2015 Week 36 Preview: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway

By Richard Tix

The year has come and gone once again. Even though it is the longest season in sports, it always feels like it went by fast. NASCAR heads into its final week at Homestead-Miami to run the second Finale of the "New Chase Era." Last year Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Ryan Newman, and Denny Hamlin all had a shot at the title at Miami.

This year only one guy has that same shot again and it happens to be the 2014 Champ, Harvick. Joining Harvick is Jeff Gordon (the only driver to advance last round with a win), Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr.

Each has there own story on not only how they got here, but also how there season will be remembered.

Kevin Harvick is going for his second Sprint Cup Championship and back to back titles. Jeff Gordon is finally going for his 5th Championship and is retiring from full time after this race. Kyle Busch only raced part of the season but put on such a show that fans started to forget about that. Lastly, Martin Truex Jr is the Cinderella that has fought through the season on the track and in his personal life.

Like the new Chase or hate it, you can make cases for each driver this weekend and why they deserve it. Maybe some fans are reluctant to be like every other sport in the world and have some type of playoff where the field is almost reset and even the Cinderella has a small shot. But that is what is fun about this format, it gives drivers a shot to keep pushing with 5 races left (unlike if they were 200 points out, which would be the case 99% of the time).

8 drivers still had a shot going into the second to last race of the season, which is fantastic for entertainment. And before you say it, sport is entertainment so if you want to argue with others NASCAR is a sport you have to think about that for a moment.

Either way, one of the best drivers of 2015 still has a shot at Miami (Harvick), as does one of the hottest drivers of 2015 (Busch), and the consistent Cinderella (Truex). Sure, some power houses missed out like Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Jimmie Johnson, but that is the part about this "Era" that puts it all on the line in the last 10 races that is great. In every other sport it is not always the best team that wins. It is not always the team with the most season wins. It is the team who fights through adversity in moments of true pressure, this is the new Chase.

We are doing this weeks Preview a bit different. For one week we will toss out the "Good, Middle, and Bad" and just focus on the last four, because in the end that is mainly how we will remember this race. 

Don't worry, next year the same format will come back to race previews. Speaking of next year, the season maybe about done but NASCAR Behind the Wall will still have a ton of offseason coverage. We will check on driver reviews, team reviews, and then jump back into the 2016 preview articles including team, driver, predictions, and much more. All of this should help get you through this long (actually short) offseason!

2014 Week 36 Preview: Homestead (A look back to last year before this very same race)

The Favorite

• Kevin Harvick- Seriously, the other three drivers have to at minimum finish top 5 to win the title. Why? Because Harvick has 12 top 10's in 14 starts including 6 top 5's. Last year he actually won this race to lock in the no doubt Championship. The Championship doesn't have to be won by taking 1st, but a top 5 will be a must.

Next in Line

• Kyle Busch- No, Miami is not his strongest track, but he and JGR have been strong for months now. After Harvick it is really anyone's title to win anyways, so if the #4 is back in 12th in the closing laps start looking for Kyle up front. He has been one of the more consistent drivers during the Chase, which is why he finally made it through and put himself in a spot to finally win a Championship.

Best Way to Finish

• Jeff Gordon- Sure back to back sounds cool. Yeah a short season title run is impressive. Ok, I love Cinderellas and can't fight that one, but what would be better then seeing Gordon off into the sunset with his 5th title? It would be the perfect ending to an amazing career for Gordon.

The Cinderella

• Martin Truex Jr- You know what, in 10 starts here Truex has 7 top 10's and 3 top 5's. That isn't exactly a Cinderella for the track, but he sure is for the 2015 season. After the struggles of 2014 and getting kicked to the curb in 2013, Truex and Furniture Row has come a long way and it is cool to see a one car team with a real shot. In his last four he has two top 5's and three top 10's, so Truex is a real threat this weekend and would make one heck of a story.

2014 Ford EcoBoost 400 Photo Recap

Homestead Weekend Articles:

• Entry List
• TV Schedule
• Power Rankings
• 2015 Paint Schemes

I again want to thank everyone for checking the site out this season. Along the way I have got to talk to a ton of fans and see a ton of different opinions. It has been a fun season and I look forward to reviewing the season and moving onto next year! The readers and followers on Twitter/Google+ make this all worth it. NBTW doesn't make more than chump change so I can tell you it isn't for the money, its all about the love of the sport and a way to express my opinion to other while getting to hear other fans perspective! So, together we can get through this offseason and start the third full season of NASCAR Behind the Wall (2013 was a partial year).

2015 Pit Road Week 29: Dover

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

AAA 400

By Richard Tix

After a week of worrying about the weather and if the AAA 400 at Dover would be run on Sunday, NASCAR got the race in full. That made life much easier on NASCAR and it's schedulers on trying to figure out when they race could be won, especially since it was the last race of the first round of the 2015 Chase.

That being said, after Sunday a few drivers left the Monster Mile now with no title shot. A few shockers in the elimination after Jimmie Johnson had mid race troubles with his rear axle and it leaves him on the outside looking in. Also, Jamie McMurray had a fantastic "battle" with Dale Earnhardt Jr while trying to get the final spot for next round. The ended up finishing 3rd and 4th where that final position meant a Chase spot as it was Jr's best finish of the first round.

So, after Dover there were 12 left. The next few races will decide who will move onto the final four races of 2015 and who will still have a shot at the title.

2015 AAA 400 Race Results

Remember, the Power Rankings during the Chase are expanded to 16 spots and only Chase driver eligible drivers can be on it. That means when it is cut to 12 drivers we will cut down to the top 12 in the rankings. Each round after that (so say 8 drivers) the final four spots can go to anyone, but the top 8 spots will continue to go to current Chase drivers.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 29 (Week 28)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-13)- Harvick was pretty much in a win or go home situation and he rose to the occasion. That is not a good thing for other drivers trying to win a title. He is right back to the top. Finish: 1st
2. Matt Kenesth (LW-1)- No one really had a shot to beat Harvick, but the next closest thing might have been Kenseth. Finish: 7th
3. Joey Logano (LW-3)- JoLo didn't have the best day, but all the 22 team was looking for was to stay out of trouble and advance. Obviously they wanted a win, but a chance at a title is worth more. Finish: 10th
4. Kyle Busch (LW-11)- Another strong day for Rowdy and JGR. He was one of three drivers to lead a lap all day, which says something with how dominate Harvick was. Finish: 2nd
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-15)- Jr was part of one of the biggest storylines on the day during the closing laps. It was between McMurray and Jr for the final spot into the top 12. Both continued to be tied, but Jr was one spot in front of Jamie to win the tie breaker. Time to put behind a rough first round. Finish: 3rd
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-2)- Hard to judge what kind of car Hamlin had, he had nothing to lose, but nothing to gain either. He was already locked into the final 12. Finish: 18th
7. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- That was a close one for BK. Dover was not BK's best finish and now has two finishes outside the top 10 in a row. Finish: 16th
8. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- Carl and Denny had tough finishes at Dover, but neither matters now heading into the next round. JGR still seem to have an edge on other teams so they should feel confident for the next three races. Finish: 15th
9. Martin Truex Jr (LW-9)- It was a quality first three Chase races, but it only gets harder from here. An average finish of 10.66 might get him by one more round, but he will need to continue to stay consistent to get there. Finish: 11th
10. Ryan Newman (LW-6)- Newman posted two top 10's before a rough finish on Sunday. If he gets back his consistency it is the kind of finishes that helped him move on last year. Finish: 19th
11. Jeff Gordon (LW-8)- Through three Chase races Gordon has been consistent, but not a good enough consistent to be a real threat. He will need to find that to keep advancing. Finish: 12th
12. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- If it wasn't for his 3rd place finish at Chicagoland to start the Chase Kurt would have been booted on Sunday. The 41 will need more to advance to the final 8. Finish: 17th

2015 Pit Road Week 28: Loudon

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Sylvania 300

By Richard Tix

Another Chase race and another Joe Gibbs Racing win. This team has been on fire lately and it is clear that everyone else needs to catch up if they want a shot at the Championship. So, we will head into next weekend with everyone else trailing and needing some big finishes. 

Many drivers are safe baring big issues at Dover, but others need huge finishes in order to advance including last years Champ, Kevin Harvick. So, can guys like Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Clint Bowyer get it going this weekend? Or will they be left outside the top 12 and finish 2015 on a sour note? 

Until we get to see the outcome this weekend, lets take a look at the latest Power Rankings after NHMS.

Remember, the Power Rankings during the Chase are expanded to 16 spots and only Chase driver eligible drivers can be on it. That means when it is cut to 12 drivers we will cut down to the top 12 in the rankings. Each round after that (so say 8 drivers) the final four spots can go to anyone, but the top 8 spots will continue to go to current Chase drivers.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 28

1. Matt Kenseth- Sundays race winner was going to the next round regardless, but the W makes any overthinking this weekend go away. Kenseth now has two wins in his last three and four in his last eight, that is 50% for you math majors.
2. Denny Hamlin- JGR is something else right now and Denny is happy to be a part of it. After struggling though injuries (still is) and JGR having a down year, every JGR car can be considered a contender (yes, see below for Kyle).
3. Joey Logano- JoLo is one of the only guys almost at the JGR level. Team Penske has strong cars, but just can't put together a winning car vs JGR consistently. But, it is more than anyone else can say. Joey has seven straight top 10's including two wins.
4. Carl Edwards- Two top 5's to start the Chase and Carl is still behind three drivers and two teammates, tough crowd.. If JGR continues to run this way its possible to see at least three in the final.
5. Brad Keselowski- Sundays 12th place finish was BK's non top 10 in 11 races (had 10 straight going). That is 20 combined top 10's for Team Penske in the last 11 races (22 top 10's total for the math majors). 
6. Ryan Newman- He is doing it again....Newman has now started this 2015 Chase out with two top 10's. This is the kind of consistency that got him to the final last year.
7. Jimmie Johnson- A quality start to the Chase for JJ (11th and 6th), but it's hard to get excited when you see how great JGR is running. Still, finishes like this will buy them time to catch up in the next round and figure it all out.
8. Jeff Gordon- Gordon doesn't have a ton of breathing room, but another run like Sunday and he will advance and have another go at it. HMS really needs to catch up a bit to give the 48, 24, and 88 a better shot.
9. Martin Truex Jr- After a 13th and an 8th to start the Chase Martin is still hanging around. It has been a good go, but they may need more to advance to the final 8.
10. Kurt Busch- Tough finish on Sunday but his strong 3rd place finish at Chicagoland gave him some breathing room. They just need to post a solid finish and focus on next round.
11. Kyle Busch- Not what Kyle needed on Sunday, but we have seen what he can do in 2015 with his back against the wall. He has some of the fastest cars (JGR), so you can not count him out of this yet.
12. Jamie McMurray- Consistency has been McMurray's thing all year and it might just be enough to move along in round one. Another top 15 and he should squeak by.
13. Kevin Harvick- This is where this Chase becomes tough on some fans, but I will tell you he would be in a hole even if it was the old Chase. Oh, and don't bring up a just points system because NASCAR isn't going back that way. He still is very good, so he may give NASCAR the dramatics they want with a win this weekend.
14. Paul Menard- He isn't running poorly, but it hasn't been good either. Paul really needs a top 10 to give himself a chance at just getting in.
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr- Sunday was not good for Jr and he is now in a pressure spot. Currently he is in for next round, but he will have to avoid any mistakes to advance, which is a tough spot to be in.
16. Clint Bowyer- It was a good run to get into the Chase, but all that momentum is gone and it looks like he is a long shot to advance. Bowyer practically needs a win to move on (though it is mathematically possible to not win and advance).

2015 Week 27 Preview: Chicagoland

MyAFibStory.com 400

Chicagoland Speedway

By Richard Tix

NASCAR finished up its 26 race regular season last Saturday at Richmond International Raceway. The race had a recipe for some drama, but for most of the night there was none to be found. Matt Kenseth came out swinging and led most of the night on the way to a dominating victory.

But, NASCAR leaves the regular season behind and heads into the 2015 Sprint Cup Chase. 16 drivers will run the next three races trying to put together the most points (or wins) that they can to be the final 8. Each round the drama ramps up as we saw last year when BK, Kenseth, Hamlin, and Gordon all had tempers that flared up.

So, who will advance this year and take that first step to the finale at Miami? Who will take that first step towards a 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship?

The Good

• Tony Stewart- It has been awhile for Smoke, last year he finished 18th and in 2013 he missed this race, but before that Chicagoland was a strong stop on the schedule. From 2001-2012 he had 3 wins, 8 top 5's, and 10 top 10's in 12 races. Maybe he has lost it, but this is the place to get back on track.
• Brad Keselowski- 6 career starts for BK at Chicago and four straight top 10's. Since being in the #2 he has posted a top 10. He also has two wins in the last three races here so he is a safe bet to be up front.
• Kevin Harvick- In 14 career starts at Chicagoland Harvick has 2 wins, 8 top 5's, and 9 top 10's. So, if Harvick is going to finish towards the front it will most likely be a top 5. 
• Extra Credit- Jimmie Johnson

The Middle

• Clint Bowyer- The case for Bowyer being in the middle (by middle NBTW doesn't mean around 20th, but rather a top 10 borderline guy), is that in 9 career starts here he has 7 top 10's yet only one top 5. That sounds like a guy who could end up in the top 10 but may not ever compete for the win.

The Bad

• Paul Menard- Menard only has 2 top 15 finishes in  8 career starts here (1 top 10). He only has three top 20's in that same time. Menard really needs to start putting up more top 20's or top 15's to leave this category. 
• Jamie McMurray- Things might be turning the corner for McMurray as he finished 9th here last year, but in his career he only has 3 top 10's in 12 starts. The more worrisome part is that he only has 4 top 20's in those 12 starts.
• Denny Hamlin- In 9 career Chicagoland starts Hamlin has 3 top 10's (1 top 5) and has only led a lap one time (2012 for 1 lap). His only top 10 in the last four races was last year (6th).

About the Track: Chicagoland Speedway

Track Stats

• This will be the 15th NASCAR Cup stop at Chicagoland Speedway
• 6 drivers have started all 14 races here at Chicagoland
• Their has been 10 different winners at Chicagoland in 14 races.
• Only three drivers have multiple wins here (Stewart, Harvick, and Keselowski)
• David Reutimann won with MWR here back in 2010
• Stewart and Havrick have the most career top 5's with 8
• Stewart and Jimmie Johnson have the most career top 10's with 10
• Johnson has led the most career laps here with 577
• 114 different driver have attempted at least one race at Chicagoland

Track Info

• Surface: Asphalt
• Length: 1.5 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 18 degrees
• Frontstretch: 11 degrees
• Backstretch: 15 degrees

Chicagoland Speedway
Race	Date	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Make / Model
2001-18	7/15/2001	43	Kevin Harvick	6	Chevrolet
2002-18	7/14/2002	43	Kevin Harvick	32	Chevrolet
2003-18	7/13/2003	43	Ryan Newman	14	Dodge
2004-18	7/11/2004	43	Tony Stewart	10	Chevrolet
2005-18	7/10/2005	43	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	25	Chevrolet
2006-18	7/9/2006	43	Jeff Gordon	13	Chevrolet
2007-19	7/15/2007	43	Tony Stewart	19	Chevrolet
2008-19	7/12/2008	43	Kyle Busch	1	Toyota
2009-19	7/11/2009	43	Mark Martin	14	Chevrolet
2010-19	7/10/2010	43	David Reutimann	7	Toyota
2011-27	9/19/2011	43	Tony Stewart	26	Chevrolet
2012-27	9/16/2012	43	Brad Keselowski	13	Dodge
2013-27	9/15/2013	43	Matt Kenseth	10	Toyota
2014-27	9/14/2014	43	Brad Keselowski	25	Ford

2014 MyAFibStory.com 400 Photo Recap

2014 Chase Field before Chicagoland

Chicagoland Weekend Articles

• TV Schedule
• Entry List
• Power Rankings

2015 Chase Power Rankings: Second Addition

By Richard Tix

Unlike NASCAR Behind the Wall's Pit Road Power Rankings, this years 2015 Chase Power Rankings will include ONLY drivers with a win. These rankings will not only take into account how they have done so far, but what NBTW things there Power Ranking is for winning the 2015 Sprint Cup Championship.

Last time around we looked at the rankings after 15 races. We now have finished 24 of 26 regular season races with only Darlington and Richmond left on the schedule. We had 10 winners after 15 races yet we have only added one winner in the last 9 races, Kyle Busch.

2015 Chase Power Rankings

LT=Last Time (Ranking during the last Chase Power Rankings)

1. Kevin Harvick (LT-1)- Yes, Harvick is still the favorite. Keep in mind that last year he went into the Chase as an underdog because his team was having issues on pit road or bad luck week after week. This year he hasn't been notching the wins in the regular season (just like 2014), but is reeling off runner up spots. Those finishes will be enough to get him to Miami and could even see him winning back to back Championships.
2. Joey Logano (LT-5)- Last time around JoLo was 5th on this list and had 11 top 10's in 15 races...That was probably good enough to be in the top 3 on these rankings. Yet, Penske seemed to be under the radar a bit. Since then JGR has made a huge pass by Penske and HMS, but Penske cars have been standing strong right next to them. Joey just finished up winning 2 of the last 3 races and looks like a true title contender.
3. Kyle Busch (LT-NR)- The only new driver to this list, Kyle came back from his injury at Daytona on fire. He has 4 wins, 5 top 5's, 7 top 10's, all just in 13 races. Consistency in the Chase has always been his achilles heel, but last year he showed signs of reversing that. If it wasn't for bad luck at Talladega where he was slowing down for a caution and got hit from behind, he would have moved on.
4. Jimmie Johnson (LT-2)- You can't count JJ out of any title hunt, but something has been a bit off at Hendrick Motor Sports. They have lost there edge as of late. Maybe it has more to do with JGR getting stronger and Penske staying with HMS, but they don't look bullet proof anymore. JJ is still tied for a Cup lead with 4 wins, and also has 16 top 10's in 24 races, so he knows how to get it done. 
5. Brad Keselowski (LT-7)- BK is starting to show consistency that he lacked to start the year. Those kinds of finishes are going to come up big during the Chase. When you look at BK's wins and top 5's it looks a lot like his poor 2013 season, but then you notice his top 10's and average finish. His average finish of 11.8 is the closest it has been to his Championship year in 2012. Maybe the consistency will pay off?
6. Matt Kenseth (LT-9)- Last time around Kenseth was an after thought in the Title talks. Man, what 9 races can change. He had some bad luck at Bristol (engine), but before that he has two wins, four top 5's, and 6 straight top 10's. Kenseth and JGR are on a roll at the right time and if they carry it into the Chase they will move up the favorites list. 
7. Denny Hamlin (LT-8)- Through 15 races JGR made up the final three spots (8th, 9th, and 10th). This time around they added the fourth driver and all started to make a climb. Hamlin is a curious case to crack this year once again. He hasn't been dominate in almost any race for a long period of time, but has stuck around for some quality finishes. That is the making of a driver getting through rounds and into the Finale (like he did last year). Once at Miami, Hamlin has shown he is one of the best recently including a test practice this week. So, he is an underdog to watch.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LT-6)- Jr has been good in 2015, but it just seems like something is missing with HMS right now. The same can be said about many of Jr's finishes lately. The plus side is he has been pushing through and getting quality finishes despite HMS shortcomings, but at this moment it doesn't seem like enough to win a Championship.
9. Carl Edwards (LT-10)- Carl rounds up all four JGR cars in the 2015 Chase Power Rankings. He also happens to be the lowest in the points standings, but that wont matter when the Chase rolls around. Right now he is showing hope as a title contender with six top 10's in his last seven races (the other was 13th at Indy). That kind of consistency could see him moving on for a ways in the Chase.
10. Kurt Busch (LT-3)- No one fell or gained as much as Kurt Busch in these standings (side note: congratulations on the engagement!). Last time these rolled out he was on fire and had locked himself into the Chase with a win. In his last seven races he only has two finishes better than 10th. True, he still has four top 10's in that time, but he is no where near the front.
11. Martin Truex Jr (LT-4)- Martin has actually lost just as much ground in the rankings as Kurt did. It seems like as soon as JGR came around and got better that the #78 team started to find some struggles. Lucky for this small team they have a win and are locked in (would have got in on points anyways), but they will need to find "it" again before the Chase to have a chance.

It is crazy how 9 races changes the look of the 2015 Sprint Cup Chase. Earlier this year it looked like Kurt Busch was almost on the same level as Harvick, and now its hard seeing him winning the title. Last year Harvick went into the Chase as an underdog and became a first time Cup Champion. So, these rankings are not set in stone and that is why you have to tune into the remaining races before the Chase!

2015 NASCAR Behind the Wall Hot Laps: Week 25

By Richard Tix

Hot Laps will be a weekly article on news in the world of NASCAR. I will write these articles any weeks where I have a thought or opinion on NASCAR news that is worth sharing. So, this could be an every week thing, or just every few weeks. Its an opinion piece, so it is open to discussion and debate and would love to here your thoughts.


Rest In Peace Justin Wilson


Not many times does NASCAR Behind the Wall stray from the NASCAR world, but at times like this it only seems right. I do not catch much IndyCar from year to year, but anytime you hear of a fatal crash in motor sports it hit's you deep.

Any driver from any kind of racing puts his life on the line every time he steps in or on his vehicle. They do it for the fans, they do it for the sport, they do it for the money, and they do it for the love. Some do it for all of them, some do it for just one reason, it doesn't matter why but these guys do it because in the end they grew up loving the thought of going faster than the next guy

Because I do not watch much IndyCar nor cover it, after hearing of this accident I immediately did some research on Justin Wilson. Everything I got from social media was that he was a great human being that happened to be a great racer. He was a great driver, but an even better friend, father, and husband.

Justin was taken from us way to early at the age of 37. The thing that always hits me the deepest is that he was taken way to early from his family and friends. We may deeply miss him as fans and will long to see him in a car again or even just on the sidelines, but others will deeply miss his actual presence and accidents like this will never leave there memories.

Many people got to know him over the years and shared there thoughts over social media. AJ Allmendinger for one tweeted a bunch of heartfelt tweets that really hit fans hard. Sometimes it is hard to get all the emotions from a tweet, but AJ made us all feel the deep sorrow and love he had for Justin.

It's times like these that you wish these thoughts and stories weren't coming out because we lost a great man. I never knew him, never got to meet him, but I have taken the time to think and pray for he and his family. Keep all of them in your thoughts and each an every week the sport and drivers that you watch there as well. Racing is a dangerous sport and an accident can happen anytime, so sometimes we need to look past those driver we hate and remember these are friends, husbands, fathers, brother, humans first, and drivers second.

I love that in moments of tragedy we all come together, no matter which sport we watch. If I had one last comment, it would be to check out some articles on Justin Wilson. Check out some of his fellow drivers tweets and thoughts. Remember him as a great man and keep his family and friends in your thoughts.

RIP Justin Wilson 1978-20015

Throwback Darlington


The next race up on the 2015 season is Darlington Raceway. This year Too Tough to Tame was moved back from the beginning of the year to Labor Day Weekend. If that wasn't enough to get the old school feeling going then all the recent news on retro paint schemes should.

It seems like everyday since NASCAR left Michigan International Speedway a new driver has released an official look at there Darlington ride. This week we got a shot of Dale Earnhardt Jr's retro Valvoline ride (Neil Bonnett). We also got a look at Clint Bowyers ride (Buddy Baker), which is said to be hand painted. Those are only two rides of the many who will take the retro look and try not to give it a Darlington Stripe.

So, if you weren't already excited for "The Lady in Black" these schemes should get you ready. Even Goodyear got in on the fun and are running retro tires that have Goodyear in white. If you missed some of the paint schemes or still need to check them out, check this photo galleria on NASCAR Behind the Wall.


NASCAR Chase Final Stretch


2015 is year two of the new Chase Era in NASCAR. The Sprint Cup Chase has been around for awhile, but this new era where 16 drivers get in and winning pretty much locks you into one of those spots is still fresh and new. With that being said, only two regular season races remain before the second running of this Chase starts at Chicagoland.

Labor Day Weekend NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway and then we cap off the regular season at Richmond International Raceway. With only two races left the heat is being turned up on win less drivers and guys on the outside looking in. McMurray, Gordon, Menard, Newman, and Bowyer are all on the inside (top 16), but can not have multiple slip ups. It's easy to say they have a large points lead, but back to back terrible finishes could be disastrous.

Drivers like Almirola, Dillon, Biffle, and Larson are all on the outside and need either a miracle or a win in the next two races to make it (current Chase Standings here).

This is an aspect I like in this Chase era, a team can not just pack it in for the playoffs unless they have earned it (winning a race or even multiple races). Even though McMurry is safe, two 43rd place finishes would at least make him start to sweat. Maybe you thing the Chase field is too big (I for one am on the fence about that), but the rules do make things interesting and we are two races from seeing that all play out again. Buckle up.

2015 NASCAR Week 23 Chase Standings

2015 Chase Standings After 23 Races

By Richard Tix

After the 23rd race of the 2015 season at Michigan International Speedway, not much has changed. Matt Kenseths win moved him up the standings a bit and Clint Bowyer's rough day put him closer to the cut off line (16th). McMurray, Menard, Newman, and Gordon seem to be safe for now as long as no new driver gets a win (that isn't already one of them). 

2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Standings
Pos	Driver	Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Points	Diff
1	Jimmie Johnson	23	4	10	15	0	752
2	Kyle Busch	12	4	5	6	1	395
3	Matt Kenseth	23	3	9	15	3	751
4	Kevin Harvick	23	2	16	20	1	866
5	Joey Logano	23	2	13	17	4	818
6	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	23	2	11	14	0	784
7	Kurt Busch	20	2	8	13	3	683
8	Martin Truex, Jr.	23	1	7	16	0	755
9	Brad Keselowski	23	1	5	15	0	754
10	Denny Hamlin	23	1	7	10	1	670
11	Carl Edwards	23	1	2	7	2	628
In the Chase Points Race							Diff from 12th
12	Jamie McMurray	23	0	2	7	0	663
13	Paul Menard	23	0	2	4	0	654	-9
14	Ryan Newman	23	0	4	11	0	649	-14
15	Jeff Gordon	23	0	3	12	3	648	-15
16	Clint Bowyer	23	0	1	9	0	616	-47
Chase Cut Off Line							Diff from 16th
17	Aric Almirola	23	0	1	1	0	593	-23
18	Kasey Kahne	23	0	2	6	1	590	-26
19	Greg Biffle	23	0	2	3	0	553	-63
20	Kyle Larson	22	0	1	6	0	548	-68