2016 NASCAR Pit Road Week 20: Indianapolis

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400

By Richard Tix

Last year at this time the review was about the same: "Kyle Busch Dominating." That's because Rowdy just wrapped up three straight wins after his trip to victory lane at Indy last year at this time. This year he didn't come into the race dominating, but left it with that feeling.

Why? Well because from start to finish Rowdy was the class of the field. All in all no one could really challenge him. No surprise strategy. No late cautions. Nothing. The No. 18 team was on top of it all day.

Past the winner, the story lines get short quick. Jeff Gordon filled in for Dale Earnhardt Jr who is getting over concussion symptoms and Tony Stewart made his last (or we think it is) Indianapolis start in the Cup series. Both shared some special moment's after the race which will be burned into our NASCAR memories.

After that? Nothing much to talk about except that IMS and the Cup series is continuing a run of terrible races here. Look, I am all on board with strategy of all kinds (I've expressed it many times its all part of racing), but IMS has been long single file drawn out lines for years now. To make it worse, green flag runs are normal. If it wasn't for two cars (both the Penske No. 2 and No. 22) then the strategy of 40 cars wouldn't have even produced a story early on.

Those two decided to try and stretch fuel windows and cut down on a stop. Almost everything needed to go perfect, but at least it gave a drama-less race something to watch for. 

The real issue at IMS is, their is nothing that can save it. The racing is what it is here and most likely will always stay the same. Not every race is drama filled as I have mentioned before, but when year after year we get no action from a race it gets hard to bare. In the end all we are left with is nostalgia and the tradition of winning such a prestigious (yet boring) race. Sometimes that has to be enough in the world of racing because there is no puzzle piece to fit into place for IMS. It is what it is so we have to try and enjoy what is here, tradition and a tough race to get all the way through.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 20 (Week 19)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- The No. 1 spot continues to rotate. This time Rowdy takes it after a dominating win at IMS. Four top 10's in the last five races including a win and a runner up finish at Daytona. Finish: 1st
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Add yet another top 10 to his season performance. That is now a season leading 16th top 10. Finish: 6th
3. Joey Logano (LW-4)- Both the No. 2 and No. 22 were not the fastest guys on the day, but both teams played strategy and it paid off with a decent finish for JoLo. Finish: 7th
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-2)- See above but insert the strategy didn't pan out. Really neither early strategy played out, but BK ended up getting caught up in a wreck where Carl pushed the corner. The No. 2 had an ok day going, but nothing more. Finish: 17th
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- Last week I watched other sites post Kenseth down near 12th (seriously!?!). After a win Kenseth came back and helped JGR go 1-2-4 to finish Indy. Finish: 2nd
6. Tony Stewart (LW-7)- Smoke had a pretty good car all day but it was apparent that it wouldn't be enough to touch Kyle Busch. It was still a solid run for a guy just needing to get hot at the right time. Finish: 11th
7. Kurt Busch (LW-5)- I have praised Kurt all seaosn for his consistency but where has that gone? Three times in his last four races he has finished outside the top 15. Finish: 16th
8. Martin Truex Jr (LW-10)- It's been an up and down year for Truex. Good runs, bad runs, runs that were good and NASCAR decided to drop the hammer on a rule. Martin has seen it all. Finish: 8th
9. Carl Edwards (LW-8)- Did anyone struggle as much at Carl did getting into a corner? Everyone thought it was just because he was on the outside, but then he caused a wreck on a restart while on the inside and we found out he was pushing the corner all day. Amazing how well he ran while having a poor handling car. Finish: 35th
10. Denny Hamlin (LW-NR)- Welcome back to the rankings Denny. It has been awhile, but we have not forgotten you. Hamlin has had some poor finishes (33, 37, 31, and 39) this season that is holding his consistency back. Finish: 4th
11. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- After a two race stretch with unimpressive finishing results, Larson finally catches a break again. He actually finds himself right in the thick of the Chase race after a top 5 at IMS (16th in points). Finish: 5th
12. Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- It's crazy that JJ has been out of the top 12 for so long, but then again its crazy Sunday was his first top 10 in seven races and his second in eleven. Finish: 3rd

Dropped Out: Greg Biffle (LW-9), Ryan Newman (LW-11), and Jamie McMurray (LW-12)

Just Missed: Austin Dillon

2016 NASCAR Week 20 Preview: Indianapolis

Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

The year was 2005. Two weeks before NASCAR headed to Indianapolis Motor Speedway Tony Stewart had won at NHMS and then Kurt Busch won at the Tricky Triangle. Tony Stewart came into the race trailing Jimmie Johnson by 66 points.

Johnson had just come off an 8 win 2004 season and was looking to finally get his first Championship. Little did we know as NASCAR fan's that he was going to soon take over the sport. At the time it was Tony Stewart who was one of the one of the bigger deals in NASCAR after winning his first Championship in 2002.

IMS had always been called home by Tony Stewart and he spent six season's trying to get a win at the Brickyard. Well, 2005 was finally the year he got the monkey off of his back. After Jimmie Johnson wrecked late in the race Tony Stewart took over the lead from Kasey Kahne and lead the final 10 laps to his first win at Indy. 

Sometimes in NASCAR moment's are ingrained in our head. Many times a race fly's by and we forget even key details. In a season of 36 races, those types of moments tend to happen. But, IMS 2005 was one of those ingrained moments. Smoke and team climbing up the fence to celebrate with fans. Kissing the bricks. The emotion in victory lane. For years and years moment's like 2005 at IMS will stick in fans memories so I can only imagine what Stewart feels heading into what might be his final race at IMS.

Stewart went on to win at Watkins Glen the following week (three wins in four races) and put an even bigger gap on Johnson. Stewart never really did look back on his way to his second NASCAR Cup Championship, meanwhile Johnson slipped farther and farther back. However, 2005 was the last time for a long stretch that anyone touched what Johnson was about to do. 

Many more Smoke moments continued over the years after that first IMS win, including a second IMS win and a Championship as a driver/owner, but none would top one last win at IMS. It would be the perfect place for Smoke to capture that illustrious win No. 50 in what has been an impressive career.

Indy has lost some of it's early luster (or at least that's how it feels to most), but Tony Stewart winning might bring some of those moment's back to a unique NASCAR track in need of glory moments in 2016.  

**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

• Tony Stewart- No, the last few years haven't been good here for Smoke, but right now he is starting to heat up and do you want to bet against a hot Tony Stewart? One last fence climb (maybe he shouldn't...) would be nice to see.
• Kyle Busch- Last years winner brings some nice stats to IMS. In 11 starts he has nine top 10's and four top 5's to go along with that win. He has finishes first or second three out of the last four races here.
• Matt Kenseth- Kenseth doesn't have a win at IMS like the two above, but he still has some impressive numbers. Ten top 10's and seven top 5's in his 16 career races here.

The Middle

• Carl Edwards- Eleven career starts and only three of those finished up as top 10's (one top 5). However, he has nine top 15's in that same time.

The Bad

• Martin Truex Jr- Want a guy who might jump off this list with a good finish Sunday? Truex is your guy. However, his career at IMS has been underwhelming as a whole (one top 5 and two top 10's in eleven starts).
• Dale Earnhardt Jr- 16 career starts at Indianapolis and Junior only has five top 10's and one single top 5. The upside? Three of those top 10's and that sole top 5 came in the last four races here.
• David Ragan- Three top 20's in nine starts is nothing to be proud of for Ragan. None of those have come since leaving the RFR No. 6. 

About the Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Track Stats

• A race has been won from the Pole three times in 22 NASCAR races (Newman 2013, Jimmie Johnson 2008, and Kevin Harvick 2003).
• Chevy had won the last 12 races and 16 of 21 races total before Kyle Busch (Toyota) won last year. Ford- 3, Pontiac- 1, Dodge- 1, Toyota- 1
• Jeff Gordon won the Inaugural Cup race in 1994
• Most cautions was 13 in 2004
• Gordon has the most career wins here with 5. Jimmie Johnson is next in line with 4
• 13 drivers have won at Indy including 9 that only won once.
• Only four drivers have multiple wins (Gordon, JJ, Tony Stewart, and Dale Jarrett).
• Gordon also has the most poles (3), top 5's (12), and top 10's (17) of any driver.

Track Info

• Surface
• Asphalt
• Length
• 2.5 miles
• Banking
• Turns: 9 degrees
• Straights: 0 degrees

2016 Indianapolis NASCAR Schedule

Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern Time Zone (ET)**


Tuesday July 19, 2016 (Eldora)

• 6:30-7:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice
• 9-9:55 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice

Wednesday July 20, 2016 (Eldora)

• 5:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS1
• 7 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series First Qualifying Race (10 laps)- FS1
• 7:09 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Second Qualifying Race (10 laps)- FS1
• 7:18 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Third Qualifying Race (10 laps)- FS1
• 7:27 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fourth Qualifying Race (10 laps)- FS1
• 7:36 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fifth Qualifying Race (10 laps)- FS1
• 8:15 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Last Chance Qualifying Race (15 laps)- FS1
• 9 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby (150 laps/40-50-60)- FS1

Friday July 22, 2016

• 12-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
• 1:30 p.m.-2:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice- NBCSN
• 3-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
• 4-5:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN

Saturday July 23, 2016

• 11:45 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
• 1:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
• 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #1 (20 laps)- NBCSN
• 4:25 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Heat #2 (20 laps)- NBCSN
• 5:05 p.m. (approx): NASCAR XFINITY Series Lilly Diabetes 250 Main (60 laps)- NBCSN

Sunday July 24, 2016

• 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crown Royal Presents The Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at the Brickyard (160 laps, 400 miles)- NBCSN