Behind the Wall: 2015 Driver Spotlight

Season Grade: C-

Season Preview: "I think year two Dillon will take a good step in the right direction. That consistency has to pay off eventually and I thing RCR will be at least as strong as last year. I am not sure he will get his first career win, but I do think 3-4 top 5's and 5-8 top 10's is easily attainable. I do think he has a high side of putting up 10+ top 10's, but realistically I think its safer to say he will be lower. He might take over 2015 as the second best driver at RCR after Ryan Newman."

Season Review: There was no jump in 2015 compared to Dillon's rookie season. He also did not take the place as the second best driver at RCR (Newman and Menard both finished higher). However, not all was lost in 2015.

Austin took a slight step back compared to 2014, but it wasn't as big a step as fellow 2014 rookie Kyle Larson. Dillon finished 21st in points in 2015 and 20th in 2014. Larson finished 19th in points in 2015 after an amazing start to his career finishing 17th but with 17 top 10's.

Both third year drivers will look to improve upon a disappointing Sophomore campaign.

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Aric Almirola

Aric Almirola 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: C+

Season Preview: "As I said above, I don't think Aric strays too far from the seasons he has been having. If RFR gets back on track with there engine development (RPM partners with RFR) than he may have a better chance at a strong year. I think he will settle in with about 1-2 top 5's and 6-8 top 10's. I think that Sam Hornish Jr has a shot to be the better of the two RPM drivers in 2015."

Season Review: Let's start this by stating boy was I wrong about Hornish possibly having a better season than Double A. Same wasn't good and is already out in 2016. However, I was right on about Aric pretty much continuing his same results as he has been averaging yearly.

In 2015 he ended with 0 wins, 3 top 10's (career high over his previous 2), and 6 top 10's. His average finish of 17.9 was actually a career best (previously 18.8) and was better then last year when he got into the Chase because of a rain shortened Firecracker at Daytona. All in all it was a solid season for Aric's standards, but RPM would still like to be more competitive.

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: F

Season Preview: "Even after a down year in 2014, I don't think expectations have faltered much for Tony Stewart. In 2015 I think we all still believe he should be a title contender. He is 43 years old, but we have seen many drivers his age and older compete at a high level, so if they can do it why can't Smoke? I expect him to bounce back in 2015 and win 3-4 races while making a strong run to the Chase. Once in the Chase it will be interesting because he wasn't part of it last year, but I am sure Tony took some notes."

Season Review: Well, I hit it on the head with expectations entering the season, they were high. However, I think that is the last time his expectations are so high as they will be down heading into 2016, and 2016 is his last season.

Most fans would like to see one last strong effort, but he has looked out of it. He finished 28th in points after only posting three top 10's all year. Yes, three. No wins, no top 5's, just three top 10's.

He will take his 48 career wins into 2016 and finally try and get to the magic number of 50.

Friday, December 18, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B+

Season Preview: "I do believe Kenseth will bounce back (in a way). I think he gets back on the win board, but his overall consistency may be a bit down. I think some early season adjusting may take place at JGR to the new Camry's and four team set up. I think he is in line for 2-3 wins, 10-11 top 5's, and 18-21 top 10's which are all a bit down from 2014 (except wins). As always, he will be expected to make the Chase at least, and possibly be a title contender."

Season Review: Bounce back, that is one way to put Kenseth's 2015 season. He passed my expectations in almost every category by finishing with 5 wins, 12 top 5's and 20 top 10's. However, the main point of Kenseth's 2015 season will always be remembered as him v Joey Logano.

Really is was the big factor in deciding the fate of his season and finishing 15th in points. Overall, it was a fantastic season by him and the #20 crew, but it is hard to look past everything that happened on the track not involving wins, top 5's, and top 10's.

In the end, Kenseth would still have come up short of the end goal, but many people will still cling to what if's. Instead, Kenseth needs to focus on moving onto 2016 and a fresh start as he could be a ttitle contender again.

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: C

Season Preview: "It's not bold, but I will put it out there and say I don't think he will make the Finale again. Having said that, I think he has a shot to get back in the win column this season, but as a whole the season might not be as smooth. At this point in his career he is expected to at least make the Chase. I think a win, 5-7 top 5's, and 14-16 top 10's should be plausible."

Season Review: Man, I have got to stop predicting Newman to get a win. I didn't think one win would be so hard, but he just doesn't seem to be getting speed anymore. Maybe some of it does have to do with RCR, but he is also not exactly in his prime.

Yet, every season he continues to bring in consistent finishes. He almost had an identical season to 2014 except some of his none top 10 finishes were not as quality as they were in 2014, bringing his average finish from 12.7 down to 13.5.

Still, Newman only had one more top 10 in 2014 (16) and the same amount of top 5's (5). Yet, because of how his Chase shook out he finished 11th in points and did not get a Finale berth like he did last season. Overall it wasn't a lost season, but he and RCR really need to start finding more speed if they want a shot at a Championship.

Friday, December 11, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B+

Season Preview: "After last season Jr Nation is going to be expecting a run at the title again. They got new hope in his chance to finally win a Cup Championship and they wont let the loss of Letarte be an excuse. The best news for this team would be an early season win at Daytona again, but if they don't get that I can see the #88 winning less races than 2014. When they won early it gave them a lot of freedom that other teams didn't have. I still see 1-2 wins, 8-10 top 5's, and 18-20 top 10's. All those stats are down from 2014, yet he could finish higher than 8th in 2015 because of a better Chase performance."

Season Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr and the #88 team took the CC switch in stride and didn't miss a beat in 2015. Actually, they did opposite of what I thought and topped my wins, top 10's, and top 10's, but finished lower in the Chase. But, that is how the Chase works now. Sometimes you have a more consistent season and you finish lower.

What ifs come into play here because "if" Junior would have just advanced from a win at Talladega he would have done well enough to get to Miami as a final four contender. No, he wouldn't have won but it would have been an exciting moment for Jr Nation.

2015's successful season gives him back to back top performances after 2 wins, 16 top 5's (tied a career best), and 22 top 10's (tied a career best). 2014/2015 was his best back to back season's since an almost identical 2003/2004 (except he won one more race). All of that said, it was obviously a great year overall for the 88.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: B-

Season Preview: "I think the expectations for Carl Edwards are going to be higher than ever since he is making the move to JGR. JGR had a tough time in 2014 finding speed but I personally think they will find there way back with there new 2015 Camry body. What does that mean for Carl? I do think he should have a bounce back year. I think his average finish should hover back around 11-13 which should bring some extra top 5's and top 10's. I think 2 wins, 8-9 top 5's, and 16-18 top 10's are in store. Those numbers aren't huge improvement over 2014, but what he does in the other races will be, consistency is the key here."

Season Review: I was not far off on Carl Edwards in 2015. High expectations? Check. JGR improving from a rough 2014? Check. About 2 wins, 8-9 top 5's, and 16-18 top 10's (He had 2, 7, and 15)? Check.

I will touch on his 2016 outlook in Driver Spotlight Previews, but I think overall it's looking up. For now, lets look back at Carl's 2015. I for one tried to keep my expectations low because not everyone can transition to a new team as well as Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have in recent years.

A lot of Carl's slow start happened at the same time as JGR slow start. When JGR picked up speed Carl's top 10's started to come in. He finished much better than he started in 2015 which should make 2016 a good outlook for him. In the first six Chase races Carl had five top 10's including three top 5's. In the last four he only had one top 10 (a top 5) which is where he season fell a part. It was an ok first season at JGR, but expectations will be higher in 2016.

Monday, December 7, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Martin Truex Jr

Martin Truex Jr 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: A+

Season Preview: "It's and unfortunate thing but I don't think 2015 will be the season Martin turns it back around. I don't expect a dramatic decline, but I see a season close to that of 2014. I think he will be at about 1-2 top 5's, and 5-6 top 10's. I do think a drop in his average finish of 20.2 could happen in 2015, though. It's not all on Martin, but I just think some young guys in the sport will start stealing some top 10's which means someone has to lose them, right?"

Season Review: I couldn't have been more wrong about 2015 and Furniture Row. They wen't from disappointing to moving to Toyota in 2016 and a legit contender in 2015. Meanwhile, they want to add a second car and possible a third down the line.

At one point the turning point of Truex career with MWR looked to be a bleak one. Going from an established team that was on the rise to a small team who was trying to compete. Now, he will once again be a part of the second Toyota team.

2015 ended up Truex's best career season with high's in wins (tied with 1), top 5's (8), top 10's (22), and second best marks in average finish (12.2) and laps lead (567). The most important part was he had a quality Chase that got him all the way to Homestead-Miami to take part in the final four. He is one of just 7 drivers to be apart of this finale, which is a long way from getting the boot at MWR just a few short years ago.

Friday, December 4, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: A-

Season Preview: "One last statement because I hear people say they will leave the sport when Gordon does. You are free to do so, no one is holding you ransom. But, of all people Gordon would probably be upset because you are leaving something he helped build and loves with an amazing passion. His ability and his personality helped shape the sport we have today. Enjoy racing and what it is. If you don't enjoy it, that's fine. I know a ton of local tracks that could also use the support and put on great shows every weekend. But fans that can't take change but still complain about NASCAR's short fall's are not helping the progress in the sport Gordon helped build in the Modern Era. Most of NASCAR's changes have been because of complaints and upset fans. NASCAR is a business, they will never sit still and of all the drivers out there I think Gordon understood that the most and it may have effected him the most (think Chase Era). The old days of racing were great, but at some point you have to realize it isn't going back. NASCAR still has a great product on the track and have been trying to make it better. Sometimes it backfires, but sometimes they hit on something that really works. So, as a NASCAR fan myself I would say stick around, enjoy the racing, and maybe you will pick up a new favorite driver along the way." -Looking back at this now, I hope fans are sticking around. Again, Gordon helped build NASCAR in the modern day, he would be disappointing to see them leave. Even if I tried, I couldn't have said it better again in this review so I will leave it where I had it to start 2015.

"Every Gordon fan is going to hope and pray the drive for five ends up happening. I mean what would be a better way for Gordon to ride off into the sunset? After his strong 2014 season and the announcement he wont run full time ever again, I think he will make a strong push again this year. In the end I think he will come out about like last season. 3-4 wins, 12-13 top 5's, and 20-22 top 10's. What Gordon needs to focus on, the new Chase system and getting the most out of the final 4 races of the season. I honestly think he may come up short, but even as a non fan of Gordon I would love to see him win one last Championship."

Season Review: Gordon struggles most of the regular season to be a front runner week to week. He still hung around most of those 26 races and finished the season with 21 top 10's to show for it. That consistency and a key win down the stretch got him to Homestead-Miami with one last shot at glory before retiring from full time Cup racing.

Sadly, I was right about him coming up short but much of NASCAR nation was hoping he could pull it out. What a story line Championship #5 could have been. While looking back, take a look at "Jeff Gordon's Last Full Time Season." Its a great way to reflect and remember an amazing NASCAR Career.

He was a special driver that took the sport to the next level, a national level not many could have thought of when the sport started as a grassroots gang in the south. In many ways Gordon is as responsible as any for the popularity of the sport even if those same fans that became NASCAR fans because of the exposure he created disliked him. So, as NASCAR Behind the Wall takes one last Jeff Gordon Season Review, we also remember all the times he found victory lane (93 wins), finished in the top 5 (325), finished top 10 (475), or won the pole (81 times).

He had a roller coaster career and didn't hold anything back, so there is no better way then to think of Jeff Gordon going out on the top of his game like he did while fighting for a title with three other worthy Championship contenders.

Thanks for the amazing career Jeff Gordon. I may have been born just before your era, but you have been a part of almost every live event I have ever witnessed and remember. #24ever.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: A

Season Preview: "Call me crazy, but just one year after winning his first Championship I think he could go back to back. That feat is never easy though, so its still a long shot to happen. The thing I have taken from 2014 is how good Harvick was when SHR seemed to be at a low with Smoke and Kurt struggling. I think 2015 will be a strong year for Kevin and he may notch 3-4 wins, 10-12 top 5's, and 19-22 top 10's. Repeating wont be easy, but Harvick is on my short list of contenders in 2015."

Season Review: Well, Kevin Harvick all but wrapped up my preview plus more. He finished with 3 wins (right where I was thinking) but far exceeded the rest: 23 top 5's and 28 top 10's in 36 races. The #4 was the car to beat every week including at Homestead-Miami for the Championship.

Of course, it is worth noting that he just squeaked by Talladega by some late cautions (we will not get into if he intentionally caused one of them...). However once into the finale everyone knew he was the man to beat. As normal, he put up a fight and pushed his way all the way to second while laying on the pressure.

The 23 top 5's were impressive and a career high, as was the 28 top 10's. He finished in the top 10 an amazing 77% of the time in 2015. He finished 2nd an amazing 13 times (which is 36% of the time)! If you lump together wins and second place finishes he finished 1 or 2 41.6% of the time, which is amazing. Harvick may have actually had a better season then in 2014 except for the fact that he was runner up to the new Champion at Homestead, which left him runner up in the title hunt to Kyle Busch.

"Happy" has nothing to hang his head on, but rather just keep the momentum rolling for next year. This new format makes it tough to win Championships consistently so he has nothing to be disappointing about and only 2016 to look forward to.

Previous Driver Spotlights

Monday, November 30, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: A+

Season Preview: "Even in a bad 2014 season Kyle Busch made a run in the Chase. Will he truly become a title contender in 2015? After a great finish to the 2013 season I thought last year would be the year. Maybe all he needed was a down year to refocus? I think JGR will take a step back in the right direction as will Kyle. I think he could end up with 4-5 wins, 12-14 top 5's, and 20-22 top 10's. As always, it is expected he makes the Chase and I think at this point in his career he needs to be in contention for a title."

Season Review: Kyle getting hurt threw off some of my yearly prediction numbers for him, but these reviews are not about what I predicted, but rather how the driver did. Rowdy still managed to get to my predicted 5 wins and 12 top 5's, but he only managed 16 top 10's in 25 races (which is 64% of the time). So, if you take that in a full season he would have been around 23 if he was on the same pace.

Needless to say, even after missing time 2015 was an amazing year for Rowdy. He won 20% of the time, finished top 5 48% of the time, and top 10 64% of the time in races he ran (25). Many are discrediting his Championship already because it wasn't during 36 races, yet he put up amazing numbers in even less time. If anything, fans should at least recognize he did everything he possibly could to deserve it once NASCAR noted he would be eligible for the Chase if he was top 30 and had at least one win by race 27 of 2015.

In 25 races he has a better season then Carl Edwards who if he made the final four no one would have complained...He also had arguably the same success as teammate Matt Kenseth, who no one would have complained about if he made the finale and won (Kyle had the same amount of wins and top 5's with only 4 fewer top 10's then Kenseth).

Sure, it will not always be the strongest season long driver to win (neither are most sports), but that is what makes sports fun and exciting. Sure, it isn't fair, but people would get sick of knowing the Champ with four races left if we went back to just points racing (obviously some season's we would have close finishes).

So, after 11 years of the Chase can we start to move on? We are not going back and we need to celebrate a guy like Kyle Busch who fought through a ton of adversity to win his first Cup Championship. Congrats Rowdy, you did in fact earn it!

Friday, January 30, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

NASCAR Behind the Wall has taken a look at a large chunk of drivers for the 2015 season so far, all that's left is Kevin Harvick. That's because Harvick is the newest NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion after a strong 2014 season.

2014 is hands down Harvicks best season at the Cup level and its not for debating. Any year a driver wins a Championship it rockets up that list, and 2014 was the first one. Yes, he does have other season's where stats might put 2014 in the dust, but the end results are what mean the most.

In a year full of uncertainty because of new rule changes, stiffer penalties, and a points change to the Chase the #4 team and Harvick fought through. It wasn't an easy ride to say the least.

Harvick moved from RCR to SHR in 2014 while gaining a new CC. The two teamed up and ended up working out perfect. But, for a majority of the season the #4 team struggled with bad luck and some bad pit failures. In the end Tony Stewart gave up his pit crew for the push for the Chase and it seemed to make a big difference.

The 2014 Championship was well deserved as well. Through all the controversy of the new Chase system and drivers in the finale who "shouldn't be," Harvick stayed strong. In fact, Harvick was a title favorite most of the season after bringing fast car weekend after weekend.

Five wins, 14 top 5's, 20 top 10's, a Cup leading 8 poles, and 2,137 laps led all resulted in the ultimate goal of his first Cup title.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

Call me crazy, but just one year after winning his first Championship I think he could go back to back. That feat is never easy though, so its still a long shot to happen. The thing I have taken from 2014 is how good Harvick was when SHR seemed to be at a low with Smoke and Kurt struggling. I think 2015 will be a strong year for Kevin and he may notch 3-4 wins, 10-12 top 5's, and 19-22 top 10's. Repeating wont be easy, but Harvick is on my short list of contenders in 2015.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Joey Logano

Joey Logano 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

At the end of the 2013 season it looked like Joey Logano had finally arrived at the NASCAR Cup level. He finished the season off with a win, 11 top 5's and 19 top 10's which was good for an 8th place finish in points.

It looked like the move to Team Penske from Joe Gibbs Racing was a good one. Then came 2015 and JoLo set the bar even higher for himself. It looks like 2013 was the stepping stone and the 2014 season was the true break out season.

He finished 2014 with 5 wins, 16 top 5's, 22 top 10's and used all of those stats to make the Chase Finale at Homestead. The crazy thing to keep in mind is Joey is only 24 years old and will enter 2015 as a title favorite after a strong showing in 2014.

A lot can be attributed to Team Penske and the fast transition they took from 2013 to 2014, but don't rule out everything JoLo did to just the cars, he has talent. The combination of JoLo, BK, and Team Penske is continuing to look good.

The big question is, will it continue in 2015?

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations

It's hard to imagine another season like 2014, it always seems that way with NASCAR because its hard to stay that good that long. Yet, I do think he and Penske will have another good season. I think from now on he will be a title contender year after year, but I am not sure he will win it just yet. I think either he or BK will once again make the Finale in Homestead. Another 4 wins, 11-13 top 5's, and 19-22 top 10's are what I expect from JoLo this year.

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

Jeff Gordon's Last Full Time Season- Article on his career and a look back through photo's

Just last week Jeff Gordon announced he would not be running a full-time schedule at the Cup level after the 2015 season. In my 2014 season review I mentioned how he went from a bad 2013 season to a strong 2014 year and quieted many peoples retirement talks.

I also said, "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." Just as we got one of NASCAR's biggest stars back at his highest level after a rough 2013 season, he announces it will be his last run at a title this season.

Love him or hate him, Gordon has helped this sport along the way become what it is. He came in and was a family man from the start. He did't shy away from the way he wanted to live with his family and in the end family is the biggest reason he is stepping away from the sport. I think that is one of the biggest reason's you have to respect Jeff, not only as a driver but as a man.

Along the way he had some scuffles with other drivers, but in the end it still seemed like everyone respected him because he was always himself, Jeff Gordon. In my opinion respect is not something you always have to have for a fellow drivers skill on the track, yet Gordon seemed to always get it from fellow drivers.

Still, past the four Championships, 92 wins, and 77 poles the thing that will stick out the most is how devoted he was to his family even while in a sport that makes you give up so much of your free time.

Yet, lets not forget that Jeff Gordon still has one last full time season to go. I know the news hit a lot of fans hard, especially Gordon fans, but he still has a 36 race season ahead of him. I would remind you to soak every moment in because at any point it could be Gordons' final win, top 5, or pole of his career. Every moment will be bittersweet when thinking about a career like Gordons. He has accomplished so much on and off the track that its hard to ignore.

So, in 2015 take a moment to watch one of the greats race his final full time season. Enjoy NASCAR racing because this is a sport he helped progress to the main stream so we can enjoy it every Sunday.

Gordon Rant:

One last statement because I hear people say they will leave the sport when Gordon does. You are free to do so, no one is holding you ransom. But, of all people Gordon would probably be upset because you are leaving something he helped build and loves with an amazing passion. His ability and his personality helped shape the sport we have today. Enjoy racing and what it is. If you don't enjoy it, that's fine. I know a ton of local tracks that could also use the support and put on great shows every weekend. But fans that can't take change but still complain about NASCAR's short fall's are not helping the progress in the sport Gordon helped build in the Modern Era. Most of NASCAR's changes have been because of complaints and upset fans. NASCAR is a business, they will never sit still and of all the drivers out there I think Gordon understood that the most and it may have effected him the most (think Chase Era). The old days of racing were great, but at some point you have to realize it isn't going back. NASCAR still has a great product on the track and have been trying to make it better. Sometimes it backfires, but sometimes they hit on something that really works. So, as a NASCAR fan myself I would say stick around, enjoy the racing, and maybe you will pick up a new favorite driver along the way.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

Every Gordon fan is going to hope and pray the drive for five ends up happening. I mean what would be a better way for Gordon to ride off into the sunset? After his strong 2014 season and the announcement he wont run full time ever again, I think he will make a strong push again this year. In the end I think he will come out about like last season. 3-4 wins, 12-13 top 5's, and 20-22 top 10's. What Gordon needs to focus on, the new Chase system and getting the most out of the final 4 races of the season. I honestly think he may come up short, but even as a non fan of Gordon I would love to see him win one last Championship.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Brad Keselowski

Brad Keselowksi 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

In 2014 it seemed like Brad Keselowski found a bit of his missing form from his 2012 title run. He wasn't near as reserved as he was in 2013 and once again let his personality out time after time. That rubbed some fans the wrong way, but at the same time was also praised by others.

In NASCAR it seems like fans want more information and personality out of there drivers until they speak and they don't agree with them. NASCAR is a tough sport to be in because it seems like no one can see eye to eye.

But in 2014 BK let it out and didn't really care what other people thought. Once again, he had a great season when just being himself. By the end of the season he had a Cup leading 6 wins and 17 top 5's. He also had 20 top 10's and 5 poles.

He was consistently one of the fastest cars every weekend and it showed. Then the Chase came and he got off to a hot start before running into trouble in the second round. He pulled off the improbable and won at Talledega to move onto the next round. BK ended up short of the Finale but all in all he had a great season on the track.

Off the track BK didn't make any friends, but he has stated many times he isn't racing to make a bunch of friends.

Hate him or love him, NASCAR needs a guy as brash as BK. Sports need different characters and different personalities. The sport was made around personalities of the 70's, 80's, and 90's. At some point NASCAR started to lack those kind of characters and I think that's when NASCAR truly lacked that extra "it" factor.

With all the young guys coming up, and a guy like BK with an outspoken persona I think the next few years could be the next big NASCAR boom. The greatest thing about NASCAR is it has room for every type of personality and driving style. The larger the mix NASCAR gets of those two things the more exciting NASCAR could become.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

Some think BK may have another down year like 2013, but I think he will come out strong again. I think he learned a lot in 2013 and used that in 2014. The big thing will be if Penske is early season adapters again. They have the resources and adapted well last year, so it should come with ease, but sometimes the sport surprises us. He wont put up 6 wins in 2015 again, but i think he can put up another 3-5. Add on 13-15 top 5's (down from 2014), and 19-21 top 10's (about the same as 2014) and he should make a strong push for title two. As most top drivers, it all comes down to those last 10 races where its make or break. BK will be in my top 3 favorites to win a title in 2015.

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

The 2014 season was disappointing for Matt Kenseth, sure, but it may not have been as bad as many portray it as. Much of this had to do with the fact that Kenseth had 7 wins in 2013 but went win-less in 2014.

If we take a broader view of things and look past just win totals we see Kenseth in fact had a very consistent season. Many forget that about his 2014 year, he started the season off constantly running near the top 10 and finishing a bunch off in the top 5.

Matt actually had more top 5's (13) and top 10's (22) in 2014 than he did in his break out campaign with JGR in 2013 (12 and 20). His average finish did slip a bit from 12.1 to 13.2 in 2014, but a lot of that has to do with how much a win will effect your average.

2014 was also a down year for JGR in general compared to 2013, so it wasn't just Kenseth. Most of the season they seemed a bit off. That brings 2015 and a fresh new start. Kenseth isn't getting any younger and his window for his second Cup title is getting smaller year after year.

JGR and Toyota will be bringing in new Toyota Camry's for the 2015 season and that might just be the key to things. At the same time, that may hinder there early season development.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

I do believe Kenseth will bounce back (in a way). I think he gets back on the win board, but his overall consistency may be a bit down. I think some early season adjusting may take place at JGR to the new Camry's and four team set up. I think he is in line for 2-3 wins, 10-11 top 5's, and 18-21 top 10's which are all a bit down from 2014 (except wins). As always, he will be expected to make the Chase at least, and possibly be a title contender.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

For the most part, 2014 was a dream season for Jr. For starters, Jr kicked the season off in style by winning his second Daytona 500 and pretty much locking him into the new Chase because of the new points system.

Dale followed that up by finishing second the next two races at Phoenix and Vegas. After 14 races he had more wins (2) then he had combined from 2009-2013. He had the same amount of wins (2) that he had from 2007-2013. By notching his second win at Pocono it was the first time he had a multiple win season since 2004.

Jr didn't stop at two either, he won four races in total in 2014 on his way to the Chase. The second round of the Chase wasn't kind to Jr and he was left out of the running, but past that he has a great season. He ended with 4 wins, 12 top 5's, and 20 top 10's. All of this was done during Steve Letarte final season as Crew Chief.

Now that the 2015 season is coming up fast the uncertainty still looms as Jr gets ready to take on the season with a new CC for the first time since 2010 (Steve took over in 2011). Maybe the loss of Letarte wont matter much, but most fans just witnessed a pretty great 2014 performance so the thought may linger if they struggle early.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

After last season Jr Nation is going to be expecting a run at the title again. They got new hope in his chance to finally win a Cup Championship and they wont let the loss of Letarte be an excuse. The best news for this team would be an early season win at Daytona again, but if they don't get that I can see the #88 winning less races than 2014. When they won early it gave them a lot of freedom that other teams didn't have. I still see 1-2 wins, 8-10 top 5's, and 18-20 top 10's. All those stats are down from 2014, yet he could finish higher than 8th in 2015 because of a better Chase performance.

Monday, January 26, 2015

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Trevor Bayne

Trevor Bayne 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

For the first time in Trevor Bayne's racing career he will try to run a full time NASCAR Cup schedule. With Carl Edwards leaving RFR in 2015 a spot quickly opened for Roush development driver Trevor Bayne. With the addition of Bayne it looks like RFR will be making a youth movement in the upcoming season.

Sure, Greg Biffle is still around, but the next guy in line is third year driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Trevor has mainly been in a ride with historic Wood Brothers Racing for his Cup career, including his first win which was the 2011 Daytona 500.

2011 also marked the season he made his most Cup starts so far in his career (17). But, in 2015 he will finally get to prove if he is ready for a full time ride. He now moves to a team that is well funded and should give him a chance to run more consistent. RFR wasn't its normal self in 2014, but that should just mean the whole team is ready and motivated to make a comeback.

In his career Trevor has shown he can win from time to time, but has yet to notch more than one win in a season at the NASCAR National level. In the Nationwide series (XFINITY now) he had 2 wins in 151 career starts. He finished 6th in point the past two years while running full time in the series.

Just looking at lower level results it looks like Bayne could have a decent season at the Cup level, but I wouldn't expect amazing things to start out with. He has always been a decent finisher, but never top of the class which is how you can explain never having a season with more than one win. However, as I stated before he will at least get a decent shot in 2015 since he is with RFR.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

2015 will technically be Baynes rookie season in NASCAR. He already has 58 races under his belt and a win at Daytona, yet it seems like he needs some more grooming at the Cup level. He will get exactly that with RFR in 2015. I don't think he will find a win, but think he could put up. 1-3 top 5's and 3-5 top 10's. However, I wouldn't be surprised if he notched numbers under that in his first season with RFR.

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

Last season Carl Edwards had a less than stellar season. He still made the Chase and he still had 2 total wins, but something was missing. Then again, a lot seemed to be missing at Roush Fenway that could have attributed.

No matter what the cause was, Carl kept plugging away and didn't let the media know too much about what was going on, his frustrations, or his plans for 2015.

Well, eventually the news had to break and late in the season it finally got out. That news was that Carl Edwards was leaving Roush Fenway Racing and joining Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2015 season. That left RFR without its long time veteran and with Biffle as its only remaining veteran.

This move also meant that JGR was finally opening up to a four car team for the upcoming season. After a slow 2014 Carl will look to make a rebound like Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth have done in years past.

In 2014 Carl had 2 wins, 7 top 5's, 14 top 10's, 0 poles, and finished 9th in the points standings after the Chase. Ever since he came so close to winning a title in 2008 he has been up and down as a whole. In six season following that let down of coming so close he has finished 3 season with a 15 or higher average finish. Yet, most season's he finds a way to win a race or two. So what will 2015 bring?

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

I think the expectations for Carl Edwards are going to be higher than ever since he is making the move to JGR. JGR had a tough time in 2014 finding speed but I personally think they will find there way back with there new 2015 Camry body. What does that mean for Carl? I do think he should have a bounce back year. I think his average finish should hover back around 11-13 which should bring some extra top 5's and top 10's. I think 2 wins, 8-9 top 5's, and 16-18 top 10's are in store. Those numbers aren't huge improvement over 2014, but what he does in the other races will be, consistency is the key here.

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

I keep going round and round on Jimmie Johnson's 2014 season. Man, was it disappointing. Then again, he won 4 races, had 11 top 5's, and 20 top 10's. Those numbers don't scream bad season. When I get done debating this in my head I end on this: Jimmie Johnson has been so good for so long that we don't know any better, he is truly held at a higher level.

This, I believe, isn't just true for fans but also for JJ, Chad, and the whole 48 team. They hold themselves at a higher standard and because of that I land back on a disappointing season. If you are wondering, yes, this is the process that goes through my head every time I write about his 2014 season.

JJ still had four wins which was good enough to tie him for fourth most in 2014. His 20 top 10's also put him tied for fourth most on the season. Yet, most fans agree he wasn't a top 4 performer in 2014. That list would normally include Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. After those guys a handful of others including JJ might come to mind, but for one of the first times in his career he wasn't mentioned with the top tier guys in a single season.

Was this the fall of JJ? For the first time in his career he finished the season worse than 6th in the standings. In fact, JJ only finished 6th once (2001), 5th twice (2002 rookie year and 2005) and all the rest have been 3rd or better.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

Short answer, no it shouldn't be the fall of JJ. Some poor luck and bad finishes just hurt JJ more than they normally do. Also, a new Chase didn't help his cause as those poor finishes hurt him down the stretch. But, enough with the bad news for JJ fans. The bad news for other driver fans (and good news for JJ) is he will be back in 2015 and will be once again re motivated. As if a guy like JJ (runs marathons and triathlons) needs more motivation)! His expectations will be the same as any other season, get to the Chase and be a favorite for the Title, I'm sure his only goal is to win another Championship so I don't see how these expectations would be too high for him. I could see another 3-4 wins, 10-13 top 5's, and 19-22 top 10's this season, but consistency will be key down the stretch.