2016 March Madness NASCAR Style: Championship

Behind the Wall Championship Game

By Richard Tix

Racing under the lights with the bright light shinning off of 40 Cup cars can not be topped. Nothing beats watching a night race at the highest level or on a Saturday night at your local track. The visual aesthetics were great all night long, but part of the race lacked the "it" factor. 

However, the finish of the race was fantastic and if you have been following along with the Final Four on Behind the Wall you had some extra drama. All four drivers were decent contenders Saturday night which made it fun to watch.

Rules and Bracket Breakdown

• Brackets were decided by current standings after the race at Las Vegas. Four Divisions, top 4 in the standings got the #1 seeds, 5-8 in the standings got the #2 seeds, 9-12 #3 seeds and so on.
• From the standings the rankings were given out serpentine style. Meaning: The driver ranked 5th (first #2 seed) started in the lowest #1 seed's bracket. That continues until the three seeds where it then goes from top back down.
• Here is how the rounds break down by race (first race we have two eliminations to speed it up).
• Phoenix: Round 32 
• Auto Club: Sweet 16
• Martinsville: Elite 8
• Texas: Final Four
• Bristol: Championship
• The driver that finishes Highest in the race moves on, no bonus points included (Think the last Chase Race)

Round by Round Articles:

• Opening Round: Round of 32
• Sweet 16
• Elite Eight
• Final Four

2016: 4th Annual NBTW NASCAR March Madness
1	Kyle Busch		1	Kyle Busch		1	Denny Hamlin
2	Kevin Harvick		2	Joey Logano		2	Joey Logano

This past week at Texas all four drivers finished in the top twelve (three of the four in the top 10) giving Behind the Wall an exciting Final Four for anyone following along. Denny Hamlin was the lone driver outside the top 10 but most of the night Joey was having a better day anyways. In the end Kevin Harvick was stuck in a race where they were trying something new and Kyle Busch ran away with the win late in the race.

Championship Match-Up

1. Kyle Busch v. 2. Joey Logano

• This is actually a dream match-up at Bristol. Both drivers are not only starting to really hit their stride in their careers but they also have a nice track record at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kyle Busch has five total BMS wins in his career which ties for the most of any current driver (tied with Kurt Busch). Lately he hasn't run as well here, but he is on fire right now so I would assume he will snap out of that. Menawhile, Joey Logano has two career wins in 14 starts, but they have both come in the last three races. JoLo has proven to be a legit threat to win anytime NASCAR stops at Bristol, so this week should be a great Championship match-up. 

For more, don't forget to check out this weeks Bristol Motor Speedway race preview and also the current driver BMS stats and averages all on Behind the Wall.

2016 March Madness NASCAR Style: Final Four

Behind the Wall Final Four

By Richard Tix

It's the last weekend until Championship week at Bristol Motor Speedway. This week Texas Motor Speedway where everything is bigger will decide who advances to the finals. Last week we took a shot at some short track racing to shake up the bracket and see who would come out in the Fourth Final Four in the Behind the Wall bracket.

Below you can check out who advanced and who will match up this week. Take a quick look at how it works below and then take a good look at who will face off during the Duck Commander 500 at TMS.

Rules and Bracket Breakdown

• Brackets were decided by current standings after the race at Las Vegas. Four Divisions, top 4 in the standings got the #1 seeds, 5-8 in the standings got the #2 seeds, 9-12 #3 seeds and so on.
• From the standings the rankings were given out serpentine style. Meaning: The driver ranked 5th (first #2 seed) started in the lowest #1 seed's bracket. That continues until the three seeds where it then goes from top back down.
• Here is how the rounds break down by race (first race we have two eliminations to speed it up).
• Phoenix: Round 32 
• Auto Club: Sweet 16
• Martinsville: Elite 8
• Texas: Final Four
• Bristol: Championship
• The driver that finishes Highest in the race moves on, no bonus points included (Think the last Chase Race)

Round by Round Articles:

• Opening Round: Round of 32
• Sweet 16
• Elite Eight

2016: 4th Annual NBTW NASCAR March Madness
1	Jimmie Johnson								4	Aric Almirola
2	Carl Edwards								2	Kurt Busch
			2	Carl Edwards		2	Kurt Busch
			1	Kyle Busch		2	Joey Logano
1	Kyle Busch								1	Denny Hamlin
2	Kevin Harvick								2	Joey Logano

Well, the NCAA Men's basketball tournament is all over. An exciting final game between UNC and Villanova capped off another fun year (except for the fact that I am a UNC fan so the last game was tough). In the NASCAR world we will head to Texas Motor Speedway to decide who will run Bristol for the fourth annual championship. Kyle Busch was the only #1 seed to advance past the Elight Eight after winning at Martinsville last week. This will be all four drivers second trip to the Final Four on Behind the Wall. JoLo last season and Carl Edwards in 2014 have both made the Championship once (both losing). So, we could have two drivers make their second Championship appearance or have two new guys take a shot at it.

2016 March Madness NASCAR Style: Elite 8

Behind the Wall Elite 8

By Richard Tix

Well, Auto Club Speedway and the Auto Club 400 was a ton of fun on the track. Now NASCAR gets a break and when we finally come out of a long two weeks we head back to racing short track style at Martinsville. 

We also get back to our March Madness NASCAR Style bracket. The drivers have sized up their Elite Eight match-up (obviously they read Behind the Wall on the daily) and have a whole week to prepare.

Now it's your turn. Check out how the last round went below and also check out the Elite Eight match-ups that will take place at Martinsville Speedway once we get back to racing. 

Rules and Bracket Breakdown

• Brackets were decided by current standings after the race at Las Vegas. Four Divisions, top 4 in the standings got the #1 seeds, 5-8 in the standings got the #2 seeds, 9-12 #3 seeds and so on.
• From the standings the rankings were given out serpentine style. Meaning: The driver ranked 5th (first #2 seed) started in the lowest #1 seed's bracket. That continues until the three seeds where it then goes from top back down.
• Here is how the rounds break down by race (first race we have two eliminations to speed it up).
• Phoenix: Round 32 
• Auto Club: Sweet 16
• Martinsville: Elite 8
• Texas: Final Four
• Bristol: Championship
• The driver that finishes Highest in the race moves on, no bonus points included (Think the last Chase Race)

Round by Round Articles:

• Opening Round: Round of 32
• Sweet 16

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

2016: 4th Annual NBTW NASCAR March Madness
Six-Time Division									Beer/Energy Div
1	Jimmie Johnson								8	Michael McDowell
4	Jamie McMurray								4	Aric Almirola
			1	Jimmie Johnson		4	Aric Almirola
			2	Carl Edwards		2	Kurt Busch
3	Austin Dillon								3	Martin Truex Jr
2	Carl Edwards								2	Kurt Busch
2015 Champ Division									Rook's are Us Div
1	Kyle Busch								1	Denny Hamlin
4	Kasey Kahne								4	Ryan Blaney
			1	Kyle Busch		1	Denny Hamlin
			2	Kevin Harvick		2	Joey Logano
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr								6	Matt Kenseth
2	Kevin Harvick								2	Joey Logano

If you're also following the NCAA Men's Basketball March Madness tournament you will notice that the NASCAR style is a complete 180. In the basketball bracket, we have had complete madness. So far in the Behind the Wall bracket is has been almost all "chalk" (or higher seeds) the whole way. Going to the elite eight we have three 1 v 2 match-up's and a 4 v 2 in the other. The 4 seed is coming from the bracket where Brad Keselowksi dropped out in the opening round after a late issue which left the region wise open. What is interesting to note is Aric Almirola once again has a shot at the Final Four after making a surprising run to the Final Four in 2015. 

Match-Up's to Watch

1) Jimmie Johnson v 2) Carl Edwards

• Both guys have put up some nice numbers to get here, but now we get one of the better match-ups of the elite 8. However, that's just how it looks on paper and if we look deeper we realize Carl is in a deep hole before this race even starts. JJ is a master at Martinsville and Carl only has five top 10's in 23 starts.

1) Kyle Busch v 2) Kevin Harvick

• Over the last four Martinsville races the track has not been kind to Rowdy. However, normally if he finishes top 10 it is a top 5 and that is a good thing when going head to head with a guy like Harvick. Harvick has four top 10's in his last five Martinsville races but none of them resulted in top 5's. This will be a fun one to watch and whoever makes it through to the final four could easily become this years Behind the Wall Champion.

4) Aric Almirola v 2) Kurt Busch

• The only match-up of the elite 8 that doesn't involve a No. 1 seed. This came about after 2013 and 2015 tourney winner Brad Keselowski got booted after the first round. Aric surprisingly made the final four last year and once again has a shot at it this year, but it won't be easy. Kurt won a clock as recently as 2014. Even after saying that, Martinsville hasn't been Busch's best track so this one is up for grabs.

1) Denny Hamlin v 2) Joey Logano

• This seems like the most heated match-up when it comes to past history (Auto Club in fact). Actually, it seems JoLo isn't on many JGR drivers good side after the past few years. This is a tough draw for Joey even though he has three top 5's and two poles in the last four races here. That's because Denny Hamlin has five career win's here and might be the guy who steps in as Jeff Gordon steps out as a challenger to Jimmie Johnson. Head to head, this could be the best match-up of the round.

Previous NASCAR Behind the Wall March Madness Champions

• 2015 Champion: Brad Keselowski
• 2nd: Joey Logano
• Final Four: Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Aric Almirola
• 2014 Champion: Tony Stewart
• 2nd: Carl Edwards
• Final Four: Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Brian Vickers
• 2013 Champion: Brad Keselowski
• 2nd: Kasey Kahne
• Final Four: Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch

2016 March Madness NASCAR Style: Sweet 16

Behind the Wall Sweet 16

By Richard Tix

The opening round at Phoenix International Raceway was a fun ride. Most of this had nothing to do with Behind the Wall's March Madness bracket, but I would like to think it was watched by a small handful of followers. The real action, as always, was on the track. 

Fan's got a treat with tons of goof passing and a late race attempt at the win which gave us another photo finish.

In the bracket the action wasn't as exciting. The field went almost 100% "chalk" and only had one real upset. That was to 2013 and 2015 NBTW March Champion Brad Keselowski. Check out the rest of the coverage below and get ready for the Sweet 16 at Auto Club Speedway.

Rules and Bracket Breakdown

• Brackets were decided by current standings after the race at Las Vegas. Four Divisions, top 4 in the standings got the #1 seeds, 5-8 in the standings got the #2 seeds, 9-12 #3 seeds and so on.
• From the standings the rankings were given out serpentine style. Meaning: The driver ranked 5th (first #2 seed) started in the lowest #1 seed's bracket. That continues until the three seeds where it then goes from top back down.
• Here is how the rounds break down by race (first race we have two eliminations to speed it up).
• Phoenix: Round 32 
• Auto Club: Sweet 16
• Martinsville: Elite 8
• Texas: Final Four
• Bristol: Championship
• The driver that finishes Highest in the race moves on, no bonus points included (Think the last Chase Race)

Round by Round Articles:

• Opening Round: Round of 32

 Jared C. Tilton Getty Images

2016: 4th Annual NBTW NASCAR March Madness
Six-Time Division									Beer/Energy Div
1	Jimmie Johnson								1	Brad Keselowski
8	Clint Bowyer		1	Jimmie Johnson		8	Michael McDowell		8	Michael McDowell
			4	Jamie McMurray		4	Aric Almirola
4	Jamie McMurray								4	Aric Almirola
5	Ryan Newman								5	Paul Menard
3	Austin Dillon								3	Martin Truex Jr
6	Casey Mears		3	Austin Dillon		3	Martin Truex Jr		6	Greg Biffle
			2	Carl Edwards		2	Kurt Busch
2	Carl Edwards								2	Kurt Busch
7	AJ Allmendinger								7	Danica Patrick
2015 Champ Division									Rook's are Us Div
1	Kyle Busch								1	Denny Hamlin
8	Michael Annett		1	Kyle Busch		1	Denny Hamlin		8	Landon Cassill
			4	Kasey Kahne		4	Ryan Blaney
4	Kasey Kahne								4	Ryan Blaney
5	Trevor Bayne								5	Regan Smith
3	Dale Earnhardt Jr								3	Ricky Stenhouse Jr
6	Kyle Larson		3	Dale Earnhardt Jr		6	Matt Kenseth		6	Matt Kenseth
			2	Kevin Harvick		2	Joey Logano
2	Kevin Harvick								2	Joey Logano
7	Chase Elliott								7	Brian Scott

The first round was almost all "chalk" (higher seeds all advance). However, Brad Keselowski blew a tire and had a rough finish which ended up with BK losing to Michael McDowell. BK is a two time Champion of this bracket (in only three years) so he will not win a third time. It also means we will have a first time winner since the other winner of this bracket challenge is Tony Stewart in 2014. The only other lower seed to win was No. 6 Matt Kenseth over No. 3 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. It wasn't really an upset as Kenseth's low ranking was due to a rough start this season. 

Match-Up's to Watch

2) Joey Logano v 6) Matt Kenseth

• This one is obvious for plenty of reasons (Kansas and Martinsville come to mind). This couldn't have worked out better for a fun match-up in the Sweet 16. Not only do they have a past, but it seems like they have been around each other a lot early this year.

2) Kevin Harvick v 3) Dale Earnhardt Jr

• This has to be the most interesting 2 vs 3 match-up of the round. Junior has had a very strong 2-3 years as of late which go along with a dominate 2-3 years for Harvick. One is coming off a win (Harvick) and the other three straight top 10's including 5th at Phoenix (Earnhardt). Both drivers have 2 top 5's in the last four Auto Club races, so this one should be fun.

1) Denny Hamlin v 4) Ryan Blaney

• Hamlin may have been the least deserving No. 1 seed coming into this bracket (got a No. 1 seed because of his Daytona win). Hamlin was strong last week at Phoenix but hasn't been very good at Auto Club in his last three despite winning the pole twice. Although, the bigger interest maybe in the rookie Ryan Blaney who is taking part in his first Behind the Wall March Madness NASCAR Style. He is the only rookie to have advanced in this years bracket and can take a strong run at PIR into Auto Club and keep the Cinderella story going.

Previous NASCAR Behind the Wall March Madness Champions

• 2015 Champion: Brad Keselowski
• 2nd: Joey Logano
• Final Four: Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, and Aric Almirola
• 2014 Champion: Tony Stewart
• 2nd: Carl Edwards
• Final Four: Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Brian Vickers
• 2013 Champion: Brad Keselowski
• 2nd: Kasey Kahne
• Final Four: Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch