2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 36: Homestead

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

What a year it has been. This year has been a huge transition on Behind the Wall. Real life changes and priorities have really taken away from the content on here which sucks, but life goes on. Thankfully this site started as a hobby for me to keep me closer to the sport I loved following. It developed into a bit more with it providing a better platform to get my opinion out that couldn't get done on twitter (pre-280 character counts!). This year it basically broke back down to the basic's (Power Rankings and Race Prviews) and even then it was a struggle to get those done, but I still had fun with it and that's what this is all about.

Know what else was fun? The 2017 season. I have never actually called myself a Martin Truex Jr fan, but always thought he was a great guy, one of the good guys in the garage. So to have a season like this for him and his team is something special and I am glad we all got to watch it unfold week by week. 

From the start this was a fun season. We started with five different winners before Brad Keselowski became a multi winner in the sixth race, then Jimmie Johnson won his first and second in back to back races. Following JJ going back to back Joey Logano locked his name into the playoffs just to have it taken away and give the NASCAR world a fun word of the year: "encumbered." From there we moved on and had winners like Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Ricky Stenhouse Jr TWICE, Kasey Kahne, and Ryan Newman just to shake things up. Story lines all around, the year had twists and turns that many may have forgotten just because Martin Truex Jr was so dominate once he got on a roll after all the early season drivers got wins out of the way. Before we got to the Toyota takeover it looked like Team Penske, Kyle Larson, and JJ would be able to get it done all year long, but people forgot that because, after all, NASCAR has a LONG season. 

However, it's a good thing the season will be known for a dominant No. 78 team and not how some drivers thought Toyota had an advantage, because Martin Truex Jr and that team deserve it to be that way. Little other things will be remembered about the 2017 season, but Truex and his story will be up there in everyone's memory bank. As will Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, and Danica Patrick stepping away from full time Cup driving at season's end. Each are stepping away because of different life path's, but each deserve to be remembered in there own light because they all provided NASCAR and it's fans so much enjoyment. They all brought so much to the table over their careers in NASCAR and have helped shape the sport we watch every weekend. 

We maybe heading into another offseason and one without some core drivers of past, but plenty of news will be coming out every week to keep us going and new stars will start to shine. Luckily NASCAR has one of the shortest offseason's around so even when it feels like a long time, it really isn't as bad as it could be. So, brace yourself, NOD (NASCAR Offseason Disorder, credit @ANNOYINGRACEFAN) is a real thing...

Check back because I do plan on doing some Team Reviews, then Team Previews, and also a spot where you can catch all the offseason team/driver changes.

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 36 (Week 35)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- What a story. What a race. It started out slow, but Martin and the No. 78 team persevered through and in the end they ended up the car to beat, just like every other week. Martin, his wife, and the team have gone though a ton of adversity and stayed humble through the whole thing so it was a great Championship win for them as a whole.
2. Kyle Busch (LW-3)- They had the car to beat from the middle of the race on. They made a pit call during stage three that played a minor role, but they still got up front anyways. In the end the 78 was just too strong late in the race, just like all season.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Harvick did what he could. He stayed up front all day, ran his line from light to dark, and hung tough. In the end it wasn't enough to compete with the two best cars all season long.
4. Matt Kenseth (LW-5)- Always overlooked. One day we will look back on his career and think "how didn't we hype what he was doing more?" It's because he just gets the job done. I always called him the most consistent driver on the track week in and week out. He is a future Hall of Fame driver who helped pave the way for today's NASCAR whether he tried or not (playoff system). It was nice to see him go out and win at PIR and follow it up with a strong 8th at Homestead where he hung up front a bunch but just couldn't crack the lead.
5. Chase Elliott (LW-6)- No win in 2017, but that overshadows what a great season Chase had. Kyle Larson in his third full year did have a win, 10 top fives, 15 top tens, and an average finish of 14.7, but Chase beat him in almost every category. Chase didn't get the win, but had 12 top fives, 21 top tens, and and average finish of 12th. So, lets not downplay what Chase accomplished this year just because he still doesn't have a win.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-4)- BK just didn't have enough. Early in the race they pitted before everyone to throw off the strategy and get track position. That worked, but it wasn't enough by the end of the night. BK almost matched his statistics from 2016, but the top cars were just that much better.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-7)- Homestead was the first race since Dover that Hamlin hadn't led a lap and that's after taking the pole this past weekend. However, he still ran well all day and even to close the season.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- Larson may have been able to contend for the win on Sunday, but we will never know as he hung back late in the race and let the battle for the Championship play out for the most part. Leading a races best 145 laps is a good way to go into the offseason after the teams rough skid to end the year.
9. Joey Logano (LW-NR)- What a rough way to find rock bottom, but the No. 22 team was much better on Sunday (finishing 6th) and started to put it together down the stretch. If the last three races mean anything for 2018, it is that JoLo may get back to his norm.
10. Ryan Blaney (LW-8)- The Homestead finish is not how Blaney and the Wood Brothers wanted to finish their pairing, but it is what it is. They had a better than expected playoff run which was good to see from both parties.
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-11)- Ricky finished with four straight top 15's (two of them being top tens). His stat line for 2017 was almost all career best down the line, so even though it felt like another poor season, it was a bit of a step forward.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-10)- One last time for ole Junior. If he had a choice, I'm not sure this is how he would have wanted to end his career running, but you could tell in his voice he still soaked every second of this season up on and off the track. The crowd roaring when he makes a move at Daytona will sorely be missed, but his voice of the sport won't be going anywhere. Thanks for the fun ride Junior!

Dropped Out: Erik Jones (LW-9) and Austin Dillon (LW-12)

2017 NASCAR Week 36: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway

By Richard Tix

What to Watch For

All Eye's on the Championship Four

• This is a no brainer, of course we're watching to see who round's out the 2017 as the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Champion. Will it be a first time Champion who has absolutly dominated the field most of the year (Martin Truex Jr) or will it be one of the other three all trying to become multi Champions? Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Brad Keselowski have all each won just one Cup Championship and want to make sure no one thought their first was a fluke. Busch, Harvick, and Keselowski are the only drivers not named Jimmie Johnson (2013 and 2016) to have won a Championship since 2012 when BK won. So, you have the most dominate driver of 2017 up again three of the best drivers in the last five years, so it should be fun.

Dale Earnhardt Jr

• Even for a star that is as bright as Junior, this final season hasn't seemed to be as focused on him as I thought it would be. Part of that is because he spent the early season trying to get speed for the weekend. However, all the tributes have been a nice touch (including the Budweiser video that hits you right in the feels). If you haven't watched "One Last Ride" by Budweiser, go do it now (Follow the link), trust me you won't regret it. No words can truly describe the impact he has made on the sport whether you're part of Jr Nation or not. He is one of those rare drivers that actually transcended the sport and has actually been a main stay in pop culture during his entire career. Thankfully we will still see him (and hear him) around a ton, but he will still be missed wheeling around a Cup car on Sundays.

Matt Kenseth and Danica Patrick's Final Ride?

• We know it's Junior's last Cup race (at least in a full time season, time will tell if he gets an itch to run a one off), but not as certain future days lie ahead for Kenseth and Patrick. Kenseth has all but said he most likely won't be back in 2018 because he just can't find a good offer with a quality team. It's a sad reality in today's NASCAR where opportunity, sponsors, and teams trying to cut cost's all play a larger factor than a Championship driver who still wants to drive does. If it is his last ride, it was a fun career and we got to see him go out with a win at PIR last week. 
• Danica's future is even murkier. We know for a fact she will not be in the No. 10 in 2018, as that ride it being taken over by Aric Almirola next year. So, that also means we know she won't be back with SHR. What we do know is she has made a huge impact to the sport of NASCAR and it's diversity in the fan base that is hard to actually quantify. She has been a polarizing figure and if it is her last run on Sunday, it will be a big loss especially considering we may already be losing Kenseth and are losing Earnhardt Jr on the track. 

Championship Preview

Martin Truex Jr. - No. 78

• Martin hands down had the best season as anyone did in 2017. Coming into Homestead he has seven wins (a NASCAR best), 18 top fives (a NASCAR best), 25 top tens (a NASCAR best), three poles (third best in NASCAR), and he led 2,175 laps (a NASCAR best). Not a bad season if I'd say so. In the first two rounds he locked himself into the future rounds by a win (Charlette in round one and Kansas in round two). Last round Martin proved just how important all the bonus race win and stage win points really were all season as they easily helped him advance on points. In fact, they were such a help he was locked into the finale at Homestead on points before Phoenix even dropped the green flag last Sunday. He is the favorite this weekend just because of how hot his season has gone and because Miami is a 1.5 mile track. Last year he finished 36th (wreck) in this race and this hasn't always been his best track so the other drivers do have a glimmer of hope.

Kevin Harvick - No. 4

• Harvick won Texas and posted two other top fives in the final round just to remind people he is still a Championship caliber driver. Now he heads to Homestead and people are finally talking about him. However, all season he has been hanging around posting consistent finishes while SHR got adjusted to it's new manufacturer in Ford. Going into the finale Harvick still has two wins, 13 top fives, and 22 top tens in what most would call a down season for him. Sometimes I laugh at his "closer" nickname some people have given him, but this weekend it really might be a legit thing. His last three finishes at Homestead are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd so Harvick isn't a "dark horse" this weekend, but rather a legit championship contender.

Kyle Busch - No. 18

• Rowdy posted his second season with five wins in the last three years and it's the third time he has 5 or more in his career (eight in 2008). 2017 also marked the 13th straight season he posted a win (at least one in every full time season he has run in Cup). Last year he finished 6th at Homestead and the year before that he won the race and the Championship, so we know Kyle can get it done. He has had a bit of consistency issues during the Playoffs, but at Homestead it won't matter. This No. 18 team has been one of the fastest teams all year so just like the two above, they have a legit shot at becoming the 2017 Champions.

Brad Keselowski - No. 2

• Keselowski may be the only true underdog of the four Championship drivers, but that doesn't mean he doesn't belong to be here. BK is limping in after and up and down day at PIR that included being out, in, out, and back in the Championship four, but the 16th place finish was by far his worst finish and run all playoffs so the No. 2 can still get it going. BK still goes into Homestead with three wins, 15 top fives, and 20 top tens this season which isn't too shabby considering how dominate Toyota was compared to Ford. Last year BK ended his day at Miami in a wreck finishing 35th, but in the three races before that here he finished 3rd, 3rd, and 6th. BK has yet to win at Homestead, but in 2015 he led 86 laps and showed he can be a front runner here when it matters most.

2016 Pit Road Week 36: Homestead

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

One last time. One final time to strap in, get focus, and get on getting on. Yes, one last power rankings for the 2016 season after one last time Cup drivers strapped in for the year to wheel it around the track. 

As the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season comes to an end, so will the Behind the Wall Power Rankings. That is, they will be ending for the offseason and until we get back into the mix of things just a few short months away. 

On Sunday NASCAR crowned a 2016 Champion. This time around it felt like a guy who hadn't won a Championship's in ages who finally won again, yet it was Jimmie Johnson who is now a seven time Cup Champ and not that far removed from his last one (2013).

One would think seven Championships, 80 career wins, 218 career top 5's, and 330 top 10's in 543 races would be enough to be considered in the realm of Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, yet I saw a lot floating around social media after Sundays historic win. 

Some fans went from "NASCAR rig's races so Toyota wins" to " NASCAR rig's races so Jimmie Johnson wins." I am not sure how both happen, but I can tell you neither are true and both are laughable.

I also saw a lot of "well, Johnson never won a Championship before the Chase so because I don't like the Chase he can't be as good at the King or Senior who won in points system's."

Yeah, these things have been said by fans of the sport, a sport they claim they love.

Let me tell you, 80 career wins do not come because of the format or by NASCAR scripting the seasons. 80 career wins comes from a lot of hard work, teamwork, overcoming odds, and talent. No matter if you love or hate JJ, he is one of NASCAR history's best and didn't need the win Sunday to prove it. 

When it comes to who is NASCAR's best, it will all come down to perception and opinion (which go hand in hand folks). It's just like in any other sport, different era's produce different legends and comparing the era's is no easy task and most the time shouldn't be done. Life is much easier when you just appreciate greatness for what it is, during the era it is in, with the moments task's in front of it.

The King raced in an era where pushing the rule book was a bit easier then today, but if you weren't pushing it you were't really racing. He drove the butt off his car and had the engineering to do so. Car's were as close to street/stock cars as you could get and were not easy to handle. It was a time where one car and only one car could end up on the lead lap and win by miles (not seconds). 

Senior was the ultimate "Intimidator," and if that didn't work he would physically move you out of the way. However, even if he wasn't moving you he was one of the best at wheeling it around a track. Car's were much closer in competition then in the King's day, but still had clear advantages over others. He was taken too soon from family, friends, and fans which always leaves us wondering, "what if?"

Then we have Jimmie. You can argue that competition is as close at it has ever been in NASCAR's history. Any given week guys from Hendrick, JGR, Penske, Furniture Row, or Stewart Haas could win. Throw in the years where RFR and RCR were factors and you begin to realize that JJ really has fought through a ton of competition over his career. 

In 2002, JJ's first full season at Cup, it was still the Winston Cup Series. Guys like Tony Stewart, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, and Kurt Busch were all going strong. Older veterans like Rusty Wallace, Ricky Rudd, and Dale Jarrett were all still around and finishing in the top 10 of points. 

Johnson finished second in the famous 2003 season where Matt Kenseth won the Championship with one win and changed the season scoring forever (to the Chase). 17 different drivers won that year, which is often overlooked because people always focus on a one win Champion. 

Thirteen drivers won a race in 2006 when JJ won his first Championship. Sixteen won a race the following year when he went back to back. Twelve more won in 2008 including Kyle Busch with eight and Carl Edwards with nine.

Look, the list goes on and on when it comes to competition vs Jimmie Johnson. He has never had it easy, yet he has made it look easy at times. Sometimes in those moment's you forget just how great he has been because it looks so easy. Add in having a top notch Crew Chief and teammates and you have a dynasty on your hands.

Seven is the magic number and no matter how you look at it, it's impossible to compare the three. Each are great in their own way. Each paved a spot in NASCAR history. Each should be respected as an all time great in NASCAR history.

Congrats Jimmie Johnson on number seven, it will be fun to follow along and see if number eight is in your future. Now, eight it the magic number.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 36 (Week 35)

1. Jimmie Johnson (LW-3)- The King. The Intimidator. Jimmie. All seven time Champion's, all NASCAR greats. The numbers will speak for themselves in the future when fan's look back.
2. Joey Logano (LW-1)- That's three straight season's where JoLo has been a legit title contender in the Chase. He now has 12 wins in the last three years, so a Championship seem's like it is right around the corner.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Harvick missed out on Homestead, but had another fantastic season from start to finish. Some consistency issues plagued him in the Chase but he almost persevered. The switch to Ford will be interesting.
4. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- After a title that some fans didn't want to except, Kyle came back and proved it was legit by being one of the best cars all year. Rowdy paired with JGR should lead to more Championships in the near future.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-9)- The standings show 12th, but until he was knocked out of the Chase he was one of the fastest, most consistent drivers all season. However, if you look at his career he has been on an every other year streak where wins come and go. Can he break it in 2017?
6. Carl Edwards (LW-4)- Carl had to do what he had to do. In that pressure filled moment his mind said block. To outsiders it may look like the "wrong" move, but it was his Championship on the line and he obviously thought it was going to work. No fault in that, those are the moments that define people and sport.
7. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- 2016 was a step back from 2017, but Kenseth still made a push to be a title contender. It's tough when you're the older veteran on a JGR team that is stacked with talent and you can only get two cars into the final out of four.
8. Kyle Larson (LW-10)- We have seen this story before, Kyle Larson finishes the season strong, he gets a bunch of talk all offseason, and the next year comes out flat (hint hint rookie season). He finished this year off with finishes of 3rd and 2nd, can it finally roll over into next year?
9. Chase Elliott (LW-8)- Following up one promising young gun with another. Chase had a heck of a rookie season and looks to having a promising rise ahead. Ten top 5's and 17 top 10's is no easy feat as a rookie. Chase looks to be the future of Hendrick and has plenty of guys around him to help him along the way.
10. Denny Hamlin (LW-6)- Every year JGR is the hardest team to predict. 2016 was another good season for Denny, but in the end it was Carl and Kyle who got into the Finale. Next year it could be Denny and Matt, who knows?
11. Kurt Busch (LW-11)- It was a heck of a run for a guy I thought was too inconsistent to advance as far as he did. I no way do I think he had a bad year, but he just never had a car I thought was a winning car. So, really, I think he probably overcame a lot to put up the stats he did without a winning car.
12. Tony Stewart (LW-NR)- One last time. Smoke had one last ride around Homestead-Miami and he will get one last run on Behind the Wall's power rankings. It was a fun career and we will miss him on the track, but it is comforting to know we will still get him in doses around the track. He did everything on his terms and that is something to respect in 2016. Congrats on a great career Smoke.

Thanks for sticking with Behind the Wall all season long! I appreciate everyone of you that comes by to check out the site. The interaction on Twitter and other social media platforms makes this all worth it as a fan of the sport.

Come back all offseason as we fight through "NOD" as I review all of the drivers and start getting preseason content up and going. It feels like a long offseason, but it is only a few short months away in actuality, so together we can make it to 2017!

2016 NASCAR Week 36 Preview: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Homestead-Miami Speedway

By Richard Tix

The year is 2011. The race is the Daytona 500. A new racing season where everyone is hopeful to make a Championship run and writing their own story in NASCAR history. Little did we know at the time, but a win by rookie Trevor Bayne at the Daytona 500 would be shadowed by the way the season ended. 

Bayne's win marked the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500. Just one day after his birthday, Bayne won the 500 at just 20 years and one day old. It was an amazing moment for him and also Wood Brothers as it was the first time since 2001 that a Wood Brothers car got to grace Victory Lane at any track, let alone the historic Daytona International Speedway.

What a start to an epic season that no one could ever script.

The race is the GEICO 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. It's the first race of the 2011 Chase and 26th race of the season. Just in his third year as owner/driver at Stewart-Haas Racing Tony Stewart won the first Chase race to get off to a nice start on his quest to a third Cup Championship. His hot streak continued onto Loudon where he won again. Those two win's were astonishingly his first two of the season.

Smoke then went on a four race streak where he had an average finish of 13.75 with two top 10's (8th and 7th). Smoke headed into Martinsville on his heels with four races left and 19 points back of Carl Edwards who had a nice cushion on his own quest for his first Championship (closest was Matt Kenseth back 14 points at that point). 

Here is where most fans forget that the 2011 season started with a shocking win by Bayne, because Tony Stewart put everyone's memory on his accomplishments following the next four races. Smoke reeled off three wins in those next four races (Martinsville - win, Texas - win, Phoenix - 3rd, Homestead - win) including a win at Homestead-Miami where Carl Edwards finished second. 

During that span the pressure changed from all on Smoke to all on Edwards heading into Homestead and neither backed down. Going head to head with a Championship on the line, finishing one and two, and tying in season points, nothing was left on the table. Who would have thought a season starting with a 20 year old winning NASCAR's biggest race ending in a tie in the final moments?

Because Stewart won five races on the season (amazingly all in the Chase) he won the tie breaker against Carl Edwards (one win on the season). It was an exciting moment where Stewart became a driver/owner Champion and will go down as one of the most heated Championship battles ever. 

Just as Tony Stewart road off into the sunset at Homestead in 2011, he will do so again after this season's Championship race. This time he does not have a Championship on the line. No Smoke narratives that defy the idea's of Hollywood script makers everywhere. Just plain Tony. The fun loving guy when he is having fun. The aggravated, yet passionate guy when he is frustrated. A guy who wear's it all on his sleeve no matter the up's and down. That is the guy who will ride into the sunset after this Homestead trip.

He won't be in a car, but I don't think he will let us forget he isn't still around, that isn't his style. So, soak in one last race with Tony Stewart wheeling it into turn three and coming out of turn four. Let it sink in how open and genuine he is about the sport even when he is being a critique and never forget you got to witness one of the best drivers to ever wheel it driving a NASCAR Cup car. Because, he wasn't just a NASCAR driver but a racer, a pure, passionate, fun loving, heated, hard nosed driver of anything he could get his hands on.

**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

• Kevin Harvick - The past two years he has needed good finishes at Homestead and he got it (1st and 2nd). Will he spoil the Chaser's chance at a win this time while on the outside looking in?
• Kyle Busch - Rowdy won this race last year on his way to his first NASCAR Cup Championship, can he do it again? He has three top 10's in the last four races here.
• Brad Keselowski - 3rd, 3rd, and 6th. Those are BK's last three finishes here at Homestead. Will it be enough to finally get a win? Can he take a win from a Chase driver?

The Middle

• Carl Edwards - We know he can run very well here (see story above), but lately he hasn't closed out this race well. 11th, 34th, 12th, and 12th are his last four finishes here. Can he step it up for a Championship?

The Bad

• Kurt Busch - It's hard to think Kurt could have won the Championship even if he was in the final four this weekend. He just hasn't been that good here. SHR would have to give him a bad fast car to have a shot.
• Greg Biffle - Once a winner for three straight (2004-2006), the Biff has lost a step at Homestead. One top 10 (top 5) in his last five races here, Biffle just can't get it done.
• Jamie McMurray - 14 races, two top 5's, and four top 10's. The statistics pretty much say it all so I won't go too much deeper.

Another season has come and gone. It was a fun ride and I appreciate all of you who come check out the site, support it, and follow along on Twitter or Google +. I do this because I love the sport and it keeps me engaged weekly, but without people who follow along it wouldn't be worth it. I love the interaction with all the fans, so again, thanks for following along.

Per usual, Behind the Wall will have plenty of offseason content to check out weekly. Season reviews on drivers will get posted throughout the offseason and then we will get started on driver previews for 2017. Driver contracts, 2017 Paint Schemes, preseason Chase and Championship predictions, plus plenty more all up until Daytona 2017!

2016 NASCAR Schedule: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

All Times are Eastern Timezone (ET)

Friday November 18, 2016

• 8:30-9:30 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series first practice- FS1
• 10:30-11:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
• 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series first practice, NBCSN
• 2-3:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series first practice- NBCSN
• 3:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FS1
• 5-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
• 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- NBCSN
• 8 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps)- FS1

Saturday November 19, 2016

• 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series second practice- CNBC
• 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- CNBC
• 1-1:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps)- NBCSN

Sunday November 20, 2016

• 2:30 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps)- NBC

2015 Pit Road Week 36: Homestead

Weekly NASCAR Review and Power Rankings

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

That's it folks, 2015 is in the books. For the fifth straight season NASCAR has crowned a different Champion (Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch with three of them being first time Champions (BK, Harvick, and Rowdy). It was fun season with plenty of ups and downs, drama, and controversy. In the end, it was entertaining and fun to experience it with all the fans.

From opening season story lines of how dominate Kyle Larson will be in his second season, to can Kyle Busch come back from his leg injuries. Right into Jeff Gordon retiring full time and the #24 being taken over by rookie Chase Elliott. Capping it off with the Joey Logano and Matt Kenseth feud, Junior coming withing feet of advancing, Harvick triggering a wreck and advancing, and Kyle "Rowdy" Busch finally winning his long sought after Championship (Yes, I predicted him winning in 2013 and 2014. After being wrong I chose different in 2015 and he finally won one!).

As we have every year, we had some good hard racing and also some races finished by fuel mileage. We had deserving winners and lucky ones. We had racing incidents and also purposeful wrecks. All in all we had everything that makes up racing, good or bad, during a 36 race season.

Lucky for NASCAR fans the offseason is only 90 days long. However, it still isn't easy for many fans so NBTW will stick around and review the season, plus start preview next year. 

Last up for 2015 before driver reviews, the final season power rankings. These were lumped together as a season long rankings and not just the last few races, so think of it as a power rankings in review.

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 36 (Week 35)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- "He didn't race all the races. He didn't deserve it." Kyle Busch played by the rules, and still beat the other drivers out there. Since his return he was one of the best cars weekly and with his wins undoubtedly deserved a shot at the title. If he ran all year he might have ran away with it... Just think about that. Oh, and when all was said and done, three other drives had a heads up shot to beat him and they didn't. Congrats Rowdy.
2. Jeff Gordon (LW-3)- This is more like 1B in the rankings. He wasn't able to go out on top, but Gordon had one heck of a career. He has been a great ambassador for the sport and helped take it to where it is today. Almost everyone in the NASCAR community will miss him on the track. He took the Southern sport to the West Coast and made everyone think of one thing when they saw the #24, winning. Thanks for the great career Jeff Gordon.
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- The #2 spot was out of respect for a great career and one last shot at the top for Gordon, in my regular rankings Harvick would be #2. What a year he had, but it was filled with a lot of what if's. He has a ton of runner up finishes, yet had a tough Chase where he had to (not proven) cause a Talladega caution to move on. The #4 was one of the best cars all year and most of NASCAR is still trying to catch him.
4. Joey Logano (LW-6)- It's pretty amazing the year JoLo had, but a run in with the wrong guy apparently left him out of the running for the Championship. No matter what you say, the kid has talent and if Penske keeps up the hot streak they will be back in it next year.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- Speaking of Penske, BK once again lost because of a late debris caution. On the next restart he wasn't as fast as the two Championship contenders so he took the high line (but no one noticed...). He had a good year, but it wasn't what he has become used to. Look for he and teammate JoLo to continue there hot streak in 2016.
6. Martin Truex Jr (LW-4)- What a year for this small team. After all the struggles Truex had last year this year was a 180. Not only did they compete weekly, finally win a race with Martin, and announce the addition of a second car in the coming years, but they had a legit shot at a Championship at Miami. It will be tough to top 2015, but next year they move to Toyota and will work with JGR. If JGR and Toyota keep up what they finished in 2015 then it could be a memorable year.
7. Jimmie Johnson (LW-9)- Another "down year" and another 5 wins. He isn't far off from the stats he put up in Championship years, but other drivers have caught up and are putting up 20+ top 5's compared to JJ's 14 (JJ has only had 20 top 5's twice in 2004 and 2007). His laps lead really went down this season, so that will be something they look to improve while trying to get back to the top.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-7)- That is two really good seasons in a row for Junior and with two different CC's. Maybe bringing some consistency back will be what he needs? He was so close to the finale if he would have got that Dega win.
9. Matt Kenseth (LW-NR)- Kenseth gets to come back to the rankings in the end of season rankings. He didn't finish strong (almost falling apart after the Kansas incident), but he had a great season overall. Lead by a strong middle of the year (same with almost every JGR car), Kenseth finished with 5 wins, 20 top 10's, and thousands of extra fans.
10. Denny Hamlin (LW-11)- Injuries and issues got in the way of Hamlin for a few years and it seemed like we had seen the last of vintage Hamlin in just an early career. However, he bounce back this year in the shoulders of some strong JGR cars. 2 wins were the most since 2012 (5), 14 top 5's tied the most since 2012, and 20 top 10's ties a career high (2009 and 2006). 
11. Kurt Busch (LW-10)- It's been a long road back, but Kurt made it finally. 2016 he will get a fresh start with a fresh new contract, but he did some great things in just 33 races this season. His 21 top 10's tied his career high and it was his first multi win season since 2011. 
12. Carl Edwards (LW-8)- Season long, it was a rough first year at JGR. But, once JGR got going so did Edwards. I use the last rankings for the year as kind of a season long power rankings so Carl slid a bit, but he had a great Chase run where he just came up short. Next year could be the year of JGR, which will give Carl a shot at a title, finally.

Congratulations Kyle Busch! 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion

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 Homestead Entry List

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

Entry list from Jayski.com

2015 Homestead Schedule

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern**


Friday Nov. 20, 2015

• 9-11:25 a.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice- FS1
• 12-1:25 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- NBCSN
• 1:30-3:55 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series final practice- NBCSN
• 4:10 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying- FS1
• 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying- NBCSN
• 8 p.m: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps)- FS1

Saturday Nov. 21, 2015

• 10-10:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- CNBC
• 11:15 a.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series qualifying- CNBC
• 1-1:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- NBCSN
• 2:45 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps)- NBC

Sunday Nov. 22, 2015

• 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps)- NBC

Pit Road Week 36: Homestead-Miami

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Week 36

By Richard Tix

"This new format is unfair." "I love the excitement the Chase brings." "How can a guy with 6 wins not be in the final race for the title?" "Every race down the stretch has drama, I love it!" 

Just a few quotes from fans down the stretch of the 2014 NASCAR season. The opinions were all over the board at the end of the season. But, it has people talking about NASCAR again. No matter where you stand, Kevin Harvick won the last two races when he most needed a win and deserved to be the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion.

When you mention the fastest drivers of 2014 you would include two Chase drivers (Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano) and two guys who were eliminated the round before (Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski). So, for some fans it may not have gave them the results they wanted to, but in the end one of the fastest of 2014 did win. (For the record, Dale Earnhardt Jr would be on the nest list of fastest guys of 2014)

I'm still a fan of this Chase format. Everyone can have there opinion, and I expect that considering NASCAR has a diverse fan base. But, you can't deny it has injected NASCAR with some needed excitement down the stretch run of the season (when fighting the NFL, NBA, and NHL for ratings). Its the hardest time to have a Championship for a sport fighting with the US's most popular sport. But, having a Chase format that breeds drama will help a bit.

NASCAR will need the ratings to run over into the 2015 season and run with it, though. No matter how you slice it 2014 was a fin season and is unfortunately over.

In the end Kevin Harvick is your 2014 Sprint Cup Champion. He road the up's and downs of the season and fought through the adversity to come up with a strong finish and win his first Championship. 

Before we get to the last power rankings of the 2014 season I was to give a huge thanks to all the fans that check out NASCAR behind the Wall. All season long you guys have been great and I can't wait until the 2015 season to do it all again! I will be updating some offseason news until the Daytona 500 and also be updating the 2015 Paint Scheme Page when we get more scheme's released. So, do continue to come back to get any NASCAR news you may have missed!

Pit Road Power Rankings Week 36 (Week 35)

1. Kevin Harvick (LW-1)- 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion. That's really all that needs to be said. He locked in his spot at Miami by winning at Phoenix (4th time in the last 5 races there) and then locked in his first Sprint Cup Championship by winning at Homestead. Congrats Kevin Harvick and that whole #4 team!
2. Denny Hamlin (LW-3)- Hamlin didn't have a great season, but he put himself in a position to win the Championship on Sunday. Homestead is actually a really good track for Hamlin and he proved that by leading 50 laps, but he came up just short when he had a rough restart down the stretch.
3. Brad Keselowski (LW- BK won the most races in 2014 (6), had the most top 5's (17), tied for the third most top 10's (20), lead the second most laps (1,540), and had the second most Pole awards (5). If you talk about guys who didn't make the final, he and Gordon had some of the best season's in 2014. He finished the season with finishes of 3rd, 4th, and 3rd.
4. Ryan Newman (LW-4)- For all the knocks fans gave Newman during the Chase he sure did try and give Harvick a run for his money while finishing 2nd at Homestead. Sure, you can argue some other guys should have been in the final four instead of a zero win Newman, but let me tell you this: Newman had the 5th best Average finish in 2014 with zero wins (ahead of season Champ Harvick). He did what he had to at the time he needed to, hard to knock that.
5. Jeff Gordon (LW-5)- Jeff Gordon had a great season in 2014. It's crazy to think how many rumors were going around to start the season about retirement. What did him in was 3 finishes in the Chase of 26th and higher. He finished 15th or higher four times in ten races, which will make it tough under any system (except points only) to win. I hope he comes back just as strong ad 2014 next year, its always good to see the stars do well. 
6. Matt Kenseth (LW-8)- One season after winning 7 races Matt Kenseth couldn't find VL. Now, I knew he wasn't going to match 7, and I figured it would be way down from that, but not many people would have predicted zero. Kenseth did still finish the season off with four top 10's in his last five races.
7. Joey Logano (LW-2)- Season high's in wins, top 5's, top 10's, average start, and average finish. 2014 was the true coming out party for JoLo. He seems to have found a comfort zone at Team Penske in just two short years. He was in the hunt for a Championship until his team had trouble with a jack late in the race. Remember, Joey is just 24 years old.
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-7)- Jr got off to a really strong start in 2014. Overall he had a great year but some seem to look past the let down the last part of the season was. In his last 15 races he finished outside the top 10 a total of 10 times and five of those finishes were 17th or higher. To put that in perspective, he only finished outside the top ten 6 times in the first 21 races. But, enough negative since this was still a very good season for Jr. His early season was so strong he still ended up with his highest win total (4) and top 5's (12) since 2004.
9. Kurt Busch (LW-9)- 2014 isn't going to be the best season Kurt looks back on and it certainly couldn't be what he was expecting. He did finish the last five races on a strong note, though. It's interesting to note that he was better in almost every category in 2013 with Furniture Row (other than his win with SHR this season).
10. Kyle Larson (LW-NR)- The next few years of NASCAR should be fun with all the new young talent coming in. Larson is just another example of that talent. He just missed the Chase in his rookie season, but pulled off 6 top 10's in the ten Chase races. It will be fun to see him develop over the next few seasons. 
11. Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- No matter how you look at it, JJ had a rough season. His average finish of 15.3 was his worst of his career (full season). His top 10 finishes (20) are tied for his worst ever (full time, 2003) and his top 5's were his worst since his rookie year. Yet, he still won four races in 2014 bringing his career total to 70. 
12. Jamie McMurray (LW-NR)- J Mac finished the season with two top 5's in the last three races. He had his highest top 5 total (7) since 2010 and his highest top 10 total (13) since 2004. He just seemed to be missing luck on his side in 2014, as he seemed to be involved in bunch of wrecks to start the season. Overall it was one of his best season's since 2010.

Maybe 5/36, but finishing strong!

I will add in Sarah's, the race winner was wrong but the faith in Harvick was correct!

Also, check out some fans votes on who would win the Championship back at the beginning of the Eliminator Round! It has been a fun season! Next year I am thinking about trying to keep a running tally on who tweets me the most correct winners of races. I thought about that idea too late this season, but many of you have made the review more than once.

Thank you all for participating and also checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall. I created this blog because of my love for racing, but it wouldn't be worth doing without the fan interaction and you guys checking out my material! 

Congrats Kevin Harvick and the entire #4 team from NASCAR Behind the Wall!!

2014 Finale Preview

Review: NASCAR's Final Four Drivers of 2014

By Richard Tix

It seems like just like the 2014 season just started and Dale Earnhardt Jr was winning his second Daytona 500. Yet, we find ourselves with only one race left in the season. NASCAR's finale in its new Chase format heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Four drivers remain after an exciting 9 race Chase to get to the championship race at Miami where the highest finisher of the four wins the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Newman all will fight it out for the chance to become a first time Sprint Cup Champion. Each driver made it to this point differently, making there stories all the more interesting. So, lets take a look at each driver's path to the Championship and how they have done at Homestead in there careers.

If you want to check out the full race preview (not just the Chase drivers), check out Week 36 Preview: Homestead.

Kevin Harvick and his #4 team has been one of the fastest car's throughout the entire 2014 season. Harvick, entering his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, has turned the table in his career with his new team. Harvick got to the final four on speed and wins. In 2014 Harvick won 5 races before Miami, including last week at Phoenix where he has won four of the last five races. Even more important, the win was the thing that locked him into this last race. Another huge key to his season that can't be overlooked is the swapping of pit crews to start the Chase with Tony Stewart. His crew hasn't has as many hiccups as his original team did throughout the regular season. 

Homestead Stats:

Races: 13

Wins: 0

Top 5: 5

Top 10: 11

Pole: 0

Avg Finish: 8.1

Harvick doesn't have a win at Miami in his 13 starts here, but he does have the second best average finish of any current Cup driver (only Carl Edwards is better). So, add that with the fact that Harvick has been fast all season and he has a good shot at leaving the 2014 Sprint Cup Champion. Of course, it may come down to who wins the race, but if a Chase racer doesn't win the race Harvicks high finish may help him out. He does have straight top 10's going right now at Miami.

Joey won the 7th race of the season (Texas) and then won again two races later, which pretty much locked him into the Chase no matter what crazy outcome happened along the way. Logano didn't stop there as he put up 5 wins before this weeks race at Miami, which is second only to Penske teammate Brad Keselowski. 2013 was Joey's first year with Penske and he started to turn a corner, well 2014 was that corner and he truly made himself into a title contender. Joey started the Chase off with 5 straight top 4's including two wins. He had to fight his way back into the Chase final at Phoenix, but he did it and now has a chance to mark his spot as a Champion.

Homestead Stats:

Races: 5

Wins: 0

Top 5: 0

Top 10: 1

Pole: 1

Avg Finish: 20.8

When it comes to Logano's short career you may have to look past his career stats at Miami. Whats important to look at is how fast he has been this year and that his finishes here have been getting better (2011-19th, 2012-14th, and 2013-8th). So, just because he doesn't have a long history here, I wouldn't count him out just yet.

Coming into 2014 I thought Denny Hamlin would have a bounce back year (heck, I thought JGR would be strong in general). Most of the season my prediction didn't look promising, but then the Chase rolled around and Denny did just enough to keep advancing. Looking at his stats for the season you would say, no way Denny should be here, but the new system is open to making it to the final in many different ways. If you think back to 2012, Denny was a rising star in NASCAR, so I think even in his down year, it is good to see him here in Miami with a chance.

Homestead Stats:

Races: 9

Wins: 2

Top 5: 4

Top 10: 5

Pole: 0

Avg Finish: 11.2

Denny Hamlin is the only driver remaining in the Chase to have a win at Miami (two wins to be exact). That has to give him a great mental edge heading into the final race of 2014. Heck, in 2013 when he was trying to recover from an early season injury he left Miami the last winner of the season. Could he do it again? If he does, he will leave a first time Sprint Cup Champion.

To the majority of NASCAR fans, Newman is the most controversial Chase Finalist. That's because he enters Miami without a single win in 2014. I am not going to use this spot to hold my stance that NASCAR wanted wins to mean more (and they do), but win's dont mean everything. This Chase makes certain you can make the finals in many other ways. One of those ways? Being consistent like Newman without many devastating finishes. 22nd, 24th, 31st, and 41st are the only finishes Newman had out of the top 20. 25  He may only have 5 top 5's on the season, but he has 25 top 15's (meaning not many terrible finishes) in 35 races, plus 15 top 10's. If anything, this Chase system is showing that not only is winning more valuable (Harvick made it in by winning, BK made it to the Eliminator round by a win at Talladega, and most the Chasers got into the Chase because of a win), but also that consistency and points days can still be used to a drivers advantage. Is he more deserving than Havrick, Logano, Gordon (out), Keselowski (out)? Maybe not, but when has life and sports always been fair? It's all about taking advantage of the opportunity in front of you. This has been Newman's opportunity, can he take full advantage?

Homestead Stats:
Races: 12
Wins: 0
Top 5: 1
Top 10: 4
Pole: 0
Avg Finish: 17

Homestead hasn't been Newman's best track over his career. Most of this is due to a rough stretch from 2006-2009. In the last four years he has gone every other race having a quality finish (7, 12, 3, and 17). If you go by that theory then Newman might have a shot at another good finish. Newman is not only the long shot because he doesn't have a win in 2014, but also because the other three drivers seem to have a brighter outlook for Miami. However, he has made it this far, will the Cinderella slipper continue to fit?


There you have it NASCAR fans. Four drivers, one title, and all it takes is just one race. You can imagine every team will be laying it out on the line. For these four drivers, every lap, every pit stop, every strategic call could mean the difference in being the Champion or finishing 2-4th in points.

Thanks again for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall. Check back in for the review and all offseason for NASCAR news!

Week 36 Preview: Homestead

Ford EcoBoost 400

Week 36

By Richard Tix

Phoenix ended without any post race "fights" or even "friendly confrentations" but fans still got the excitement of knock out, playoff, racing. Some still are yelling for the old days, but I just don't see NASCAR flipping a total 180 on there 2014 moves. Especially because it seems like there is still a solid fan base eating it up.

And one thing is for sure, its exciting. Its great hard racing that is putting drivers in an tough place and pushing them to there limits. Isn't that what Championship's are supposed to be? This is what you find out what you are made of and when put in a circumstance you find out how far you would go for a Championship. That's not really debatable. Now, everyone has there opinion past that, which is fine. Not one person is the same. But realize that NASCAR also has that problem when deciding whether to change something or to leave it alone (not everyone is the same, and some need the change).

That's what is great about this sport and about us as individuals, we are all different. It is what makes the NASCAR fan base so fun and interesting. What would we be like if we were all the same, with the same opinions, looking at issues from the same vantage point?

With that, we head to Miami for the last race of the season. It doesn't matter if you like it or not, the four left are the only four with a chance at the title in 2014. No matter how you cut it, NASCAR will have a first time Champion in 2014. Is it a good thing some top contenders fell out and two Cinderellas are left? Is it a bad thing? Truly, no matter your opinion, only time will tell. So, lets sit back for a minute and enjoy the ride. We have plenty of time to be biter, angry, and hateful, why do it now?

As always, thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall ALL SEASON LONG! Its been a fun year. No previews will be up until Daytona in 2015, but I will still keep up with NASCAR offseason news. Plus, as more 2015 Paint Schemes leak I will add them to the page.

The Good

• Carl Edwards- 10 starts into Carl's Miami career and he has 7 top 10's. 5 top 5's, and 2 wins. In fact, Carl has never finished outside the top 15 in his career (14th and two 12th's). On top of that he has 2 career poles here.
• Kevin Harvick- Happy has a bunch of good tracks at the end of the season where he has proven he can win. Now, that said, he has yet to notch a win at Homestead but in his 13 starts he does have 11 top 10's. He has 5 top 10's in that same time and none of his 13 finishes have been outside the top 20. 
• Martin Truex Jr- Bit of a surprising name here, but Martin has run well at Miami over his career. In 2014 he will be challenged a bit more because he is with a new team and they haven't run as well as they did with Kurt Busch in 2013. Truex does have 7 top 10's in 9 career starts here, though. 
• Jeff Gordon- Gordon has started every Cup race since NASCAR has come to Homestead in 1999 (15 races). He has 11 top 10's (tied most with Harvick), 7 top 5's (most), and one win (8 current drivers have at least 1 win here). 
• Denny Hamlin- The last driver to win in 2013, and the last driver to win at Miami? Yup, Denny Hamlin. He has 2 career wins, 4 top 5's, and 5 top 10's in 9 career starts at Homestead. He made it into the Chase on a long shot, and now has as good of a chance as anyone to win it.

The Middle

• Clint Bowyer- Clint is on the edge of this grouping and the "good" grouping. If this was a normal week (where I spotlight even less drivers) he might not even make the preview. But his last three have been impressive (5th, 2nd, and 6th). His only bad finish and only finish outside  of 12th was 39th in 2007.
• Tony Stewart- Smoke has been Boom or Bust at Miami. He has 3 career wins here, but two of those were the first two races here 1999 and 2000. When he isn't top 10 (7 top 10's) he normally finishes 15th or higher. 
• Jimmie Johnson- 8 top 10's in 13 career starts at Homestead but he has yet to win here. He does normally finishes well as long as he doesn't have any mechanical problems (or get in a wreak).

The Bad

• Dale Earnhardt Jr- This is based off of full career stats here, since his last three finishes were 3rd, 10th, and 11th. But before that Jr had zero top 10's in 11 starts. The plus side is things are looking up for Jr at Miami.
• Paul Menard- In his 8 career races at Homestead he had zero top 10's. If that wasn't bad enough, Paul only has 1 top 15 in those same 8 races. 
• Kyle Busch- Take this how you will, but I am only putting him here since he has been so up and down here in 9 career races. He does have 3 top 10's, but he also finished outside the top 20 4 times (plus 20th once). Id say Miami is a boom or bust track for Rowdy.
• Brian Vickers- 8 Career starts at Miami and Vickers has zero top 10's,zero top 15's, and only three top 20 finishes. Silver lining? His last two finishes were top 20 and they were 2011 and 2009. But that also might mean he has had a lack of track time here.
• Marcus Ambrose- I hate to put Marcus on here in what might be his last NASCAR race (maybe he will come back for some road courses), but in 6 starts he has one top 20. Heck, he only has one to 25 in 6 starts. I will personally miss the Aussie in NASCAR, so good luck on your future Marcus! Hope to see you back some.

Track Stats

• Carl Edwards has the most laps led (560 in 10 career starts).
• Jeff Burton has the most laps completed (3,944) Will get passed this race.
• Gordon and Harvick are tied for most top 10's (11).
• Gordon has the most top 5's (7).
• Stewart and Biffle are tied for the most wins (3).
• Bill Elliott is the only non current driver to have a win here in 2001 (and Bobby Labonte).
• Tony Stewart won the first two races here in 1999 and 2000. 
• Greg Biffle won three straight races from 2004-06.
• 38th: The farthest back anyone has started and won. Denny Hamlin 2009.
• A Homestead race hasn't been won from the Pole since 2000 and 2001 (the only two times).
• Manufacture wins: Ford: 7, Chevy: 3, Toyota: 2, Pontiac: 2, and Dodge: 1. 
• Most cautions was 14 in 2004 for 79 laps.

Track Articles:

• TV Schedule
• Driver Entry List
• Power Rankings
• Fantasy Preview- TimersSports
• Fantasy NASCAR Early Rankings- TimerSports

Hope you enjoyed the last regular season edition (extended edition) of NASCAR Behind the Wall's Weekly Race previews in 2014. I will still be keeping track of some NASCAR news headlines during the short off season (still feels like a long one) and we will prepare for another great season in 2015. Check back in after the race for a Miami Review and last chance power rankings. The week after I plan on touching an end of season power rankings that will be more of a season long break down of each team and how well they did. As always, thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall!

2014 Homestead Entry List

NASCAR Driver Entry List for Homestead-Miami

By Richard Tix

The last entry list of the 2014 season is for Homestead-Miami where the NASCAR Sprint Cup Finale will be held. List from Jayski.com

So there you have it, NASCAR's last Sprint Cup Entry List of the 2014 season. It will be fun to see who comes out of Homestead a first time Sprint Cup Champion!

2014 Homestead Schedule

Ford EcoBoost 400

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern**

Friday November 14, 2014

• 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series practice- FOX Sports 1 
• 12:30-2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- FOX Sports 1
• 2:45 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying- FOX Sports 1
• 4-5:55 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series final practice- FOX Sports 1
• 6:15 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- ESPN2 
• 8 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Ford EcoBoost 200 (134 laps)- FOX Sports 1

Saturday November 15, 2014

• 12-12:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- FOX Sports 1
• 1:15 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying- FOX Sports 1 
• 3-3:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series final practice- FOX Sports 2
• 4:30 p.m.: NASCAR Nationwide Series Ford EcoBoost 300 (200 laps)- ESPN2

Sunday November 15, 2014

• 3 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Ford EcoBoost 400 (267 laps)- ESPN