2015 Driver Spotlight Review: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick 2015 Review

By Richard Tix

2015 Preview

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.

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2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Paul Menard

Paul Menard 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

The 2014 season started the same as many seasons have for Paul Menard. Menard started the season out doing very well, picking up most of his top 10's in the first 15 races, and then the wheels fell off a bit.

Not to say Menard had a bad season, in fact his full season numbers were some of the best of his career. He ended with 5 top 5's (career high) and 13 top 10's (career high and first time in double digits). But, because of the new points system and Chase format that just wont get it done. He ended up finishing the season 21st in points which was his worst finish since 2010.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• Paul Menard had back to back quality season's now where he notched 3 and 5 top 5's respectively. On the stat sheet it doesn't look too bad, but I just don't think it will get it done when it comes to making the Chase with this format. I think in 2015 Menard will contend in a few races for a win (heck, he might pull one off), but will end up short of the Chase. A range of 3-6 top 5's, and 8-12 top 10's will be expected again. 

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2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Ricky Stenhouse Jr 2015 Preview

By Richard Tix

Ricky Stenhouse Jr is in a prime spot to succeed at the Cup level. He will be now entering his third year with Roush Fenway Racing (3rd year at the Cup Level as well) which is now slouch of a NASCAR Cup team. 

2014 seemed like it was a down season for RFR and it showed in Stenhouse's performance, but sometimes not everything can be put on the team. On that same team Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle also had slow (or down) season's, but both made the Chase. In fact, Edwards still managed two wins on the season.

So, I still expected more of a second year step for Ricky. However, he still improved in top 10's from 3 to 5 total. He also notched a top 5 early in the season at Bristol. But in the big picture he wasn't near as consistent as he was in his first season (2013). His average finish dipped from a respectable 18.9 in his rookie year to 22.4 in 2014. 

I personally see year three in most young NASCAR drivers careers a big year. I think the first three years can say a lot about a driver and where his career will go. It's not that a driver even has to "break out" in those three years, but its more important to see some steady improvement. 

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• As I said before, 2015 will come down to "does Ricky Stenhouse Jr improve." Will he improve enough that we can see him becoming an every year top 15 driver? Or will he just end up hanging out most season's in the 15-20 range? I don't think it is too bold to say he will improve a bit on his stats from 2014, but I don't think he jumps too much. I think his top 10 finishes will be around 5-8 in 2015. The bolder prediction is that I think he doesn't make a big jump in a season where I think RFR finds a bit more speed. I expect another slow season at RFR win-wise with Edwards leaving. 

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2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

2014 was Justin Allgaier's rookie season on the NASCAR Cup level. Most season's he would have had more attention come his way but he was in a class with Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson, two high praised rookies. 

JA may have been one of the most over looked drivers in the 2014 rookie class. But, JA was the next rookie in line after the two mentioned before. He ran 35 races in 2014 and didn't notch a top 10, but he did have 10 top 20 runs. 

The most impressive part of his 2014 season was that he ended the year with 8 top 20's in his last 15 races, including two top 15's. So, the season ended on a high note for a young driver with an under funded one car team.

I always use a three year progression when taking a look at new drivers. JA will enter into year two of three in 2015 and I will be looking to see if he can improve on his rookie campaign. What I would like to see in 2015 is JA running on average in the top 20 even more often. In 2014 he finished 8 races off with an average running position of 20th or better.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• I think Justin Allgaier will get his first top 10 this season, actually I could see him getting a couple. I could see a state line of 0 wins, 0 top 5's, 2 top 10's, 5 top 15's, and 15 top 20's. If that happens he would have taken a big step in the right direction, but it wont be easy as he is still with a small team.

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Paul Menard

Paul Menard 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Grade: C-

Once again 2014 started on a high note for Paul Menard. Not Daytona or Phoenix, but the next five races Menard had four top 10's (one top five). That prompted me to give Menard the spotlight during the regular season when NASCAR headed to Darlington.

"So far Menard has passed the early season test, but if he wants to avoid another season where he finishes around the 16th-20th spot in points he needs a good finish this weekend. If he can manage a quality win and maybe even a top 10 at Darlington we maybe talking about Paul Menards first season finishing in the top 15. If not, we might be able to just expect the same Paul down the stretch." -Season Spotlight

Turns out, Menard ran into some bad luck and finished 41st at Darlington. He never fully turned back to his early season success which has been a trend the last few years of his career. After Darlington he picked up only 9 more top 10's (28 races), in the first 8 races he had four top 10's. That's a dramatic percentage drop of for Paul when it comes to top 10 finishes.

It actually seems to happen more often then not. In 2013 he picked up 4 of his season total 9 top 10's before Darlington (race 11 in 2013). So, we are really just waiting for Menard to put it together for a full season starting at Darlington ever year (or about race 8-11). 

Menard ended up finishing the season 21st in points after not winning a race again in 2014. On a side note: Menard did win his first Nationwide race since 2006 this past season. Even through all the bad, Menard had an ok season. He had a child in 2014, which is exciting news for any driver. Paul also still managed to post new career high's in top 5's (5) and top 10's (13), yet notched a three year low in average finish position of 17.9. 

So, all was not lost in 2014 even though some of the season trends don't go his way. Paul could finally finish in the top 15 if he could just take early season success and continue it on after Darlington (race 8-11 the past few years). The most important thing going forward will be to find a way to win in the first 26 races. 

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

" 2014 will be year two in the Gen-6 car and Ford should make some kind of improvement. If Ford does find more speed in 2014 it should mean Carl can get back off to a fast start but will he continue it this time?" -Season Preview

That was my statement to start the 2014 season in Carl Edwards Driver Preview. The problem with that? Roush Fenway Racing Ford's did not find speed in 2014. Actually, the RFR Ford's may have been worse the year one in the Gen-6 cars. But, it wasn't just the Fords, as Team Penske was one of the fastest teams all season.

Something was missing at RFR and maybe that could have been the reason for Carl's end of the season news that he was moving to Joe Gibb's Racing. Or, maybe it was the fact that Carl knows JGR is a premiere NASCAR program right now and should have a huge bounce back in 2015? 

However, after stating all the downfalls of RFR in 2014 Carl Edwards still fought through and ended the season with two wins. Was he one of the fastest cars week to week? No. Was he always contending for a top 5? No. But, did he make the Chase? Yes. With 10 races to go in the season did he put himself in position to win a Championship? Yes.

That's where the high points might end for Carl, though. He only notched three top 10's during the Chase which just isn't enough to get it done. He also finished outside the top 15 five times in those ten races.

Carl Edwards did keep fighting in 2014 even though he could have easily had his mind set on a new team in 2015. As a whole RFR's season didn't go the way it was planned, but for Carl Edwards that will be a thing of the past in 2015. 

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B

"In 2014 Newman will be set to start fresh at Richard Childress Racing in the #31 Chevy. Newman is hoping a change in scenery will help him bounce back to the once promising career he had (He had 8 total wins in 2003). We have seen team changes work out for the best in the past, most recently with Matt Kenseth this past season. They can also be the last stop in a drivers career if it doesn't work out. So the next few years will be important for Ryan Newman and RCR." -Preseason Preview

Fast forward past the 2014 Driver Spotlight Preview, Newman has just finished his first season with RCR. It's easy to say he didn't have a bounce back, break out type season that guys like Matt Kenseth had in 2013, or Kevin Harvick had in 2014, but I don't think all was lost.

In fact, Newman took advantage of the new Chase system and with a solid season and very few terrible finishes he found himself in the Finale at Homestead-Miami. Some fans were upset with Newman in the Finale (many might be more accurate). He still had a chance to win his first NASCAR Championship without a win.

I think if he would have finished the highest at Miami most NASCAR fans would have had a hard time taking it. I may have even had a tough time and I have liked Newman since he days with Dodge and Penske. But, it didn't happen and I like the fact that you can get to the Finale in many different ways. If a favorite wins the next five years (assuming the Chase stays the same) and a guy like Newman wins the sixth year I think it will be easier to swallow. That's because I think some fans might come around to the possibility of a Cinderella or underdog after they see a majority of years a favorite wins.

But, lets move back to Newmans season and how he went as far as he did. Newman only had four finishes above 20th. Only 10 of his finishes were outside the top 15 all year. So, he may have only had 5 top 10's, but he had a total of 26 top 15 runs all season and didn't have many of those crippling 35th or higher finishes. In 2003 he won 8 races with an average finish of 13.9. In 2014 Newman had a career best average finish position of 12.7, which is better then that of his great 2003 season.

So, no NASCAR fans, winning isn't everything. It goes to show you can still get to the end with good points days, but at some point that may not be enough. All in all Ryan had a consistent season when his teammates struggled to put together back to back good finishes. If RCR gets a bit more speed in 2015 maybe he can notch a win or two again.

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: C-

Kurt Busch had a heck of a run in 2013 with Furniture Row. He helped bring that team a ton of success which may have helped them bring in Martin Truex Jr when Kurt departed. In 2014 he got another shot with a major team when he went to Stewart-Haas Racing. After the last few years of seeing competitive drivers move to a new team, jump right in, and run very well. Many thought Kurt might do the same as those drivers.

"That brings us to 2014, and Kurt Busch, for the first time in two seasons, will be back with a major team in NASCAR.  If we take a little walk down memory lane, some will remember that Kurt once had a streak of ten seasons with at least 1 win and that he also has won a NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in 2004. Now he will have a big team that is getting some top notch equipment and funding to back him while he drives the #41 Chevy."- 2014 Driver Spotlight Preview: Kurt Busch

Looking back on the preview, I would have to say 2014 was a let down for Kurt Busch. Things seemed to be looking up for him and he actually regressed (other than a win in 2014). However, lets take a look at the season he had in general. He started the season slow. In Kurt's first 13 races he had 11 finishes higher than 18th. Eight of those 11 were out of the top 25. That's just plan bad.

Fast forward and take a look at the remaining 23 races. Kurt only had 7 finishes outside the top 15 and only 5 of those were outside the top 25 (down from 11 in 13 races). Four of his eleven top 10's in 2014 came during the Chase. So, things started pushing into the right direction late for Kurt, which saved his season and why he didn't earn lower than a C-. Plus, he was given the benefit of starting fresh on a new team.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B-

Personally, going into 2014 I thought Kyle Busch was going to have a big year. I bought into it after he had a good end to the 2013 season. You can even notice it in my preview of him before the season:

"The 2014 season could be one of Kyle's best if he can take his Chase momentum and continue it all season long (and maybe figure out Kansas along the way). Kyle Busch has to be looked at as a driver ready to take down Jimmie Johnson and also one of JJ's biggest threats. A lot of young guns are hitting the prime of there racing career and Rowdy might be leading the pack." - Season Preview

However, for most of the season I was disappointing. I still think a lot of it had to do with the lack of speed in the JGR camp, more specifically the Toyota Racing Development camp. Not that Toyota's were the slowest thinks out there (looking at you Roush Fenway), but they just didn't have the consistent speed to stay with Hendrick and Penske (or anything with a HMS engine, Harvick). 

But in the end, no excuses. Rowdy tied an all time low in win's (1) and top 5's in his full time career (9). He also had his second lowest season total in top 10's (15. He had 13 twice). To add injury to insult, his average finish of 17.6 is his worst average since his rookie year (full time seasons only).

Not all was lost, though. Kyle finished the year with 6 top 10's in the Chase (3 top 5's). He was in a position to keep advancing in the Chase until he tried playing it safe at Talladega and got hit from behind during a caution, ruining his day and leaving him out of the Eliminator Round. At the end of the day, Rowdy had an off season but still had the chance to keep advancing with a bunch of top 10's during the Chase. He is one of many drivers looking to put 2014 behind him and move onto the new season.

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: B

Year two for Matt Kenseth at JGR. First up, lets take a look at my preview of 2014:

"So, normally you would figure year two a team can get stronger, but is that possible? I do think that even though Kenseth was strong he has room for improvement in 2014. The #20 team seemed to be inconsistent at times and blazing fast others. In 2014 it is very possible he will post more top 5's and 10's but might fall off in the wins category and yet it could be a good thing. Consistency is what matters at the end of the day as long as you can get a few wins in the Chase." -Season Preview

If you are wondering, Matt Kenseth in fact did have less win's in 2014, more top 5's, and more top 10's. He was consistent and it almost paid off in 2014 (even without a win). However, the key part of my preseason statement was "as long as you can get a few wins in the Chase." That didn't happen and Kenseth finished 7th in points to end the year.

It was pretty obvious going into 2014 that he wouldn't have as many wins as he did in 2013 (7), but I don't think anyone thought he would end up win-less in 2014. Overachieving with a new team in 2013 might be part of it. JGR having fast cars in 2013 might have been part of it. JGR having slower cars in 2014 might have been part of it. Heck, maybe Matt Kenseth is starting to get past his prime?

One thing is for sure, Kenseth just wasn't dominate in 2014. He was a front runner in many races as he proved with his 13 top 5's, 22 top 10's (most since 2007), and two Pole Awards. So not all was lost in 2014, but that zero in the win column (first time since 2010) will eat at Matt all offseason.

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: B-

2013 was a rough season for Denny Hamlin. He was involved in a wreck that caused him to sit out four races and he missed the Chase for the first time in his career. After going into Homestead-Miami win less he came out the final winner of 2013.

So, many optimists figured that win would kick start his run in 2014. However, that wasn't the case. In fact, Hamlin had another rough, long season where he only totaled 7 top 5's, 18 top 10's (which isn't too bad), and 1 win. That win was important because without it he would have missed the 2014 Chase for a second straight season.

Luckily for Hamlin, the Chase was expanded to 16 drivers and if you win you are a virtual lock to make it. Hamlin did get in and he made the most of the new format. He struggled through the first three races, but if you are going to struggle in the new Chase, it is best to do it early when there are 15 other drivers and only four get cut.  

In the next six Chase races leading up to Miami he had 5 top 10's (Talladega he finished 18th). At Phoenix he took the pole and finished 5th to lock in his spot into the finale.

So, after a rough season Denny Hamlin was in the spot to make a move on his first Championship. He did this by running well when he had to and making the most of an opportunity. I think it would have been a hard pill for some fans to swallow if Hamlin won (or Newman), but i think it will become easier over time. If for the first few years of this a deserving driver wins, I think an underdog winner will be more inviting, heck, I think it would be exciting.

As for Hamlin, he went into the finale knowing he won at Miami just a year prior, in fact he had some of the best prior statistics out of the final four at Miami. In the end he came up short finishing the season 3rd in points. It was the third time in his 9 year career (only full time seasons, doesn't include 2005 where he ran 7 races) that he finished the season 3rd or better. 

In the end, it wasn't the full season Hamlin was hoping for I'm sure, but in the end he almost got the result he wanted.

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2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Brad Keselowksi

Brad Keselowski 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

Season Grade: A-

BK had a rough and tough 2013 campaign that left him looking for more heading into 2014. He never could seem to get things going and missed the Chase just one race after he won the Sprint Cup title. 

"Keselowski did however pull it together in the Chase to steal a Win from Chase contenders and maybe get his spirits up for 2014.  So the big question in this Driver Spotlight is will BK regain his 2012 form and bounce back? I see no reason why BK can not bounce back and be a contender again. Even in a struggling 2013 season he still had glimpses of the Championship run which makes me believe he has it in him." -From 2014 Driver Spotlight Preview

Regain his form he did. BK started the season off finishing 3rd, 3rd and 1st while also grabbing his first of 5 poles. It became an early season trend for BK and Penske teammate Joey Logano to start up front or even on the front row. The two of them followed that up with 6 total poles (BK-5 and JoLo-1). 

After BK's hot start he hit a stretch where he just plain struggled and it looked like 2012 again (except he was already locked into the Chase with his win). However, in 2014 he turned it back around at Dover and had finishes of 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 1st in his next 6. 

Brad took that hot streak and won the final regular season race of the season at Richmond. The streak continued right into the Chase when he won the first Chase race at Chicagoland. Then came Charlotte.... I will not get into the full factors as much of us know what happened, but he left Charlotte with a small shot to advance and a lot of enemies going into Talladega, were its a wild card race.

Needing a win to have any shot at advancing, Brad charged to the front almost all day at Talladega and pulled off the exciting win to advance to the Eliminator Round (last eight). Things started out rocky when he finished 31st in the first race at Martinsville and things boiled over into the next race of the round, Texas. Knowing he needed a win and running third BK tried to take a "hole" between Gordon and Johnson in a late restart and it didn't work out. It left he and Jeff Gordon all but needing a win at Phoenix to advance to Miami.

As we know, neither driver advanced to Miami (where they would have lost to Harvick anyways). Even though he didn't advance to the final, 2014 has to be looked at as a huge success. BK got back on track and showed his style of racing to everyone. He may have picked up some new enemies along the way but he also picked up a Cup leading 6 wins in 2014 (His new career high). With that, BK also picked up a career high 17 top 5's and 20 top 10's (his second highest career mark). He was one of the fastest drivers on the Cup level all season but came up short finishing 5th in points. Next year it will be interesting to see if Penske can keep the speed up or if others will start to catch up.

• List of past Driver Sporlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: A-

"After the review of 2013, it is hard not to think that Jr has a shot to contend in 2014. In fact, these numbers probably make Jr Nation drool with the thought of him holding that Championship Trophy. It all starts at Daytona where Jr use to be dominate. In his last 5 starts at the Daytona 500 he has finished runner up 3 times, the other to he finished 24 (but won the Pole), and 27th"

That is how my preview of Jr ended before the season started. I had a feeling that Dale Jr would take his good run in the 2013 Chase and roll it over into a good run in 2014. On top of that we found out the news that his CC Steve Letarte would be leaving him for the booth in 2015. So this past season was going to be a fun ride for the #88 team.

Dale Jr's season started off with a bang winning the 2014 Daytona 500. He ran with that into the next two races and finished runner up in both. In the first 21 races Jr had 15 top 10's and 3 of his 4 wins. So the beginning of his 2014 season was everything Jr Nation could want and more. 

However, the last 15 races were not as smooth. In no way did he finish out 2014 poorly, but after such a hot start most fans expected more. He has just 5 top 10's in the last 15. He did notch his last win of 2014 at Martinsville. That win would have been even bigger if the beginning of his Chase hadn't had so many poor finishes, as it would have locked him into the final race at Miami.

So we leave 2014 behind as the Dale Earnhardt Jr and Steve Letarte era ends. How will Jr's future go without Steve at the helm? That will be a major story line heading into 2015 and might also show up on Jr's season preview.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Joey Logano

Joey Logano 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: A

"2013 was hands down Logano's best season in the Cup Series with new Career highs in average finish position, top 10's, and top 5's. It was a bumpy first season with Penske, but not because of a lack of chemistry. It seemed that other then problems with Nascar Officials and Rules that Joey fit right in at Penske. Penske now has two young drivers with something to prove in 2014. I think now that Penske has another year under its belt with Ford and the Gen-6 car, and Joey Logano is also in year two with them, that he will have once again his best season yet. Joey Logano might be one of the drivers this season that takes his driving up to the next level and is talked about week to week as a race contender." - My Preseason take on Joey Logano from the Preview

2013 was JoLo's first season with Team Penske and he showed new life as a NASCAR Cup driver. He did this in a season where Penske and Ford seemed to lack the speed to really keep up with the likes of Hendrick and Joe Gibbs.

Enter 2014. Joey just had his best season ever (I know, that's what I said in the season preview about 2013) and now will be considered a title contender in 2015. So how did he get there?

In 2014 Joey Logano was the second driver to get multiple wins (first was Harvick) and lock in his Chase spot for sure. Joey Logano had his first season with multiple wins in 2014 (5 total) after having just just 3 his first 183 races. 

Joey rounded out his 2014 season with 16 top 5's (career high) and 22 top 10's (also a career high) on his way to second career and second straight Chase appearance. Once in the Chase, Joey reeled off finishes of 4th, 1st, 4th, 1st, and 4th to start. His top 5 streak ended when he helped Brad Keselowski win at Talladega which left Joey finishing 11th (he was already locked into the next round). He fought through a tough race at Phoenix to get to the finale in Miami.

Once in the final he looked like the co-favorite with Harvick, but a rough pit stop late in the race where a jack-man dropped the jack and sent Joey to the back, ended his title run. Overall Joey had one heck of a season and made a run that not many saw coming. I think he takes that fuel and passion from this season and brings it back in 2015.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

2014 Driver Spotlight Review: Kevin Harvick

Kevin Harvick 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

2014 Preview

Season Grade: A+

Kevin Harvick spent 13 seasons, 466 races, and 135,115 laps with Richard Childress Racing before joining Stewart-Haas in 2014. That's 23 career wins, 100 top 5's, 209 top 10's, and 6 Poles all with one team. 

In 2014 he made a big move and left his long time team behind for his buddy Tony Stewarts team, SHR. Some wondered how the transition would go, myself included, but after watching Matt Kenseth make the move to JGR in 2013 and winning 7 races most thought it was possible for him to run well. 

"I think that Harvick will step into SHR just fine to start 2014. The past two seasons he has got off to a good start within the first ten races. In 2013 Harvick wasn't great, but he was very consistent to start the season (other then Daytona) so I don't see any reason that with a good team behind him and good parts his team can start off smooth. I only wonder about the long run at SHR. Will someone feel that they are not getting the best equipment? With the possibility of Danica and Kurt being left on the back burner while Owner and best bud get the best equipment will someone get upset?" -From the 2014 Kevin Harvick Preview

Looking back at my preview its crazy that I brought up equipment. Not that there is any indication Kurt Busch didn't have the stuff that Harvick had, but it was Harvick that ended up running the best with what he had, so was there anything there? I highly doubt it, but its interesting to look back at. I did think he would have a slow start at SHR (full disclosure), but that was anything from the truth.

Harvick stepped right into the #4 and won at Phoenix early on. Actually, Harvick dominated that race and proved how fast he could be with this team. The main issue early on was his bad luck and some bad pit stop mistakes. Harvick didn't find consistency early because it seemed like late in the race something would happen that set him back (Blown tire, slow pit stop, wrong place wrong time).

Going into the Chase that seemed like it would be a major concern, and then news broke that the #4 and #14 pit crews would swap places for the Chase. That worry seemed to go away and so did some of the bad luck.

Havick ended up winning 5 races (tied a career high), 14 top 5's (3rd highest career mark), and 20 top 10's (tied for 3rd in his career). The most interesting thing about the 2014 season is that Harvick put together 8 poles. In his career before SHR he has 6 total career Pole Awards in 13 seasons. So, he was consistently fast all season and seemed to figure out the new qualifying format early and often.

Oh, and Kevin Harvick also became a first time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion in 2014. Not a bad career move for "Happy."

• Want to look back at his Championship Season? Take a look at 2014 Chase Highlights

Driver Spotlight: Kasey Kahne

A Push to the Chase. 2014 Driver Spotlight on Kasey Kahne

By Richard Tix

Twenty races down and six races to go until the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase begins. It has been well stated that this year everything is different. NASCAR started the season off by shaking up the points criteria for qualification into the Chase. The main thing, "you win and you are in." Obviously that statement is only true with 16 winners and under (but most years it will be true).

The other big thing that changed (Not including changes during the Chase) is that 16 drivers now get into the Chase. Well, for Kasey Kahne he has to be looking at both scenarios right about now. With 6 races left in NASCAR's regular season Kahne still does not have a win but is sitting 17th in points and just 4 points back from Cup rookie Austin Dillon (Current Chase Standings).

That is cause for anyone to start to get nervious, but the good thing for Kahne is he is on the rise. At one point, I had serious concern for Kahne's chances at a Chase birth and was wondering what was wrong with the #5 team. 

So, here NASCAR heads to Pocono which is where Kahne's shaky early season came to a cross roads after he was involved in a wreck. He ended up finishing 42nd and had 4 top 10's (1 top 5) in 14 races at that point. But since NASCAR's last trip to Pocono everything for Kasey has been uphill excluding a 27th place Daytona finish where he was one of many cars involved in a crash (which we all know is a wild card track). 

Since Pocono he has 4 top 10's (1 top 5, two 6th's, and an 11th) and has climbed all the way to one spot out of getting a Chase spot on points. The big concern is going to be if a surprise driver from the group of guys in 13th-20th spot in points steals a win in the next 6 races. Every win that is stolen by a non 2014 win driver means "The Fight for Points" in at the bottom of the standings becomes even more heated. To this point, just remember guys like Tony Stewart and Clint Bowyer (and Marcus Ambrose, think Watkins Glen) still do not have a win in 2014.

So, Kahne is doing a great job fighting back and picking up points when he can, which could end up being enough, but a win would be huge for this team and lock them into the Chase. 

Even though he got caught up in a crash a Pocono last time around he does have two career wins there (last one in 2013). Also, at the remaining 6 tracks he has 7 career wins, so winning a race before the Chase is definitely not out of the question (Chasing the Chase in 2014).  

I do think Kasey Kahne will get into the 2014 Chase. Every race that goes by without a new winner in 2014 will mean better chances of getting in on points for all the win less drivers. Whats for an exciting last three races of the NASCAR regular season.

Driver Spotlight: Aric Almirola

2014 Firecracker 400 Winner Rain or Shine

By Richard Tix

It has been awhile since NASCAR Behind the Wall has released a driver spotlight (June 10th on Dale Jr). It has been even longer since Aric Almirola had his chance to shine in the spotlight (May 12, 2013).  Last year when NBTW spotlighted Aric he had just got done pulling off four straight top 10's but the nice thing about history and statistics is we can look back at that.

Almirola finished the 2013 season off with 6 total top 10's even after pulling of four straight from race 7 to 10. Maybe I am bad luck, or maybe Almirola lost whatever he had found during that stretch but either way he was disappointing at the end of the season.

Fast forward to 2014 for the Firecracker 400 and Aric Almirola was on a 124 race win less streak. As most of you know, that win less streak was his whole career. When the race started no one was picking him to win and no one thought that 30 years after Richard Petty won his 200th and final race that the #43 would be back in victory lane. 

Stranger things have happened, but in the NASCAR world the 2014 Firecracker 400 weekend has to be up there. A day full of on and off rain postponed the race on Saturday night until Sunday at 11 am. Then on Sunday a handful of red flags, large wrecks, and a rain shortened race capped off the week. But it was Aric who was sitting in the first position when NASCAR finally called the race, putting the #43 back in VL and giving him his first Sprint Cup victory.

This season starts the beginning  of a New Era in NASCAR where one win during the first 26 races gives you an almost automatic birth into the Sprint Cup Chase. So, Aric Almirola's first Cup win came at the perfect time.

Not only will Aric make his first Chase (most likely that is. He has to stay in the top 30 in points) but he will also give Richard Petty Motorsports it's first driver into the Chase. Since Aric has already almost locked himself into the Chase it also gives RPM the shot at two cars in the Chase if Ambrose can find a win on an oval (small chance) or get back on track at Watkins Glenn where he has won twice (2011 and 2012). 

One things is for sure when it comes to Almirola in 2014; Aric could have his best season in Cup this year. Everyone know's he just notched his first win, but he also has two top 5's (career high) and 4 top 10's (tied for second in career high). He still hasn't shown huge improvement from season to season, in fact his career averages have been about the same the past three years. But, with his win at Daytona all that matters is the last 10 races of the season.

Will Aric Almirola win the 2014 Sprint Cup Title? No. But, as I have stated in my New Era article, it gives guys like him a chance to shine if only for a little while. Just think about how much more his name will be brought up when talking about the Chase later this year? In my opinion that should have some effect on sponsorship and can only be a good thing for the little teams and for NASCAR as a whole.

Driver Spotlight: Danica Patrick

2014 Driver Spotlight on Danica Patrick

By Richard Tix

Danica, Danica, Danica. Here on NASCAR Behind the Wall we have not taken advantage of the huge Danica following by taking advantage of Danica herself. I have not created a Danica article just because I know it will get looked at over and over again. But, its time for Danica's time in the NASCAR Behind the Wall Spotlight.

She is a polarizing figure in the NASCAR world. Macho men say there is no place for girls, Women say why can a women drive, and then there are the people stuck in the middle. Fact is, she hits a demographic in the fan base that is normally not tapped into.

Many fans say the fan base is shrinking, if so, where would we be without Danica? It doesn't matter if she is in 10th or 30th NASCAR media will target her out and make sure everyone knows whats happening in her world. Well, this past Saturday, it was because Danica was in 10th (or better!).

Saturday night at Kansas Speedway Danica started the race off 9th; just one week after qualifying 7th at Talladega. That in itself is a huge win for Patrick as she started top 10 for the third time this season, only one of those being a Superspeedway (Martinsville, Daytona, Kansas). Just to note, all of SHR started out in the top 10 and only Kevin Harvick finished better then her.

In 2013, Danica only qualified once in the top 10, and that was the first race of the season. So in 2014 the first key to her success is starting out front. After Kansas Qualifying many still doubted her (me included) because we have seen her have a decent start, but fall back. The quote that she is sitting back and learning has been used a lot, but many times people are looking for more, they expect more out of a second year driver.

Well, Danica gave them that at Kansas. In the middle of the race, there she was still sitting back learning in 10th place. With 50 laps left in the race she was still sitting back there in the top 10 learning. Then on the last lap Danica was still sitting back there learning and finishing 7th. 

Danica Partick finished 7th at Kansas. That 7th place finish was her best career finish in a Cup car, including the 2013 Daytona 500 when she took the Pole and finished 8th. Everyone made a big deal the week before when she led a lap at Talladega, but that was a minuscule accomplishment compared to her Kansas run.

We know she can figure out a Superspeedway, but we see small team drivers with small funding win at these tracks from time to time. The real accomplishment is how well she ran on a fast Saturday night at Kansas. It isn't just the fact that she ran well at a non Superspeedway, but she did it on a track and a night that it seemed like all the other drivers were spinning out with no help (bumping or nudging, maybe some aero). 

She spent 92.9% of the race in the top 10 on Saturday. That is hands down the best percentage she has had at a non Superspeedway track in her career. Not only that, but without seeing the stats I bet most of that time was actually in the top 10. Her average running position was 10th on the night and she had 44 quality passes (If you want all the loop data, check our racing reference). 

Enough about Kansas though, this isn't a one race spotlight. How about the 2014 season in general. At this point last year (11 races) she had 1 top 10 (Daytona), 2 top 15's, and 3 top 25's. So far in 2014 she has 1 top 10, 2 top 15's and 6 top 25's. Looking at that stats, no it isn't a huge difference, but there is definitely and improvement this year. 

I don't think many fans give her the credit that she is improving, but would rather take the easy shot at her when she is running 30th. The fact is, she has been getting better results in year two and because she is a cash cow she wont be going anywhere unless she chooses to.

My Take:

I have always been tough on Danica, but not just for the normal reason's. I think there are more deserving drivers in a lower ride or even without a ride that would love her spot. I understand that from SHR's view they need someone who will put a sponsor on that car, so she is an easy choice, but I think it is the easy choice. She could bring that sponsor to any team and help bring up a lower tier team just with sponsor money. Meanwhile, SHR could try a bit harder to get sponsor's for another driver in her place.

But, its not really her fault she has the ride she has, NASCAR is all about money. So I do not blame her for that. However, I am critical in that fact that she should not get a different point of view when it comes to learning as others. Every polarized driver (Man or Woman) should be created equal. In ANY drivers second year I expect to see some kind of improvement or I will start to be critical. The Kansas run was very impressive, and I have given her all kinds of credit for that (and credit for having a better start to the 2014 season in general) but I still expect more out of her. 

This is not because she is a girl, but because she has a year under her belt. I want to see her start contending for top 15's at some point and not just riding around learning. I think Danica has the motivation to be a top 15 driver but we just have to start seeing it on a more consistent basis. Maybe Kansas is the tipping point and the #10 team has it all figured out?

I do think Danica is good for the sport and that is the other reason I am critical. If she doesn't continue to show that she can contend in the top 15 on a more consistent basis (like Kansas and Superspeedways) the pressure may amount to the point where she leaves NASCAR. Obviously if I think she is good for the sport, leaving is not a good thing. Danica not only brings in new viewers but with those new viewers new sponsors can enter the market. More sponsors could lead to some smaller teams who are not struggling as much and maybe can start to contend. But all of this is dependent on Danica competing and not just riding around learning, at some point she just has to drive.

More NASCAR Behind the Wall Articles:

• Driver Spotlight: Jeff Gordon
• Driver Spotlight Archive
• Power Rankings
• This Week in NASCAR: 5/12

Driver Spotlight: Greg Biffle

2014 Driver Spotlight on Greg Biffle

By Richard Tix

News broke Monday 5/5 this week that Clint Bowyer has reach a contract extension with Michael Waltrip racing and also with 5 Hour Energy. Bowyer got a multi, 3 year deal with both team and sponsor, so who did that leave in the contract spotlight?

The obvious answer is Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle. Both Roush Fenway Racing drivers are in the last years of there contracts and could be moving after the season. Most would think that RFR would not want to lose both drivers in the same season, but so far in the 2014 season we have only heard rumors of the two side working on a new deal.

Biffle has been with the team his whole career and this could be a key season for him with the contract talks on the line. Should he look to see if another opportunity would open up that could give him one last shot at a title, or should he stay with the stable option that he knows?

One thing is for sure, his 2014 season has started to turn around after a slow start. Biffle left Daytona confident finishing 8th but for the next 5 races he rolled downhill, at one point finding himself 20th in points.  After hitting that low the Biff has turned his season around.

In his last 4 races he has 3 top 10's and two top 5's (2nd, 5th, and 6th) with Talladega being one of his best races. Biffle lead 58 laps on Sunday and looked like one of the cars to beat down the stretch. In the end, a late caution came out to end his chances and he finished 2nd. 

In that four race stretch his lone non top 10 was a 15th place finish at Richmond. After 10 races in the 2014 season Greg Biffle has climbed all the way back to 8th in the Cup Standings. A lot of this is due to just how much better he is running. 

In his last 5 races his average running position during races is 11.4 which is much better than the 20th average during his first 5 races. So he isn't just finishing better but as a whole he is running closer to the front for more of each race. More proof of this? During the last 5 races he has run 1,209 laps in the top 15 (of 1,802 total laps in those 5 races) compared to 611 laps in the first 5 races (1,472). This includes the Texas race where he ran all 340 laps in the top 15.

So, the next step for Biffle is getting a win in 2014 so he can know he will be in the Chase at least one more time with RFR. After that, it will be a waiting game while both sides decide if a deal can be done or if the two party's will move there separate ways.


More Articles

• 2014 Contract Year
• This Week in NASCAR: 5/5
• Driver Spotlight: Jeff Gordon
• Driver Spotlight Archive

Driver Spotlight: Jeff Gordon

2014 Driver Spotlight on Jeff Gordon

By Richard Tix

NASCAR is on a week break after the first 8 races of the season. Once we get back to racing NASCAR heads to Richmond International Raceway and Jeff Gordon will head there as NASCAR's leading Points Driver.

I thought it only perfect to pick Gordon for the next Driver Spotlight since he is the points leader, even though he doesn't have a win on the season yet (Preseason Driver Spotlight on Jeff Gordon). If history repeats itself Gordon most likely wont leave Richmond with a win either. JG does have two career wins at RIR but none since 2000.

However, he does have a good shot to leave RIR still with the points lead (Jeff Gordon RIR Career Stats). He has 10 top 10's in his last 14 starts at RIR (including 6 top 5's). So Gordon can continue his improbable run as point leader without a win in a season that NASCAR says wins are everything (The Fight for Points). 

In a season that started with rumors of Gordon retiring if he wins a Championship, this year couldn't have started on a better note. Gordon has been the most consistent driver in Cup so far but just can't seem to dominate a full race, or when it matters, the last lap.

However, I do believe spots will still be open after 26 races for drivers to get in on points, and the way it looks Gordon maybe the strongest of those drivers (that is, if he doesn't win by then). I think Gordon is one of the biggest surprises of the early 2014 season, and that is a big statement because he has always been a threat and top competitor.

2014 NASCAR Behind the Wall Power Rankings
#24 Jeff Gordon
Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6	Week 7	Week 8
7	5	4	2	3	5	1	1

We have now got far enough into the season to take a look at drivers rankings from week to week in NASCAR Behind the Walls Power Rankings. As it happens, Jeff Gordon has also been one of the most consistent drivers in the Ranking in 2014. He is one of five drivers to be in the rankings every single week (Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr).

Through the first quarter of the season his average Power Ranking Position is 3.5 and he has currently held the top spot for two weeks straight. He is the only driver other then Dale Jr to hold the top spot more then one week (Jr has had it for four weeks total). It will be interesting to see if his consistent streak continues.

So, what will the rest of 2014 bring for the #24 team? Will he continue his hot streak and stay points leader while all the drivers who get a win gamble week after week and lose out on points? Will he get a win in 2014? And the big question, can he contend for a Championship once again?

NASCAR Articles:

• Driver Spotlight: Paul Menard
• Driver Spotlight: Casey Mears
• Preseason Driver Spotlight's