2016 NASCAR Pit Road Week 11: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

GoBowling 400

Photo: Brian Lawdermilk/Getty Images

By Richard Tix

Thursday May, 26th. Red Nose Day. Over the last 25 years Red Nose Day has raised over $1 Billion Dollars to help kids across the world  fight poverty. They help fund food banks, resource children and schools with books, medical services, and more. All by helping raise awareness and money from people more fortunate then others. 

Why do I bring this up? Well, Kyle Busch won Saturday Night's race at Kansas and his car was also trying to help raise awareness for Red Nose Day (not the first time it has been on Rowdy's car). So, if you can give them a look and help raise awareness or money for this cause. So, have some fun and check it out here: Red Nose Day.

Getting past seeing red noses in victory lane, the race Saturday night had a bunch of up's and downs. Early and often it was all Martin Truex Jr and it truly was his race to lose. He and his crew were on point until one single pit stop ruined the night. 

From there Kyle Busch mostly took over. One late scare for Kyle came when Kevin Harvick charged but it looked like once he got to his back bumper he made the decision not to move Kyle and lost all momentum. From that point on Kyle lead with a nice cushion on his way to his third win of 2016. 

Even on older tires Kyle still held off Harvick with fresh tires, so it proved that clean air still rules a bit, but when won't it? It is important to note that in years past Harvick wouldn't have even gotten as close to Kyle's back bumper as he did (with Kyle in clean air). Maybe this night Kyle was just that much better? 

It will be interesting to watch going forward, but so far the product has been better then in season's past and clean air at least doesn't factor in as much as it had. I just don't see a way that clean air will every fully not factor, but the closer we get to it the better. So far, we have closed that gap a bit and I think if we continue to work at taking down force away and work to match that with track specific tires it could give us a fantastic product. 

**GoBowling.com 400 Race Results**

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 11 (Week 10)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Rowdy's last six races have included three wins and two second place finishes, not too bad. He has four other top 5 finishes to go along with those five (making it three wins, two runner up's, and nine top 10's. Last year Harvick had two wins, six runner up finishes, and ten top 10's in the same 11 race start. Finish: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- On just points alone (no emphasis on wins), Harvick is still the points leader. However, you can't say he has been as good as Kyle this season. Harvick has been one of the best non JGR driver all season even though he only has one win. Finish: 2nd
3. Carl Edwards (LW-2)- Carl bounced back from a wreck at Talladega with an ok finish at Kansas. Overall it was one of his worse performances on the season, but he found away to still bring in a decent result. Finish: 11th
4. Kurt Busch (LW-4)- As a 2016 non winner, Kurt Busch has to be at the top of the list for strongest driver without a win. Most of that has been overlooked in my mind as well as he sits fifth in overall points (no emphasis on wins) with three top 5's and nine top 10's. Finish: 3rd
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-7)- BK has a strong car most the night, but it wasn't near a winning car. However, the team bounced back after Hamlin's aggressive move left little air to be had and both cars in a synchronized spin. Still, this team is not as strong as it has been in years past and everyone has some catching up to do with JGR. Finish: 10th
6. Chase Elliott (LW-6)- Who would have guessed Chase Elliott would have the most top 10 finishes at HMS through the first 11 races at the start of the season? I was high on him entering the season but I wouldn't have guessed he would already have this much top 10 success. On Saturday he struggled most the race (average running position of 16th) and he still found a way to finish top 10. Finish: 9th
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-5)- Chase may have more top 10's in 2016 so far, but JJ has been the best HMS driver when it comes to title hopes. He ran better than he finished Saturday night, but he likely wasn't going to win anyways. Finish: 17th
8. Martin Truex Jr (LW-10)- What a night for the No. 78. Most of the race he dominated by having the fastest car and also the best pit stops. Ironically it was a pit stop that lost him the commanding lead (loose wheel/lug nut) and the win. They still fought back after being laps down to a respectable finish. Finish: 14th
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-9)- It has been a rough season so far for Junior and crew. Six of eleven races Jr has an average running position of 14th or worse. He has struggled to qualify strong which is really hurting him and starting him in a hole. Finish: 15th
10. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- Saturday as a whole was not very good for AD, but the No. 3 found a way to be up front late. He now has three top 5's and six top 10's to start 2016 which are both season long career high's (and we're only 11 races in). Finish: 6th
11. Joey Logano (LW-8)- Not much blame can go on Joey for getting involved in the DH, BK, Larson indecent. It was the second week in a row where JoLo wrecked which resulted in a poor finish. Before being involved he was having a decent night and looked to finish top 10. Finish: 38th
12. Ryan Blaney (LW-NR)- Currently Blaney would be in the Chase, but it is way to early to be talking about that. Saturday Blaney notched back to back top 10's for the second time this season which now gives him four total (it was also his first top 5 of 2016). Finish: 5th

Dropped Out: Trevor Bayne (LW-11) and Jamie McMurray (LW-12)

Just Missed: Matt Kenseth and A.J. Allmendinger

2015 Pit Road Week 31: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Hollywood Casino 400

By Richard Tix

This week NASCAR was at Kansas for another huge race in the Chase. This round the first two races are huge because the third and final race is Talladega where anything can happen. Well, once again Joey Logano came out the winner so 11 drivers are still worried about there status for next round. Some drivers just need to stay away from the trouble, but most of them will have to push to the front, which should make for a crazy plate race.

But, before we hit the preview lets take a look at the latest Power Rankings after Kansas Speedway.

2015 Hollywood Casino 400 Full Results

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 31 (Week 30)

1. Joey Logano (LW-2)- Back to back wins in the second round of the Chase. Now only two drivers will advance at most by a win after Talladega and 6 will get through on points (or 7 if no new winner). Finish: 1st
2. Denny Hamlin (LW-3)- Hamlin followed up his 4th place finish last week with a runner up finish this week. He just needs to steer clear of any terrible finishes at Talladega. Finish: 2nd
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Harvick has three non top 10 finishes in five Chase races in 2015. That is not good, yet he is still hanging around and that has to worry other drivers. Finish: 16th
4. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- 11 of Carls 13 top 10's this season have come in the last 14 races, not a bad time to have such a quality run. Finish: 8th
5. Kurt Busch (LW-7)- Back to back top 10's for the first time since race 19 and 20, Kurt picked a good time to do it. Finish: 6th
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK took the pole, led some laps, but then settled into the top 10. This round he now has back to back 9th place finishes to give him a shot to advance. Finish: 9th
7. Kyle Busch (LW-9)- He is still outside looking in (9th in points), but only by 6 points. Kyle and JGR have been too good to count him out just yet. Finish: 5th
8. Jeff Gordon (LW-8)- Before the Chase things looked bleak for Gordon, but he is hanging in there for now. His back to back top 10's give him a chance to advance on points. Finish: 10th
9. Martin Truex Jr (LW-5)- He is 8th on points right now and needs to keep it clean at Dega to have a shot. That's a lot of pressure to advance. Finish: 15th
10. Ryan Newman (LW-10)- As I said last week, he will need more to advance this year. He just isn't getting the top 10's he was consistently getting last Chase. Finish: 11th
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-11)- Last round Jr was almost cut, this round he has dug an even bigger hole and might need a win to get out of it. Finish: 21st
12. Matt Kenseth (LW-12)- Kenseth is in the, he needs to win, category. He was going for it at Kansas, but so was Joey. That is just hard racing. Kenseth will need to do the same but come out the other end this weekend. Finish: 14th

2015 Week 11 Pit Road: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 11: SpongeBob SquarePants 400

By Richard Tix

This week NASCAR Behind the Wall will be keeping the review short and sweet for this past weekends Kansas race. Most of that had to do with I missed a good chunk of the race for the first time in 2015 and I don't want to sit here and feed you crap.

Once again mother nature tried to ruin everyone's night for the Cup race on Saturday night. All week NASCAR fans follow the weather especially when we get early week reports of rain, this week was no different. The race got started on time, but most of us watching the radar could tell it was only a matter of time before the rain caught up with NASCAR.

Once the rain hit fans and drivers sat, waiting, and waiting to get going again. Eventually late in the evening NASCAR got the track dry and started back up.

Late in the race NASCAR had a caution with about 8 to go for a late restart. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr gambled and decided to stay out. Both drivers had wins already and are pretty much locks to make the Chase, so why not?

It ended up paying off for JJ in a big way as he held off a late charge by Harvick for the win (Harvick had two fresh tires). 

Once again, Kansas showed that JJ and Harvick are at the top of the pack when it comes to 1.5 mile tracks right now. Everyone else is just fighting for spots behind them. This week NASCAR has a "bye" week as we head to Charlotte for the All Star Race. JJ will take his Kansas win to a track and race that he has been down right dominate in the past at. 

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 11 (Week 10)

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-2)- It is time, its hard to dethrone Harvick from the top spot when he finishes second and leads more laps then JJ, but look at JJ's finishes since his win at Texas. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st. The #48's 1.5 game is on right now. Finish: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Maybe this move is just for the sake of switching things up? But really, its like a 1a an 1b situation, as both are on top of there game. Finish: 2nd
3. Martin Truex Jr The 9th place finish was somewhat disappointing after how well he was running mid race. At one point it looked like he had the car to beat and he may finally get one in 2015. Finish: 9th
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-5)- The late gamble didn't pay off for Jr like it did for JJ, but it was still a good call. Jr brought the 88 home in a top 5 spot with others around him with fresher tires. Finish: 3rd
5. Kurt Busch (LW-4)- Kurt lead 20 laps on the night but during the last restart wasn't in a great spot to get to the front for a win. It's still a fresh start in 2015 compared to 2014, but he will need to work on late race finishing. Finish: 8th
6. Jeff Gordon (LW-6)- Gordon finished top 5 after not leading a lap and running the race in an average position of 10th. It was a good finish for the #24 team that is still looking for a win. Finish: 4th
7. Joey Logano (LW-7)- JoLo is on a better pace in 2015 then he was in 2014 and he finished 4th in 2014. His big problem, Harvick and JJ are on a tear. Finish: 5th
8. Matt Kenesth (LW-10)- Kenseth just keeps hanging around this year while JGR smooths things over. Kenseth has been the best guy at JGR this season, but it isn't saying much. Finish: 6th
9. Ryan Newman (LW-9)- Seriously, Newman is up to 13th in the points. He maybe fine after all even if he doesn't win. 9 top 12's and 7 top 10's in 11 races. Finish: 10th
10. Brad Keselowski (LW-11)- His bad luck streak ended in Kansas, but that didn't mean he had luck on his side. He had a good car that lead 43 laps but was too far out on the last restart to make a move and JJ and Harvick were just stronger. Finish: 7th
11. Jamie McMurray (LW-8)- JMac is on a list of guys who are running well but have yet to get a win. It seems like more and more drivers are just getting quality finishes and will try and make it on points. Worked for Newman, might work for JMac as well. Finish: 13th
12. Aric Almirola (LW-NR)- Speaking of quality finishes week after week, Aric is stitting 11th in the points while being overlooked. That's because he 7 top 15's and 10 top 20's in 11 race's, but zero top 10's. That's good enough to get you into the Chase, but would be an early drop out. Finish: 11th

Dropped Out- Paul Menard

Just Missed- AJ Allmendinger

Honorable Mention- Greg Biffle (RFR top 15!!!! 13th)

Jeff with his 3rd of the year, first since Martinsville

Back to back weekends for NBTW

Pit Road Week 30: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 30

By Richard Tix

I'm going to start off by saying this, Kyle Larson is on one heck of a run. It's too bad the 2014 rookie didn't make the Chase this season because he would be giving the veterans a run for there money. His 2nd place finish at Kansas made it four top 10's in four Chase races (3rd, 2nd, 6th, and 2nd). He was already gaining a following all season at the Cup level, but if he was in the Chase I think he would have a full on bandwagon going.

Back to the Chase, Sunday at Kansas was one of two huge races in this three race segment. Why? Because these two winners (Kansas and Charlotte) will have a stress free Talladega. So, when Joey Logano won the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday a huge weight dropped of his shoulders, he is on to the final 8 after Dega. 

That brings us to Charlotte. Depending on how the race sets up, it should be an exciting race when it comes to story lines. Brad Keselowski (36th), Dale Earnhadrt Jr (39th) and Jimmie Johnson (40th) all favorites entering the 2014 Chase had troubles on Sunday which put them in a hole. That puts them -39, -42, and -44 behind in points respectivly. As we saw at Kansas with these guys, it can happen to anyone in the Chase so they still have a chance (especially with the win and you advance rule). Thats why Charlotte will be such a huge race, because no one wants to count on Talladega to move on.

Also, when you think of rough days, Dega is a track that comes to mind. Anyone can have a bad day there just because of a wreck that involved someone else and caught them in the process. All that drama will come in the next few weeks, so lets focus on now; Week 30 Power Rankings.

Full Hollywood Casino 400 Results

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 30 (Week 29)

1. Joey Logano (LW-2)- The first three races in the Chase couldn't have gone better for JoLo and now an even more important round of races has started off with a bang. The win at Kansas means way more then any win in the first three races (as will a win in the next round). But this round is really only two races and then a wild card (Talladega). Huge weekend for JoLo.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-6)- Was that Kyle Busch finishing 3rd at Kansas? Rowdy's 3rd place finish at Kansas is almost as big as JoLo's win (other then Joey locked in a ticket to next round). Why is that? Because he has been notoriously off at Kansas in the past and this was his first top 5 in 15 attempts. 
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-4)- Harvick finished 12th after leading 61 laps (second only to Joey Logano). He has been fast all year and should bounce back at Charlotte.
4. Carl Edwards (LW-10)- Opposite of JoLo, Carl's first three Chase races couldn't have gone much worse (well he could have missed the cut, but you get the picture). This time around he starts his round off with a 5th place finish, which was the third best Chase Contender. 
5. Jeff Gordon (LW-3)- Not the starts Gordon wanted, but a 14th place finish wont kill him this round. He finished 7th at Charlotte last time after starting 27th.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-11)- Hamlin finished 7th on Sunday after starting 25th. DH just got through last round but the round reset may have him staying towards the top and advancing.
7. Ryan Newman (LW-9)- The guy everyone counts out because he doesn't have a win in 2014 is still doing his thing. A 6th place finish on Sunday, he is proving that it is possible to stay in contention without winning and racing on points. His day may come to an end before he wins, but he is fighting.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- Matt Kenseth hasn't been the front runner he was during the regular season, but he is hanging in there. a 13th place finish on Sunday wont kill his chances of moving on but he will need to turn it up at Charlotte so he doesn't have to worry at Dega.
9. Brad Keselowski (LW-1)- BK had a rough day after a great first three Chase races, In the mean time he watched his teammate win and advance. BK finished 13th at Charlotte earlier this year after starting 3rd, so look out for a fast Penske Ford at CHA.
10. Jimmie Johnson (LW-5)- Nothing was fun for JJ at Kansas when it came to on track performance. He qualified 32nd and then went out early on Sunday and finished 40th (lowest of any contender). 
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-8)- The second lowest finisher of the Contenders, Jr also made his way into the wall and a hard luck day. Jr started 8th so he had a lot of opportunity to start. On to the next one for the #88 crew.
12. Kasey Kahne (LW-12)- Yes, Kasey finished ahead of BK and JJ (22nd), but he hasn't shown this season that he will be a constant threat to win week to week. Charlotte will be a big race for Kahne as he has done well there in the past. 
13. Kyle Larson (LW-13)- Just think how much hype (on top of his crazy hype) would be on Larson if he would have made the Chase? He is looking poised for a win soon.
14. Martin Truex Jr (LW-14)- It took the #78 team awhile to get going with Truex, but lately he has been on a roll (14th, 12th, 7th, and 4th). You just hope he and the team can keep it up going forward and into next year.

This week NASCAR Behind the Wall had about 15-20 votes on Twitter and only one guy came out a winner, predicting Joey Logano to win. Remember, anyone can let me know who they think will win any given race, and if you are right you will get the spotlight in the review!

Matt was the only one picking JoLo. He writes over on TimersSports (a different sports blog). Check them out.

Pit Road Week 11: Kansas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 11

By Richard Tix

NASCAR had been to 10 tracks to start the 2014 season and entering Kansas its points leader, Jeff Gordon, had yet to score a win. Gordon had been almost hands down the most consistent driver in the first 10 races prior to Kansas with 4 top 5's and 7 top 10's in that span.

On Saturday, Kansas would hold its first Sprint Cup night race which brought an extra excitement to the air at the track. Finally, after 10 tries, Jeff Gordon got his first win of 2014 at Kansas Speedway.  

The race started off by Kevin Harvick dominating the race. Once Kevin Harvick had a slip up and ended up back in traffic he couldn't get going and just hung around 18th for awhile, but when the race was coming to a close NASCAR saw Harvick back up front and the car to beat.

Fortunately for Gordon, on a late round green flag pit stop Harvick ran out of gas on pit road and lost a few seconds. Those few seconds were just enough for Gordon to get out front and take the lead. Harvick made one last push on the last lap to catch Gordon (while Gordon hit some lapped traffic) but he came up a few car length's short.

It was a huge night for Gordon, but also a huge night for Danica Patrick who arguably had her best race in her Sprint Cup career. She spent most of the night running in the top 10 after qualifying 9th (every SHR car qualified in the top 10). Unlike other times (Martinsville) this time Danica hung around and finished 7th which was very impressive. 

If you missed the race here are the race results. Now lets move onto the Week 11 Power Rankings.

Pit Road: Power Rankings Week 11 (Week 10)

1. Jeff Gordon (LW-3)- Well everyone had the feeling last week that his drop to 3rd in the Power Rankings wouldn't last very long. After the win at Kansas he jumped right back into the spot he had been holding for awhile.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick stayed safe at Talladega that moved him up. One week later at Kansas he had the car to beat but just not enough time to get to Gordon. After an up and down points start, Harvick is back up to 15th in the points and brings fast cars week after week.
3. Matt Kenseth (LW-4)- Kenseth fell a lap down early and kind of ran towards the middle of the pack for awahile, but he eventually fought back. He actually fought his way back to a 10th place finish.
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-6)- Fans dogged him for the end of Talladega but he moved on and posted a 5th place finish at Kansas He now has a win, 6 top 5's, and 7 top 10's so far in 2014.
5. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- This fall might be a little harsh, fair enough, but look at the drivers that jumped him. The top of these standings are all top dogs so its a tough world. Any of these guys you can make a case for a 2-5 spot. Kyle only moves this far because he really didn't have a car to compete on Saturday.
6. Joey Logano (LW-7)- Its been a roller coaster as of late, but fact is JoLo has been fast in 2014. He has lead a lap in 6 straight races (longest stretch in his career) and in 10 of 11 races. If he stay's away from the bad luck bug he has finished top 5.
7. Carl Edwards (LW-10)- Carl has been very good in 2014 but not great. In NASCAR there is a fine line between those two. Uncle Carl has been a top 10 runner but still hasn't had the kind of weeks where he threatens for top 5's or wins consistently. 
8. Greg Biffle (LW-5)- Rough slide for Biffle after a 16th place finish, but he really wasn't a factor in the race. Fact is, almost everyone ahead of him in the rankings was a factor Saturday night (minus Kyle Busch, but he was just #1).
9. Kyle Larson (LW-8)- Larson sticks around the rankings for another week after finishing 12th at Kansas. His average running position was 12th on Saturday and spent 80.5% of the race in the top 15. Week after week he keeps showing up. 
10. Kasey Kahne (LW-NR)- It has been a long start of the 2014 season for Kahne, but for the first time he has found the NASCAR Behind the Wall Power Rankings. This coming after his first top 5 of the season (3rd) and a stretch of 14th, 8th, and a 3rd place finish. With Charlotte coming up Kahne has a chance to make a rankings run.
11. Brian Vickers (LW-11)- Other then Harvick, Vickers is the only guy to not move up or down in the rankings this week. Vickers had a good night at Kansas but he didn't stay consistent enough to have a great night. He ended up finishing 15th but he has had a good enough start to 2014 to stick around another week.
12. Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- Who gets the last spot this week? Denny didn't look too impressive and Newman has been good but not great. Aric Almirola has a nice two race run with 13th and a top 10, but is it enough. Well JJ fans, your driver comes away with the last spot, solely because he ran up front a bunch and finished top 10. He is still 7th in points even without a win. A lot of that has to do with the fact that he has lead a lap in 8 of 11 races.

Dropped Out: AJ Allmendinger and Denny Hamlin

Just Missed: Ryan Newman, Aric Almirola

Honorable Mention: Danica Patrick

Well, once again I did not pick the winner. Actually, Kansas was one of my worst predictions of the season (I went with home town driver Clint Bowyer, figured maybe he would keep up his awesome news week). So that is 0-11 to start the year, but who's counting. Fortunately I have some smart followers who did predict the winner!

This one coming from ThisSportz writer Jeff Nathans

Well congrats to the winners and every week look for the tweets asking who will win or just send me a tweet with who you think will win. This week is a bye week for NASCAR Behind the Wall. No All-Star Preview or Post Race Review. I will most likely have a few random post's though. I am heading to Iowa Speedway for the Sunday Nationwide Race and will most likely have a short post about that as well. As always, follow me on Twitter or check out the new twitter fed on the top left of the blog for all the NASCAR info you may need!