2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 6: Martinsville

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Martinsville Speedway

By Richard Tix

Doubleheader Monday! That is what race fans ended up getting after snow stopped the truck race and then completely wiped out the Cup race on Sunday. The track shots on Sunday were actually really cool, even if they ruined our day of racing.

Monday races are always tough because many folks who bought tickets can't make it and many others who want to watch from home on Sunday get stuck at work on Monday. But, sometimes Mother Nature gets in the way of our plans and we have to do the best with what we got. Now, I personally would have loved a later start for Cup so much of it could have been on after work ours, I do understand NASCAR wants to get the show on the road for next week. It's a tough spot either way, but how cool would a Monday night race under the lights at Martinsville have been?

With that out of the way, lets get updated on this weeks Power Rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 6 (Week 5)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- Martinsville was Rowdy's third second place finish of 2018. Eventually, Kyle is going to start rattling off wins.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Harvick wasn't much of a player for the win on Monday, but then again only about three guys really were late in the day. 
3. Martin Truex Jr (LW-2)- Truex has five top fives in six races to start 2018. He has seven playoff points already and is pretty much already a lock to go deep into the playoffs.
4. Joey Logano (LW4)- Another top ten run for the 22 team. JoLo has had good speed, but not a ton of winning speed yet.
5. Ryan Blaney (LW-7)- Blaney did seem to have winning speed during stage two, but others caught him and they didn't seem to adjust enough. Still, Blaney lead 145 laps and finish 3rd in a strong run.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK had a strong car early and then faded late. They hung on for a top 10 while sliding down the board during the final laps.
7. Clint Bowyer (LW-10)- What a wait.. Bowyer finally broke through and got his first win in what feels like a decade. SHR in general seems to have made huge strides in 2018, but specifically Clint Bowyer really has taken another step with the team.
8. Denny Hamlin (LW-5)- It's crazy to see Hamlin this low, but the team just haven't finished races off like they should have. Whether it is a pitting penalty or tempers getting in the way and pushing a guy like Harvick to the edge. However, the No. 11 has been pretty fast this season so they have that to fall back on.
9. Kyle Larson (LW-8)- Just another "meh" week for Larson and the No. 42. Still, this team is 9th in the points and should get rolling eventually.
10. Erik Jones (LW-9)- Not a great day for the No. 20 team, but it happens. Erik gets a one week pass.
11. Aric Almirola (LW-12)- Monday at Martinsville was Aric's worst finish of 2018, which was 14th. That's pretty damn good especially considering where this 10 team and Aric (in the 43) were last season.
12. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Kurt just missed the top ten (11th) on Monday, but the team is making strides. They just have to finish in the final stage to lock in some better finishes.

Dropped Out: Austin Dillon (LW-11)

Just Missed: Alex Bowman, Paul Menard, and Chase Elliott

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 5: Auto Club

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Auto Club Speedway

By Richard Tix

It's going to be a quick one this week folks! After missing last weeks Power Rankings and Race Preview for Auto Club I am hoping to get back at it this week. First up are the updated Power Rankings. These took into consideration the past two races since my last rankings. Enjoy!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 5 (Week 3)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Harvick has won three of five races, collected 11 playoff points, and still sits eight in the standings....Rough. Harvick basically took himself out of the race Sunday, but after such a hot start gets a pass for one week.
2. Martin Truex Jr (LW-3)- He has four top 5's in five races so far and just put on a clinic in the final stage on Sunday to notch his first win of 2018.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-6)- Don't look now, but Kyle now has three straight top three finishes and four straight top tens. A late mistake by his pit crew adjusting the wedge really saw him fall off the pace from Truex, but it seemed like Martin was going to win either way.
4. Joey Logano (LW-2)- JoLo was strong once again at Auto Club finishing in the top five for the third straight year. He still hasn't managed a win in Fontana even after all these strong runs.
5. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Las Vegas and his pitting penalties are Hamlin's only blemish so far in 2018. He has been really steady week to week.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- Talking about steady, BK has been a car that normally is sitting in the top ten all day in 2018. Auto Club was more of the same and he brought the No. 2 home fourth behind some really fast cars.
7. Ryan Blaney (LW-5)- Blaney is locking in points every week and running up front a decent amount, but he still hasn't had a winning car most weeks.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-8)- Larson was predictably fast at Auto Club once again, but really needed a late restart to even have a small chance at Martin Truex. Still, it was a nice second place finish especially after his early run in with Harvick.
9. Erik Jones (LW-12)- Quietly Jones has three straight top tens and has been looking much stronger week to week. In all four races he has qualified in the top ten.
10. Clint Bowyer (LW-NR)- Bowyer finished sixth at Phoenix, but just missed the top ten this past Sunday (11th). All of SHR has shown more speed in 2018, but most of them not named Harvick still have a ways to go to win a race.
11. Austin Dillon (LW-10)- Dillon got his first top ten since his win at Daytona on Sunday, but that doesn't tell enough of the story. He has actually been having a decent season and if RCR can find a bit more speed he will be sitting in the top ten a bit more often.
12. Aric Almirola (LW-NR)- Aric is really impressing in his first season with SHR in the No. 10. He is already 1/3 of the way to his top tens from 2017, and is consistently hanging from 10-15th every week (which is a huge improvement from his time at RPM). 

Dropped Out: Paul Menard (LW-9) and Chase Elliott (LW-11)

Just Missed: Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, and William Byron

2018 NASCAR Week 4: ISM Raceway

Ticket Guardian 500

ISM Raceway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Kevin Harvick's Three Peat

• Harvick has already won back to back races and we now head to one of his best tracks of the last five years. He has six wins in his last 12 starts here including 11 top tens, ten top fives, and two second place finishes. He had a five race stretch where he led 1,064 and won four of those. So, can Harvick win back-to-back-to-back races to kick 2018 off? Oh, and don't forget to watch out for his (and others) right rear window. Last week his dominance left a huge spotlight on his back window when it looked partially collapsed. So, this week it is sure to continue. Was it on purpose? Was it as Rodney said and it was a part failure? If it was on purpose I can bet the No. 4 team won't have it happening this weekend.

Last Time ISM Will Be Configured This Way

• That's right, almost everyone has heard that Phoenix, now ISM Raceway, will be re-configuring. The start/finish line will be moving and the grandstands have already started shifting to not only be in better position for the new start/finish, but also to help shade fans from the hot desert heat. So, soak in the current start/finish line because when we come back for the playoffs it will be a new way of looking at ISM.

Chase Elliott

• Chase Elliott and HMS have had a rocky start to 2018. Elliott has easily been the best HMS driver early in the year, but he still hasn't had the finishes to show for it. Last year in the playoffs Chase finished 2nd here and has a shot at a top 5 (maybe a win) if he and his team can bounce back finally.

**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- His winning streak is broken, but his transition to Ford only provided a small speed bump (finishes of 6th and 5th last year). Harvick is basically a lock for a top ten at ISM (nine straight).
• Kyle Busch- Kyle has five straight top tens and and seven in his last eight races here. He hasn't won since 2005, but he has been knockin
• Chase Elliott- Small Sample Size Alert: Chase has four starts here with three top tens (one top five). Last time here he finished 2nd during the 2017 playoffs.

The Middle

• Jimmie Johnson- JJ has four wins here at ISM, but none since 2009. JJ is good here, but in his last seven he has three finishes of 38th or higher. So, bad luck has followed him around at ISM lately.

The Bad

• Kasey Kahne- Five straight races without a top ten and only one of those was a top 15. Not ideal and life could get harder now that he isn't at HMS.
• Martin Truex Jr- Ok, being labeled as "bad" is a stretch, but this section always is. However, Truex has one top 10 in his last five starts here. For how fast he has been in the last two years, its surprising to see how he has finished here.
• Paul Menard- In his last ten starts at ISM Menard has one top ten and just four top 15. Maybe things will turn around now that he is with Wood Brothers?

2018 NASCAR Pit Road 3: Las Vegas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

What We learned. What We Saw. What We Heard.

What We Learned: NASCAR Didn't Seem to Test Pit Guns Enough

• NASCAR on Fox showed the new connector piece on the pit gun hoses that is supposed to help with the durability of the connection nut on the guns. It was nice to see NASCAR fixing part of the gun issue, but it also pointed out how obvious not enough testing was done prior to the season. I mean, how can something so simple not be tested before the year starts? I know some things are a learning curve, but this seemed so simple that is each team was able to test this system each for a a few days worth of testing it would have come back as an issue and a solution... Then again, I don't know how much they really tested, so maybe I am way off, but it seemed like an issue that would have been caught early in testing.

What We Saw: More Kevin Harvick Dominance

• Just like at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Kevin Harvick spent most of the day up front. It's the second race in a row where Harvick put a beat down on the field. Heck, the dominance was so big that Reddit found photo's of the No. 4 car where it looks like part of the rear window caves in when the car is at speed (and they look legit). Whatever the team is doing, it's working because they have two wins and have led almost half the laps this season.

What We Saw: Not Enough of the Field

• Seriously, I am convinced NASCAR on Fox doesn't know what to do when a driver is dominating a race. One driver dominating happens and there is nothing NASCAR or the broadcast can do to stop it, it happens. However, when it happens the broadcast could use that time to make a race unique. Most of the day they spent time focusing on the lead car (Harvick) or the couple cars unsuccessfully tracking him down. They could have easily used that time to rundown the field, including cars that normally don't get a ton of time on air. 1) it would avoid the fact that a driver is dominating which upsets the fan base thinking its a terrible race. Spend some time on the front, but in the middle of the race work through the crowd. 2) It helps show if the rest of the field is fighting for spots and actually passing. We knew no one was passing Harvick, but how about guys trying to get into the top ten? Were guys moving up the field? Without social media it was tough to tell what else was happening Sunday throughout the field.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 3 (Week 2)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Harvick has made it clear he is at the top all by himself. He has been so good he has social media complaining of utter dominance and has reddit trying to figure out "how?" He has lead almost 50% of the last this season (395).
2. Joey Logano (LW-3)- JoLo and NASCAR completely forgot about the word "encumbered" entering the season and it's showing. JoLo has three top tens to start 2018 (only driver to do that) and led 25 laps on Sunday.
3. Martin Truex Jr (LW-4)- Truex Jr. has back to back top fives since Daytona yet people aren't talking about him like last season. Remember, he started slow early last year too and then he dominated stages week after week. It might be tougher this year with Fords like Harvick, JoLo, and BK stepping up.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- BK had another strong car on Sunday, but it wasn't near as good as Harvick's. BK also had a mini meltdown, which was out of the ordinary for him.
5. Ryan Blaney (LW-8)-Blaney racked up more points on Sunday finishing third after starting on the pole. He is continuing his breakout from last season.
6. Kyle Busch (LW-7)- Kyle led 10 laps, finished second, and gathered the 5th most points on Sunday. He is now 5th in season points with a top five and two top tens.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-2)- Hamlin was having a quiet day inside the top ten (with a top ten car) until he got a speeding penalty and basically ruined his day. Still, the No. 11 team has been a top ten team all year.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-9)- Larson spent some time near the front, finished well, but still didn;t lead a lap.Just like last year, the No. 42 is the head of the Chevy class.
9. Paul Menard (LW-NR)- It's been refreshing to see Menard running near the top ten weekly. It's also nice to see the Wood Brothers have a smooth transition from Blaney to Menard.
10. Austin Dillon (LW-11)- AD hasn't been great but also hasn't been bad since his Daytona 500 win. Finishes of 14th and 13th aren't terrible considering no one in a Camaro has really been running well.
11. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- Chase has been the best running HMS driver this season, but that isn't saying a ton. This past weekend Kurt Busch lost it and took out Chase when Chase was hanging around the top ten. Elliott should be fine, but HMS has to start worrying soon.
12. Erik Jones (LW-NR)- Quietly Erik has put up a respectable 11th place finish (last week) and 8th place this past weekend. Part of that has been due to him qualifying 8th, 10th, and 9th so far this season.

Dropped Out: Clint Bowyer (LW-10) and Kurt Busch (LW-12)

Just Missed: Aric Almirola and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

Team Power Rankings

1. Stewart Haas Racing (LR-6)- Harvick is the head of the class with two wins meanwhile Kurt Busch, Aric Almirola, and Clint Bowyer all have a top ten and are inside the top 13 in points. Harvick is the main reason SHR tops this list.
2. Team Penske (LR-3)- From top to bottom, the three Penske cars have been fast in 2018 but have yet to win. The win column and losing to Harvick is the only reason the "Captains" team is in second and not first through three races.
3. Furniture Row Racing (LR-1)- Truex Jr. has two straight top five finishes and looks to still be strong heading into 2018.
4. Joe Gibbs Racing (LR-2)- Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have been running well and finishing that way, but Jones and Suarez have struggled when it comes to finishing. However, both young drivers have done well in flashes.
5. Wood Brothers Racing (LR-8)- The transition from Young Ryan Blaney to Veteran Paul Menard has been seamless so far this season. Menard is consistently running in or near the top ten and has finishes of 6th and 9th (last year Menard had three top tens).
6. Chip Ganassi Racing (LR-5)- Kyle Larson has been fast, but Jamie McMurray has been a bit hidden. Part of it could be the learning curve of the Camaro, only time will tell.
7. Richard Childress Racing (LR-7)- RCR started out with a win at Daytona, got a front row start at Atlanta, and have both drivers in the top 14. If Chevy gets rolling, RCR might be in place to get both drivers into the Playoffs again in 2018.
8. Team Hendrick Motorsports (LR-4)- RCR only got the nudge over HMS because of the Daytona win, but don't let that diminish how much Hendrick has been struggling. Chase Elliott has been a bright spot but even he has had his struggles. JJ did show a nice fight at LVMS.
9. Roush Fenway Racing (LR-9)- Stenhouse Jr has actually run some decent races, but the finishes haven't been there. Wait until some short tracks come around and RFR might be pulling off more top fives this year.
10. Richard Petty Motorsports (LR-12)- The runner up finish at Daytona was nice and helped bring some spotlight back to RPM, but since then they have struggled just like 2017. 
11. JTG-Daugherty Racing (LR-NR)- Chris Buescher has run pretty well so far in 2018, especially considering how far behind JTG seems to be. AJ has been quiet, but did notch a top ten at Daytona.
12. Front Row Motorsports (LR-NR)- Michael McDowell had his time to shine at Vegas when they used a different strategy and spent time leading the race (11 laps) and then his motor blew... It was still nice to see some spotlight on them.

Dropped Out: Germain Racing (LR-10) and Leavine Family Racing (LR11)

2018 NASCAR Week 3: Las Vegas

Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

Aero Advantage

• Last week was the first preview we got of the 2018 manufacturers not on a superspeedway, but it wasn't enough insight to really help us determine who has the early season upper hand. Most of that is due to the fact that AMS has more to do with tire ware and mechanical grip over the typical aero grip we see play a role at most tracks on the schedule. LVMS is one of those tracks that is more aero dependent then not. However, I still don't think this will be the end all be all for manufacturer tests. Last year Truex Jr won here followed by Kyle Larson (Chevy), Chase Elliott (Chevy), Joey Logano (Ford), and Brad Keselowski (Ford). Obviously, all of these guys had a good 2017 (other then JoLo), but Toyota who dominated most of the season didn't show up again until 6th place (Denny Hamlin). So, it isn't the only test, but it still could give us a bit of info for who will be fast in 2018 going forward.

Martin Truex Jr. vs Kyle Busch vs Jimmie Johnson

• I have a good feeling one, if not all, of these guys will bounce back this weekend at LVMS. JJ obviously needs it the most as his struggles far out weight the other two, but Martin and Kyle could use an early season spark as well. Martin started to get on a roll around this time last year (winning this race and leading 150 laps) and JJ used the early season to secure his spot in the playoffs (winning Texas and Bristol). So, will Toyota bounce back now that we're at an aero dependent track? Will the Chevy Camaro advantage people raved about all offseason finally show itself?

Will HMS show up?

• 2017 seems to be stuck on replay for Hendrick Motorsports. Chase Elliott is grinding through good finishes while most of the rest of the HMS stable struggle. It's very early, so this can be turned around, but that is also what makes this worth watching. Not a single HMS driver has a playoff point and they only have one top ten combined (Elliott), so it will be important that they start to turn it around 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

• Martin Truex Jr - Last year Martin threw down 150 laps lead on his way to an early season win at LVMS. He also was a runner up in 2015 and has yet to finish outside the top 15 with the No. 78.
• Brad Keselowski - BK has two wins in his nine LVMS starts which includes five straight top tens (four of those are top fives).
• Jimmie Johnson - JJ has four wins at LVMS, but his last was 2010. However, since 2010 he has four top tens, two of them are top fives, and all of them are 6th or better, in seven starts.

The Middle

• Joey Logano - JoLo is on the cusp of being in the "good" group, the only thing that eludes him is a win. In nine starts he has three top fives and five top tens (including four straight).

The Bad

• Kurt Busch - In Kurts last five races he has four finishes of 20th or worse. His lone bright spot was 2016 where he took the pole and finished 9th. 
• Clint Bowyer - Bowyer did have a top ten last year in his first season with SHR, but before that he had three top tens in 11 tries.
• Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Stenhouse Jr. has one top 15 and two top 20's in five races at LVMS. Not great. Lately he has been hampered by poor qualifying attempts 29th, 16th, and 31st in his last three.