2015 Pit Road Week 34: Texas

Weekly NASCAR Review and Power Rankings

AAA Texas 500

By Richard Tix

Just one Chase race remains before the final Chase race, championship race, at Miami. Only one driver has locked himself in for Miami (Jeff Gordon) as Jimmie Johnson spoiled Brad Keselowski's dominate day at Texas.

In general, most of the race was calm and lacking a bit of action. Restarts were a ton of fun all day, though. Late in the race it came down to a late restart (without it BK would have won). BK fought off Truex but then had a hard charging JJ coming for him. 

JJ and his car were dialed in and he could run any and every line he wanted. He sized BK up and let BK decide which like he would pass him with. For a drawn out race, the finish was fantastic. Hard racing at it's best and a non Chase driver spoiling the fun. 

1. Jeff Gordon (LW-1)- He is locked in to Miami and he posted another top 10. Team 24 just need to keep momentum going and focus on one complete race at Homestead. 
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- Riding around the track driving with one hand like a boss. It was fun to see him doing just that, but he should be a bit disappointed because a hard earned 3rd might have been a locked in win if he didn't have troubles. 
3. Kyle Busch (LW-4)- Kyle is just doing enough and the right stuff to advance and get to the finale. Enough driver have had trouble that laying down top 10's will get him into the last race unless someone new in the top 8 wins.
4. Martin Truex Jr (LW-3)- Overlooked, and underrated, Truex is in a spot to make the finale. Tell me, who thought that to start 2015? Not me.
5. Brad Keselowski (LW-6)- BK was dominate, no doubt about that, but the last lap is what matters. JJ sized him up and had the #48 in a spot to run every line making it tough for BK to stop him from eventually passing him. BK is still pretty much in a must win spot at PHX.
6. Carl Edwards (LW-7)- Carl still has a shot at a spot in Miami on points, He is chasing Truex on points and needs a mistake in front of him or a win. 
7. Joey Logano (LW-2)- Well, Joey was in a must win spot anyways, but no he only has one race to do it. Chances are not looking good for one of the best drivers of 2015.
8. Kurt Busch (LW-8)- Things are not looking good for Kurt. He is in a must win spot, but so are three other drivers not in the top 4.
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-10)- It really is too bad Jr didn't get the win at Dega. He now has three straight top 10's including two top 5's.
10. Jimmie Johnson (LW-NR)- Jimmie only needed 6 laps led to win the race in Sunday. The 48 was dialed in after the last stop and BK couldn't hold him off even while trying to run JJ's line's. 
11. Jamie McMurray (LW-NR)- Back to back top 10's for McMurray breaks a streak of back to back rough finishes before that. 
12. Paul Menard (LW-NR)- Menards Chase has been just average, and he gets the last spot on the rankings by being average. Not much more to say but he does have three straight top 15's which includes a top 10.

2015 Week 34 Preview: Texas

AAA Texas 500

Texas Motor Speedway

By Richard Tix

Another interesting week in NASCAR as we leave Martinsville for Texas. Tuesday evening fans got an answer to the question, "what will happen to Matt Kenseth?" We all know now that he will not be in the #20 at Texas or the race after (suspended the next two races). No matter what side you were on, that is the ruling and not much will change (although JGR is appealing).

So, moving on from the actual ruling, this have got interesting in the NASCAR world. There is a growing crowd of 100% Penske fans vs 100% JGR fans. I find myself in the middle. I am a Keselowski follower and I do like Penske, but when it comes to articles and my blog I stay as unbiased as possible.

It is easy to see, though, that on social media huge amounts of fans are on one side or the other right now. It is causing a ton of discussions, but unfortunately they sometimes turn into negative interactions. The more I see the more I remember the pitfalls of social media.

Just please remember, a real human is on the other side. We all have opinions. we all have the right to express those. And we all see incidents differently. Even if the way you see a certain situation is the more correct way, that doesn't give anyone the right to slander someone just because they see things differently.

Back to racing. This week NASCAR heads to Texas for the second race of this round. Guys like Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, and Brad Keselowski all pretty much need a great finish or win to have a shot to advance (same might be said for Edwards). The first step is Texas.

The Good

• Jimmie Johnson- Pull those 6-shooters out, this list should start and end with JJ. Jimmie has four wins in six races and currently has won back to back times. simply put, he is good at Texas and looks good in a Cowboy hat (if you're a JJ fan).
• Denny Hamlin- JGR wasn't on its A game when NASCAR first came here in 2015 and Hamlin finished 11th. This time around I would put money on him finishing higher. He has 2 wins, 5 top 5's, and 10 top 10's in 19 Texas starts.
• Kevin Harvick- The last two Texas races Harvick was good, but not good enough. Both of those he was runner up to Jimmie even after leading 96 laps earlier this year. Maybe this time he can get over the hump?

The Middle

• Greg Biffle- Considering RFR recent struggles, its impressive Biffle has not finished outside the top 20 and has a top 10 in the last four starts here. Texas is a fast track, so RFR current spot puts extra stress on Biffle, but he has been finishing 12th in the last four Texas races.

The Bad

• Austin Dillon- Its a short time period, but Austin finally notched his first top 20 at Texas in 5 tries earlier this year (20th exactly). He is pretty consistent around the 21st finish range, but more is expected of him.
• Kurt Busch- This is a stretch, because Kurt has actually been pretty darn good at Texas in the last two visits. Much of that has to do with being in the 41 and new life. Still, even after running well and leading laps he only finished in the top 10 once in the past two (8th). In his last 8 he has two top 10's and 3 finishes of 30th or worse. I would expect much better this time around, but someone has to get there name typed here.
• Danica Patrick- Alright, this one is almost a bit unfair as Danica just had a very quality run here earlier in 2015. It was her best starting position and finish at Texas. So, keep that in mind going forward. Other than that finish she only has two other top 25's in 6 starts.

Track Stats

• Jimmie Johnson has won the last three Fall races and also two straight (Fall or Spring)
• Only three drivers have won back to back times here (Jimmie Johnson 2014/15, Hamlin-Both 2010 and Edwards- Both 2008).
• Manufacturer wins- Ford: 12, Chevy: 11, Toyota: 3, and Dodge: 3. 29 total races.
• Race has been won from the pole 3 times in 29 races. Twice in the last six races.
• Jeff Burton won the first Texas Motor Speedway race in 1997. He led 60 of 334 laps.
• Dale Jarrett won the first Texas Motor Speedway pole in 1997. He led 42 laps.
• Jeff Gordon is the only driver to run all 29 races at Texas.
• Of current drivers: Jimmie Johnson has the most wins (5). Carl Edwards has the second most (3).

Texas Motor Speedway
Race	Date	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Make / Model
1997-06	4/6/1997	43	Jeff Burton	5	Ford
1998-07	4/5/1998	43	Mark Martin	7	Ford
1999-06	3/28/1999	43	Terry Labonte	4	Chevrolet
2000-07	4/2/2000	43	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	4	Chevrolet
2001-07	4/1/2001	43	Dale Jarrett	3	Ford
2002-07	4/8/2002	43	Matt Kenseth	31	Ford
2003-07	3/30/2003	43	Ryan Newman	3	Dodge
2004-07	4/4/2004	43	Elliott Sadler	19	Ford
2005-07	4/17/2005	43	Greg Biffle	5	Ford
2005-34	11/6/2005	43	Carl Edwards	30	Ford
2006-07	4/9/2006	43	Kasey Kahne	1	Dodge
2006-34	11/5/2006	43	Tony Stewart	8	Chevrolet
2007-07	4/15/2007	43	Jeff Burton	2	Chevrolet
2007-34	11/4/2007	43	Jimmie Johnson	8	Chevrolet
2008-07	4/6/2008	43	Carl Edwards	2	Ford
2008-34	11/2/2008	43	Carl Edwards	16	Ford
2009-07	4/5/2009	43	Jeff Gordon	2	Chevrolet
2009-34	11/8/2009	43	Kurt Busch	3	Dodge
2010-08	4/19/2010	43	Denny Hamlin	29	Toyota
2010-34	11/7/2010	43	Denny Hamlin	30	Toyota
2011-07	4/9/2011	43	Matt Kenseth	4	Ford
2011-34	11/6/2011	43	Tony Stewart	5	Chevrolet
2012-07	4/14/2012	43	Greg Biffle	3	Ford
2012-34	11/4/2012	43	Jimmie Johnson	1	Chevrolet
2013-07	4/13/2013	43	Kyle Busch	1	Toyota
2013-34	11/3/2013	43	Jimmie Johnson	3	Chevrolet
2014-07	4/7/2014	43	Joey Logano	10	Ford
2014-34	11/2/2014	43	Jimmie Johnson	3	Chevrolet
2015-07	4/11/2015	43	Jimmie Johnson	5	Chevrolet

2015 Duck Commander 500 Photo Recap

Race Results

Weekend Articles:

• TV Schedule
• Power Rankings

2015 Texas Schedule: AAA Texas 500

AAA Texas 500

By Richard Tix

**All Times are Eastern**

Thursday Nov. 5, 2015

• 3-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice
• 5:30-6:25 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice

Friday Nov. 6, 2015

• 12:30-1:55 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- NBCSN
• 2-4:25 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series practice- NBCSN
• 4:40 p.m.: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying- FS1 
• 6:45 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying- NBCSN
• 8:30 p.m: NASCAR Camping World Truck Series WinStar World Casino 350 (147 laps)- FS1

Saturday Nov. 7, 2015

• 11-11:55 a.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- CNBC
• 12:15 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series qualifying- NBCSN
• 2-2:50 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice- NBCSN
• 3:30 p.m.: NASCAR XFINITY Series O'Reilly Auto Parts Challenge (200 laps)- NBC

Sunday Nov. 8, 2015

• 2 p.m.: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 (334 laps, 501 miles)- NBC

2015 Pit Road Week 33: Martinsville

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500

By Richard Tix

I don't think a single person who watched Sunday's race can say, "well, that wasn't interesting." The race had just about everything. Short track bumping and racing. Lead changes. A few dominate cars. Drama. Plenty more drama. A intentional wreck. Angry drivers. And a happy driver in VL with his family in what could be his last win, which just so happened to lock him into the Chase Finale in Miami.

Lets dig right into the good stuff. The Matt Kenseth vs Joey Logano battle. Going back to Kansas, where Kenseth was in a win or go home situation, he was out front trying to keep JoLo behind him. He was doing all he could (including blocking). Then Kenseth was attempting one last block and maybe at the same time Joey didn't like it. They touched and Kenseth spun out and JoLo took the win.

All of that situation can also be called hard racing. It's what fans want (until it is there driver spinning out). But, in my opinion none of it was dirty. Both guys wanted a win, one guy needed a win, and the other guy had the better car. They both raced hard.

Sunday at Martinsville, after Kenseth was in the middle of a restart wreck (and out of the Chase after last round) he intentionally took out Joey Logano who had the best car on the day. This while Kenseth was riding around pretty much waiting for the opportunity to do what he did.

Kenseth intentionally took out JoLo, which was no longer "hard racing" as I stated above. It was "pay back," even though it was no where near what happened at Kansas which was a racing thing. This was dirty manipulation. 

The worst part was, Kenseth didn't even admit to it. For a guy who wants a guy to "not have daddy fight his battles," it sure was cowardly to skate around the truth. Own up to being the guy who took him out, don't say "oh, a right front or something must have gone down." 

And no, that was not how racing was done in the past. When driver's "dumped" someone, it was for the lead. It was not a driver riding around looking to dump the leader because he was upset he was spun out a few weeks prior while trying to block. Sr. would intimidate you, race you hard, and dump you late in the race if that was the only way to get the win, not dump you because he has a trash car and was still pouting.

I know Kenesth fans and many others were happy with the Kenseth move, I for one am happy it gets more people talking about NASCAR. But, it wasn't the right thing to do and it wasn't payback for anything Joey did. Everyone will have there sides, but when you look at it from a fan of neither side and from a perspective of wanting good hard racing, it was a disappointing day for NASCAR.

Remember, only Chase drivers are eligible for the top 8 spots. The next 4 spots are up for anyone else in NASCAR (whether they were once in the Chase or not). It is a different variation on the Power Rankings, but it is only far to top the remaining 8 first. 

1. Jeff Gordon (LW-6)- Gordon gets this spot because after all the story lines with Kenseth and JoLo, he was the one in VL and will be one of four at Miami competing for a Championship.
2. Joey Logano (LW-1)- Yes, its an uphill battle, but Joey most likely was going to win a fourth straight on Sunday. It is possible he gets to Miami with a W still. Then what does Kenseth do?
3. Martin Truex Jr (LW-8)- He quietly ran pretty well all day. He will need two more runs like that to have a chance, though.
4. Kyle Busch (LW-7)- Spins in water, still comes out with a great finish. Is this the year I stop saying it will finally happen? A Rowdy Championship? I have been wrong twice already and I am not a Kyle fan...
5. Kevin Harvick (LW-5)- I keep saying don't count him out, but he really hasn't been as dominate during the Chase as many thought. But, he is getting by and he is good at Miami.
6. Brad Keselowski (LW-3)- Until a wreck on a late restart, BK was a guy who could give Joey a run for his money. He and JoLo both really need wins.
7. Carl Edwards (LW-2)- He got caught up in a check up situation and wrecked his front end and whole day. It will be interesting as he might be in a win or die situation as well, but he kept fighting so he still has an outside shot on points.
8. Kurt Busch (LW-4)- Kurt, BK, and JoLo are all already looking at win or go home spots. A rough day for Kurt put him in this spot, can he get out?
9. Denny Hamlin (LW-9)- Too bad for Hamlin Harvick's move at Dega knocked him out. Hamlin finished third when it was all said and done Sunday.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-11)- Jr would have also started off this round well if he moved on, after finishing 4th. Back to back top 5's for Junior.
11. Ryan Nemwan (LW-10)- Newman hasn't run bad all Chase, but also not great. 7th on Sunday was his best finish since he finished 4th to start the Chase at Chicagoland.
12. Kasey Kahne (LW-NR)- Has anyone noticed, since Loudon Kahne has four top 10's in six races? He notched another one this past Sunday at Martinsville.