2015 Team Spotlight Preview: Joe Gibbs Racing

JGR 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

2014 Season Stats of Current 2015 Drivers (Included Carl Edwards)

Races: 143

Wins: 4

Top 5: 36

Top 10: 69

Pole: 8

2014 Chase Drivers: 3 (4 with Edwards)

It's always hard putting together a preview when drivers move around. This season I decided to add in the new drivers 2014 stats, so even thought JGR is moving to a four car operation for the first time, above it shows 4 Chase drivers. 

In any case, Carl Edwards stats may have been a bit better in 2014 if he wasn't with RFR who struggled all season. Thats not to say JGR was much faster last season either. 2015 will be interesting at JGR. Not only do they move to a four car team but they also have a new 2015 Camry to break in.

The new Camry is part of the reason I believe that JGR was subpar in 2014. It looked like they were saving something for the Chase all year and knew 2015 they would have a new learning curve again. 

So, will the new NASCAR car package, new Camry, and fourth team member slow down JGR early on? Myself, I think JGR is in for a rebound year. Just in 2013 JGR looked like the bright spot in NASCAR who could take down Hendrick, but 2014 brought a fast fall from grace.

2015 might be that quick climb back up again especially with the addition like Carl Edwards.

Denny Hamlin

• Won a race? Check. Made the Chase? Check. Got to the Final race at Miami? Check. Denny Hamlin did this all in a season that would any other year be a disappointment. No matter how you get there, you still have to be happy having a shot at a title. 2015 will a big season for Hamlin to prove he can get back to his winning ways.

Kyle Busch

• To end 2013 it looked like Kyle had it figured out, that 2014 could be a big season. Yet, most of the season Kyle struggled to contend for wins. In the end he had a shot at putting it together until he was hit from behind under yellow at Talladega. One of these seasons he will be a true title contender, and it might just be 2015.

Carl Edwards

• Edwards is the newcomer at JGR but has a chance to be the guy who ends the year with the best season. He had an good, not great, season with RFR in a down year for that team. I think a new team might give him new life again which might lead all the way to the Final race. I don't think he will win the title, but I think JGR gives him a better shot at it.

Matt Kenseth

• 7 wins to 0 in just one year. So what will it be in 2015? My hunch is 0 wins to about 2-3 wins. Kenseth's window is closing for his second Cup title, but that doesn't mean he is over the hill just yet. 2015 will be a big season to prove that fact.

2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Matt Kenseth

Matt Kenseth 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

The 2014 season was disappointing for Matt Kenseth, sure, but it may not have been as bad as many portray it as. Much of this had to do with the fact that Kenseth had 7 wins in 2013 but went win-less in 2014.

If we take a broader view of things and look past just win totals we see Kenseth in fact had a very consistent season. Many forget that about his 2014 year, he started the season off constantly running near the top 10 and finishing a bunch off in the top 5.

Matt actually had more top 5's (13) and top 10's (22) in 2014 than he did in his break out campaign with JGR in 2013 (12 and 20). His average finish did slip a bit from 12.1 to 13.2 in 2014, but a lot of that has to do with how much a win will effect your average.

2014 was also a down year for JGR in general compared to 2013, so it wasn't just Kenseth. Most of the season they seemed a bit off. That brings 2015 and a fresh new start. Kenseth isn't getting any younger and his window for his second Cup title is getting smaller year after year.

JGR and Toyota will be bringing in new Toyota Camry's for the 2015 season and that might just be the key to things. At the same time, that may hinder there early season development.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• I do believe Kenseth will bounce back (in a way). I think he gets back on the win board, but his overall consistency may be a bit down. I think some early season adjusting may take place at JGR to the new Camry's and four team set up. I think he is in line for 2-3 wins, 10-11 top 5's, and 18-21 top 10's which are all a bit down from 2014 (except wins). As always, he will be expected to make the Chase at least, and possibly be a title contender.

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2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

Last season Carl Edwards had a less than stellar season. He still made the Chase and he still had 2 total wins, but something was missing. Then again, a lot seemed to be missing at Roush Fenway that could have attributed.

No matter what the cause was, Carl kept plugging away and didn't let the media know too much about what was going on, his frustrations, or his plans for 2015.

Well, eventually the news had to break and late in the season it finally got out. That news was that Carl Edwards was leaving Roush Fenway Racing and joining Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2015 season. That left RFR without its long time veteran and with Biffle as its only remaining veteran.

This move also meant that JGR was finally opening up to a four car team for the upcoming season. After a slow 2014 Carl will look to make a rebound like Kevin Harvick and Matt Kenseth have done in years past.

In 2014 Carl had 2 wins, 7 top 5's, 14 top 10's, 0 poles, and finished 9th in the points standings after the Chase. Ever since he came so close to winning a title in 2008 he has been up and down as a whole. In six season following that let down of coming so close he has finished 3 season with a 15 or higher average finish. Yet, most season's he finds a way to win a race or two. So what will 2015 bring?


Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• I think the expectations for Carl Edwards are going to be higher than ever since he is making the move to JGR. JGR had a tough time in 2014 finding speed but I personally think they will find there way back with there new 2015 Camry body. What does that mean for Carl? I do think he should have a bounce back year. I think his average finish should hover back around 11-13 which should bring some extra top 5's and top 10's. I think 2 wins, 8-9 top 5's, and 16-18 top 10's are in store. Those numbers aren't huge improvement over 2014, but what he does in the other races will be, consistency is the key here.

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2015 Driver Spotlight Preview: Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin 2015 Season Preview

By Richard Tix

2014 Season Review

The 2014 season as a whole didn't go how Denny Hamlin had planned. He had a whole offseason to rest and get back to normal after his wreck early in 2013 caused him to have back surgery. Most thought 2014 might be his bounce back season since he would be 100% healthy, I think even Denny thought it.

Most the season DH just didn't have it and struggled most of the way to find any kind of consistency. Then cam the new 2014 Chase and all those season struggles could become a thing of the past. After a rough finish at Loudon he snuck through to the next round.

In the final 7 races he had 6 top 10's including a pole and 5th place finish at Phoenix to move him to the Finale. So when it counted Denny Hamlin was stepping it up. In the end he made the Chase Finale at Miami and had a shot at his first Cup Title.

Bold Predictions/2015 Season Expectations:

• After thinking 2014 would be a bounce back season it's almost a stretch to say it again, but I think Denny will get back to his ways pre injury. Now, I am not sure that will correlate into a appearance in the final four in Miami, but he will have a more consistent season and notch multiple wins. 

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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.

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