Behind the Wall: 2018

Monday, July 16, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 19: Kentucky

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Kentucky Speedway

Image result for martin truex jr 2018 kentucky win

By Richard Tix

Wow, has it been a long time! What can I say, I started the season with a warning about how hit or miss this year might be, and I sure have delivered! Time is harder to come by these days and with this just being a fun hobby that I started just to keep me more engaged in the sport it has been one of the first things weekly to fall to the wayside. Remember to follow me on Twitter at @NASCARBTW, because I still stay pretty active on there during the season.

Anyways, it has been since Michigan that I have released Power Rankings so we are starting fresh this week! No matter, we know the three drivers who will sit on top of the rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 19

Martin Truex Jr - 1st, 4th, 2nd, and 1st are the makeup of Truex Jr's last four races. He now has won back to back Kentucky races and has four wins on the season (Just behind Busch and Harvick with five).
Kyle Busch - Just another top five on the season (15 total) and he also ended with 50 points on the day despite not leading and only scoring 40 when he won just a a couple weeks ago at Chicagoland.
Kevin Harvick - Harvick also finished in the top five and has 15 total top fives in 2018.
Clint Bowyer - And here is where the next tier starts. Bowyer finished outside the top ten, but is still sixth in the points with two wins in his bounce back season.
Joey Logano - JoLo is fourth in the standings with a win that isn't "cucmbered." He and his Penske Teammates still do not have the same winning speed of the top guys this season, but they have still been fast most weeks.
Kyle Larson - Larson still hasn't won a Cup race this year, but it feels like one should be coming soon.
Brad Keselowski - Talk about a guy who hasn't won yet, this is the longest BK has gone into a season without winning since 2013 when he didn't win until race 31 at Charlotte.
Erik Jones - Erik survived the wreck fest at Daytona for his first career win, but some are overlooking that he also has four straight top tens including 7th Sat. night.
Denny Hamlin - Hamlin just can't pull it together week by week.
Kurt Busch - Kurt is still 7th in points, but without a win.He has also led the 6th most laps this season.
Aric Almirola - Aric grabbed another top ten on Saturday (his eighth this year), but he still doesn't have a top five.
Ryan Blaney - Blaney has the most laps led behind "the big three" (sorry I almost made it the whole way through without using it). Yet, he doesn't have a win and is just 10th in the standings mostly due to inconsistency.

Just Missed: Jimmie Johnson

Monday, June 11, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 15: Michigan

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Michigan International Speedway

Image result for CLint Bowyer Michigan win

By Richard Tix

Rain, Rain go away.... Just kidding, seeing a Clint Bowyer win is always classic. I am sure as I am typing this Clint is still getting down good ole boy style. It is too bad that we couldn't get the whole race in on Sunday, but NASCAR did try it;s best (including some weird questionable calls at the end of stage one). But, here we are another week down with another previous winner. Let's just right into the Power Rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 15 (Week 13)

Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- The Ford's have been rolling as of late and Harvick is the head of the class.
Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Speaking of head of the class, Kyle is right there too and this head to head with Harvick is shaping up to be a fun one this Summer.
Kurt Busch (LW-3)- Kurt took the MIS pole and spent a ton of time up front on Sunday, including leading 46 laps.
Joey Logano (LW-5)- Notching top tens hasn't been hard for JoLo this year (tied for most on the season with 12), but beating the other two with 12 top tens hasn't been easy (Harvick and Busch).
Martin Truex Jr (LW-6)- Once I said Truex was heating up he went out and won at Pocono... Yeah, they seem to be getting on track.
Clint Bowyer (LW-7)- A win is a win. Ford spent the whole day up front so even with weather it's not crazy a Ford won.
Brad Keselowski (LW-10)- SHR is on another level compared to Penske, but Penske isn't too far behind. The 2, 12, and 22 just can't seem to bring winning speed each week unlike SHR (4) and JGR (18).... Well, I guess no one can bring it like the 4 and 18 right now.
Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Hamlin ran up front a bunch Sunday and also did at Pocano before wrecking.
Kyle Larson (LW-8)- Larson had a fast car before spinning in the second half at MIS. It's too bad because he has been really good there as of late.
Chase Elliott (LW-11)- Chase has been running well for weeks now, but he still isn't contending for wins. As they figure out this new car, maybe he will start pushing for that first trip to Victory Lane.
Aric Almirola (LW-12)- Taking Aric's first 15 races last year (yes, he missed time in between during those 15 races) he had three top tens, and five 15's. This year he already has six top tens and 13 top 15's. One none top 15 was a wreck and the other was a 17th place finish, #Consistency.
Ryan Blaney (LW-NR)- After some rough luck and runs, Blaney is back posting two top tens in a row and leading laps in three of the last four races.

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-9)

Just Missed: Paul Menard and Jamie McMurray

Thursday, May 31, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 13: Charlotte

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Charlotte Motor Speedway

Image result for kyle busch charlotte 2018 win

By Richard Tix

It's taken all week, so lets get it over with. I missed the last Power Rankings so lets get back into it with results from the past two races.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 13 (Week 11)

Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- I am giving Harvick a one pass slip up on the top spot. If he didn't cut a tire it would have been interesting to see him and Kyle go at it on different strategies.
Kyle Busch (LW-2)- This is a 1B spot, and has been all season. Kyle and Kevin are head and shoulders above the rest of the field right now.
Kurt Busch (LW-4)- Kurt doesn't have a win in 2018, but has four straight top tens including two top fives.
Denny Hamlin (LW-5)- Hamlin also doesn't have a win, but has four top tens in the last five races including back to back top fives.
Joey Logano (LW-3)- JoLo has slipped a bit as of late, yet is still second in overall points right behind Kyle Busch. Not bad.
Martin Truex Jr (LW-11)- Don't look now but the No. 78 team is getting it going. He now has back to back runner up finishes and three straight top fives.
Clint Bowyer (LW-4)- Boywer is still eighth in points with his win earlier this year. The more the 4 and 18 dominate, the more impressive his early season win looks.
Kyle Larson (LW-10)- Larson is the top Chevy, that's something, but they're still looking for a bit more.
Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)-JJ slides only with others rising. His 19th at Kansas wasn't great, but he finished well at CMS on Sunday night. JJ hasn't led a lap all season.....
Brad Keselowski (LW-9)- BK is fourth in points, yet seems out of place to be that high.
Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Elliott's last three finishes are 12th, 12th, and 11th with no laps led.
Aric Almirola (LW-NR)- It's been a solid stretch again for Aric as he still sits 10th in the standings and only Austin Dillon has a win and is behind him in points.

Dropped Out: Daniel Suarez

Wednesday, May 9, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 11: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Dover International Speedway

Image result for kevin harvick 2018 dover win

By Richard Tix

Yes, the rankings are late this week so let's just get to the good stuff below!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 11 (Week 10)

Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- A little flip flop at the top. Harvick now has a series best four wins and dominated at Dover.
Kyle Busch (LW-1)- The car issue just after half way wasn't Kyle's fault, but with Harvick being so good this week Rowdy loses the top spot, for now.
Joey Logano (LW-2)- Consistently good, but not always great has been JoLo's 2018 season so far. 13th at Dover will be one to forget, but it also wasn't a huge blow to this team.
Clint Bowyer (LW-5)- Bowyer lead 40 laps, finished second, and is having fun again at the Cup level.
Kurt Busch (LW-6)- Kurt quietly keeps chugging along and posting good numbers. This week he posted back to back top fives after last weeks runner up at Dega.
Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Hamlin spent a lot of his day around the top ten and ended up finishing (7th) better then his average position (12th).
Jimmie Johnson (LW-7)- At least JJ didn't suck at Dover, because if he did we would really have to start worrying. Instead Jimmie notched his third top ten in the last four races (12th at Dega).
Chase Elliott (LW-8)- JJ and Chase seem to be getting a grip around the same time. However, lately Elliott has been turning nothing's into something's. Eventually he might actually have it all come together so he doesn't have to turn a dud into a late surge for a good finish.
Brad Keselowski (LW-11)- BK got back on track at Dover after leading 108 laps and finishing 6th. However, they have just been too streaky to jump too many other drivers for now.
Kyle Larson (LW-9)- Admittedly, Larson shouldn't be this low. I'm just not sure where to put him and he has been streaky most the year. Larson fans, get mad if you would like...
Martin Truex Jr (LW-10)- One race down on the Truex come back tour (fourth). Now, can he carry that momentum into the next race?
Daniel Suarez (LW-12)- Some of the social media hate I saw was sickening after Suarez's great finish on Sunday. But, I also saw a lot of positives from the NASCAR fan base backing up diversity in our sport. Oh, and Suarez has three straight top tens.

Dropped Out: No One

Just Missed: Ryan Blaney and Aric Almirola

Monday, April 30, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 10: Talladega

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Talladega Superspeedway

Image result for joey logano 2018 talladega win

By Richard Tix

Nothing to see here. No, seriously, I missed most of the race live and had to catch up via some DVR/twitter updates. I was on a mini vacation in northern Minnesota and for the most part disconnected (except for a few beer posts since I hit up a few local breweries). So, I was either out enjoying the nice weather, driving home, or getting some yard work done since Spring finally has arrived in MN (after an extended, miserable, Winter). So, lets get straight into the rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 10 (Week 9)

Kyle Busch (LW-1)- He didn't win, he didn't lead. and overall it was just a blah day for the 18 team, but they didn't need a grand showing at Dega. They will look to jump back on track at Dover where Kyle has three wins including the last trip there in the Fall.
Joey Logano (LW-1)- Big win for JoLo and Team Penske, however one win is not enough to take the top spot from Rowdy just yet.
Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Another race another top five (seven total in 2018).
Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Peanut butter and jelly. Macaroni and cheese. Denny Hamlin and pitting penalties. These are the great combo's in life. Seriously Denny, figure it out.
Clint Bowyer (LW-3)- A late wreck hurt Clint's day, but he wasn't running inside the top 10 that often on the day anyways.
Kurt Busch (LW-11)- Kurt somehow is fifth in points despite one top five and only four top tens. He does have seven top 15's in 10 races, though.
Jimmie Johnson (LW-9)- JJ is slowly climbing back from his slow start. After a 13th place this weekend he moved up one spot in the standings to 14th overall.
Chase Elliott (LW-NR)- Elliott now has back to back top fives for the first time in 2018. At Richmond he turned an average car into a top five late and at Dega he brought it home clean.
Kyle Larson (LW-6)- Just when Larson was heating up he gets caught up in a wreck at Talladega. Next week could be the time he shoots up these rankings.
Martin Truex Jr (LW-5)- Truex was part of an early wreck which I normally try not fading guys too much on at tracks like Dega and Daytona. However, his last four races have all gone poorly in one way or another, so time to fade the No. 78 a bit.
Brad Keselowski (LW-8)- BK led some laps and got a stage point before eventually succumbing to Dega (wrecking). He is still 6th in points, but they feel much further away from a win.
Daniel Suarez (LW-12)- Back to back top tens and no movement? I know, it's tough but so much was moving a head of him at a hit or miss track like Dega that I wasn't sure he should be moving up in front of guys like BK, Larson, or JJ yet. Don't let that take anything away from how consistent he has been running.

Dropped Out: Ryan Blaney (LW-10)

Just Missed: Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Alex Bowman, and Ryan Newman

Monday, April 23, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 9: Richmond

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Richmond Raceway

Image result for kyle busch 2018 Richmond

By Richard Tix

Saturday was a fun one. The weather in Minnesota finally heated up that I got to go outside and at least think about (dread) yard work. Cooper got to finally roam the yard without snow up to his belly. Oh, and it was finally nice enough outside to open the windows inside and get some paint on the new nursery! Last but not least, a pretty entertaining race happened to be on Saturday night.

Richmond was a pretty good race start to finish that about had it all. The first half of the race included long green flag runs with some decent passing throughout the field. The end of the race had a dominate car that had to make it through plenty of restarts to stress even the most casual fan out. A few hot tempered run in's and a mix of cautions (still baffles me FOX didn't show the replay of the No. 17 hitting the wall bringing a caution I wasn't so sure should have been a caution). It basically had a mix of what almost every racing fan wants. I for one really enjoyed the race especially considering some Richmond races as of late have come up a bit short in the entertaining category.

Anyways, lets get right into the Power Rankings this week! Also, NBTW takes a fast look back at Team Power Rankings which hasn't been updated since week 3!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 9 (Week 8)

Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Yup, no one is touching him at the top right now.He has three straight wins and every finish except the Daytona 500 and Atlanta (7th) has been top 3 or better.
Joey Logano (LW-3)- JoLo led 92 laps on Saturday on the way to his fifth top ten in a row. Richmond was one of the first races that Joey looked to have winning speed after winning stage one and two.
Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick is just cruising along after his hot start. He now has four straight top tens after his 35th place finish at Fontana.
Clint Bowyer (LW-4)- Bowyer has a win, five playoff points, and is still third in the standings. After winning Martinsville he has three straight top tens.
Martin Truex Jr (LW-5)- Truex had a shot at beating Kyle Busch at Richmond, but a poor late pit stop cost him a chance and it also cost him the quality finish he should have had.
Kyle Larson (LW-6)- Larson followed up a strong Bristol with a quality Richmond (7th). Maybe he is starting to heat up?
Denny Hamlin (LW-9)- Denny had another good car this past weekend and this time didn't screw up late in the pits (him or team). It resulted in a nice 3rd place finish.
Brad Keselowski (LW-8)- BK is still 5th in the points, but he really has struggled lately to have a complete race. Saturday night he faded a bit late, but still finished 8th.
Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- It was nice to see JJ have another strong run on Saturday and it lead to back to back top tens for the No. 48 for the first time in 2018.
Ryan Blaney (LW-7)- Crashed at Bristol with a strong car. Caught up in another wreck at Richmond. It's been a rough patch for Blaney, but on the bright side he has still been fast.
Kurt Busch (LW-12)- 11th. Basically Kurt Busch has been an 11th place driver all season. Oh, and he finished 11th on Saturday.
Daniel Suarez (LW-NR)- Suarez started 26th on Saturday, finished 10th, and overall had a pretty nice race. Last week at Bristol was even better even though he finished one position worse (11th).

Dropped Out: Alex Bowman (LW-10) and Aric Almirola (LW-11)

Just Missed: Chase Elliott, William Byron, and Erik Jones

Team Power Rankings

Joe Gibbs Racing (LR-4)- Three straight JGR wins, all coming from Kyle Busch. Erik and Suarez do enough weekly to keep the floor high enough for JGR to be No. 1.
Stewart Haas Racing (LR-1)- SHR can easily make a case for No. 1, but my rankings not only are based off stats, but who is hotter at the moment. That title is held by Kyle Busch so JGR got the nod. Still, its impressive what SHR continues to do top to bottom with Harvick, Bowyer, Ku Busch, and Almirola.
Team Penske (LR-2)- Zero wins seems odd this far into the season, but JoLo is tied for most top 10's, BK is 5th in points, and Blaney has been fast most of the year.
Furniture Row Racing (LR-3)- The finishes have been rough, but the No. 78 is still strong enough to be a top team in NASCAR.
Chip Ganassi Racing (LR-6)- Larson has shown speed at more then just short tracks, so Ganassi gets the nod over HMS. That being said, JMac hasn;t shown much so they may start falling if Kyle doesn't keep them afloat.
Hendrick Motorsports (LR-8)- HMS is making moves, but its just shy of jumping Kyle Larson right now. JJ and Chase both ran strong at Richmond and Bowman shined at Bristol and Martinsville so things might be turning the corner. Then again, they haven't shown the speed at intermediates yet.
Richard Childress Racing (LR-7)- Meh, that's how I feel all around about RCR right now. They're around, but not factoring in a ton.
Wood Brothers Racing (LR-5)- Menard has been up and down lately, but does have two 13th place finishes in his last four. They have lost ground since their hot start.
Richard Petty Motorsports (LR-10)- Even if it was short lived, it was fun to see the No. 43 up front with Bubba making some aggressive moves at Bristol. Oh, and they had a top ten at Texas as well.
Roush Fenway Racing (LR-9)- We just went through the short track stretch where RFR rose up some in 2017, and instead Bayne became a punch line and Ricky only gathered one top 10. Pretty rough considering Ricky typically shines at some of the short tracks.
Go Fas Racing (LR-NR)- DiBenedetto has two 16th place finished in his last three races and the other one was a 21st place finish at Bristol.
Starcom Racing (LR-NR)- They get this spot solely because they put Landon Cassill in the car and in four races he gave them a top 20 and a 21st place finish while gather more points then Jeffery did in five races.

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 8: Bristol

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Bristol Motor Speedway

Image result for Kyle Busch 2018 Bristol win

By Richard Tix

Back by popular demand! Just kidding, back because I feel bad about missing it last week, is the Week 8 Power Rankings. Sometimes life pulls you in one million different ways and at the end of the day its tough to even get energy for something you truly want to do. The want is this article, but it also has slipped down my list of priorities as of late.

Never the less, the rankings are back after one week of getting missed. Basically all that happened while I was gone was Kyle Busch domination which will pumped up a bunch of you and having many of the rest of you yelling "what the (insert bad word here)!?!?!?

So, enough is enough, lets see where your favorite driver landed this week!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 8 (Week 6)

Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Rowdy hit number one on my list just one week before his first 2018 win. Since then? Since then he has won back to back races.
Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick had a great car at Texas, but was just good at Bristol on Monday.
Joey Logano (LW-4)- JoLo is tied with Kyle Busch with the most top tens in 2018 (seven), even though he really hasn't had winning speed yet this season.
Clint Bowyer (LW-7)- Bowyer won at Martinsville and now has back to back top tens following. He has five top tens in 2018 and all but one race he has finished inside the top 15.
Martin Truex Jr (LW-3)- Truex has had some rough luck the last two weeks getting involved in wrecks, but he should bounce back soon.
Kyle Larson (LW-9)- Larson had a strong run at Bristol, but has yet to really put back to back strong runs together this year.
Ryan Blaney (LW-5)- Man, Sunday sucked for Blaney after having a fast car. It's a small bump in the road, but he is having a good start to 2018.
Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK had an up and down day at Bristol ending in his left front going down and ruining his finish. It's weird to see this team win-less in the beginning of a season.
Denny Hamlin (LW-8)- Hamlin hasn't had a top ten since Fontana so que up the "NASCAR complaints" from DH....
Alex Bowman (LW-NR)- Bowman was strong Sunday/Monday and now has two top tens in his last three.
Aric Almirola (LW-11)- Aric had a great finish on Monday gaining his third top ten of 2018.
Kurt Busch (LW-12)- Kurt ran alright at Texas and struggled at Bristol, basically the story of his late career.

Dropped Out: Erik Jones (LW-10)

Just Missed: Jimmie Johnson

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 6: Martinsville

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Martinsville Speedway

Image result for clint bowyer martinsville

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)

Kyle Busch (LW-3)- Martinsville was Rowdy's third second place finish of 2018. Eventually, Kyle is going to start rattling off wins.
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.
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.
Joey Logano (LW4)- Another top ten run for the 22 team. JoLo has had good speed, but not a ton of winning speed yet.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Erik Jones (LW-9)- Not a great day for the No. 20 team, but it happens. Erik gets a one week pass.
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.
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

Monday, March 19, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 5: Auto Club

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Auto Club Speedway

Image result for martin truex jr auto club

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)

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

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?

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road 3: Las Vegas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Image result for kevin harvick las vegas win

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)

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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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

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.
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.
Furniture Row Racing (LR-1)- Truex Jr. has two straight top five finishes and looks to still be strong heading into 2018.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)

Thursday, March 1, 2018

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.

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.

Monday, February 26, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 2: Atlanta

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Image result for kevin harvick atlanta win

By Richard Tix

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

What We Learned: Tire Wear is a Great Equalizer

Mechanical grip really stood out on Sunday with teams managing tires more than worrying about pure aero. It seemed like it showed with Ford and Toyota both up front. Last year Toyota had a huge advantage in the aero department (or at least that's what it looked like), but AMS and it's worn out track put more of an emphasis on mechanical grip over aero dependency. It will be interesting to watch next week if Ford and Toyota are still close together as LVMS is more of an aero dependent track

What We Saw: Loose Cars and Tire Managment

The fuel window was larger then the tire window once again at AMS on Sunday. Because of that we got to see how different drivers managed their tire wear throughout the race. It also provided some fun on track racing as fans got to see drivers fighting the cars to hook and stay on that yellow line. Towards the end of the race some drivers finally moved up the track to see if it would help gain any time (Larson is one example). One thing is for sure, tire management played a big role in having so many comers and goers throughout the field.

What We Saw: More NASCAR Gun Malfunctions

This will be a storyline to watch going forward. On Sunday we once again saw a few more gun failures (around three I believe) from airguns mandated by NASCAR. Obviously this is a work in progress and some bumps along the road will happen, but teams will begin to chirp up the more it happens, especially if it happens late in a race causing a team to miss out on the opportunity of a win.

What We Heard: Strategy

Seriously, the word strategy was thrown around the booth non stop. Dale Jr even chimed in with a tweet about if your drinking word was "strategy" along with a gif of someone who couldn't stand straight, and he wasn't even watching the race or in the same country! Most of the day it seemed like weather would play a factor and then it ended with a race that had different strategies at play down the stretch (11 and 22), but Harvick had the best one called, "just be faster than everyone else."

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 2 (Week 1)

Kevin Harvick (LW-9)- Harvick was head of the class all weekend. He dominated the Xfinity rcae and then did the same on Sunday. He and Childers say they wouldn't be scare of NASCAR tech this year and won't hold anything back. It sure looked that way on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin (LW-2)- Hamlin and JoLo are the only two with two top tens so far in 2018 and they were also the only two to try a different pitting strategy on Sunday to offset Harvick's dominance. It didn't work, but they still came out with a nice finish.
Joey Logano (LW-4)- Two races and two top tens. The 22 followed suit with the 11's strategy late on Sunday, but Harvick was just too fast for it to matter. It still resulted in a quality 6th place finish.
Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- It's been a slow start to 2018, but so was 2017 and we know how that played out. Oh, and Martin still got a top ten on Sunday despite the "slow start to 2018."
Brad Keselowski (LW-8)- BK won The Clash, then wrecked out the rest of Daytona weekend. He bounced back in a big way at Atlanta by basically being the only one with a sliver of a chance to beat Harvick, and even that wasn't near close enough. Still, they got a top five and a playoff point to boot (Stage Two win).
Chase Elliott (LW-5)- The roller coaster continues for Chase. The Atlanta finish did stop at a high point and maybe it will continue to climb next week. He was the lone bright spot for HMS on Sunday and finished top ten to prove it, but more progress still needs to be made.
Kyle Busch (LW-10)- For most of the race Kyle was just kind of there. Scary enough, Kyle just riding around still led to a top ten for him and his team. I'd expect his name to be mentioned a lot this upcoming week at Vegas.
Ryan Blaney (LW-3)- Blaney is still second in points behind Logano, but didn't manage a top ten or any playoff points on Sunday. What is more concerning is that I confused him and Paul Menard on numerous occasions.
Kyle Larson (LW-7)- Larson grabbed his first top ten of 2018 and he and Chase Elliott were the only Chevy's in the top ten. So far 2018 has played out exactly like 2017 when it comes to the Chevy's.
Clint Bowyer (LW-NR)- Bowyer sure got a ton of air time on Sunday and it was well deserved. More than once he was flying through the field into the top ten.
Austin Dillon (LW-6)- AD fell back down to earth on Sunday after his Daytona 500 win, but he still managed a 14th place finish. After an early win, everything is about quality finishes and learning for the stretch run.
Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Kurt has now lead laps in both races (16 at Daytona and 52 at AMS) and finished 8th on Sunday.

Dropped Out: Bubba Wallace (LW-11) and Paul Menard (LW-12)

Just Missed: Aric Almirola

The next Team Power Rankings will likely be next week. I want to get at least a race or two in before I refocus on them. I mean, it's not like Daytona gives us a good grasp on where teams are anyways and Atlanta was our first taste of where teams fall but not enough info was gathered. However, AMS also isn't a full indicator of the rest of the season as tire wear is king over aero grip that we will see play out at many other tracks. But, if you want to see the preseason rankings, scroll down here: 2018 NASCAR Pit Road Preseason

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

2018 NASCAR Week 2: Atlanta

Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500

Atlanta Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

This is Where the Season Starts

The Daytona 500 is great. I mean, come on, its "the great American race" after all. The season technically kicks off with the Daytona 500, but we don't learn a ton at superspeedways, especially the first one of the season. This Sunday, story lines will start to form that we will see play out into mid season. Things such as which drivers look fast and which teams/manufacturers have the early season edge.

Who has the Manufacturer Advantage?

Speaking of the season getting started, AMS will give us our first real look at which teams and manufacturers have an early season jump on speed at 1.5 mile tracks. Last year Ford started out fast, but Toyota wasn't far behind and by mid season we saw Toyota take off. This year all the talk has been around ALL of the manufacturers. The talk about Toyota is how fast they were in 2017 and if anyone will catch them in 2018? The talk with Chevy is the all new Camaro and if it will push them to the top? The talk with Ford is that they could be trailing behind because the Ford Fusion hasn't got a redesign as recent as Toyota and Chevy. So, what will come true? Our first sign will be at AMS, but the story lines change throughout the season so what is true now may not be true by the ASR.

Driver (current and past) Reactions to the Track Surface

After the success of the AMS race last year, the track decided to put off the track resurfacing they were planning to be in place for this season. Drivers from current to past chimed in saying how great it was to have a surface that wore tires out and have cars fall off (basically, most of the drivers loved it). It was such a positive response that the resurface never happened. The question is, could it get put off another year? I will be interested to hear what drivers and fans alike have to say all weekend long. One thing in certain, the track does eventually need the resurface before it starts falling apart mid race, but balancing that with how many races they can get out of it before doing it is worth the watch.

Tire Watch 2018

We have a 100% chance tires will be a story line this weekend at AMS. Why? Well read the above section if you haven't yet and then come back to this one. Back yet? Ok here we go. This track surface is going to eat these Goodyears up and tire strategy will play a large role in Sundays drama. How drivers and teams manage tire ware on Sunday could have a huge effect on where they finish and who takes a trip to victory lane.

Jimmie Johnson - New Camaro, five career AMS wins, two wins in his last three starts here, yeah I have JJ as a favorite this weekend.
Kurt Busch - Will Ford hold him back? Last year in his first year with Ford at SHR he finished 7th but didn't have winning speed. He has nine top tens (two wins) in his last 13 starts at AMS.
Kevin Harvick - Another Ford driver which will make the early season manufacturer story lines even more interesting, Harvick has nine top tens in his last eleven AMS races including two runner ups and two pole awards.

The Middle

Kasey Kahne - Kasey has three AMS wins, including his clutch win in 2014 that got him into the then Chase (AMS was towards the end of the regular season then. However, he is with a new team and also has five finishes of 23rd or worse in his last eight starts.

The Bad

Clint Bowyer - 17 career starts with just five top tens with his last one being in 2010. On the bright side he did finish 11th here last season.
Austin Dillon - AD's best finish is 11th at AMS. His other four finishes are 19th or worse here.
Paul Menard - New team, new number, and new manufacturer, maybe it means new results at AMS? If not, his past track record isn't great. Three top tens in his 16 career starts which his last being in 2012.

Weekend Links:

Monday, February 19, 2018

2018 NASCAR Pit Road Week 1: Daytona

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Daytona 500

By Richard Tix

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

Bubba Wallace is an emotional dude

I mean, most of us paying attention already knew this. When he won at Eldora he absolutely showed us fans what we all clamor for: "more emotion out of drivers!!!" Well, the man finished second and broke down with his family around him during post race. It was fantastic. Bubba literally always wear's his feelings on his sleeve which is exactly what I love seeing in this sport. It's great for him, it's great for RPM, and it's great for NASCAR. Yet, this kid has had trouble finding sponsorship for too long....

The young guns are going to go all out for the win

AD wasn't lifting, not on the last lap of the Daytona 500. You know, when I type that all I can think of is "who would?" Yet, I saw so many people complaining about AD's move. IMO, Aric's block had as much impact on that incident ad AD's not lifting... Aric seemed to understand and it was a risk he was willing to take because it was the freaking Daytona 500! AD had a run before Aric came up and he just didn't lift. It isn't like he spun him when he had a nose in front of him. No, he bumped that crap out of him, got him loose, then tried moving a bit down which hooked Aric. It's no where near the worst dump I have seen and most drivers seemed to understand the move and didn't blame AD one bit.

The 3 team got Daytona 500 tattoo's

The question of, "where" is the best part. Rumor has it (not a rumor, AD confirmed), the tattoo is right on the posterior of everyone who partook. Yup, it's the freaking Daytona 500 and these kids are crazy. Oh, and how great was it to see the No. 3 in victory lane at DIS and the No. 43 in second!?!?

The Ford's were fast

Ok, we saw the Ford's fast all weekend but that doesn't really mean we learned anything because Daytona is way different then the 1.5 mile tracks we will be heading to. However, it should still be mentioned because BK, JoLo, Blaney, McDowell, Menard, Harvick, etc all had their moments (especially the Team Penske crew). It may not translate going forward, but lock it into your memory for the second trip to Daytona and the two trips to Talladega. If Ford does struggle with the 1.5 mile program, those superspeedways will be key tracks.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Preseason

Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Superspeedways are always a mess. Starting the season off at a superspeedway is a bigger mess when it comes to power rankings. So, without overacting to too much, Truex stays on top. The 78 was involved in a late wreck, but still came out 10th in points.
Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Hamlin was my favorite going in and spent most of his day up front (after his early penalty on pit road), including leading 22 laps. He was in position late in the race, but luck didn't fall his way when the 3 turned the 10.
Ryan Blaney (LW-10)- Blaney led 118 laps on Sunday which was the most of anyone. He also won a stage and finished 7th. Not a bad day in his first official start with Team Penske.
Joey Logano (LW-9)- Basically if you looked up at any time mid race you would have noticed the 22 in second trailing the 21. JoLo was one of the strongest Ford's all day/weekend and it showed with a 4th place finish.
Chase Elliott (LW-6)- What a crazy up and down speedweek's for Chase. He and BK were towards the front when Chase went spinning, but he was a contender most of the race.
Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- What a start for AD and RCR. He is practically locked into the Playoffs and in dramatic fashion by winning the Daytona 500, in the No. 3, with a last lap fiasco. Hats off to Austin.
Kyle Larson (LW-3)- Larson got caught up early and salvaged his day for 19th.
Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- BK had plenty of fast Ford Fusions all speedweek, but luck didn't fall his way.
Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Ditto for Harvick on what I said about BK. Kind of a quiet week for Harvick, but ATL should provide a bounce back to the spotlight.
Kyle Busch (LW-2)- What. A. Day. Early tire trouble and then a early spin left the No. 18 with a day to forget. Expect him to show up fast next week.
Bubba Wallace (LW-NR)- How cool was that? The No. 3 winning the race and the No. 43 coming in second. I really hope RPM has a bounce back season in 2018.
Paul Menard (LW-NR)- Menard quietly had a really good speedweeks and Menard and team had that No. 21 up front a bunch in each event. Nice way to start off his first start with Wood Brothers (currently third in points).

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-8), Erik Jones (LW-11), and Jamie McMurray (LW-12)

Just Missed: Michael McDowell, Aric Almirola, Ryan Newman, and Chris Buescher

The Next Team Power Rankings will likely be next week. I want to get at least a race or two in before I refocus on them. I mean, it's not like Daytona gives us a good grasp on where teams are anyway. However, if you want to see the preseason rankings, scroll down here: 2018 NASCAR Pit Road Preseason

Friday, February 9, 2018

2018 NASCAR Week 1: Daytona

Daytona 500

Daytona International Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For?

New Faces in New Places (or Numbers)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth are out and new fresh faces are in. It's just another step in the changing NASCAR scene the last few years (Stewart, Gordon, Biffle, etc all out of full time rides). So, who will step into the spotlight and take over as NASCAR's next star? A Daytona 500 win for Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, or Ryan Blaney would take them to the next level. Speaking of, Elliott changed to the number nine, Blaney moved to an official Team Penske car (No. 12), and a bunch of other changes were had. The 500 will give us as fans a chance to fully catch up on the moves and start adjusting to the new places drivers landed.

The New Chevy Camaro

Sure, Daytona won't be much of an early season test for the new Camaro as that test will come when we head to Atlanta in week two. However, that doesn't mean we can't keep an eye on them and how nice they look on the banks of Daytona! Can a Team Chevy driver bring home a win in the first race for the brand new Camaro? Keep and eye on Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Larson, and the underdogs Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray.

Joey Logano - JoLo has thre straight top tens in the Daytona 500 including a win (2015). He has been a strong starter so expect a bounce back early in 2018.
Denny Hamlin - Hamlin won the 2016 Daytona 500 and has five top tens in the last eight races at DIS.
Kevin Harvick - Harvick has had three straight rough finishes at DIS, but the three before that were finishes of 4th, 4th, and 2nd. He hasn't won at DIS since 2010, and his only Daytona 500 win was in 2007, but he should be a favorite heading into 2018.

The Middle

Clint Bowyer - Bowyer has an average finish of 15.6 (which is the third best of current full time 2018 drivers), yet only has two top tens in his last four and has never won at DIS. But, he plays it safe and could find himself with a shot at it late.

The Bad

Martin Truex Jr - Truex really hasn't fared will here at DIS in his career. In his last 15 starts at DIS he only has two top tens and five top 15's.
Jamie McMurray - JMac does have two DIS wins but he also doesn't have a top ten since 2013 (eight races).
Kyle Larson - Lot of bad luck included in Larson's stats, but only two top tens in his eight career DIS starts. Five times Larson finished 29th or worse in those eight races.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

2018 NASCAR Playoff Predictions

Which Drivers Will Make the Playoff in 2018?

Image result for martin truex jr champion

By Richard Tix

LET'S GO! The Clash is this weekend and the Daytona 500 is just around the corner. So, what does that mean for Behind the Wall? It means it is time to get out some playoff predictions and who I think will make it into the 2018 playoffs. Will I get these all correct? Most likely not... I have yet to get it 100% correct and last season was my worst year thanks to guys like Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Ryan Newman, and Ryan Blaney notching wins that many of us didn't see coming (even as a Blaney fan).

Below my playoff predictions I also posted a few random predictions for the season as well.

Who Will Make the 2018 Playoff?

16 drivers now have a chance to get in, and predicting who will make it will be as tough as ever. I'm listing 16 drivers I think will get in and how confident I am with them which includes: (LOCKED, GREAT, GOOD, OK)

Kyle Busch (LOCKED) - No question Rowdy is already in the playoffs. With veterans stepping away he and a few others are becoming the face of NASCAR.
Martin Truex Jr (LOCKED) - The 2017 Champion should continue his roll in 2018 and have no worries about making the playoffs.
Kyle Larson (LOCKED) - Larson might be on the verge of a career year in 2018 after a great 2017 that ended in disappointment.
Kevin Harvick (LOCKED) - "Happy" should once again be a title contender in 2018.
Brad Keselowski (LOCKED) - I don't think the playoffs is a worry for BK, but unless his Ford vs the others is just a smoke screen, he may struggle some to be a front runner week to week.
Denny Hamlin (LOCKED) - Hamlin is pretty much locked in for 2-3 wins, 12-15 top fives, and 18-22 top tens.
Jimmie Johnson (LOCKED) - It may have looked like he lost a step last year, but JJ is the lone vet left at HMS and should show the young kids how to make the playoffs with ease.
Chase Elliott (LOCKED) - Once he gets his first win the wins will start rolling. With vets like Gordon, Stewart, Biffle, Edwards, Earnhardt Jr, and Kenseth all gone, someone will step in and start winning a bunch of races. My guess, its Elliott and Larson until the guys like Jones, Byron, and Blaney get fully groomed in.
Joey Logano (LOCKED) - JoLo should bounce back in 2018. He should get back to 1-3 wins, 12-14 top fives, and 18-20 top tens while being way more consistent.
Kurt Busch (GREAT) - Kurts prime years have passed, but the vet continues to get it done. With so many young guns around, Kurt should make the playoffs.
Erik Jones (GOOD) - Jones is where it gets shaky. The only thing separating guys above him is they all have proven they can be consistent. Jones and the below guys can be fast, but will they be consistent enough? I think Jones gets in to the playoffs for the first time this season.
Ryan Blaney (OK) - Blaney was fast last season, but lacked consistency. In the playoffs the No. 21 team started pulling it together though. Now he moves to the No. 12 third Penske car, will Penske continue to thrive with three cars again?
Clint Bowyer (OK) - Bowyer missed out on the playoffs last year, but I think he could point his way in this season.
Alex Bowman (OK) - Bowman showed flashes in 2016 when he filled in for Junior. I think with a full season in a HMS car he will have a nice shot to make the playoffs.
William Byron (OK) - It's never easy for a rookie to jump to Cup and make the playoffs. However, Byron has hurdled every challenge thus far so he has a shot to do it again.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr (OK) - The 16th spot is tough. Ricky has shown he is a pro at superspeedways and now Junior is gone. He also has shown some real speed at some short tracks. However, to get in he will have to continue that because RFR hasn't shown enough on 1.5's to compete there.

The top 16 seems to be a "safe bet" list. Behind the Wall will take a look at some underdogs who could make a splash in this years 16 car Chase field.

Kasey Kahne - Out of everyone left out, I have the most confidence in Kahne crashing the playoff party. My biggest concern is that a fresh start isn't what he needed and LFR won't be able to bring good enough cars week to week.
Austin Dillon - AD made it into the playoffs last year, but I really thought he was going to make a bigger jump from 2016 to 2017. It was a sole win that helped get him in, can he become more consistent in 2018?
Paul Menard - Menard left RCR and gets new life with Wood Brothers. He should put up some consistent numbers, but I am not sure it will be enough to point his way in. But, maybe it will since the series has had a huge youth movement later which means some inconsistent young guns.
Jamie McMurray - Is this the year he finally comes up short of pointing his way in?

2018 Random Predictions
Image result for 2017 nascar

Who Win's the 2018 Rookie of the Year Award?

This year isn't as fun as recent years, but it could still be a fun battle between Bubba Wallace and William Byron. Both get the new Camaro in 2018, but Byron has HMS backing and Wallace gets RPM (who is switching manufacturer's). Ill take Byron this season as ROTY.

Biggest Surprise in 2018?

I guess Chase Elliott winning multiple races... I mean, that shouldn't really be a surprise to most, but then again maybe it is since he has been picking up "haters" because of his rabid fan base. Once he wins, they should poor in especially with so many veterans leaving the sport. I also think Kyle Larson matches and might end up with more wins then he did in 2017 (4).

Biggest Disappointment in 2018?

To be honest, with so much uncertainty and new blood entering the Cup level, I don't see a ton of "disappointments" in 2018. The rookie class typically brings a lot of inconsistent finishes meaning most veterans should be able to rattle off some quality finishes week to week. That said, I will settle on Jamie McMurray not making the playoffs after pointing his way in the last two seasons.

Who is the next young gun to visit Victory Lane for the first time?

The young gun list includes Chase Elliott, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez, William Byron, Alex Bowman, Darrell Wallace Jr, and Ty Dillon. So, who wins first? The easy answer and the one I am going with is Chase Elliott. In fact, I am taking Chase for multiple wins before the next young gun gets their first. However, many of these guys will have a shot at some point in 2018 and I would see one or two not named Chase possibly winning one.

A Young Gun Win's Pocono

Pocono has been quite the wild card races lately (Buescher's rain win and Blaneys first career win). On top of that, last year rookies Erik Jones and Danial Suarez ran very well in both Pocono stops. To add more, Kyle Larson has come close to winning at Pocono but just couldn't finish it off. Wait, even more? Chase Elliot has three top tens in his four races here. So, I think a guy from the group of Elliott, Jones, Larson, or Suarez wins at least one of the Pocono stops in 2018.

The Roval is a big success

NASCAR will introduce the Charlotte Roval this season in the playoffs. Now, I wanted a true road course with more elevation changes to be introduced to the playoffs, but I am willing to give this a shot. Charlotte, even with all its tradition, needed a change and NASCAR went big on it's gamble. I think with the unpredictability of the first race on the roval, it will be a hit with the fans in year one. I, for one, am excited to see it play out.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

2018 NASCAR Paint Scheme's

By Richard Tix

A season long updating page, I will be keeping track of most of the 2018 paint schemes. If you see a favorite of yours missing let me know and I will add it! You can let me know on NASCAR Behind the Wall or on Twitter: @NASCARBTW. Want to take a look back?

#1 Jamie McMurray