead are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd so Harvick isn't a "dark horse" this weekend, but rather a legit championship contender.

Kyle Busch - No. 18

• Rowdy posted his second season with five wins in the last three years and it's the third time he has 5 or more in his career (eight in 2008). 2017 also marked the 13th straight season he posted a win (at least one in every full time season he has run in Cup). Last year he finished 6th at Homestead and the year before that he won the race and the Championship, so we know Kyle can get it done. He has had a bit of consistency issues during the Playoffs, but at Homestead it won't matter. This No. 18 team has been one of the fastest teams all year so just like the two above, they have a legit shot at becoming the 2017 Champions.

Brad Keselowski - No. 2

• Keselowski may be the only true underdog of the four Championship drivers, but that doesn't mean he doesn't belong to be here. BK is limping in after and up and down day at PIR that included being out, in, out, and back in the Championship four, but the 16th place finish was by far his worst finish and run all playoffs so the No. 2 can still get it going. BK still goes into Homestead with three wins, 15 top fives, and 20 top tens this season which isn't too shabby considering how dominate Toyota was compared to Ford. Last year BK ended his day at Miami in a wreck finishing 35th, but in the three races before that here he finished 3rd, 3rd, and 6th. BK has yet to win at Homestead, but in 2015 he led 86 laps and showed he can be a front runner here when it matters most.

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 35: Phoenix

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Can-Am 500

By Richard Tix

Man, was that a fun ride on Sunday. With the elimination format in place Phoenix has been a must watch race filled with drama AND good racing. This past Sunday was no different. We had a dominate car early that needed a win to advance (Hamlin), a mix up with Championship implications during Stage Three (Hamlin and Elliott), some late restarts to jumble everything up (including Elliott to the lead), and lastly a NASCAR Cup Champion who might be on his last couple races pull off the trip to Victory Lane (Kenseth).

Without the cut line storylines we still had some late drama, but most of it dwindled down to the move Hamlin made at Martinsville which again was caused mostly by this format. However, at the end of the day no format can ever script a finish like Kenseth had when he charged to the back bumper of Elliott late in the race and took the lead from him winning his first race of 2017 and his 39th of his career.

The way this season has progressed for Kenseth it really has left us scrambling to think of a final goodbye. All season long it was rumored he wouldn't be back with JGR, but many of us thought he would still find some kind of halfway competitive ride (I thought he would swap with Jones and get into the 77 for a year). So, Sundays win is bittersweet for NASCAR fans and I am sure Matt Kenseth as well.

Kenseth is a guy who might not fully get appreciated until he has retired from the sport. His dry humor and personality has always been welcomed by myself as a fan because it is a shake up from the norm. He was a Midwestern kid thriving in a southern sport. His 39 wins ties him with Tim Flock for 19th overall (third most of active drivers). In his 18 years of full time Cup driving he only had four season's in which he failed to notch a win and ten of those season's he won multiple races. His career spanned from the Winston Cup all the way through a playoff structure that was actually developed because of his own dominance of the system while only winning one race. Matt Kensseth will go down as a NASCAR Hall of Famer who was as consistent a driver as any.

If this truly is his last ride, I hope everyone lets it sink and and soaks it up during a season that has been dominated by the goodbyes to Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Thanks for the memories Dale and Matt!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 35 (Week 34)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Everything is heads up for Homestead, but with how Truex has run on 1.5's this year he has to still be the favorite. It will be a disappointment leaving with anything other than a Championship.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Can you count Harvick out of it now that it's straight up at Homestead? He's coming into the final race with three straight top fives and running as well as he has all year long.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Rowdy took care of business early at Martinsville and cruised into Homestead. The No. 18 team had a nice run at PIR so they should be heading into the final race with some confidence.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- What a roller coaster ride Sunday must have been. Watching Denny lead a ton of laps early while barely being a top 15 car must have been horrible behind the wheel. Then, a late mix up between the 24 and 11 opened the door before a late restart almost put BK in the wall. The No. 2 creeped in, but it doesn't matter now that it's all even.
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-9)- What a way to go out, if in fact Kenseth is done forever. I changed so many times how I wanted Sunday to end, but when the No. 20 got to the back bumper of the 24 I knew I wanted to see one last Kenseth win. What a cool moment!
6. Chase Elliott (LW-7)- How heartbreaking. First the 24 pulls a bump and run on the 11 that essentially left the 11 no room but the wall (or backing way out of the throttle). Then, the crowd went wild as Chase took the lead and looked to hold his Championship fate. All of it ended with a charging Matt Kenseth stealing the glory many were hoping went to Elliott.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Denny had to know it was coming eventually after Martinsville and it did when Chase and Hamlin were battling late in Stage Three. It had to be a disappointing day especially given how well they ran all day.
8. Ryan Blaney (LW-6)- The No. 21 made it farther along then most probably anticipated and it was a fun run while it lasted for Wood Brother. I actually wish Blaney was staying in the No. 21 next year, but we all knew a move to Penske was eventually coming.
9. Erik Jones (LW-NR)- Erik's late wheel spin on a restart sure did cause some drama to end the race, but he still managed to finish off strong with a top five.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-NR)- One more race. It is crazy to think Junior's last Cup race as a full time driver is coming up in less then a week. He has had a strong finish since Dover, racking up four top tens in seven races (just eight top tens all season). 
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-NR)- It's been overlooked, but Ricky is actually finishing 2017 on a good note. He now has two top tens in his last three and three straight of 12th or better.
12. Austin Dillon (LW-12)- Another top 15, that makes it four straight. He isn't getting it done, but he is at least finding some kind of consistency, even if it is only top 15 consistency.

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-8), Kasey Kahne (LW-10), and Kurt Busch (LW-11)

2017 NASCAR Week 35: Phoenix

Can-Am 500

Phoenix International Raceway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Can Kevin Harvick go Back-to-Back?

• It was a relatively good thing for a guy like Brad Keselowski that Harvick and not a guy like Hamlin or Elliott won at Texas. Why is that? That's because Harvick is a power at PIR and if Hamlin (for example) would have won Texas it would pit Harvick vs BK at PIR where Harvick is really good. Now, Harvick has a shot to go back to back and if that happens BK is practically a lock for Homestead (as long as BK doesn't completely collapse on Sunday). In the next section we talk about BK, so lest focus on Harvick for a second. It's true, in Harvick's first PIR run in a Ford he didn't seem as dominant as he did with Chevy, in fact Chevy ended up finishing first and second while Kevin finished 6th. But, Harvick is still Harvick and still has Rodney Childers at the helm so a win at PIR is never out of the question. On top of their previous success here they're coming in on a hot streak. If Harvick doesn't win at PIR or Homestead, it would be only the second time he didn't win at least three races in a season since  2010 (2012 he only won one race). 

Can Brad Keselowski Close?

• All season the Ford headline have been about struggling while Toytoa dominates and all that time BK was just riding around towards the front still running strong. BK has been outspoken all year about the advantage Toyota, which was basically him trying to politic as much as possible, because Ford and Chevy were getting beat weekly. But, most of BK's poor runs were ended because of bad luck. Most weeks he was putting up quality finishes, but because of Toyota's dominance and his teammate Joey Logano falling off the map statistically, BK's demise was over exaggerated. It's never been more apparent how overlooked his season has been until now, when BK sits in the drivers seat for the fourth and final spot at Homestead because of a run of quality finishes where he added some extra playoff points. I'll be watching to see if he can cap it off with a shot next week, or if another driver will win there way to Miami by driving right by him.

Ford vs Toyota

• As it stands before PIR, the Championship has two Toyota's and one Ford. I maybe jumping the gun here, but in all likely hood the Championship will either come down to three Toyota's and a Ford, or Two and Two with Chevy being left out. That storyline will be much bigger next week depending on the outcome this weekend. Earlier this year Ryan Newman (Chevy) won and Kyle Larson (Chevy) came in second, but Ford took three spots in the top six (17, 2, and 4) and Toytota finished 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 10th (18, 19, 77, and 11). To top that off Joey Logano (Ford) took the pole and Ryan Blaney (Ford) also started on the front row. So, with the Championship at Homestead next week on the line and a bunch of drivers from both manufacturers trying to seal there spot, which one wins? 

**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

• Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch
• We all know Kevin Harvicks past here, but he hasn't been as good the last few stops at PIR as he once was. Hamlin and Busch both have exactly one win here (Hamlin in 2011 and Busch in 2005). 

The Middle

• Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, and Dale Earnhardt Jr
• Larson was runner up to Ryan Newman earlier this year and also has another finish of 3rd to his name. He seems to be taking over where Harvick left of for Chevy, but still hasn't found the win. 

The Bad

• Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Austin Dillon, Paul Menard, and Kasey Kahne
• JJ has lacked consistency here at PIR as of late (two top tens in his last six starts). Same goes for Kenseth who has just two top tens in his last seven PIR starts. Kahne's last top ten came five races ago and has an average finish of 20.25 in the four races since.

About the Track: Phoenix

Track Stats

• Chevy won 10 straight races from 2005-10
• Kevin Harvick has won 6 of the last 10 races
• Alan Kulwicki only started 5 races at PIR, but has 1 win, 3 top 5's, 4 top 10's, and an average finish of 5.2
• Jeff Gordon retired with the most career top 10's of any driver at PIR (24 total)
• Kevin Harvick has the most led laps in PIR Cup history with 1,484 total.
• Ryan Newman still has the most career poles at PIR with 4 total

Track Info

• Surface - Asphalt
• Length - 1 mile
• Banking
• Turns 1/2- 10-11 degrees
• Turn 3- 8 degrees
• Turn 4- 8-9 degrees
• Frontstretch- 3 degrees
• Backstretch- 10 degrees

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 34: Texas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

AAA Texas 500

By Richard Tix

The 2017 season is dwindling down and so are the Power Rankings. Once again this week the top eight are made up of entirely current playoff drivers, but after next week only the top four will be. Meaning? Fresh faces on the Power Rankings as the season ends.

Speaking of the season ending, after Texas NASCAR now has just one spot open for the Championship at Homestead. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr. are locked into a shot at the 2017 Championship, but who is the fourth that will join them? Will it be Brad Keselowski who currently holds the spot on points? Will it be Denny Hamlin who has been knocking off top tens left and right lately? Will it be Ryan Blaney who has three straight top tens for the first time this year? Or will it be a Hendrick driver (Chase Elliott or Jimmie Johnson) who badly need a win and have fallen off (performance and/or luck) down the stretch?

The final cut line before the final race makes everything seem like a bigger stage heading to Phoenix so be sure to tune in this weekend!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 34 (Week 33)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Martin is locked into the Finale at Homestead (which has been known for about three months now...). The No. 78 is the car to beat, but during a winner take all, its anyone's game.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Rowdy didn't need to press the issue at Texas, but it still wasn't the run they were looking for. Look for a strong run at Phoenix to get momentum back.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Harvick locked in a spot at Homestead AND has Phoenix next up on the schedule. He has been consistent all season and is getting hot at the right time.
4. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- Hamlin has five straight top tens including three top fives. If he makes Homestead and Chase doesn't we can talk payback, until then the TV broadcast has done enough.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-3)- BK is safe and might be the fourth driver into Homestead, but he has to run well and hope the 11, 21, 24, or 48 don't win at Phoenix. He holds almost all the power to advance, but anything can happen when a win locks you into the next round.
6. Ryan Blaney (LW-7)- This No. 21 team has really made some strides in consistency now that everything is on the line. This is the first time the No. 21 has put up back to back top tens all season, and it happens to be back to back to back...
7. Chase Elliott (LW-4)- Chase put up another quality eight place finish, but the incident at Martinsville leaves him in a must win position.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- The No. 2 team pulled a JJ (coming back from laps down to post a good finish), meanwhile the No. 48 team couldn't. Somethings been off and all year we have been waiting for it to click, because that's what this team does.
9. Matt Kenseth (LW-9)- Back to back top tens for Kenseth. It is a shame Matt couldn't find a competitive ride and is stepping away in 2018, I will greatly miss his dry humor and personality.
10. Kasey Kahne (LW-11)- He isn't posting top tens left and right, but these top 15's are encouraging considering the season he has had.
11. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Kurt won his first pole of 2017 and followed it up with a nice top ten. However, he still was held without leading a lap even after breaking a track record.
12. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- I really thought AD and RCR would continue it's momentum from 2016 into a nice 2017. I was wrong, but the team is slowly putting some ok finishes together late in the year (three straight top 15's).

Dropped Out: Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-10) and Trevor Bayne (LW-12)

2017 NASCAR Week 34: Texas

AAA Texas 500

Texas Motor Speedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Denny Hamlin vs Chase Elliott

• This one is obvious. Just one week after the incident at Martinsville, all eyes will be on Denny and Chase. Both drivers need a strong run at Texas, possibly even a win, so another mix up is doubtful to happen this week. As long as both are still in the hunt all race long I don't see any reason for someone to risk a shot at Homestead just yet. However, if Chase is down and out and just riding around, things could get interesting. If anything happens it is more likely to happen next week, or at Homestead if Hamlin makes it and Chase doesn't. 

The Cut Line

• I mean, this is literally the storyline every weekend in the playoffs, but each round it holds more weight. Right now Kyle Busch is locked in (win last week) and Martin Truex Jr is all but locked in (67 points ahead of 5th). Keselowski has a 29 point lead on Jimmie Johnson (5th in points) and 26 points up on Harvick (4th). BK seems like a safe bet if he doesn't have a poor race in the next two, but that's no where near a sure thing. On top of that Hamlin and Johnson both have wins at Texas (both still in the playoffs) and Chase Elliott has two top fives and three top tens in his three career starts here. 

Jimmie Johnson's Quest for Eight

• As NASCAR head's to Texas JJ's quest for his eighth Championship and eighth win at Texas both loom large. Yup, JJ has seven wins at TMS including winning earlier this year. An eighth win at Texas would go a LONG way towards an eighth Championship putting him in front of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. I personally think it would be a fun headline to look back on if both come true this year... If not, there's always next year. 

Track Repave

• This weekend will be just the second time Cup runs on this new surface at Texas. The first time around many made mention that it was a "different TMS." However, the results were the same: another Jimmie Johnson win but with only 18 laps led. At that time Toyota was not in full force yet. In fact, the first Toyota was Truex Jr. (8th) and the next was Kyle Busch in 15th. The No. 78 has been in stride all year, but the others soon followed after this trip to Texas. So, did they learn enough the first time around or can other teams with other manufacturers take advantage of what they learned here in April?

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 33: Martinsville

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

First Data 500

By Richard Tix

Well, that was fun! Sunday gave fan's and NASCAR just about everything they could ask for. Passing and hard racing all race long. Different leaders. Moves for the lead, including some beating and banging, door to door. Moving people for the lead which ultimately lead us to controversy that actually had to do with RACING. 

Most Monday mornings are filled with NASCAR talk about who broke the rules or penalties that many didn't know existed, but this Monday we actually were talking about racing. Some didn't like the move that Denny Hamlin put on Chase Elliott on the final laps, but no matter your view on that move it was refreshing we were talking about the cars/drivers on the track and not something that happened in the pits or after the race in tech.

We have all been saying it for a long time now, so NASCAR say it with me: "We need more short track racing!"

I know it isn't as easy as typing it out on this keyboard, but eventually NASCAR is going to realize that a schedule shake up that includes more short tracks, more road course, and more unique layout tracks with good old surfaces (think Darlington and Atlanta) is the best way to re-spark this fan base. Obviously track surface is a whole different argument that also has to do with tires (because the right set of tires that are softer and wear down are part of this riddle), and it is not something that NASCAR can easily control because each track is on its own schedule (and so is how the surface wears down), but letting them wear out is something that needs to be looked into before repaves.

It won't be an easy pill to swallow for NASCAR, and it will be tough to condense the one million 1.5 mile tracks and talk them into giving up a date, but it is something that could help the sport thrive like it once did even in the era of "right sizing." 

In reality, it's a pipe dream that I like chatting about, but if the schedule flip flopped 1.5's for short tracks and some racing under the lights, it couldn't be a bad thing. Dale Earnhardt Jr said it best, "it would be hard to get a ticket" if NASCAR had more short tracks under the lights.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 33 (Week 32)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- He didn't lead a lap. He didn't win. However, Truex finished second at the end of the day and still has a 38 point lead on BK (next driver in points not locked into Homestead). 
2. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Rowdy is locked into the Championship at Homestead. Will they keep on winning? The team has been fast enough all year to sweep the next two, but so has the No. 78.
3. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK pretty much had Sunday locked up unless a late caution came. Guess what? It came and it was at the hands of his own teammate. Still, the No. 2 team is sitting ok if they can run well in the next two.
4. Chase Elliott (LW-3)- Rough blow for Chase's playoff chances. It may have ruined his shot, but he gave us one heck of a memorable moment when he was pumping up the crowd post race. 
5. Kevin Harvick (LW-4)- Even though the Ford's haven't shown the same speed as the Toyota's, the No. 2 and No. 4 have steadily stayed in the playoff picture.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-5)- No comment. That's about how Hamlin's Sunday ended. 
7. Ryan Blaney (LW-7)- Blaney ran well Sunday, but in this round that's not going to be enough. The No. 21 team needs to find that winning speed.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- I'm not counting JJ out, but Martinsville was a big spot for this team and they finished 12th after leading just 24 laps.
9. Matt Kenseth (LW-10)- After a wreck at Kansas that left him out of the playoffs, Kenseth bounced back with a top ten on Sunday.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-12)- I think we would all like one more win, but at least Juniors season has started to turn around late in the year.
11. Kasey Kahne (LW-10)- 16th at Martinsville is his worst finish in his last five races (including two top tens).
12. Trevor Bayne (LW-NR)- It may have gone unnoticed, but Bayne has two top 10's (one a top 5) in the last three races.

Dropped Out: Kyle Larson (LW-9)

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 32: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Hollywood Casino 400

By Richard Tix

One more round to go until NASCAR heads to Homestead for the finale. If this round is anything like last round than we're in for a huge outcry from the fans. What do I mean? Well, if you missed Sundays race at Kansas you would have missed the fact that Kyle Larson, one of the top drivers of 2017, is now out of contention for the Championship. One hit of bad luck at the wrong time can do that to you now, and it's what all of social media was talking about. 

I 100% get it as well. But, one bad key race if you didn't lock it up earlier is also a threat to any driver including the No. 78. So, the complaints will only get larger if the No. 78 gets knocked out this round.

This does bring back into play out important the regular season was, because maybe a win or two more (or winning the regular season points) would have been enough extra points to keep Kyle Larson in the hunt. Most likely the engine failure still would have done the No. 42 in on Sunday, but it's not like they also didn't have other times in this season, in these playoffs, to lock themselves in. It sucks, its a downfall of this format, but it isn't the end all be all and Larson handled it like a vet.

Not that this makes a difference, but to anyone wanting to go back to straight up points on the season should realize Larson would be all but out of it already as well (143 points back) and this would have been a huge blow to his Championship contention either way.

Anyways, lets move onto the Power Rankings. Remember, this week NASCAR cut down to eight drivers which means the top eight below are all playoff drivers. The remaining four spots are fair game to anyone!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 32 (Week 31)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Personally I am pulling for my favorite driver, however I would be disappointed if the 78 doesn't at least get to the Championship and it would be a format fail if he doesn't.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-8)- Kyle went from the edge of elimination to back in the hunt with just one race and one set of eliminations. 
3. Chase Elliott (LW-3)- Chase is the last remaining zero win driver in the playoffs. However, he has finishes of 2nd, 2nd, 16th, and 4th in his last four to get him this far.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW-7)- In a season of transition from Chevy to Ford, Harvick is just hanging around. That's all it may take until Homestead.
5. Denny Hamlin (LW-5)- Hamlin keeps riding around to nice finishes week after week. Sunday marked his third straight top 10 (two of them top 5's).
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- BK's win at Talladege locked him into this round, but he will need more speed to make a push for Homestead.
7. Ryan Blaney (LW-10)- What a crazy weekend for the No. 21. Everything had to fall into place the right way for them to advance, and it did.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-9)- Here we are again, JJ just lurking in the back... Can he do it again?
9. Kyle Larson (LW-2)- I'm at a loss for words. We knew something like this could happen, but we never thought it would. The odds, especially in this day in age where engine failures are few and far between, had to have been so small.
10. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- A wreck ended Kenseth's playoffs, but he left a lot on the table in 2017 that put him in this spot. He fought hard to hang on this long. So, here's to hoping he can find a decent ride in 2018.
11. Kasey Kahne (LW-NR)- Under the radar, Kahne has been running well in his last rides in the No. 5. 9th, 8th, and 15th round out this round.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-NR)- Junior has three seventh place finishes in his last four and somehow it feels overlooked. I am not sure how that happens with Junior, especially in his final season, but it kind of has.

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 31: Talladega

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Alabama 500

By Richard Tix

2017 NASCAR Week 31 Power Rankings after Talladega

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 31 (Week 30)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Everyone gets a pass at Talladega, including the best team in 2017. Truex might just go into Kansas and grab another win on the year.
2. Kyle Larson (LW-2)- After such a cluster, Larson can take a safe 13th place finish onto Kansas and the next round. 
3. Chase Elliott (LW-3)- Chase made his move late and Suarez was late to fill the hole. I get it, it was aggressive, but who wouldn't be? Suarez shouldn't have been clear to come down so I don't blame it on the No. 24.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-9)- How BK made it through a few of those wreck and to the end unscathed is beyond me. He now has five career wins at Talladega and is locked into the round of eight.
5. Denny Hamlin (LW-5)- Hamlin was one of about three cars to not be involved in an incident heading into the last restart, amazing. This round he has finishes of 6th and 4th and should move on.
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- 9th, 3rd, 11th, 11th, and 14th are Kenseth's playoff finishes. Yet, he finds himself at the moment on the outside looking in because of his regular season and lack of playoff points (3 playoff points. 10th in points).
7. Kevin Harvick (LW-10)- It's weird, Harvick is fourth in points but doesn't feel safe for the next round yet. He actually has a 22 point lead on 9th so he should be ok, but anything can happen.
8. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- What a round difference makes. Kyle can't catch a break right now, but luckily we're heading to Kansas and he has been very good here lately (five straight top 5's including a win).
9. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- JJ is currently sitting 8th, and would be moving onto the next round, however he will need a strong run at Kansas to make sure he advances.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-11)- Blaney is actually in a transfer spot by 9 points over Kyle Busch and two points over Jimmie. Luckily the No. 21 has shown speed at 1.5's, unlucky he is up against Kyle Busch and JJ and only two of them get a spot in the next round.
11. Jamie McMurray (LW-7)- Did I jinx JMac? He was out before most of the craziness started after wrecking. This comes just a week after having back to back nice finishes. 
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-12)- I'm not sure Ricky will be able to get it done at Kansas to move on, but it was a nice run to get here.

2017 NASCAR Week 31: Talladega

Alabama 500

Talladega Superspeedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

The Big One

• I won't be watching this because I want to see the big one, because honestly I don't watch the race for wreck. However, at Talladega it is almost a given a wreck of at least a decent size will happen. What that means at this time of the year is playoff hopes can be lost and won during this race. From start to finish it will be interesting who can get out front and stay there (the safest spot) or who falls back and rides around for 80% of the race, which doesn't always work out. 

Jamie McMurray's Run at the Next Round

• Yeah, I will be watching Jamie McMurray all day. Do I think he will win? Probably not. But he has (2009 and 2013) and can run up front on a good day. Jamie has back to back top tens and three top tens in the four playoff races so far, so basically I'm watching him to see if he can keep it going and make the last eight drivers in the playoffs. If he makes the final eight I would be surprised if he isn't the shocker of the playoffs this year (doubt Stenhouse makes it to next round). So, keep and eye on the No. 1 and what his strategy is all day long.

The Toyota's and if Someone Will "Steal" a Win

• 78, 18, 18, and 78. Obviously I don't have to tell you that's how the playoffs have started. Those two Toyota's have dominated the playoffs and much of the 2017 season. Talladega gives other drivers a new life which means some aggressive moves will be made throughout the race, including the final stage. Their is a catch, some Toyota drivers are also good at Talladega. However, everyone elses odds go up of beating the No. 78 before we head to Kansas where he will probably dominate again (led 104 laps on his way to a win at Kansas earlier this year).

**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

• Ricky Stenhouse Jr- We know this story. Stenhouse won here earlier this year after taking the pole. He also has back to back top fives and an average finish of 10.4 in eight career races.
• Brad Keselowski- This is one of BK's better tracks considering how inconsistent the nature of Dega is. He has four career wins here in 17 starts (including his first ever) and normally rides out up front.
• Joey Logano- Up and down, up and down. JoLo has won two of the last four, but also finished 25th or worse in tow of the last four...

The Middle

• Kurt Busch- Four straight top tens, five top tens in his last six, and all six were 12th or better. He has been running well at Taladega as of late, can it continue?

The Bad

• Matt Kenseth- I typically think of Kenseth as a good plate driver, but lately his luck hasn't been very good at Dega. In his last five he has zero top twenties, and in his last eight he only has one finish better then 20th (second in 2014).
• Kasey Kahne- 22.1: Kasey Kahnes average finish at Dega. It just has been a mixed bag of bad finishes for Kasey lately.
• Ryan Newman- When you think of waiting in back at Daytona and Dega you think of Newman. Ok, maybe you don't, but I do. Lately, it hasn't paid off in many top tens. He has four straight races outside the top ten at Dega.

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 30: Charlotte

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Bank of America 500

By Richard Tix

2017 NASCAR Week 30 Power Rankings after Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 30 (Week 29)

1. Martin Treux Jr (LW-2)- Just when you put Kyle ahead of him, Truex shows back up and locks himself in to the next round (as if he needed to). He came alive late on Sunday for this win and is easily the one to beat in 2017.
2. Kyle Larson (LW-3)- Larson was the victim of Kurt Busch getting loose on a late restart, but he stayed out and his left rear didn't go down (he had damage from the 41). It could have been a better day, but it could have ended much worse too.
3. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- One day he will win and not finish second. It. Will. Happen. It was cool to see the crowd get up when he charged to the lead.
4. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- What a day. Kyle went thru it all on Sunday. He hit the wall multiple times and ended the day laying next to his car. Thankfully he is fine and he will try and battle back at Dega.
5. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- Hamlin took the pole and then followed up with a nice run. He has a twelve point cushion on the cut line.
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- Kenseth rounds out the Toyota stable. After an 11th place finish he is a point out of 8th place.
7. Jamie McMurray (LW-9)- That was a great run by JMac and it leads into Talladega where we have seen him compete. A clean round at Dega could mean advancing to the round of eight.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)- Nice run by JJ at CMS. The top ten Sunday makes in three in four playoff races.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- What a mediocre day for BK. Every time I looked he was sitting in 13-15th with most of the playoff field in front of him.
10. Kevin Harvick (LW-10)- Harvick shed his two poor finishes in a row to a nice bounce back on Sunday. He could be higher, but those finishes linger into this round a bit (for me). 
11. Ryan Blaney (LW-11)- Blaney actually had a really strong day, fighting thru a bad car to finishing 8th, but he will need more of that to advance.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-12)- One race into the second round and Ricky is in a ten point hole to eighth place already.

2017 NASCAR Week 30: Charlotte

Bank of America 500

Charlotte Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For

Battle of the Toyota's

• After the first round Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch once again asserted their dominance by winning all three races. The No. 78 and 18 have been the story of the season especially during the second half and will continue to be a focal point moving forward as they set the pace. The one hitch? Homestead is a straight up race so whomever makes the final four has a small shot to take them down.

Hendrick Motorsports

• Was it a one week thing? HMS brought some quality cars to Dover all around which seems to be a first in 2017. Heck, up to this point the only real title contending Chevy was Kyle Larson (CGR). Granted it was Dover and not a 1.5 D oval that makes up most the schedule, it was good to see some life in the four HMS cars. This week at Charlotte will be a bigger proving ground on if HMS is ready to compete now that the season is coming to a close. We all know you can never count out Jimmie Johnson, so it's even scarier to think that he could finally be getting some speed as well.

Cut Line

• This is an every week thing, but it's always a must watch. Each race that goes by the line gets more intense as the playoff field narrows. Truex has an 18 point lead on second, and a 56 point lead on 12th, but even two bad races by him could get him worrying a bit. The eight spot will be heated for the next three races and getting a good start at CMS is very important.

**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

• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth has back to back top fives, four top fives in his last five, and two poles in his last five Charlotte starts.
• Kevin Harvick- Since joining SHR (seven CMS starts) Harvick has a win, four top fives (three of them second place finishes), six top tens, and two poles. If he is going to get back on track, this weekend is the time.
• Jimmie Johnson- Way back when this was a lock for JJ, but lately he has been much streakier. Still, tough to argue with the guy who won this race last year.

The Middle

• Austin Dillon- AD won the first stop at CMS this year that got him into the playoffs, but his other finishes brought a 16th place average finish.

The Bad

• Joey Logano- JoLo is actually really good here, but the fact remains that he has had some poor luck and runs as of late. He is the most likely spoiler of this race and could go from this section to race winner...
• Kasey Kahne- Kahne has four career wins at CMS, but those days are long ago (so is the track surface). Since the start of 2014 (seven races), he has two top tens and an average finish of 19.86.
• Ryan Blaney- Small sample size, but Blaney has not been very good so far at CMS. He has one top 15 and two top 20;s in his first five career starts here.

About the Track: Charlotte

Track Stats

• Martin Truex Jr was the first driver not named Jimmie Johnson to win from the pole early in 2016. 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 8 wins, he (JJ) won 3 from the Pole, including this race in 2014.
• Those 8 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 1,930 of 11,089 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 

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 29: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Apache Warrior 400

By Richard Tix

NASCAR leaves Dover as four drivers drop out of the 2017 Playoffs. We say goodbye to Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, Austin Dillon, and Ryan Newman (not really, they will still be around...). However, Behind the Wall is also dropping back down to it's usual 12 drivers in the power rankings and for the next three races the 12 drivers will only consist of the playoff drivers. It won't be until the next round where the last four spots are up for grabs to anyone (top eight will still be playoff drivers). So, "Happy Trails to You" for now... Let's get one with it below!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 29 (Week 28)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Even though Truex will have a 19 point cushion on Kyle, Rowdy gets the nudge here for winning back to back races while also collecting two poles this first round. These two are the head of the class right now.
2. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- 1st, 5th, and 4th, not bad considering during that 5th place finish he was involved in a wreck. Barring a meltdown, or terrible luck, the No. 78 should be locked into Homestead.
3. Kyle Larson (LW-3)- Larson led 137 laps (one less than Chase Elliott) on Sunday.Larson hands down has been the biggest threat to the Toyota duo above all season.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- Overlooked? Probably. Still starting 39 points behind Truex in the first round? Yup. It truly is a fight to just get to the last race where it's 1 v 1 v 1 v 1 straight up.
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Kenseth may reset 11th after the first round, but he had a nice first round to get him here (9th, 3rd, and 11th). 
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Sunday was bad luck, but Hamlin has seemed to have been fading a bit while Busch and Truex are surging. Luckily, all it takes is one race if you can get to Homestead.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)- JJ is just laying in the weeds once again. Since Richmond he has finishes of 8th, 8th, 14th, and 3rd. He isn't setting the world on fire, but he has done what it takes to move on.
8. Chase Elliott (LW-10)- What a run Sunday by Chase. It was another strong run that came up short of a win, but it was still good to see a finish like that from the No. 24.
9. Jamie McMurray (LW-11)- McMurray did what he had to in round one, finishing 10th, 16th, and then 9th at Dover while on the cut line. This round does have Talladega, so could JMac surprise?
10. Kevin Harvick (LW-8)- A forgettable round other than race one for Harvick. He can bounce back and resets 6th in the standings 12 points above 12th (McMurray).
11. Ryan Blaney (LW-9)- Consistency has evaded Blaney and the No. 21 all year and it might be what does them in during the playoffs. For now, they made it to the second round. It's always nice to see a team like the Wood Brothers still fighting.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-12)- That was not a good round (25th, 15th, and 19th) for Ricky, but he squeaked by and gets a fresh start. Thanks to his playoff points he is eight in the standings, but its only a ten point lead on 12th at the moment.

2017 NASCAR Week 29: Dover

Apache Warrior 400

Dover International Speedway 

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Will Jimmie Johnson Add to His Dover Legacy?

• JJ already has the most career wins of any NASCAR Cup driver (11) so his legacy is set in stone here, but can he add to it? On top of that he has lead the most career laps here (3,100 total), is tied for the fifth most top fives (16), and the 6th most top tens (22). Each stat he can add to and move up the ranks in what will be his 32nd career Dover start. You may say you dislike JJ, but it's important to realize what we're watching historically while it is happening.

Playoff Cut Line

• Right now the cut line looks like this: Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Austin Dillon trail Jamie McMurray by 9 points (Jamie is safe as of now). Ryan Newman trails JMac by 10, Kurt Busch trails JMac by 26, and Kasey Kahne trails JMac by 30 points. That's five people trailing McMurray and only four get cut. On top of that fact, Jamie isn't even safe, nor is anyone above him. However, the likely outcome is that the four drivers cut this round come from this list: McMurray, Stenhouse Jr., Dillon, Newman, Busch, or Kahne. Being the first round the focus will be on the cut line and not show advances.

**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- Three Dover starts and three Dover top fives. Not bad, but can he finally get to Victory Lane?
• Jimmie Johnson- Jimmie won here at Dover earlier this year, can he sweep 2017? The last time he swept Dover was 2009.
• Martin Truex Jr- In Martins last five Dover races he has led a lap in four of them and a total of 467 laps. He won this playoff race last year and is running strong to finish the season.

The Middle

• Kyle Larson- Larson finished runner up to Johnson earlier this year, but had a winning car. A few more bonus playoff points would go a long way into getting the No. 42 to Homestead.

The Bad

• Ryan Blaney- Small sample size alert: but Blaney's last two finishes here have been marred with poor luck. He also hasn't qualified very well here, either.
• AJ. Allmendinger- Seems like we haven't talked about AJ in awhile, but after the stats coming that might be better. In 19 career starts here AJ has three top 10's and only four top 15's.
• Kurt Busch- Dover is not a good spot for Kurt to need a strong finish. Since he lone win here (11 races), Kurt has one top ten, three top 15's, and only six top 20's.

About the Track: Dover

Track Stats

• Richard Petty won the first 3 of 4 races at Dover, including the first two in 1969 and 1970
• The race has been won from the Pole 13 times.
• Kyle Petty won after starting 37th in 1995, the furthest back a Dover race has been won
• The most cautions was 16 in 1993, Rusty Wallace eventually won the race
• Current drivers with more then 1 Dover win (Jimmie Johnson-10, Ryan Newman-3, Matt Kenseth-3, Kyle Busch-2, and Martin Truex Jr-2)
• Current drivers with one Dover win (Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kevin Harvick, Derrike Cope (Part Time)-1, and Kurt Busch)
• Most career wins at Dover: Jimmie Johnson (11), Richard Petty (7), and Bobby Allison (7).
• Most career top 5's at Dover: Mark Martin (24) followed by Dale Earnhardt (19)
• Most career top 10's at Dover: Mark Martin (33), Richard Petty (26), and Ricky Rudd (26)
• Most career pole awards at Dover: David Pearson (6), Rusty Wallace (5), and Mark Martin (5)
• Most career starts at Dover is Ricky Rudd with 56.

Track Info

• Surface: 1995-Present: Concrete
• Was Asphalt from 1969-1994
• Length: 1 mile
• Banking
• Turns: 24 degrees
• Straight: 9 degrees

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 28: NHMS

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

ISM Connect 300

By Richard Tix

Guess who is back? Yeah, I know I have been slacking lately on NBTW, but this week we're back on track. My busy Fall is winding down so the content hopefully will get up and running again. In the NASCAR world, this weekend marked the second race of the first round. This is the final Power Rankings that will have 16 drivers. After NASCAR cuts to 12 drivers, so will Behind the Wall so don't get to comfortable with the bubble drivers here, they could be gone next weekend!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 28 (Week 26)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Even after some bad luck, this team fought back and finished 5th just one week after winning. Book him to Homestead now.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- The win at NHMS locks him into round two, not that he needed it.
3. Kyle Larson (LW-3)- Larson was the only one who had something for the Toyotas at NHMS, that something was worth one whole led lap..
4. Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- DH was a bit off at NHMS this weekend, but he has been rolling as of late so its safe to assume he keeps it going.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- BK is locked into next round with a solid regular season of bonus points and a 6th and 4th place finish in the playoffs.
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Finishing the year strong looks to be helping Kenseth on his start this year.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-8)- JJ has at least looked better so far in the playoffs, other drivers you're on notice.
8. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- This is a rough fall after a nice start to the playoffs last week. "Thanks Austin!"
9. Ryan Blaney (LW-12)- So far Blaney has shaken his inconsistency of the regular season, can it last another race? Another round?
10. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- Chase overcame his practice crash and put up what was almost a top ten on Sunday. 
11. Jamie McMurray (LW-13)- JMac has a finish of 10th and 16th so far. Another top 15 and he should advance.
12. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-15)- Stenhouse and Dillion hold the 12th spot as of right now, but the cut line will get heated this weekend at Dover.
13. Ryan Newman (LW-11)- Newman fought back from a bad day on one of his better tracks for a quality finish, which leaves him with a chance to advance.
14. Austin Dillon (LW-16)- AD pretty much booted Harvick on Sunday, so its easy to say he isn't making friends right now.
15. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- Kurt can't find any luck. I mean, he had a small shot at the championship anyways, but bowing out this early is rough.
16. Kasey Kahne (LW-14)- It's not looking good for KK. Kasey is behind 21 points from the cut line (12th) and has two poor races in two playoff weeks.

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 26: Richmond

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Federated Auto Parts 400

By Richard Tix

Hey! The regular season is done and y'all are still here? NASCAR heads into the final ten races which now has a new name. The Playoffs Chased away the old name - see what I did there? - and with that it brought in some new wrinkles. We now have playoff points included that roll over round to round up until Homestead.

So, now that we're heading to the "post season" Behind the Wall is going to do a complete reset of the Power Rankings. Just like last year, we're opening it back up to 16 spots in the rankings. However, those 16 spots are only going to be made up of the current playoff drivers. After three races the field gets cut to 12 and so will the Behind the Wall power rankings. Again, only playoff drivers will be of those 12 spots. Once we get to the third round (eight drivers left), the power rankings will still be 12 spots, but the top 8 spot will be the remaining divers and the last four can be made up of ANY driver, regardless of if they made the playoffs. Same will happen at Homestead, 12 spots in the rankings, the top four will be the remaining drivers, and the rest of the spots will be made up of anyone else. Just keep that in mind when your favorite driver who is on a hot streak sits in 9th because 8 other playoff drivers are ahead of him/her.

So, lets get it started!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 26 (Week 25)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-2)- Truex is already up 20 points on Larson (second) and has 38 playoff points after the reset. He can book it to the second round right now.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Rowdy finished strong with six straight top tens including two wins to finish the regular season. He also has 21 playoff points (third most) to help him move along in the final ten races.
3. Kyle Larson (LW-4)- Well, thats a nice way to finish off the regular season. Larson's win gave him four in 2017 and really helped by giving him an extra 5 playoff points.
4. Denny Hamlin (LW-3)- Hamlin has come on strong late in the regular season (even with an encumbered win). With Toyota still rolling, I expect Hamlin to be strong these final ten races.
5. Kevin Harvick (LW-7)- Harvick is my top Ford going into the playoffs and most of that is because he has been so consistent. 
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- Kenseth was the one of the last one's into the playoffs, but don't let that fool you, he has been running very well as of late. He has some ground to make up, but should advance a round or two and then all it takes is a win.
7. Brad Keselowski (LW-11)- BK is not entering the playoffs like he would want to I am guessing. Sputtering in, BK really has run into a ton of poor luck. He still has two wins and 11 top fives this year, so they could get it together.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- Last year I had JJ ranked 9th going into the Playoffs..... Just keep that in mind if he starts advancing this year again.
9. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Consistent? Yup. Championship contender? Probably not. Lets be honest, barring some crazy story-lines most these guys aren't in line for the Championship this year. However, Chase has had a great year that just needed a bit of late race closing. Maybe he gets Stage Three figured out and makes a run to Miami?
10. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- Kurt has been running strong late in the season. Maybe they have found something? But, is it enough to make a long run?
11. Ryan Newman (LW-9)- Winning speed? Nope. But the No. 31 team has been putting a bunch of quality runs together and not many have noticed.
12. Ryan Blaney (LW-NR)- Winning speed? Yup. But this team can not find any consistency which will burn then in the playoffs.
13. Jamie McMurray (LW-12)- His teammate is going off, meanwhile JMac has been riding steady. Making the playoffs on points is not easy and Jamie just keeps doing it year after year.
14. Kasey Kahne (LW-NR)- One last run with HMS. Let it sink in for awhile and enjoy it while you can.
15. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-NR)- Hey, at least Ricky gets Talladega in the playoffs. However, it's in the second round and he will most likely already be kicked out.
16. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- I had AD pegged for a much better season, boy was I wrong. However, he is here and gave himself a chance.

2017 NASCAR Week 26: Richmond

Federated Auto Parts 400

Richmond Raceway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Final Regular Season Race of 2017

• It's everyone's last chance to steal the show in the regular season. After Richmond NASCAR will basically reset the points (minus some playoff points and seeding). So, Richmond is now the last chance to help improve your playoff odds. So, the focus this weekend (other than the cut line) will be who can grab a few extra point for the playoffs and how will they effect each round going forward?

Matt Kenseth vs Jamie McMurray

• The cut line, or bubble line as some may say, will be all the talk this weekend at Richmond. This is the final race until the playoffs start and guys like Joey Logano, Erik Jones, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Daniel Suarez all need wins to get into them. While those guys will be fighting for a win, Kenseth and McMurray will be doing the same, but with a twist. See, a win locks them in, but they're both currently in on points. The kicker here is, that if one of the other mentioned guys like JoLo gets a win, than Kenseth and McMurray would be fighting for the final spot and one would miss out on the playoffs. What's even better? Well, currently only one point separates the No. 20 and No. 1 in the standings so literally the most points at Richmond (almost straight up) would advance. Things could get dicey if the No. 77 finds himself leading late and Kenseth and McMurray are near each other in running order.

Richmond Raceway

• How many time will someone say RIR or Richmond International Raceway? If you want a drinking word that isn't elimination, bubble, or cut line so that you can still remember the race afterwords, it would be something to do with RIR. This is the drinking word to get a buzz, but not go overboard. All of this because the track is re-branding and renaming to Richmond Raceway and this will be the first race under its new name. So, get used to it because it isn't going away.

**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- Four total wins here at Richmond for Rowdy, but none since 2012. He still has three top 10's (two seconds) in the last four trips here.
• Denny Hamlin- Fresh off a win at Darlington, Hamlin heads to another one of his best tracks (Martinsville and Darlington are also in his top 3). Last year he won from the pole at this race heading into the playoffs.
• Joey Logano- Boy, does Joey need this. Richmond is the spot of his all too famous encumbered win earlier this year. NASCAR may have taken his win from counting, but he still has seven straight top tens here (though he will need the win).

The Middle

• Kevin Harvick- This is more like the "Good" sections extra credit. "Happy" has three straight 5th place finishes here and five top fives in the last six.

The Bad

• Ryan Blaney- In three starts Richmond has not been Blaneys track. Although, he did start on the front row (second) earlier this year, so things could turn around.
• Paul Menard- 21 starts, 1 top ten. Worse yet? In his last seven he has one top 15 and only two top 20's.
• Austin Dillon- AD has a sole top 15 in his first seven Richmond starts, however he does have four top 20's.

About the Track: Richmond

Track Stats

• Richard Petty once won 7 RIR races in a row, 9 of 10, and 12 of 17. All were from 1967 to 1975
• In 2013 Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards won from the 17th and 26th positions. Joey Logano won in 2014 (Spring) from the 17th position as well. 
• In 2009 and 2010 Kyle Busch won both early season races and Denny Hamlin won both late season. Kyle also won the early season RIR race in 2011 and 2012 making it 5 straight Toyota wins and 6 in 7 (actually 7 of 8 because Bowyer won late in 2012).
• Richard Petty has the most career RIR wins with 13.
• Of current drivers Kyle Busch has the most total wins with 4.
• Richard Petty also has the most career top 5's (34), top 10's (41), and Poles (tied with Bobby Allison with 8).

Track Info

• Surface - Asphalt
• Length - 0.75 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 14 degrees
• Frontstretch: 8 degrees
• Backstretch: 2 degrees

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 25: Darlington

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Bojangles' Southern 500

By Richard Tix

The Week 25 NASCAR Power Rankings after Denny Hamlin's win at Darlington.

 

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 25 (Week 24)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- He's been on fire in his last five races. Five top tens, three top fives, two wins, and 271 laps lead. The last time he didn't lead a lap in a race was eight races ago (Daytona).
2. Martin Truex Jr (LW-2)- Truex has been just as hot (and for the whole season), but as of late Kyle has just nudged him out. That doesn't mean Martin isn't the favorite going into the Playoffs, though.
3. Denny Hamlin (LW-3)- Getting hot is a trend so far in these rankings, and getting hot at the right time can get you all the way to Homestead. DH quietly has two wins and six top 4's in his last eight. Don't overlook him because of the 78 and 18.
4. Kyle Larson (LW-4)- Larson led 124 laps on Sunday and is still one of the fastest non Toyota's week to week in the field.
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- Kenseth has made life a bit easier on himself by getting on a roll as of late. Six top tens (four of them top fives) in seven races have improved his playoff odds, but he still has work to do at Richmond.
6. Erik Jones (LW-6)- Erik needs a win at Richmond to get in (which probably wont happen), but he could play spoiler in the playoffs, the kid has been on fire (three straight top fives and five straight top tens).
7. Kevin Harvick (LW-7)- Harvick is still fourth in points and knocking out top tens weekly, but the winning speed seems to just keep escaping the No. 4 team. With how well he has ran, he could point his way to Homestead if the cards fall the right way (that's a huge IF).
8. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Speaking of lacking winning speed, Chase just can't keep it together for a whole race. We keep waiting for that first win, will it happen before 2018?
9. Ryan Newman (LW-9)- This is the first time in 2017 that Newman has put together three straight top tens (its the first time since 2015 races 10, 11, and 12). 
10. Kurt Busch (LW-12)- Kurt now has back to back top fives and three top tens in his last four races.
11. Brad Keselowski (LW-10)- Once again the No. 2 team seemed to have some speed (which the 22 never finds), but fell off late when things went wrong. Even with this "speed," it isn't Toyota speed so they have to be in the right place at the right time.
12. Jamie McMurray (LW-NR)- McMurray needed this top ten at Darlington. He is currently the last driver in the playoffs and only a point behind Kenseth (15th).

Dropped Out: Trevor Bayne (LW-11)

Just Missed: Austin Dillon

2017 Darlington Paint Scheme Power Rankings

By Richard Tix

It's Darlington week during Labor Day weekend again. Two years ago NASCAR brought Darlington back to it's traditional Labor Day weekend and the teams brought back the retro feel by feeding us ton's of throwback paint scheme's.

Behind the Wall followed suit and gave readers a Throwback Paint Scheme Power Rankings. So, for the third straight year lets break down the Darlington Throwback schemes. Disclaimer, this is all based on opinion (like many lists are). This year we will do a top 16. One: because so many great schemes came out (because II did 16 last year) and Two: because the Chase Playoffs consists of 16 drivers.


1) Ryan Blaney - Motorcraft



Wood Brothers Racing have been doing throwback perfect all year long. If you don't believe me, just go check out their online merchandise, it's spot on. For Darlington this year they're throwing back to Kyle Petty's 1987 No. 21. It's a classic look with classic colors and lines, the only thing missing is Citgo as the sponsor, however throwing Motorcraft in it's place still does this trick on this scheme.


2) Danica Patrick - Ford Credit



RFR is throwing it back to 1999 and Dale Jarrett's No. 88 Ford Credit scheme. Sure, the number is different, but props to matching up the actual sponsor (and the 10 still works on this car). Part of this ranking is because that Jarrett 88 car is engraved as a classic look when I really was becoming a young fan, but either way you look at it this is a classic NASCAR look.


3) Matt DiBenedetto - Keen Parts



What is more NASCAR throwback classic than gold, white, red, and silver rims? Sure, it would have been great to have Miller High Life on this car, but Keen Parts has been a great partner/sponsor in NASCAR and has helped hit this throwback on the head. Honoring Bobby Allison's 1988 Daytona 500 win isn't a bad way to get into the top 3.


4) Aric Almirola - STP



RPM is going back to the tried and true of throwback with another STP scheme. This one is a tribute to Richard Petty's 200th win. The colors will always remain classic in NASCAR as will STP's sponsorship.


5) Brad Keselowski - Miller Genuine Draft



"Midnight" is back again. If it wasn't for the No. 2 running this scheme a few years ago already for a one off race at MIS it may have been higher (maybe even number one). However, this scheme is still a fan favorite that honors Rusty Wallace.


6) Chris Buescher - Cheerios



I actually think this scheme is underrated and was pulled off very well. It is a tribute to Patty Moise Xfinity scheme. What I really like about it is it was run as the No. 37 and she ran it at Darlington, oh, and THOSE NUMBERS! Man, those gold numbers pop on this scheme with clean lines and great colors. Cheerios was not the original sponsor, but it works well on this car and this should honestly be a season long livery for them when they sponsor.


7) Kasey Kahne - Great Clips



The colors, the old school lines over the hood to give the front and back different primary colors, and the number all scream throwback. This is a match to Geoff Bodine's No. 5 he drove back in the mid to late 80's ('84-'89) with only the sponsor being different.


8) AJ Allmendinger - Kroger



Want to do Darlington right? Have your throwback honor a two time winner at the track (Terry Labonte) and make it a good one at that. The classic colors (light blue, white, and red piping) bring this clean look together. Having a 4o number (47) really helps this scheme bring it back to its roots (44). The only thing dragging it down is sponsor obligations cluttering the rear of the car, but in 2017 we have to expect that.


9) Landon Cassill - Love's



Cracking the top ten is the No. 34 of Landon Cassill. This one is more of an original feel to the throwback than an actual replica of an old scheme. Love's brought back its old school colors of the 80's which really make this scheme work along with some classic script numbers. These colors scream the 1980's, so well done.


10) Dale Earnhardt Jr - Nationwide



I'll be honest, this would have worked better as a season long Nationwide scheme than a throwback. The AC Delco livery is one of NASCAR history, but this doesn't do it justice. However, it still has classic simple lines, great colors, and a history with Junior so it is still alright in my books.


11) Ricky Stenhouse Jr



This one, personally, could have been so much higher. However, I just can not take the complete color change from Darrell Waltrips 1997 scheme. I get why (to match sponsor colors), but that is my main reason for sliding it down so far. The numbers are and always will be awesome and are what have made this scheme stick out over the years.


12) Michael McDowell - WRL



The No. 95 team is honoring Alan Kulwicki by way of his rookie paint scheme (No. 35). It's as simple as it gets, but simple, especially with throwbacks, typically works.


13) Kevin Harvick - Busch



Like most No. 4 "throwbacks" lately, this one isn't a true throwback duplicate, but rather one inspired by old Busch Beer. I don't love it, but the simple lines on the side body and the colors, specifically the gold with blue, really help this one get an older feel to it.


14) Corey LaJoie - Dr. Pepper



This one probably deserves to be higher with so many uninspiring tries this year, but for some reason it fell flat to me. Maybe it's that I really wish it was Miller High Life (I know, I gave it a pass on the No. 32), or maybe it's that it was Davey Allisons Xfinity car? The biggest downfall of this look was they didn't include the gold rims....


15) Austin Dillon - E15



Part of this low ranking is that it's been done before, but most of this ranking is that it's being done twice by RCR in the same year (also on the No. 31). Heck, RCR as a whole dropped the ball this year as the No. 27 seems to have a normal scheme for Darlington. Past all the above, a Dale Earnhardt throwback is always a good thing and the colors will look great on track at Darlington.


16) Ty Dillon - Geico



It's been done before. It was done last year. It's the exact scheme as last years throwback weekend. Sigh. Well, saving this is how awesome it is, but all of those other things drag on me too much to list this back to back scheme higher.