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Wednesday, November 30, 2016

2016 NASCAR Driver Spotlight Review: Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson 2016 Review

Image result for jimmie johnson 2016 homestead

By Richard Tix


Season Grade: A

Season Preview: "As it is every year, JJ's expectations are to win a Championship and nothing less. When you have six titles you always go into a season Championship or bust. The pressure will continue to mount yearly to get to the magic number of 7, and if he ever does it will ramp up to get to 8. I am not sure 8 will ever happen, but 7 should be the main goal anyways. I think 2016 might be the year he finally gets closer to the final four. With 4-5 wins, 14-16 top 5's, and 21-23 top 10's JJ will be back on his game and finally figure out how to get past the second round, and most likely into the final's."

Season Review: Jimmie Johnson hit my mark for win totals (5), but underachieved in top 5's (11) and top 10's (16). Yet, non of those statistics matter because in the end Jimmie Johnson got it done and became the third seven time champion.

JJ added his names to the likes of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with his seventh title and now has a shot to make NASCAR history with an eight Cup Championship. Johnson has the look of a guy who is ready to continue driving for another five plus seasons, but each year brings a new outlook on the future.

JJ not only won his seventh but won the championship race at Homestead and won the most races of 2016 (five). In the end JJ figured out how to navigate the new Chase which was fun to see during his most recent Championship run. 

Whether is will be seven, eight, nine, or more, at the end of his career Jimmie Johnson will have made his case for the best NASCAR Cup driver of all time. His 80 wins speak for them-self already and he will continue his quest to get to 100 and set himself apart from The King and The Intimidator with possibly an eight title.


Tuesday, November 22, 2016

2016 Pit Road Week 36: Homestead

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Ford EcoBoost 400

Image result for jimmie johnson 2016 champion

By Richard Tix

One last time. One final time to strap in, get focus, and get on getting on. Yes, one last power rankings for the 2016 season after one last time Cup drivers strapped in for the year to wheel it around the track. 

As the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season comes to an end, so will the Behind the Wall Power Rankings. That is, they will be ending for the offseason and until we get back into the mix of things just a few short months away. 

On Sunday NASCAR crowned a 2016 Champion. This time around it felt like a guy who hadn't won a Championship's in ages who finally won again, yet it was Jimmie Johnson who is now a seven time Cup Champ and not that far removed from his last one (2013).

One would think seven Championships, 80 career wins, 218 career top 5's, and 330 top 10's in 543 races would be enough to be considered in the realm of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, yet I saw a lot floating around social media after Sundays historic win. 

Some fans went from "NASCAR rig's races so Toyota wins" to " NASCAR rig's races so Jimmie Johnson wins." I am not sure how both happen, but I can tell you neither are true and both are laughable.

I also saw a lot of "well, Johnson never won a Championship before the Chase so because I don't like the Chase he can't be as good at the King or Senior who won in points system's."

Yeah, these things have been said by fans of the sport, a sport they claim they love.

Image result for jimmie johnson 2016 championLet me tell you, 80 career wins do not come because of the format or by NASCAR scripting the seasons. 80 career wins comes from a lot of hard work, teamwork, overcoming odds, and talent. No matter if you love or hate JJ, he is one of NASCAR history's best and didn't need the win Sunday to prove it. 

When it comes to who is NASCAR's best, it will all come down to perception and opinion (which go hand in hand folks). It's just like in any other sport, different era's produce different legends and comparing the era's is no easy task and most the time shouldn't be done. Life is much easier when you just appreciate greatness for what it is, during the era it is in, with the moments task's in front of it.

The King raced in an era where pushing the rule book was a bit easier then today, but if you weren't pushing it you were't really racing. He drove the butt off his car and had the engineering to do so. Car's were as close to street/stock cars as you could get and were not easy to handle. It was a time where one car and only one car could end up on the lead lap and win by miles (not seconds). 

Senior was the ultimate "Intimidator," and if that didn't work he would physically move you out of the way. However, even if he wasn't moving you he was one of the best at wheeling it around a track. Car's were much closer in competition then in the King's day, but still had clear advantages over others. He was taken too soon from family, friends, and fans which always leaves us wondering, "what if?"

Then we have Jimmie. You can argue that competition is as close at it has ever been in NASCAR's history. Any given week guys from Hendrick, JGR, Penske, Furniture Row, or Stewart Haas could win. Throw in the years where RFR and RCR were factors and you begin to realize that JJ really has fought through a ton of competition over his career. 

In 2002, JJ's first full season at Cup, it was still the Winston Cup Series. Guys like Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Kurt Busch were all going strong. Older veterans like Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, and Dale Jarrett were all still around and finishing in the top 10 of points. 

Johnson finished second in the famous 2003 season where Matt Kenseth won the Championship with one win and changed the season scoring forever (to the Chase). 17 different drivers won that year, which is often overlooked because people always focus on a one win Champion. 

Thirteen drivers won a race in 2006 when JJ won his first Championship. Sixteen won a race the following year when he went back to back. Twelve more won in 2008 including Kyle Busch with eight and Carl Edwards with nine.

Look, the list goes on and on when it comes to competition vs Jimmie Johnson. He has never had it easy, yet he has made it look easy at times. Sometimes in those moment's you forget just how great he has been because it looks so easy. Add in having a top notch Crew Chief and teammates and you have a dynasty on your hands.

Seven is the magic number and no matter how you look at it, it's impossible to compare the three. Each are great in their own way. Each paved a spot in NASCAR history. Each should be respected as an all time great in NASCAR history.

Congrats Jimmie Johnson on number seven, it will be fun to follow along and see if number eight is in your future. Now, eight it the magic number.



Pit Road Power Rankings Week 36 (Week 35)
  1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-3)- The King. The Intimidator. Jimmie. All seven time Champion's, all NASCAR greats. The numbers will speak for themselves in the future when fan's look back.
  2. Joey Logano (LW-1)- That's three straight season's where JoLo has been a legit title contender in the Chase. He now has 12 wins in the last three years, so a Championship seem's like it is right around the corner.
  3. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Harvick missed out on Homestead, but had another fantastic season from start to finish. Some consistency issues plagued him in the Chase but he almost persevered. The switch to Ford will be interesting.
  4. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- After a title that some fans didn't want to except, Kyle came back and proved it was legit by being one of the best cars all year. Rowdy paired with JGR should lead to more Championships in the near future.
  5. Brad Keselowski (LW-9)- The standings show 12th, but until he was knocked out of the Chase he was one of the fastest, most consistent drivers all season. However, if you look at his career he has been on an every other year streak where wins come and go. Can he break it in 2017?
  6. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- Carl had to do what he had to do. In that pressure filled moment his mind said block. To outsiders it may look like the "wrong" move, but it was his Championship on the line and he obviously thought it was going to work. No fault in that, those are the moments that define people and sport.
  7. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- 2016 was a step back from 2017, but Kenseth still made a push to be a title contender. It's tough when you're the older veteran on a JGR team that is stacked with talent and you can only get two cars into the final out of four.
  8. Kyle Larson (LW-10)- We have seen this story before, Kyle Larson finishes the season strong, he gets a bunch of talk all offseason, and the next year comes out flat (hint hint rookie season). He finished this year off with finishes of 3rd and 2nd, can it finally roll over into next year?
  9. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Following up one promising young gun with another. Chase had a heck of a rookie season and looks to having a promising rise ahead. Ten top 5's and 17 top 10's is no easy feat as a rookie. Chase looks to be the future of Hendrick and has plenty of guys around him to help him along the way.
  10. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- Every year JGR is the hardest team to predict. 2016 was another good season for Denny, but in the end it was Carl and Kyle who got into the Finale. Next year it could be Denny and Matt, who knows?
  11. Kurt Busch (LW-11)- It was a heck of a run for a guy I thought was too inconsistent to advance as far as he did. I no way do I think he had a bad year, but he just never had a car I thought was a winning car. So, really, I think he probably overcame a lot to put up the stats he did without a winning car.
  12. Tony Stewart (LW-NR)- One last time. Smoke had one last ride around Homestead-Miami and he will get one last run on Behind the Wall's power rankings. It was a fun career and we will miss him on the track, but it is comforting to know we will still get him in doses around the track. He did everything on his terms and that is something to respect in 2016. Congrats on a great career Smoke.
Thanks for sticking with Behind the Wall all season long! I appreciate everyone of you that comes by to check out the site. The interaction on Twitter and other social media platforms makes this all worth it as a fan of the sport.

Come back all offseason as we fight through "NOD" as I review all of the drivers and start getting preseason content up and going. It feels like a long offseason, but it is only a few short months away in actuality, so together we can make it to 2017!


Tuesday, November 15, 2016

2016 NASCAR Week 36 Preview: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway


By Richard Tix

The year is 2011. The race is the Daytona 500. A new racing season where everyone is hopeful to make a Championship run and writing their own story in NASCAR history. Little did we know at the time, but a win by rookie Trevor Bayne at the Daytona 500 would be shadowed by the way the season ended. 

Bayne's win marked the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500. Just one day after his birthday, Bayne won the 500 at just 20 years and one day old. It was an amazing moment for him and also Wood Brothers as it was the first time since 2001 that a Wood Brothers car got to grace Victory Lane at any track, let alone the historic Daytona International Speedway.

What a start to an epic season that no one could ever script.

The race is the GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. It's the first race of the 2011 Chase and 26th race of the season. Just in his third year as owner/driver at Stewart-Haas Racing Tony Stewart won the first Chase race to get off to a nice start on his quest to a third Cup Championship. His hot streak continued onto Loudon where he won again. Those two win's were astonishingly his first two of the season.

Smoke then went on a four race streak where he had an average finish of 13.75 with two top 10's (8th and 7th). Smoke headed into Martinsville on his heels with four races left and 19 points back of Carl Edwards who had a nice cushion on his own quest for his first Championship (closest was Matt Kenseth back 14 points at that point). 

Here is where most fans forget that the 2011 season started with a shocking win by Bayne, because Tony Stewart put everyone's memory on his accomplishments following the next four races. Smoke reeled off three wins in those next four races (Martinsville - win, Texas - win, Phoenix - 3rd, Homestead - win) including a win at Homestead-Miami where Carl Edwards finished second. 

During that span the pressure changed from all on Smoke to all on Edwards heading into Homestead and neither backed down. Going head to head with a Championship on the line, finishing one and two, and tying in season points, nothing was left on the table. Who would have thought a season starting with a 20 year old winning NASCAR's biggest race ending in a tie in the final moments?

Because Stewart won five races on the season (amazingly all in the Chase) he won the tie breaker against Carl Edwards (one win on the season). It was an exciting moment where Stewart became a driver/owner Champion and will go down as one of the most heated Championship battles ever. 

Just as Tony Stewart road off into the sunset at Homestead in 2011, he will do so again after this season's Championship race. This time he does not have a Championship on the line. No Smoke narratives that defy the idea's of Hollywood script makers everywhere. Just plain Tony. The fun loving guy when he is having fun. The aggravated, yet passionate guy when he is frustrated. A guy who wear's it all on his sleeve no matter the up's and down. That is the guy who will ride into the sunset after this Homestead trip.

He won't be in a car, but I don't think he will let us forget he isn't still around, that isn't his style. So, soak in one last race with Tony Stewart wheeling it into turn three and coming out of turn four. Let it sink in how open and genuine he is about the sport even when he is being a critique and never forget you got to witness one of the best drivers to ever wheel it driving a NASCAR Cup car. Because, he wasn't just a NASCAR driver but a racer, a pure, passionate, fun loving, heated, hard nosed driver of anything he could get his hands on.




**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 - The past two years he has needed good finishes at Homestead and he got it (1st and 2nd). Will he spoil the Chaser's chance at a win this time while on the outside looking in?
  • Kyle Busch - Rowdy won this race last year on his way to his first NASCAR Cup Championship, can he do it again? He has three top 10's in the last four races here.
  • Brad Keselowski - 3rd, 3rd, and 6th. Those are BK's last three finishes here at Homestead. Will it be enough to finally get a win? Can he take a win from a Chase driver?
The Middle
  • Carl Edwards - We know he can run very well here (see story above), but lately he hasn't closed out this race well. 11th, 34th, 12th, and 12th are his last four finishes here. Can he step it up for a Championship?
The Bad
  • Kurt Busch - It's hard to think Kurt could have won the Championship even if he was in the final four this weekend. He just hasn't been that good here. SHR would have to give him a bad fast car to have a shot.
  • Greg Biffle - Once a winner for three straight (2004-2006), the Biff has lost a step at Homestead. One top 10 (top 5) in his last five races here, Biffle just can't get it done.
  • Jamie McMurray - 14 races, two top 5's, and four top 10's. The statistics pretty much say it all so I won't go too much deeper.

Another season has come and gone. It was a fun ride and I appreciate all of you who come check out the site, support it, and follow along on Twitter or Google +. I do this because I love the sport and it keeps me engaged weekly, but without people who follow along it wouldn't be worth it. I love the interaction with all the fans, so again, thanks for following along.

Per usual, Behind the Wall will have plenty of offseason content to check out weekly. Season reviews on drivers will get posted throughout the offseason and then we will get started on driver previews for 2017. Driver contracts, 2017 Paint Schemes, preseason Chase and Championship predictions, plus plenty more all up until Daytona 2017!


Monday, November 14, 2016

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400


By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern Timezone (ET)


Friday November 18, 2016
  • 8:30-9:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice- FS1
  • 10:30-11:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
  • 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN
  • 2-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
  • 3:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS1
  • 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
  • 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
  • 8 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps)- FS1
Saturday November 19, 2016
  • 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- CNBC
  • 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- CNBC
  • 1-1:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
  • 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps)- NBCSN
Sunday November 20, 2016
  • 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps)- NBC

2016 Pit Road Week 35: Phoenix

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Can-Am 500

Image result for joey logano phoenix

By Richard Tix

Phoenix International Raceway has come and gone for the 2016 season. No rain (this year) but plenty of tears could be cried after 500 miles on Sunday. Four drivers gave everything they had and advanced to next weekend while four did the same but won't be in position to win the Championship.

At this point, I want to remind everyone that in a normal "points only" standings, or even the old Chase rules, the Championship would 90% of the time be locked up for this race. Is this Chase completely fair to those who have run well all year? Nope. Then again, what sport is? 

One of my favorite times as a little kid in sports was playing in tournaments. The spotlight of each game means more. The intensity and pressure all in one moment. A simple at bat can feel like the biggest moment in a game. Lastly, the fact that any one team could get hot and make a run gives everyone an optimistic outlook. Leaders step up and late season hero's are made.

I know most (not all) NASCAR traditionalist's hate this and will say, "well NASCAR isn't another sport. Racing is different then stick and ball sports." That's true, but it's 2016 and NASCAR thought they needed to do something. Like it or not, NASCAR was one of the few sports around who didn't have some type of elimination playoff, so that was where they focused, that and winning. Making wins matter more and have some added pressure in elimination situations is what they set out to do and successfully accomplished.

It's a long season and sometimes a tough and bitter pill to swallow when one or two of the best drivers all year get knocked out before Miami. I 100% agree it isn't always fair with this format, but in general I still am a supporter and have been open minded from the start. From that start I thought it could use some tweaks, and we have yet to see any of those, but time will tell how this era will play out and if NASCAR will make adjustments or scrap it all together.

Moving onto the race itself, the pressure was evident in the closing laps. Matt Kenseth had the lead on a late G-W-C restart with young gun Alex Bowman on the inside looking for his first NASCAR Cup win. Behind Alex was a hungry Kyle Busch trying to have the chance for back to back Championships but that meant advancing in the field and keeping his position.

Phoenix turn one can be a tricky spot, especially on restarts. Coming off the front stretch going into one the best spot's going into that turn are low and narrow so going in two wide isn't exactly what you want to get a good run to the back stretch.

We saw just how quickly it gets narrow into one on the late G-W-C restart. Alex Bowman appeared to get a bad restart and possibly spun his tires and Kyle Busch quickly jumped on his bumper. When Bowman got loose from contact with Busch he quickly tried to get back to block Kyle and keep his shot at winning his first race alive all before they reached turn one. 

At the same time as all of this commotion was going on Matt Kenseth thought he was clear to go low into turn one because that's what was relayed from his spotter. Well, Alex Bowman was still there and coming in hot on the bottom with Kyle following. All of these things mixed under the pressure of the situation and it lead to Bowman getting into Kenseth and turning him around.

It wasn't the spotters fault. It wasn't Kyle's fault for pushing so hard. It wasn't Alex's fault for coming into turn one too hot. It was a mix of all of them rolled into one small moment that feels like a blur now. 

That's what happens in these moments and though not fair, that was 100% racing the way it should be. Everyone wanting to win late in a race and racing hard side by side. Sure, we all hope for a clean finish with hard racing, but sometimes the smallest error (or combination of errors) stop that from happening.

In the end, Kenseth didn't advance, Bowman didn't get his first win, and Busch made his way to the finale in Homestead. No matter the situation at Phoenix, some drivers and teams were going home unhappy with the results, but at least we know everyone was giving it all they could to win late on Sunday because a shot at the Championship means that much.

If we have no Chase, when do those moments happen? Most of the time drivers just wrap it up and say that was a good points run and move on. Sure, they're disappointed, but not near as devastated as they're now knowing they just missed the Championship by seconds, by inches, by one pressure filled moment. Every situation has it's up's and down's including this Chase. But to me, that G-W-C moment was like when I was a kid coming up to bat in the bottom of the 9th, tie score, two down, and a runner on third with a chance to win it and go to the Championship game. It was a defining moment that will stick with the drivers and sport forever.




Pit Road Power Rankings Week 35 (Week 34)
  1. Joey Logano (LW-2)- JoLo is hitting his stride at the right time. He now has two wins and four top 10's in the last four races and five straight top 10's to boot. He has been in this spot before at Homestead, will he capitalize this time?
  2. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Speaking of been there done that, Rowdy is back in the Finale at Homestead with a chance to go back to back, this time in a full season.
  3. Jimmie Johnson (LW-1)- Speaking again of been there done that, is it JJ's time to get number seven? He was in cruise control the last two weeks, can he turn it on again this weekend when he needs it?
  4. Carl Edwards (LW-3)- Carl has not been that fast all season, not compared to the best cars, but he is here and that's all that matters. One fast race can win him a Championship. Will he be joining Twitter soon?
  5. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Try and make your argument for unfair, but in the Chase he had finishes of 20th, 20th, 37th, and 38th. He may have been one of the best cars all season long, but the Chase has done him in this time and it was too much to overcome. How's the switch to Ford going to go?
  6. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- 3rd, 7th, and 9th, those are Hamlin's finishes this past round. That was not enough to get into Homestead. Proving a point, winning is key and points days won't always get you to the Finale (just don't tell Ryan Newman that).
  7. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Man, what a finish. Matt held his cool on the radio but you know he had to be super frustrated with how everything unfolded. He was so close to a win and joining three other drivers in Homestead and then McDowell lost a tire. 
  8. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- It's going to be fun to see him develop along with Kyle Larson, Austin Dillon, and Ryan Blaney. He is head of the class so far, but still trails guys like Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin. For now...
  9. Brad Keselowski (LW-11)- His season has gone downhill since dropping out of the Chase, but it was shaping up to be a good one before that. Let's see on Sunday how hard he races other guys while trying to give JoLo a chance at a Championship.
  10. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- Larson had one heck of a day and still finished 3rd. It was an impressive run but we have seen this late in a season with Kyle before. Can he translate it into next season's success?
  11. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- He was almost a non factor all Chase, yet made the final eight. Not a bad season when you aren't always that fast but find a way to give yourself a shot.
  12. Alex Bowman (LW-NR)- His first appearance on Behind the Wall's rankings is well deserved. What a fun run up front on Sunday after his first career pole. If you weren't on the "get him a full time quality ride" bandwagon before this race, why the heck aren't you on it now?

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

2016 NASCAR Week 35 Preview: Phoenix

Can-Am 500

Phoenix International Raceway

Image result for can-am 500 logo

By Richard Tix

Harvick International Raceway, oh, I mean Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR's last stop before its 36th and final race of the 2016 season which will crown a Cup Champion at Homestead-Miami. Phoenix is the last shot for anyone of the six drivers left in the Chase without a win this round to lock in a spot to race for the Championship.

Unfortunately for Kevin Harvick, he sits in a hole and is almost in must win position this weekend. Thats where all the sad news for Harvick ends, because PIR is the best thing that could happen to KH. 

Since 2012 Harvick has been almost untouchable here at Phoenix. In those nine races starting in 2012 he has six wins and all but one finish was no worse then second. Yes you read that right, second. He had one finish of 13th in 2013 without leading a lap otherwise he finished first or second eight times in nine races. If you take out that 13th in 2013 he has an average finish of 1.25 and he averages 145.87 laps lead per race. 

So, don't feel bad for KH. Almost every driver has been in a pressure spot at least once in the past three years and none of them have had such a nice track in front of them.

Now, if Harvick wins that means we have one open spot left for Homestead (Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are locked in). If he doesn't win, we still only have two spots left and three JGR cars have yet to lock in a finale spot. 

Three, minus two, equals one. One guy at minimum sitting out from JGR after this round. Some interesting dynamics will be going on all race and "teammate" may be a word used lightly around JGR. Even considering JGR, we're still missing Joey Logano who has put himself in a nice spot, but one little slip up can mean a lost shot at the Cup Championship.

Then we have Kurt Busch... Sorry Kurt fans, I just haven't been aboard his chances since the start of the Chase. Something about this season just doesn't seem on for that team and it is costing them a bit of speed to truly contend. Then again, PIR is a pretty good track for him and he has learned a thing or two from Kevin.

So what will it be? Kevin Harvick winning his way into Miami with three JGR cars missing out and Joey Logano getting the last spot? Harvick winning and two of three JGR cars missing out and JoLo as well? How about Harvick not winning, not getting in and a mix of JoLo and JGR cars getting in?

This Chase hasn't seen quite the fireworks as the past two seasons, but Phoenix is setting up to have all the drama rolled into one race.




**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- We talked about him above and you should already know his dominance here. If not, I can not help you.
  • Kyle Busch- Rowdy has back to back top five finishes here at PIR and won the pole early this season. He and Denny Hamlin both have a nice track record here lately.
  • Carl Edwards- I did mention a few previews back that Carl hadn't been running well, but that this round set up nicely for him as tracks he runs well at. Well, here is another but he doesn't need it.
The Middle
  • Team Penske- Both Keselowski and Logano are really good drivers here at PIR since the repave, but neither has won. Most of that is due to Harvick's dominance, but you would think between the two of them one of them would have cracked the code. Maybe this weekend?
The Bad
  • Paul Menard- It always amazes me how many races Paul has run at tracks and his lack of top 10's at said track. This one is 19 tries and only two top 10's.
  • Kasey Kahne- In the past four races he has three finishes outside of the top 20. In the last nine he has three top 10's and four top 15's. However, ten races ago he won. So, he's got that going for him, which is nice.
  • Martin Truex Jr- In the last 13 races Martin has three top 10's. He does have eight top 15's in the last 13 races at PIR, but that's jut not good enough anymore for this team.
About the Track: Phoenix
Track Stats
  • Chevy won 10 straight races from 2005-10
  • Kevin Harvick has won 6 of the last 8 races
  • Alan Kulwicki only started 5 races at PIR, but has 1 win, 3 top 5's, 4 top 10's, and an average finish of 5.2
  • Jeff Gordon Retired with the most career top 10's of any driver at PIR (24 total)
  • Kevin Harvick has the most led laps in PIR Cup history with 1,484 total.
  • Ryan Newman still has the most career poles at PIR with 4 total
Track Info
  • Surface
    • Asphalt
  • Length
    • 1 mile
  • Banking
    • Turns 1/2- 10-11 degrees
    • Turn 3- 8 degrees
    • Turn 4- 8-9 degrees
    • Frontstretch- 3 degrees
    • Backstretch- 10 degrees

Monday, November 7, 2016

2016 Pit Road Week 34: Texas

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

AAA 500

Image result for carl edwards texas
PHOTO BY MATT SULLIVAN/NASCAR VIA GETTY IMAGES

By Richard Tix

Death, taxes, and NASCAR fans crying out "conspiracy." These things are a known in life, the rest we just have to take'em as they come. Even in a race where mother nature herself brought a race to a halt, fans still somehow, someway, want to find some underlying theory that NASCAR "rigged" another race.

To that I say, "tinfoil and aliens with black helicopters chasing you."

It's an unfortunate event, but weather plays a role in every sport. In ours, racing, it could end the whole thing on the spot. Before I go too far, yes I believe after NASCAR gives it a shot and checks out the radar, its the rule to call the race. Many things go into this decision and this is the rule for many, many reasons most fans overlook.

Without getting too deep the scheduling alone for drivers, teams, track workers and officials, fans, etc are a nightmare to worry about. The cost of opening a track back up and getting it ready for 40 laps on another day just seem like a crazy idea if you actually could see the raw numbers. Let alone the fact that the rain could come back the next day and then the question of how long you postpone it creeps into everyone's minds. 

The rule the way it is works and should stand pat.

However, before it ever happens I think NASCAR needs to take a look at Homestead and its weather rules. I am fine with a regular season race or even a Chase race ending in rain. In my opinion, it is what it is and its terrible luck. Too much goes into it to keep postponing and restarting the race once the track is lost. On that note, the last race of the season should have to end complete. It decides a Champion and no other sport is going to leave us hanging in the 8th inning and call it during game 7. So, NASCAR needs to make sure Homestead is complete even if it takes three days.

In a dream world, the last race of the season is in whole without interruption, but that can never be guaranteed so we will have to settle for a complete race.

Now that this weeks rant is over, bring on the Power Rankings.





Pit Road Power Rankings Week 34 (Week 32)
  1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-2)- Five of his fifteen top 10's have come in eight Chase races. The other three finishes were 12th at Chicagoland, 23rd at Dega when he didn't need it, and 11th this week when he once again didn't need it. He is locked in and ready for winner take all at Homestead.
  2. Joey Logano (LW-5)- Four top three finishes in eight Chase races, yet he seems to be getting overlooked because he only has two wins in 2016. People forget he has the second most top 10's all season.
  3. Carl Edwards (LW-8)- Look, I haven't been impressed by his Chase at all, but he got it done at Texas and now heads to a couple good tracks. Will Carl be joining Twitter?
  4. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- His only non top 10 this Chase? Talladega where he laid back. His only non top 5's other then obviously Dega? Chicagoland 8th and Charlotte 6th. Yet, not many people are talking repeat... Watch out.
  5. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Only 18 points out, but its practically must win in the round of eight back that many points. Luckily Harvick gets Phoenix, his best track since 2012. Only a wreck or mechanical failure might be able to stop him and the bull.
  6. Matt Kenseth (LW-4)- JGR cars have seemed to have lost a step. Is it because other teams like Hendrick or Penske can focus on one car and they're focusing on four? They're fast, but not winning fast lately..
  7. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- DH is two points back from Rowdy and only one back from Kenseth who is in fourth right now. That's a ton of JGR cars going at it for the final two spots, and that's if Harvick doesn't win. If he does they will be going after one spot.
  8. Kurt Busch (LW-7)- I have been riding him off all year. I am not sure why, but I haven't been impressed with how he has ran. He can prove me wrong with a clinching win Sunday.
  9. Chase Elliott (LW-9)- I feel like some are forgetting this is just Chase's rookie season. The Chase may have ended early, but he is still having a really good season.
  10. Martin Truex Jr (LW-NR)- It's going to be interesting to see this late season momentum go into the offseason with two teams in 2017.
  11. Brad Keselowski (LW-12)- BK is easily the best driver for 2016 not still in the Chase, but if Harvick doesn't get it done at PIR he could join him on the outside looking in.
  12. Austin Dillon (LW-9)- I am giving AD the pass this week. He was running really well before his run in with the "bull," also known as Kevin Harvick. It looked like a racing thing, but either way it was a rough finish to a good night for AD.

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Phoenix

Can-Am 500


By Richard Tix

All times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)


Friday November 11, 2016
  • 11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World truck Series first practice- FS2
  • 12:30-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
  • 1:30-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
  • 3-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World truck Series final practice- FS2
  • 4:30-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
  • 6:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
  • 8:30 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS2
  • 10 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Lucas Oil 150 (150 laps)- FS1
Saturday November 12, 2016
  • 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- NBCSN
  • 4:15 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
  • 6-6:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
  • 7:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Ticket Galaxy 200 (200 laps)- NBCSN
Sunday November 13, 2016
  • 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Can-Am 500 (312 laps)- NBC