2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 19: NHMS

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Overton's 301

By Richard Tix

Loudon Thoughts

Late Start Times

• Is this really the issue fans want to fight? I guess this is the loud topic of the week this time... Unfortunately NASCAR hears the loud ones which means people focus on the real battle (exciting racing on the track) get overlooked all too often. I get it, the last start times are rough for many, but when you know the schedule you can at least try and plan around it. I would rather plan around a late time then always have a crappy car/race product on the track, so let's speak up for the important things and worry less about what time the race starts when it's a fight between three whole hours (noon or 3 for me in CT). Pick your battles and the one I want to win isn't the small battle..

Truex Playoff Points

• They just keep going up. Martin now has 29 playoff points and if the playoffs started today he would have 44 (meaning a race worth of points for every three race round). Meanwhile the next closest at the moment is Jimmie Johnson and his 16, and if the playoffs started today Larson and his 23 would be the closest (remember playoff points are awarded to the top 10 after the regular season). The fight for first was a lot more fun before the No. 42 got hit with a penalty, but it is still an important one to watch because Larson really could use the extra playoff points for being a regular season champion (15 points).

Fans in the Stands

• I am not one to harp on attendance on TV while sitting at home not at the track. I've long been behind the fact that the sport is in transition and right sizing from the over-sizing in the 90's at a time when HD TV and "attention spans" have taken over the sports world. However, this time some folks need to be called out.. That's right, everyone who was in such an uproar that NHMS was losing a date to Vegas, but didn't actually show up to show why NASCAR was wrong is on blast. You can not be the loud voice against something and then not actually support it to prove a point. What I saw in the stands was what NASCAR was acting on (plus the fact that they were getting money by moving to LVMS for a second date). The racing has been lagging some at NHMS for a bit now, but if you want to stand up and be that loud opinion guy on social media, then show up at the track... Shame on you.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 19 (Week 18)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Just another week for Martin win a dominate type of race that included a playoff point. This time he came up short of the win, though.
2. Kyle Larson (LW-2)- Truex is for sure 1A right now, but Kyle is a close 1B and doesn't seem to be fading (other than penalties).
3. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- 95 laps led, 41 total points, and a playoff point. Even with a rough 12th place finish the day actually went pretty well for Rowdy.
4. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Harvicks top fives and top tens are on par with Truex and Larson, but he is missing all of those wins (one total). If they find winning speed come playoff time the four team could upset the No. 42 and No. 78.
5. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- After three top fours in four races, Hamlin finally broke out, held of Larson, and got win No. 1 of 2017.
6. Chase Elliott (LW-4)- The end of the race finishing position still seems to be an enigma for this No. 24 team.. They can win, but when will they finally put a whole race together?
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-11)- JJ got back into the top ten column on Sunday with a 10th, but it still is weird to not see him contending as often (just three top fives thus far). When is the last time he only had three after 19 races?
8. Jamie McMurray (LW-7)- Sunday was a step back, but he has taken so many steps forward this year that he is still safe on points at the moment.
9. Clint Bowyer (LW-12)- In his last four he has an average finish of 6th. SHR as a whole seems to be on a bit of an uptick right now.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-9)- The No. 21 team can be fast, but can they find consistent finishes?
11. Brad Keselowski (LW-NR)- BK is still eight in points after a horrible stretch that ended in crash after crash (all but one that wasn't his fault). His nine top fives and 12 top tens still show how good he can be when they're on the track (oh, and two wins).
12. Matt Kenseth (LW-NR)- Boy did Kenseth need that fourth place finish on Sunday. Between his great run and Joey Logano's poor run, Kenseth put some ground between them in the standings.

Dropped Out: Joey Logano (LW-8) and Erik Jones (LW-10)

Just Missed: Kurt Busch and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

2016 Week 26 Pit Road: Richmond

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Richmond International Raceway

By Richard Tix

It's time to reset. 26 races down and 10 to go to crown the 2016 Sprint Cup Champion. The first 26 races were a blast but I guarantee the next ten will be even better as the heat ramps up. It may not always be the best "clean" racing, but it is sure to provide some enjoyment. 

As always, Behind the Wall will go into the Chase with a clean slate in the Power Rankings. It is time to reset them completely. This week the rankings will start as a mix between how hot they're coming into the Chase and how much of a chance I think they have at winning. Remember, it is a mix of the two aspect's (cough cough, Rowdy fans). I think Kyle is higher then a top seven contender, but he isn't coming into the Chase setting the world on fire.

For the first three races we will have 16 drivers ranked and they will all come from the Chase field. Once NASCAR cuts the field to 12 so will Behind the Wall (again, all Chase drivers). Once we cut to 8 drivers I will still rank the top 12, but the top 8 will be only drivers left in the Chase and the remaining four can be anyone (previous Chase drivers OR someone who was never in the Chase). This type format will continue all the way down to the final (so in the end the Champion will be number one and the other eleven can be anyone in the Sprint Cup. 

Let the fun begin!

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 26 (Week 25)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- Four straight top fives from a guy who has navigated this Chase format before, yup I'm all in with Harvick as a safe No. 1. Some pit crew worries have held up the excitement of a second title in three years. 
2. Denny Hamlin (LW-2)- He had seven straight top 10's BEFORE RIR's win. Two wins, five top 5's, and eight top 10's in his last eight means Hamlin has turned it on at the right time. 
3. Brad Keselowsi (LW-4)- The No. 2 team qualified poorly for RIR, but managed to salvage the night. That is what BK and Paul Wolfe have done all year; use strategy to compete week in and week out. Those saving strategies could be the difference in a Champion or an exit.
4. Martin Truex Jr (LW-8)- MTJ and the No. 78 love 1.5 mile tracks and the Chase has a bunch of them. Truex followed up his Darlington win with a 3rd place run at RIR after leading 193 laps.
5. Joey Logano (LW-3)- For a guy who has ten top 5's and 18 top 10's in 26 races, JoLo's season has been quiet. I think most of that has to do with his one win, but don't count out his consistency to get him to Miami.
6. Kyle Larson (LW-6)- Ask me two months ago where Larson would be in the rankings at this time and I would have said something like "either 15th or missing the Chase." He has turned his youth promise into reality. A win at MIS got him in, but his last three races have all been top 3 finishes. 
7. Kyle Busch (LW-11)- I like this Kyle's odds of winning a Championship more then the one above, but the Chase is a funny thing now. You have to get hot at the right time and avoid the bad luck. Rowdy has been fast all year and if he is during the next ten races he has a shot to go back to back.
8. Carl Edwards (LW-5)- Carl started 2016 on fire, but it hasn't gone very smooth as of late. JGR isn't what it was in the first half so maybe other teams have a shot to take them down.
9. Jimmie Johnson (LW-12)- This is not typical Johnson, but this is also not typical Hendrick. It's been awhile since Team Hendrick has lost this much on the track, so it will be interesting to see JJ and Chase fight through it.
10. Chase Elliott (LW-7)- Speaking of Chase, Elliott has had one heck of a rookie season. I'm not sure he can make a legit push at a Championship this year, but at the very least he has shown it should be in his future.
11. Matt Kenseth (LW-9)- I'm not sure what to think of Kenseth. He sure hasn't run well as of late, but they have the speed. Plus, he is a veteran that you can't count out of it. Anything is possible, but inconsistency could be the No. 20's downfall this year.
12. Kurt Busch (LW-NR)- Where has Kurt gone? He finishes 8th on Saturday, but it is a lone bright spot as of late. He started the season as a title contender with a great start, but now he might be bounced by the round of eight.
13. Jamie McMurray (LW-11)- It's been fun watching CGR get a win at MIS (Larson) and JMac pointing his way in with four top 10's in the last five races. 
14. Tony Stewart (LW-NR)- Rules are rules so Smoke is in the Chase, but his last four races have been terrible. He did turn it on for awhile this season, but can he get that back and have one final run at another Championship?
15. Austin Dillon (LW-NR)- AD took a step this year and it paid off by making the Chase. A career high in top 10's (10), he has already doubled his previous high (5). 
16. Chris Buescher (LW-NR)- I think more people are mad Beuscher got in then Smoke, yet Chris won a race and ran all of the races... You can't fault a guy for playing by the rules and using strategy to get here. Plus, who in the final four spots really has a legit shot to win anyways? If you want to argue, argue that we have too many Chase spots. Congrats Chris!

2016 Week 22 Pit Road: Watkins Glen

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Cheez-It 355 at the Glen

Photo: NASCAR via Twitter

By Richard Tix

Monday mornings are never a man's best friend. After a weekend (for most) and a race on Sunday (most of the time), Monday hit's us all hard. Even if you enjoy your job, the thought of not having a full day to enjoy on your own for five full week days can drive a man crazy.

What is worse then Monday? A Monday to start an off week in NASCAR. After Watkins Glen NASCAR takes a week off before heading to Bristol August 20th. Hopefully they drivers and teams enjoy some much needed time off while we put in our time. They all deserve it in a NASCAR season that I would bet makes a man on a Cup team go crazy. 

They spend countless hours everyday working on cars, strategy, and fine tuning skills. All this in a season that last from February to November (and that's only counting the racing season and not the preseason work they put in).

So hopefully the drivers and team members enjoy their time while we try and pass the time until Bristol.

The upside to all of this is that when they come back we head into crunch time before the Chase. Bristol, Michigan, Darlington, and Richmond are the only thing between us and the 2016 Sprint Cup Chase. So many story-lines are starting to really pick up steam and are worth watching for the next four races. During those next four races we will take a look pre-race to review how it has played out.

Chris Buescher's Quest for the 2016 Chase

• Even after a disappointing race where he finished 30th, Buecher picked up three points on 30th place (David Ragan). Ragan was also part of a wreck and finished the race in 33rd. Ragan now has 295 points while Buescher sits at 292 total. The first time we went to Bristol this year Chris finished 21st and David finished 39th after engine issues.

The Chase for Points

• Every race that passes relieves some pressure for the guys without a win but on top of the points standings, but it adds in more pressure towards the bottom. Right now NASCAR has 12 winners. 11 winners in the top 30, one outside the top 30. So, if we ended today five non win drivers would get in, but if Buecsher gets into the top 30 that number reduces to four. So, how do we stand and who is in trouble? Newman currently leads the non win pack at 562 points. Elliott (-1 from Newman), Dillon (-2), McMurray (-12), and Larson (-42) follow behind. The top two or three guys should feel safe week to week, but with four races nothing is for sure right now. CGR is really in a hard spot here being 15th and 16th in. They passed the first scare when AJ Allmendinger didn't win at WG and moved the number to four in on points and potentially three when/if Buescher gets to the top 30. But if a new non winner pushes the number down both CGR cars could be the big losers. Next in line is Bayne (-8 behind 16th), Kahne (-11 behind 16th), and Blaney (-18 behind 16th).

The Chase for a Win

• The last guys above (Bayne (-8 behind 16th), Kahne (-11 behind 16th), and Blaney (-18 behind 16th)) need to start looking at needing a win to get in. Buescher holds the key for everyone, but if he makes the top 30 these guys will drop further down the standings, making a win even more important. The rest of the guys in the standings on down to 30th including Dale Earnhardt Jr (concussion) are also in a huge need of a win. If someone does pull it off it also will change the outcome of the above topic "The Chase for Points."

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 22 (Week 21)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- The consistency Rowdy has had lately is just too much to lose the top spot. In his last seven he has a win, two top 5's, six top 10's, and a 12th. Finish: 6th
2. Brad Keselowski (LW-3)- 28 laps led were the most on the day and his average running position was 6th. Yes, he got into Truex and the No. 78 team should be upset, but BK did take the blame and it was a late race situation. Every driver is at fault at some point. Finish: 3rd
3. Joey Logano (LW-4)- JoLo almost looked like he was going to repeat as WG winner, but Hamlin closed the door. The No. 22 team only has one win in 2016. Crazy. Finish: 2nd
4. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick lost the standings lead to BK after being involved in a late wreck. Tough luck during a season he hasn't been caught up in much rough luck. Finish: 32nd
5. Tony Stewart (LW-5)- This isn't just for novelty, Smoke is putting him in position to be a Chase threat for the Championship. SHR has shown they have the equipment and now Smoke is reminding us he is kind of good at this racing thing. Finish: 5th
6. Denny Hamlin (LW-10)- It's been a good season, he just won, and he is climbing the power rankings, but... But, his two wins on the season are Daytona and Watkins Glen. Win's are wins, but if I am picking a final four that reason above will have me leaving him out right now. Finish: 1st
7. Matt Kenseth (LW-6)- A nice top 10 at a track where he only holds a handful of top 10's. Nice way to leave road courses behind if you're Kenseth. Finish: 10th
8. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- 
9. Kyle Larson (LW-7)- The ending for Larson (and Truex) is just a script of hard racing at road course racing. It's what makes it fun, but also frustrating when you're having a good day like Kyle. Finish: 29th
10. Martin Truex Jr (LW-12)- See Larson above. Sucks when you have raced clean all day for that to happen late. BK made a mistake but I will say it did look like Truex may have been getting a bit loose already, BK just made it happen. Martin rallied to finish well. Finish: 7th
11. Carl Edwards (LW-9)- When a team has four drivers like Busch, Kenseth, Hamlin, and Edwards someone has to have a down week, right? Most have them have had low points in the season. The last six races would be considered a down point for the No. 19. Finish: 15th
12. Chase Elliott (LW-NR)- That finish was needed for the No. 24 team. One: AJ Allmendinger didn't win so its another race down without a new winner. Two: the got a nice finish at a road course to help them in the standings. After a nightmare run at Pocono that left with cloudy weather, the Chase forecast looks a bit better this week. 

Dropped Out: Austin Dillon (LW-11)

Just Missed: Trevor Bayne

2016 NASCAR Pit Road Week 1: Daytona

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Daytona 500

By Richard Tix

The 2016 NASCAR season has officially kicked off at Daytona. Speedweeks are over and the excitement of another opening race at Daytona International Speedway has come and gone. A long weekend of superspeedway testing, tuning, and practicing for the Daytona 500 has all lead to Sundays running of the great American race.

Everything kicked off with a Denny Hamlin Sprint Unlimited win last Saturday and then a Chase Elliot Daytona Qualifying Pole win last Sunday. Duels came and went with mixed results per fan review and finally we had the big one this Sunday.

However, the real "big one" that most fans know at superspeedways never came (which was a good thing).

Chase Elliott brought the field to green but was an early victim to some poor handling cars on longer runs. He spun out early and had his car saved until he hit the infield grass at which point his splitter took over leaving wreckage behind. He did get back out on the track, but his day was over.

A few others were also victims of poor handling cars later in runs including Daytona and fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr and "Amelia" (the name of this specific car/chassis).

The big story all day was how dominate the Toyota Camry's were, especially those of JGR. For most of the race they seemed to be the cars to beat. Even down the stretch a beat up and battered Carl Edwards #19 was at the front of the pack.

As the race came to a close it was a Toyota front pack with Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards all lined up along the bottom groove.

Eventually on the last lap Denny made his move when he saw the #4 of Kevin Harvick coming in the high line and thought it was his one shot at a win (Denny still claims he was blocking Harvick to keep him out of the top 3). It was the only shot Hamlin had at a win and he left the single line behind for a shot at the Daytona 500 win.

Well, he got a huge shot from Harvick in the top line and when Kenseth went high to block him he split the middle between the #20 and Truex. Kenseth tried to battle him but lost it and started to fall back.

Meanwhile Hamlin and Truex beat and banged down the front stretch and Hamlin, using a bit of side draft, just nudged out the #78 by 0.011 seconds at the line.

It was a fantastic finish to a quality Daytona 500. The loose cars left for a ton of entertainment and interesting strategy all race long. The first green flag stops came late in the race that also really shook a few things up down the stretch, but everything and everyone will remember this race for the finish at the line that will be talked about for years.

**2016 Daytona 500 Race Results

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 1 (Preseason)

1. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- I was high on Denny for 2016 heading into the year (just see last weeks Power Rankings). He came out with a bang after the Unlimited and Daytona 500 wins. JGR already looks strong, but it is hard to put a finger on how good they could be while at a superspeedway. Finish: 1st
2. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Next week will really show if JGR is continuing where they left off in 2015. If Daytona was any indication, the rest of the field has some catching up to do. Finish: 3rd
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Overlooked for the most part because of the finish, Harvick was the key pusher in the Denny Hamlin win. Finish: 4th
4. Joey Logano (LW-2)- He may not have the Championship at Penske, but he maybe the favorite on that team to win one in 2016. Finish: 6th
5. Martin Truex Jr (LW-10)- So, so close. I think a ton of NASCAR fan's were pulling for him on the front stretch. Putting the second place finish behind us, it looks like the relationship with JGR will do them well in 2016. Finish: 2nd
6. Carl Edwards (LW-9)- He struggled much of the day, especially compared to his teammates. However, he took his beat up car and still finished in the top 5. Finish: 5th
7. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- It was a quiet day for Kurt, but he was still towards the front when it counted. Finish: 10th
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW-4)- He led some laps, but in the end had some rough luck. They fought through and finished the race out with a decent spot. Finish: 16th
9. Matt Kenseth (LW-11)- Kenseth might deserve to be higher, but his last move sent him backwards. However, he had to make that move if he wanted to win, and that is what it is all about. I am just glad he saved it and the field didn't get wadded up in the process, applause for everyone on that. Finish: 14th
10. Ryan Newman (LW-12)- Who realized Newman finished 11th? With about 20 to go I thought to myself "they haven's talked about Ryan all day." Then noticed he was in back riding around. So to see him towards the top 10 in the final laps was amazing. Finish: 11th
11. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- Up and down day for the #2. BK was towards the front and also the back. He never could get up and run with JGR and eventually got stuck in the middle and the results show that. Finish: 20th
12. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- LarSON hung out towards the front a ton on Sunday. Didn't seem like he or JMac had enough for JGR, but they held their own. In the end it was a good start to 2016 for Kyle after a disapointing 2015. Finish: 7th

Dropped Out: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Just Missed: Kasey Kahne and Austin Dillon

Honorable Mention: Regan Smith (battled to a 8th place finish), Michael McDowell (took the non Chartered spot in the #59 and finished higher then Grandpa's boy (Ty Dillon). McDowell finished 15th), and Ryan Blaney (finished 19th but had the #21 in contention most of the day).

NASCAR leaves Daytona Beach and we start to really shape the 2016 at Atlanta Motor Speedway next week. Will someone top the JGR dominance next week? Will Harvick and Logano continue to be the strongest competition in the field? Will rookie Chase Elliott bounce back in his second start of his rookie season and at his "home track?" All these things will be fun all week leading up to the second race of 2016.