2015 Pit Road Week 21: Pocono

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Windows 10 400: Week 21

By Richard Tix

This week NASCAR headed to the Tricky Triangle for the second time this season. Pocono traditionally hasn't always given fans the most exciting finish and normally we end up getting a good ole strategy/fuel strategy race. 

This time around Matt Kenseth pulled off the victory for JGR in dramatic fashion, even if it was only because of the last few laps. At the moment, JGR has been the hottest team on the back of Kyle Busch's three straight wins. But, because of how hot Rowdy's run was many of the other guys were being overlooked. Carl Edwards has found some speed at a few tracks, Denny has been consistent, and now Kenseth notched his second victory of 2015. Joe Gibbs Racing just might be getting hot at the right time.

Moving onto the fuel mileage debate in racing. Many fans complain and hate fuel mileage races, which is fair and your opinion. But, to think every race will be a last second last lap pass, or continuous passing is thinking crazy. Racing will always have an element in it that may lead to a fuel race. In fact, fuel mileage racing is always going to be a part of NASCAR and always should be. It is part of the strategy just like taking two tires on a pit stop is.

Sometimes fuel mileage races are more exciting down the stretch than any old race where a guy is out front 6 seconds anyways. The math and engineering that goes into a race that ends up with a fuel mileage outcome is great entertainment too. It is all just how you look at the race that allows you to enjoy every kind of race outcome. So, you can complain all you want but I can guarantee fuel mileage strategy and racing will never go away.

So, who else is climbing the Power Rankings this week? Check it out below.

Week 21 Power Rankings (Week 20)

1. Kyle Busch (LW-1)- Yes, he finished 21st and had a lot of controversial talk surrounding him at the end of the race, but I will give the benefit of doubt this week for Rowdy. He still won the Pole and lead some early laps, plus Harvick also had some rough luck and I can't see putting anyone else up here yet. Finish: 21st
2. Matt Kenseth (LW-7)- Has he been dominate lately? Not really. But, JGR as a whole has been picking up steam and it isn't just Kyle Busch. Kenseth now has four straight top 10's including the win and two top 5's. He is still behind top title contenders like JJ, Harvick, and Kyle but he is closing in. Finish: 1st
3. Kevin Harvick (LW-2)- Were they testing something at Pocono? I would hope so, but at the same time why test something at a non Chase track that really isn't like any of the other Chase tracks? Let's just chalk this one up to bad luck and move on. Finish: 42nd
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- BK had one heck of a day and for once might feel lucky and not disappointing finishing second.  He currently has four straight races with a driver rating of 102 or better. Finish: 2nd
5. Joey Logano (LW-3)- Tough way to go down on a day where he had one of the best cars. But speaking of driver ratings, JoLo has four straight races with a rating of 114 or better. His average running position on Sunday was 3rd, so he will bounce back. Finish: 20
6. Jimmie Johnson (LW-6)- Johnson finished right about where he should have on Sunday. He had a top ten car but just not enough to compete for the win. Then again, all you have to do is put yourself in a spot to win at the end of the race. Finish: 6th
7. Kurt Busch (LW-4)- Add Kurt's name to the list of top 2015 performers that struggled with luck at Pocono. The #41 and #4 will bounce back. Finish: 37th
8. Carl Edwards (LW-9)- Carl's first year with JGR hasn't been a walk in the park, but the #19 is starting to pick up some momentum at the right time. He now has three to 10's in the last four races that includes two poles. Finish: 10th
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-11)- I expect Jr to start climbing back up this rankings, but right now they have just struggled to find consistency amid some bad luck and poor races. I wouldn't count him out because when they're on they're up front. Finish: 4th
10. Jeff Gordon (LW-12)- It was nice to see Gordon bounce back with a good finish after a disappointing final Brickyard 400. The #24 still seems to be a bit away from contending, but they still have plenty of time and we have seen crazier things (Newman in 2014). Finish: 3rd
11. Denny Hamlin (LW-8)- Sunday didn't go Denny's way, but he still has been running better as of late which should give them confidence down the stretch. Remember last year he made a great Chase run so it's now all about preparing for the last ten races.
12. Clint Bowyer (LW-NR)- Not many people have noticed, but Bowyer has two straight top 10's. The second half has been much better for Clint. Since Dover (9 total races) he has 6 top 10's. All of this is important because Clint is one of the bubble drivers trying to make the Chase on points. Finish: 8th

Dropped Out: Martin Truex Jr

Just Missed: Kyle Larson and Paul Menard

Honorable Mention: Greg Biffle (5th), AJ Allmendinger (7th), Tony Stewart (9th), Landon Cassill (14th), and Danica Patrick (16th).

No correct predictions this week. I know I have a lot of Matt Kenseth fans that follow Twitter, but to make it far I have to get week by week predictions. I know that the Matt Kenseth win means more to you than making these standings anyways! But next week tweet me the winner and you can make it!

As always, thanks for checking out NASCAR Behind the Wall and check back in for all of next weekends race information!

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

Kyle Busch (no typo here, we will actually be talking about Kyle, not Kurt. Just in case Keith Olberman would check out NASCAR Behind the Wall I thought I would clarify). Speaking of Kurt, Kyle had a better season than his older brother, but in the end I still came away disappointed with Kyle's production.

Rowdy's 2014 numbers were some of the worst of his career as a whole. His average finish of 17.6 was the worst it has been since his rookie season (2005). His top 5's (9) tied a career low (2009 and 2005).

Yet, at the end of the season there was Rowdy in contention to move on after Talladega. All he had to do was ride around and stay out of trouble. Kyle was doing just that, playing it safe when a caution came out. Driver checked up but he ended up getting hit from behind which left him out for a number of laps.

In the end that costly bad luck moment left him out of the Chase for the final four races. Part of Kyle Busch's issues were the fact that JGR seemed to have issues finding speed week after week. During the Chase it seemed like they brought there A game, but because of Kyle's bad luck we never found out how far that would carry him.

Even in a bad season Rowdy still had 1 win, 9 top 5's, 15 top 10's, 3 poles, and made the Chase.


Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• Even in a bad 2014 season Kyle Busch made a run in the Chase. Will he truly become a title contender in 2015? After a great finish to the 2013 season I thought last year would be the year. Maybe all he needed was a down year to refocus? I think JGR will take a step back in the right direction as will Kyle. I think he could end up with 4-5 wins, 12-14 top 5's, and 20-22 top 10's. As always, it is expected he makes the Chase and I think at this point in his career he needs to be in contention for a title.

List of Previous Driver Spotlights

2014 Team Spotlight Review: Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing 2014 Review

By Richard Tix

Season Preview

2014 Season Stats

Wins: 2

Top 5: 29

Top 10: 55

Poles: 7

If I had to describe the 2014 season for JGR in one statement I would use "a down season." After a strong 2013 season where JGR newcomer Matt Kenseth won a Cup high 7 races, JGR as a whole won 2 races in 2014 (Denny Hamlin-1 and Kyle Busch-1). Was it Toyota Racing Development and engines that were not up to par? Was it that JGR was just behind on the new aero package? Was it a combination of both?

My take is that it was a bit of both. I truly didn't see much speed out of any Toyota's in 2014, so maybe TDR was just behind in helping the teams. I think some of it also had to do with they knew they were getting a new bodied Camary in 2015 and the rules might change again, so once they were behind they just never fully bought in to catching up.

Instead, it looked like JGR saved some of there best cars for the Chase after they knew everyone was locked in. Because the highlight of the season was that all three JGR drivers got into the Chase. Kyle Busch only got knocked out because of some bad luck at Talladega and Denny Hamlin eventually found himself in the Finale at Miami. So despite a bad season in the win column, all the drivers still made the end goal of making the Chase and JGR had a 25% chance of winning a Championship during the Finale (Denny Hamlin).

Denny Hamlin

• By most season's standards 2014 would have been one to forget for Hamlin. But, 2014 was the start of a new Chase in NASCAR and that made it possible for him to make the Chase with his lone win even though he had a bunch of rough finishes during the season. He ended up making the Finale in Miami and finished 3rd in the points. He ended 2014 with 1 win, 7 top 5's, 18 top 10's, and 3 poles.

Matt Kenseth

• After 7 wins in 2013 Kenseth didn't notch a single win in 2014. It was disappointing for the #20 team and his fans, but he still had a consistent season and finished it by making the Chase. Matt still had more top 5's and top 10's in 2014 then he did in his first season with JGR (2013). He ended the year with zero wins, 13 top 5's, 22 top 10's, and 2 poles while finishing 7th in the standings.

Kyle Busch

• I bought into the notion that Rowdy was finally ready to win a title in 2014 after a strong finish to 2013, well he made me look foolish. It wasn't a bad season bad any stretch, but we have come to expect a bit more out of Kyle. That being said, Kyle still made the Chase and put himself in a good spot before Talladega, where bad luck struck and left him out of contention for the final four races. Rowdy ended the season with 1 win, 9 top 5's, 15 top 10's, and 3 poles while finishing 10th in the points standings.

Previous Team Spotlight: Stewart-Haas Racing

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.

• List of past Driver Spotlights

The Denny Hamlin Rule

NASCAR Issues Penalty in #11 Team

By Richard Tix

On Tuesday Twitter started a frenzy when NASCAR rumors came out that Denny Hamlin and the #11 team might be hit hard by the new NASCAR rules. Talk went around by fans and media that the team could be hit with the first P5 penalty issued (Need a review? Check out NASCAR's New Penalty System).

Hamlin fans waited in anticipation of what NASCAR might hit the team with after they were found to have illegal rear firewall block-off plates at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday. "The block-off plates are intended to keep fluids, smoke and fire from getting to the driver’s compartment. Air flow through the block-off plates, in theory, can provide additional rear down force, which could help at a track like Indianapolis." (Jim Utter. Charlotte Observer. NASCAR penalizes Denny Hamlin, Sprint Cup team).

NASCAR finally announced the penalty they had decided on and Twitter went off like it normally does when a big NASCAR announcement comes out. The penalty? Denny Hamlin was docked 75 points in the standings which moved him all the way down to 21st overall. Hamlins Crew Chief Darian Grubb and Car Chief Wesley Sherrill were also suspended 6 races. So in a sense, he will be out the rest of the regular season until the Chase starts. Both will be on probation for the remainder of the year once they return.

On top of that Grubb was fined $125,000 and car owner J.D. Gibbs was docked 75 owners points. The announcement came as a big blow to the #11 Toyota team and the Twitter world. Many on social media saw it as NASCAR putting there foot down and laying out the law.

I think since then the reality has sunk in that NASCAR was trying to lay down the law, but did they really? "This should send a message that for anyone who attempts to overstep or bend the rules, it’s not worth it. We revised our penalty and appeal processes to make the system more effective, fair and transparent. That was something all of our competitors asked for." 

True, the new system is a little more straight forward and should provide a bit more fairness in rulings (and less gray area), but it still puts some teams and drivers at a disadvantage. 

Did this penalty really hurt Denny Hamlin in the long run? Not really. Hamlin is still in the Chase if it ended today because of his win at Talladega. Plus, he is still in front of Almirola and Kurt Busch in points (both have wins). With 6 races left in the 2014 regular season and only 11 different winners, NASCAR will not see more then 16 winners (my opinion, not a fact, but mark it down). So his win will put him in the Chase.

But, think if a guy like Tony Stewart had this penalty. His Chase chances would be gone other than if he could win in the last 6 races. Or Ryan Newman, all the work they have put in to get in on points would be negated. But, if you have a win already in 2014 you may as well cheat.

Yes, that is what you heard from me. The guys that have a win have another advantage other then knowing they're in and they can try legal things (like fuel strategy or car set ups), they also can CHEAT and it wont hurt them in the long run.

I do believe it will hut the #11 team a bit. This is because they have had and up and down season as it is and they needed to find some chemistry in the last 6 races. Now, it will be dramatically harder to get that chemistry with there leader on the box out. 

For the most part, this rule infraction didn't hurt there team. In fact, now they know that NASCAR will catch any change of the rear firewall block. NASCAR had to make this call, it was not only a rules infraction but also a safety concern because smoke or flames could have entered Denny's area much easier. But, by changing the rules of the Chase points early this year they also shot themselves in the foot with the new penalty system. NASCAR wanted it to be more straight forward and fair, but all we got was straight forward, we are still waiting on the fair part of the deal. 

So who is this really hurting and if NASCAR is sending a message who is it sending it to? This ruling just showed the teams with a win (which is mostly top tier teams already) that they can cheat during the regular season if they already have a win. So, Denny Hamlin and the #11 team will move on and we as fans will see them in the Chase, but how will NASCAR handle the elephant in the room? Will a tweak in the new penalty structure come after the season? Will we remember it as the Denny Hamlin Rule? Only time will tell.