2014 Team Spotlight Review: Michael Waltrip Racing

Michael Waltrip Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Team Stats

Wins: 0

Top 5: 8

Top 10: 24

Pole: 1

Just as recently as 2012 I thought this MWR team was on the verge of being a big player when it came to NASCAR teams. They entered 2013 and had a great season until it fell apart at Richmond before the 2013 Chase when "spin gate" became a term.

Enter 2014. Not much has changed since that incident at Richmond. The team and sport has moved on (for the most part), yet MWR still is in that same funk how they left the 2013 season. In 2014 MWR moved back to only two drivers because spin gate cost them NAPA Auto Parts as a sponsor. Martin Truex Jr lost his spot on MWR due to that sponsorship loss and no new sponsors for a third car were brought in.

Clint Bowyer came back in the #15 and Brian Vickers was cleared to race and took over the #55 full time. Nothing was smooth sailing in 2014 for either driver as neither found a win or made the Chase. 

Clint Bowyer

• Before Richmond in 2013 (spin gate) Clint seemed to be making a push to be a rising star. He had just finished 2nd in 2012 and he was helping MWR try and reach a new level. A lot of things seemed to have crashed down after the incident at Richmond and he hasn't quite found his step yet. Some of this maybe due to the lack of speed some Toyota's experienced in 2014 compared to 2013, but maybe spin gate has something to do with it. He finished 2014 with 0 wins, 5 top 5's, and 15 top 10's while having an average finish of 17.1. All of those stats were lower than 2013 and most of them were close to career low's.

Brian Vickers

• Expectations were not as high for Vickers entering 2014. 2014 was the first time he ran a full time schedule since 2009, which in itself is a win for the #55 team and his health. Bad news struck this offseason that he will have to have heart surgery again and will miss the start of 2015. With lower expectations Vickers did about what most thought he would when he posted stats of 0 wins, 3 top 5's, 9 top 10's, 1 pole, while finishing the season 22nd in points.

Previous Team Spotlight Review: Ganassi Racing

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

Personally, going into 2014 I thought Kyle Busch was going to have a big year. I bought into it after he had a good end to the 2013 season. You can even notice it in my preview of him before the season:

"The 2014 season could be one of Kyle's best if he can take his Chase momentum and continue it all season long (and maybe figure out Kansas along the way). Kyle Busch has to be looked at as a driver ready to take down Jimmie Johnson and also one of JJ's biggest threats. A lot of young guns are hitting the prime of there racing career and Rowdy might be leading the pack." - Season Preview

However, for most of the season I was disappointing. I still think a lot of it had to do with the lack of speed in the JGR camp, more specifically the Toyota Racing Development camp. Not that Toyota's were the slowest thinks out there (looking at you Roush Fenway), but they just didn't have the consistent speed to stay with Hendrick and Penske (or anything with a HMS engine, Harvick). 

But in the end, no excuses. Rowdy tied an all time low in win's (1) and top 5's in his full time career (9). He also had his second lowest season total in top 10's (15. He had 13 twice). To add injury to insult, his average finish of 17.6 is his worst average since his rookie year (full time seasons only).

Not all was lost, though. Kyle finished the year with 6 top 10's in the Chase (3 top 5's). He was in a position to keep advancing in the Chase until he tried playing it safe at Talladega and got hit from behind during a caution, ruining his day and leaving him out of the Eliminator Round. At the end of the day, Rowdy had an off season but still had the chance to keep advancing with a bunch of top 10's during the Chase. He is one of many drivers looking to put 2014 behind him and move onto the new season.

• List of Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: B-

2013 was a rough season for Denny Hamlin. He was involved in a wreck that caused him to sit out four races and he missed the Chase for the first time in his career. After going into Homestead-Miami win less he came out the final winner of 2013.

So, many optimists figured that win would kick start his run in 2014. However, that wasn't the case. In fact, Hamlin had another rough, long season where he only totaled 7 top 5's, 18 top 10's (which isn't too bad), and 1 win. That win was important because without it he would have missed the 2014 Chase for a second straight season.

Luckily for Hamlin, the Chase was expanded to 16 drivers and if you win you are a virtual lock to make it. Hamlin did get in and he made the most of the new format. He struggled through the first three races, but if you are going to struggle in the new Chase, it is best to do it early when there are 15 other drivers and only four get cut.  

In the next six Chase races leading up to Miami he had 5 top 10's (Talladega he finished 18th). At Phoenix he took the pole and finished 5th to lock in his spot into the finale.

So, after a rough season Denny Hamlin was in the spot to make a move on his first Championship. He did this by running well when he had to and making the most of an opportunity. I think it would have been a hard pill for some fans to swallow if Hamlin won (or Newman), but i think it will become easier over time. If for the first few years of this a deserving driver wins, I think an underdog winner will be more inviting, heck, I think it would be exciting.

As for Hamlin, he went into the finale knowing he won at Miami just a year prior, in fact he had some of the best prior statistics out of the final four at Miami. In the end he came up short finishing the season 3rd in points. It was the third time in his 9 year career (only full time seasons, doesn't include 2005 where he ran 7 races) that he finished the season 3rd or better. 

In the end, it wasn't the full season Hamlin was hoping for I'm sure, but in the end he almost got the result he wanted.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: A

Going into 2014 everyone was on the skeptical bandwagon when it came to Jeff Gordon. Was he over the hill? Would he retire? Is he merely just keeping the season warm for up and comer Chase Elliott? You name it, it was said. 

Myself, I looked at his stats in 2013 and looked past his career. I saw a down year and a driver another year older. I thought It might be the start of a slow decline. However, I did point out 2014 would be a big year to prove that wasn't the case:

"Jeff Gordon is at 88 career wins to start the 2014 season, but if he continues the pace he has been on the last 6 seasons he will need to race full time another 11 years. That puts Gordon at 52 years old and it starts to seem even more unrealistic that he will ever reach 100. So if Gordon ever wants to get to 100 wins he needs to start having seasons where he steals a few races from other drivers. With that in mind, 2014 is a big year for Jeff Gordon if he wants to get back on the path of 100 and chase another title." -Season Preview

Gordon did just that, he came out and proved he could still win at a high level. After such a good season in 2014, the questions now are, how many more years can he compete? Will he win another Championship in 2015? Where is Chase Elliott going to go since Jeff might stay a few more years?

It is refreshing to see Gordon back at a high level after a struggle in 2013. Its nice to have the sports biggest stars at there very best, Whether you love them or hate them, its good for the sport.

In 2014 Gordon's 4 wins were the most he has had since 2007. His 14 top 5's and his 23 top 10's were the most he has had since 2009. The most telling was that his average start position of 9th was the best he has had since 2003. Gordon seemed very comfortable in year two with the Gen-6 which will be something to watch going into 2015 as teams scramble to figure out the new adjustments.

As a whole, 2014 was a great season for the #24. If NASCAR was still decided by points only he would have been the Champion. But, in 2014 NASCAR is not decided that way and Gordon will have to find a way to overcome. It will be fun to watch and see if he can finally win title number 5 towards the end of his career.

• List of Past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: A-

"After the review of 2013, it is hard not to think that Jr has a shot to contend in 2014. In fact, these numbers probably make Jr Nation drool with the thought of him holding that Championship Trophy. It all starts at Daytona where Jr use to be dominate. In his last 5 starts at the Daytona 500 he has finished runner up 3 times, the other to he finished 24 (but won the Pole), and 27th"

That is how my preview of Jr ended before the season started. I had a feeling that Dale Jr would take his good run in the 2013 Chase and roll it over into a good run in 2014. On top of that we found out the news that his CC Steve Letarte would be leaving him for the booth in 2015. So this past season was going to be a fun ride for the #88 team.

Dale Jr's season started off with a bang winning the 2014 Daytona 500. He ran with that into the next two races and finished runner up in both. In the first 21 races Jr had 15 top 10's and 3 of his 4 wins. So the beginning of his 2014 season was everything Jr Nation could want and more. 

However, the last 15 races were not as smooth. In no way did he finish out 2014 poorly, but after such a hot start most fans expected more. He has just 5 top 10's in the last 15. He did notch his last win of 2014 at Martinsville. That win would have been even bigger if the beginning of his Chase hadn't had so many poor finishes, as it would have locked him into the final race at Miami.

So we leave 2014 behind as the Dale Earnhardt Jr and Steve Letarte era ends. How will Jr's future go without Steve at the helm? That will be a major story line heading into 2015 and might also show up on Jr's season preview.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Chase Predictions in Review

Review of NASCAR Behind the Wall's Predictions

By Richard Tix

Going into a whole New Chase Era in 2014 I decided to take a stab at who would make the Chase and some random predictions. As I can not see into the future, I obviously was off on some of these. However, it is always fun to look back on how you were feeling before the season and how things changed. So lets look back at the 2014 Chase Predictions and take a quick review on them.

Who Will Make the Chase?

Who I was right on?

• I did get 14 of the 16 drivers correct. I did a 16 drivers section which were my safe bets and who I was taking to get in. Then I listed an extra six drivers that were long shots (which is where I had AJ Allmendinger. Who I missed on? Clint Boywer and Tony Stewart missed and Allmendinger and Aric Almirola made it in on wins. 
• Preseason I think most figured Smoke should have no problem getting into the Chase. He had a win in each of his 15 season's, so it is still crazy to think that streak ended.

Random Predictions

(Some of these are way off and some not so much)

Who Will Have the Better Season Kevin Harvick or Ryan Newman?

• "These two drivers pretty much swapped spots from SHR and RCR. So they will be easy to compare all season. But who will do better in 2014? On the outside it looks like an easy answer, it has to be Harvick right? Well, NASCAR Behind the Wall is going to go out on a limb and say this race will be a lot closer than some think. We are going to give the slight edge to Ryan Newman in a shocker. "Go big or go home" right?"
• I gave Newman the slight edge. If you look at where they finished the standings it doesn't look too bad. But lets be honest, Harvick easily had the better season even before he won the Championship. Not to take anything from Newman, he had a good first year with RCR.

Who Will Run Better in 2014, Danica or Stenhouse?

• "Danica is being pushed off to the side at SHR so will it make her want it more, or will she not receive the attention she needs to learn? Stenhouse had a quality rookie year, but many rookies are coming in 2014 and will try and show him up. I still say Ricky will make an improvement on last year, however slight it is, it will be enough to out duel Danica."
• Well, I picked Ricky but he barely edged Danica in the points this year. However, I also thought he would make an improvement in 2014 and if anything he regressed. Year three will be a big step for both of these drivers.

Who Has the Best Chance to Get Every Team Driver into the Chase? (Hendrick or SHR)

• "Hendrick should win this one pretty easy, but Dale Jr needs to win in 2014. Even if he doesn't he should have enough points to steal a spot after all the winners are decided. Danica makes this a no brainer towards Hendrick, but can she steal a super speedway win? (JGR was left out, they should hands down all make it in)"
• I obviously went HMS here, which they did get all four in. Going into the season its crazy this was a question. A lot of it had to do with some subpar performances by Kahne and Earnhardt Jr lately. Jr came out strong and put this question to rest earlier. However, HMS didn't make much of a splash in the Chase itself.

Who Wins First in 2014? Harvick or Kurt Busch

• "NASCAR Behind the Wall has already taken an in depth look at this with the article SHR Fresh Faces. As we found out in the research, it truly is a tossup. This is for predictions though so someone has to win right?"
• I went Harvick with the slight edge on this one. Which was correct when he won at Phoenix. Harvick by far had a better season than Kurt in every way possible.

Who Wins ROY Honors?

• "2014's ROY class is huge! Before it got to such a large number of rookie drivers it was already going to be a good year for rookies. The class started with Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson. Most likely the end ROY fight will come down to them because they have started out in the best position (better cars and teams)."
• Its crazy to me I went with Dillon, since I have been following Larson for a few years now, but I guess I thought Larson might be up and down in his first year. Well, he showed some flashes of being a star on the Cup level. Dillon had a fine season, but Larson was more flashy. It will be fun to watch him develop over the years.

How will Dale Earnhardt Jr do in 2014, he and Letarte's last Hurrah? Will He Have Multiple Wins?

• "Letarte is going to the booth in 2015 and leaving Jr as CC. Letarte is known for helping turn around a struggling Jr and making him relevant again. Yet, they haven't found a way to find wins. After coming off a good 2013 season, will they make one last run at glory? I think that both will use this as a chance for a no pressure situation and take advantage. I think Jr will come up with multiple wins in 2014 and leave people wondering, what if they had one more year?"
• Well I was on target with this one. Jr came out strong at Daytona and then won a few more races along the way making it a 4 win season. It will be interesting to see how the 88 team does early on without LeTarte.

Who Ends with More Wins in 2014, Kyle or Kurt Busch?

• "Kurt Busch is in a new ride with new equipment in 2014, and it might help him get back to his winning ways. Kurt should get a win in 2014, but I think Kyle might end the season with the most wins in NASCAR."
• This prediction would have been fine if I stopped before saying Kyle might have the most wins in 2014. Still, Kyle and Kurt both only had one win this season, even if Kyle had the much better season.

How Many Races Before Tony Stewart Gets to 50 Wins? (2 More Wins)

• "This is a shot out of a cannon guess (Who else has a shot at 50 in there career?). He normally doesn't get hot until summer, but he has had seasons where he starts off well, so its a toss up. So lets just take a shot in the dark: 20."
• I didn't see this coming, a zero win season for Smoke. I guess this might be a question in the 2015 Chase Predictions.

Who Finishes Highest At Joe Gibbs Racing?

• "Its like shooting fish in a barrel, who will be the lucky one (or unlucky if you are an actual fish). Kenseth has been the most consistent in the Chase when it comes to finishing high, but its a new era. Denny Hamlin has been the second best at finishing high. But, Kyle Busch (the inconsistent Chase finisher) could gain the most in this new format with an emphasis on winning. I'm going to go on a limb here."
• This question was who finishes lowest at JGR, right? I really thought Kyle Busch was going to break out in 2014. I don't think the slow start for JGR as a whole helped, but it definitely wasn't what I was expecting out of Rowdy.

Will a Chase Spot be Stolen at a Road Course?

• "So will a guy like Ambrose, Martin Truex, or Allmendinger who may not have won before turning right steal a potential Chase spot? AJ could definitely win at a non road course, but his run in Nationwide last year was pretty impressive to think he could maybe steal one on a road course. Ambrose is always a threat at road courses. (This is not to say these drivers couldn't steal one elsewhere). No, I think Ambrose will be shut out again in 2014 at road courses. Look out for AJ this season though."
• Well, I said to watch out for AJ, but I did predict that a underdog win wouldn't come this season at a road course, which was wrong. Once again these two races were exciting to watch.

Biggest Surprise Driver in 2014?

• "Brian Vickers or AJ Almendinger. Also, Ryan Newman with a multi win season."
• Well, AJ had a great season after getting a win and Newman go into the Chase, but didn't win once. So I will call this one a push.

Most Disappointing Driver in 2014?

• "Kevin Harvick. Going on a limb here, but after a great 2013 he has a lot of pressure to perform at SHR."
• I did state in other articles that I thought Harvick would still make the Chase and that he would have a fine transition, however I did think he would have a down year getting adjusted. But, I couldn't have been more wrong about his season. Harvick was one of the fastest cars all year and showed that down the stretch. 

Pit Road Week 35: Phoenix

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 35

By Richard Tix

The Chase race in Phoenix brought us some excitement that we normal wouldn't get this late in the season. Thats because if it wasn't for the new Chase format then fans would have just watched Kevin Harvick drive around all day dominating. That sounds like a fun race as a Harvick fan, but a boring one for most race fans.

But, with all the drama of who will make the cut for the finale in Miami it actually kept most race fans engaged until the very last lap. 

Again, Kevin Harvick dominated and he has now won the last 4 out of 5 races here (all on the new repave). I picked against him figuring he couldn't possible keep this streak going, I was wrong and Jeff Nathan's was right (along with a handful of other Twitter Followers and NASCAR fans). The big story past Harvick locking himself into the finale as a Championship favorite with his dominating performance at Phoenix was Ryan Newman.

Late in the race Newman held his own destiny, but he could lose any spots. Then came Kyle Larson who worked his way around Newman, leaving (at that moment) Newman out of the four driver finale and Jeff Gordon in. Just as it looked like Newman's Cinderella Chase run was over (he doesn't have a win in 2014, but a lot of consistent finishes) he started catching Larson. On the last lap Ryan went hard into trun three and in turn four made pretty significant contact with Larson. Larson shot up to the wall and Newman finished off the race in front of Larson and as the fourth driver into the final race at Miami.

I know some fans are upset with Newman and how he raced Kyle (a lot of them Gordon fans) but it was crunch time and a Championship on the line. Again, we see this week after week, but I think we will see it season after season with this format. That's because it puts drivers in an uncomfortable spot where they have to make decisions they normally wouldn't. In almost any other format, Newman would have sat back and taken his good points day to Miami. But, new Chase, new rules.

That brings me to the fans complaining about "win means more." First off, NASCAR can never win with us fans. NASCAR has two largely different target markets at the time being. One being the older generations, who grew up with NASCAR in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Then there is the new fan base, those that NASCAR has been trying to bring in since the market crash (which also comes around the time that NASCAR started to see attendance drops (as did other sports). Obviously, a lot of fans fall in between, and even some fans from each target market may have differen opinions than the general consensus of each market. Fact is, for the most part eash target market is way different. 

That means, every change (or a change NASCAR doesn't make) will bring a huge disappointment. The older generations seem to not like the change, or there is too much change. The newer demographic need more to keep there interest, more drama, more action, etc.  So, NASCAR can never win because one fan base will get upset and not realize NASCAR is doing it because they have too. 

NASCAR can't stand still if they want to continue to grow, that's the way businesses work. I will say, as a fan who falls a bit in the middle (raised on 90's racing) I think NASCAR needed a new Chase. And for the people who want no change, the Championship would have been decided 4 races ago. Please tell me how you tell an outside NASCAR fan that the Champion was decided with 5 races left in a season. I understand, the most far Champion is a season long points race, but sports aren't fair. No, I don't even mean to compare it to "stick and ball sports" like many of you think that's how NASCAR looks at its changes, but rather just sport in general. Almost all sports world wide have some kind of playoff. Where best teams show they can continue there run through adversity to get to the final goal. 

This mentality of people complaining about winning is supposed to mean everything this year, yet Newman is in the final. NASCAR didn't say winning is the only thing. Yeah, he hasn't won and can win the Championship, but did you see how hard he was racing to get there? It is making drivers run more aggressive when they have to, when the season is on the line. Desperation is what this sport lacked for awhile, same with emotion. People have been calling for drivers personalities and emotion for years, now we get it because of a NASCAR Chase system, and fans don't want it... What do you want? Back to winning, it does mean more. Harvick got to the final only because of that win. If he would have been passed by anyone and finished 2nd he wouldn't be in the final. So, winning does mean more and it is forcing drivers to push there limits.

I don't mind if you have another opinion, because that's what make sports great. However, I think no matter where you fall you have to realize you are part of NASCAR's problem. It's easy to rip them, but it truly isn't easy being them and deciding what to change and what not to change when everything is scrutinized. Trust me, they can take the heat. They have been for years because we as fans are a passionate and loyal fan base. 

One last thing talking about the new Chase. Under just a points system or under last years Chase format, the Championship would be all but decided....

Points Only:

1. Jeff Gordon 1217
2. Joey Logano -29
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr -72
4. Brad Keselowski -79
5. Kevin Harvick -93
6. Ryan Newman -124
7. Matt Kenseth -124

2013 Chase Standings:

1. Joey Logano 2368
2. Kevin Harvick -29
3. Brad Keselowski -48
4. Jeff Gordon -56
5. Ryan Newman -57

Two things from these standings. As I said before, the Championship would be all but wrapped up and this was about the points difference before Phoenix as well (in case you were wondering). Second thing, yes, Gordon would have won with points, but that was 11 years ago... Even under last years format he wouldn't have won the Chase. Also, notice even though he doesn't have a win, Newman is 6th and 5th under both other formats (not far from the lowest he will finish this year, 4th). So, yes some other drivers may deserve the last spot more (BK or JG), but Newman played the game and can't be counted out. The real thing we are missing here is that some fans are calling for Newman to be out because he doesn't have a win, but Denny Hamlin has had a way worse season to date. The only reason fans aren't calling for him is because he has 1 win. I just don't see how one win matters when you would be so far out of any other Chase compared to Newman would would at least be on the radar. 

But don't take that the wrong way, Denny played the game and should be in this final. He did what he had to do and got hot at the right time. I just don't see why fans point there anger at Newman just because of zero wins (and don't say just because of his move Sunday, fans were saying this about Newman before the move).

Anyways, as normal, no matter your viewpoint, enjoy the last race of 2014!

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 35 (Week 34)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- What a way to enter the finale at Miami. I still am in shock he has taken 4 of the last 5 at Phoenix. But, the only one that matters this season now is Homestead.
2. Joey Logano (LW-1)- From the front, to temper tantrum, to damage, to back to the front. It was a long day for JoLo but he made his way into a spot he knew he was locked into. JoLo came into 2014 looking to make himself a title contender and he has done just that.
3. Denny Hamlin (LW-3)- I would say that DH hasn't had the easiest of season's. He struggled most of it, yet I bet he would do it all again is he knew he would make the final every time. If you said Cinderella (and take all name and past season's out of it), I would say Denny. He was so far down in the points he wouldn't have ever had a chance at the title without the new Chase. He has a great track record at Miami, so watch out for NASCAR Behind the Wall's Cinderella. 
4. Ryan Newman (LW-5)- Yes, zero wins in 2014, so what? He didn't have many points ruining days this season. I find that as the great thing about this Chase. Not only can you get in by a lot of wins (Harvick, JoLo) but you can also get in on great points days and consistency. 
5. Jeff Gordon (LW-4)- I understand JG fans being frustrated, but everyone knew the rules and what they had to do to advance. That being said, I would also like to note he would have had no shot at the title under the last 10 years rules either. However, for you fans that want to go back to just points standings, where the last five races meant nothing because the Championship was locked up, well Jeff would be your Champ. It was a great season for the #24 team and he will be bac in 2015.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK came up short this time around. It was a great season for the #2 team, but they were going title or bust (as seen at Texas). In 2014 he picked up many haters along the way, but I think in the next few season we will see a lot of drivers names pulled through the same mud with Championships on the line. NASCAR needs guys like him and Kyle Busch, because it would be boring with all the same personalities. 
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-10)- Jr had a great season in 2014 from the very beginning. He has rattled of three straight top 10's (so its really unfortunate he didn't make this last round (he would have made the final). Having said that, he would have been out of contention even in a points only race (see above). A fresh new start awaits him in 2015.
8. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- The #20 car just didn't have it in 2014. Kenseth was't good, but couldn't find the consistency to truly contend (see Newman, its possible to move on without a win). I think there is a good chance JGR could make a comeback in 2015 and Matt will find a few wins again.
9. Kurt Busch (LW-11)- Rowdy had a rough ending to what was a pretty good day Sunday. He was running pretty well all day until he ended up in the wall, leving him to finish 34th. All in all he had a rough 2014, but a good finish at Homestead will give the 18 confidence for 2015. 
10. Carl Edwards (LW-8)- Carl got booted on Sunday, but Ill give him this: I never thought he was going to make it as far as he did. The #99 team kept fighting until the end, but at some point you can only go as far as the car gives you speed, and in 2014 RFR just didn't have that. Carl will run his last race with RFR at Miami before heading to JGR.
11. Greg Biffle (LW-NR)- Another RFR driver who has struggled to find speed and consistency in 2014, Biffle has strung together a few decent finishes down the stretch. Most recently he finished 9th at Phoenix. 
12. AJ Allmendinger (LW-NR)- Guess who is above Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, and Kasey Kahne in point this season? You may have guessed it because of who's name this is on....But, if not for that I bet most fans wouldn't have guessed AJ. Most of that is due to his 5 top 15's (one top 10) in the Chase. He also only has three finishes outside the top 20 in that time, and all of them better than 24th (23rd, 23rd, and 22nd). 

I'm thinking your safe bet was a good bet....

Hey, #4 got you #4 on the season. 4/35.

Well, Harvick was the easy choice this week and also the smart choice. I probably would have had even more tweets here is I started out asking who the winner would be earlier in the week. 

NASCAR heads to Homestead for its final race of 2014. It will mark NASCAR Behind the Wall's last Pit Road edition of the 2014 season! Thanks for checking the blog out, today, and all season long! 

Pit Road Week 29: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 29

By Richard Tix

After Dover NASCAR officially is down to 12 drivers remaining in the Chase for a Sprint Cup Title. Aric Almirola, AJ Allmendinger, Kurt Busch, and Greg Biffle all dropped out of the running at the Moster Mile. 

Some drivers impressed in the first three races (BK, JoLo, Harvick, and Gordon) while others had there struggles (Kahne, Hamlin, and Edwards) but they all get to move on and start fresh. So who will come out strong in the next three Chase races? Will someone lock in there spot at Kansas or will an underdog steal a win? We will dive into that in this weeks preview on Wednesday, until the check out this weeks Power Rankings.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 29 (Week 28)

1. Brad Keselowski (LW-1)- If he starts to struggle this round then the first three races will be forgoten quickly, but right now he is on fire. He won the first race, fought through adversity for a 7th, and then came up just short yesterday (2nd). 
2. Joey Logano (LW-2)- The first round was all about Team Penske, but that round is over and doesn't mean a thing for the next three races, Everyone starts over so there is no rest in the #22 camp.
3. Jeff Gordon (LW-6)- Gordon had a rough finish to Loudon (blowing a right front late), but he bounced back in a huge way at Dover with a win. It's too bad he can't use that in knowing he will be in the next round, because it all starts over again this week,
4. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- 223 laps led on the day for Harvick. He get's into the next round and was fast, thats what should be important to him right now. 
5. Jimmie Johnson (LW-4)- A full Dover race with JJ not leading a single lap? JJ still finished 3rd on the day, but Harvick got the nod over JJ because of how much he ran in front.
6. Kyle Busch (LW-7)- Quietly he has turned his rough regular season into an impressive post season (7th, 8th, and 10th). He started top 5 in all three Chase races so far, which has helped, but he is also turning on some consistency. 
7. Matt Kenseth (LW-8)- Speaking of consistency, Matt Kenseth got into the Chase off consistency. He got through the first round by finishing strong on Sunday (5th). Maybe he finally gets win #1 in 2014?
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-5)- Jr was one of the lowest Chase contenders to move on Sunday (Only Kahne finished lower and moved on). Dale finished 17th on a day to forget, lucky for him they start all over this weekend. His best and only top 10 finish was 9th at Loudon, he may need a bit more this round.
9. Ryan Newman (LW-11)- Newman advances by running well, but not great. Pretty much the definition of his 2014 season. But, for the first round that is all you need. It's still possible that he can do it again this round, but he may need to finish top 15 in every race and pull off a couple top 10's. 
10. Carl Edwards (LW-13)- Carl is going to need more to move on to the final 8. 20th, 17th, and 11th just wont get it done.
11. Denny Hamlin (LW-16)- The bottom guys get to hit refresh, which DH really wanted to do after Loudon (37th). Well DH hit his own refresh button on his way to a 12th place finish at Dover which moved him onto the next round.
12. Kasey Kahne (LW-10)- Kahne almost fell out of the last Chase spot after finishing 20th at Dover. It was a slow first three races where Kasey only picked up one top 15 and two top 20's, but as it is with everyone, he gets a fresh start.
13. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- How great would it have been if Kyle Larson had made the Chase? He would be top 3 in these rankings after finishes of 3rd, 2nd, and 6th. Unfortunately, he can only get to 13th in the standings for now (or highest non Chase driver). 
14. Martin Truex Jr (LW-NR)- A rough falling out from MWR to Furniture Row that was mostly unfair for Truex, he has done well so far in the three Chase races (14th, 12th, and 7th). 
15. Clint Bowyer (LW-NR)- If he had made the Chase it would have been a tough start at Chicagoland (39th). Since, he has finishes of 14th and 9th. 

This week NASCAR drops from 16 Chase drivers to 12. Well at NASCAR Behind the Wall we have opened up the bottom of the standings to guys outside the top 16 (since we are now at 12). The top 12 will still all be current Chase drivers. We also dropped to the top 15, after next weeks race we will drop to 14, and so on until we get back to 12 drivers. At that point NASCAR will be ready to drop to 8 drivers and we will continue to do the top 12 the rest of the season. Why? Well, when going all the way down to the top 16 we start getting very inconsistent finishers so its all a judgement call on who is actually "hot" at the moment. Drivers have to earn it in these power rankings. 

Garry (Keselowski) and I (Harvick) were both wrong, but Thomas got it right.

William Frang (who writes for a different blog on Fantasy Football) also got it right this week.

Hannah also got it right this week! Thank's for the reminder since I missed it the first time around!

Well, that's the end to the first round of the new 2014 Chase format. NASCAR heads to Kansas this week to kick off round two with 12 drivers all back to even. It should be a fun round that concludes at Talladega in three weeks. Thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall.

2014 Richmond Schedule (Race Two)

Federated Auto Parts 400

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern**

Thursday September 4, 2014

• 1-2 pm-NASCAR Nationwide Series practice
• 2:30-4 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice

Friday September 5, 2014

• 9 am-12 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice
• 1-2:20 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- ESPN2 
• 3:40 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- ESPN2
• 5:40 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- ESPN2
• 7:30 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Virgina 529 College Savings 250 (250 laps)- ESPN2 

Saturday September 6, 2014

• 7:30 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 (400 laps)- ABC  

2014 Michigan International Speedway Entry List (Race Two)

NASCAR Driver Entry List for MIS

By Richard Tix

NASCAR heads to Michigan for the second time in 2014 as I head there for the first time this year. Entry list from Jayski.com

Few notes: Only 43 drivers a listed. Tony Stewart is still on the entry list as of right now. Marcus Ambrose will be in the #9 sponsored by Black and Decker and Greg Biffle will be in the Roush Performance #16.

2014 Week 22 Chase Standings

Chase Standings After 22 Races

By Richard Tix

Well, the last few weeks I have started this standings article off with stating "another repeat winner in 2014." After Watkins Glen I can not say the same. AJ Allmendinger punched his ticket to the Chase and threw some extra incentive towards the drivers trying to get in on points.

Standings last week

Race to the Chase Standings
Rank	Driver	Wins	Points	Pts Back	Last Week
1	Dale Earnhardt Jr	3	773		1
2	Brad Keselowski	3	696		2
3	Jimmie Johnson	3	650		3
4	Jeff Gordon	2	768		4
5	Joey Logano	2	671		5
6	Carl Edwards	2	658		6
7	Kevin Harvick	2	645		7
8	Kyle Busch	1	615		8
9	Denny Hamlin	1	552		9
10	Kurt Busch	1	539		11
11	Aric Almirola	1	532		10
12	AJ Allmendinger	1	525		26
13	Matt Kenseth	0	703		12
14	Ryan Newman	0	645		13
15	Kyle Larson	0	635		15
16	Clint Bowyer	0	634		14
17	Greg Biffle	0	626	-8	16
18	Kasey Kahne	0	622	-12	17
19	Austin Dillon	0	616	-18	18
20	Marcus Ambrose	0	584	-50	20
21	Paul Menard	0	574	-60	19
22	Brian Vickers	0	573	-61	21
23	Jamie McMurray	0	566	-68	23
24	Tony Stewart	0	537	-97	22
25	Casey Mears	0	516	-118	24

Its easy to see and widely known that the big winner this week was AJ Allmendinger after he got his first ever Sprint Cup win. With his first win it also means it will be the first time he makes the Chase. So no one can take the big winner or big mover award from AJ this week.

However, guys like Kyle Larson and Greg Biffle had very productive Sundays. Larson's late run left him finishing 4th and better yet keeping his spot in the Chase standings. He now has a small 9 point lead over Biffle. Biffle on the other hand had a good run after finishing 8th at WGI. NASCAR now moves onto Michigan International Speedway where Biffle and Roush Fenway Racing are usually dominate (first time at MIS this year that was not the case).

The biggest looser? I would say Paul Menard. Menard really doesn't have a great shot at winning the rest of the way, and he fell behind early. His struggles have left him falling out of the points position and looking up at a tough task (60 points).

All the non winners took a huge hit this week with AJ jumping them and leaving them fighting for one less spot. The intensity should continue to ramp up every time one of these guys has a shot at a win or a quality finish and they will no doubt take some extra risks.