2018 NASCAR Pit Road Preseason

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Preseason

By Richard Tix

The 2018 season is almost upon us. Not only will changes be made in NASCAR (new Camaro, no Dale Earnhardt Jr, drives changing places, etc), but changes will be had around the blog. As time goes on and priorities in life change, sometimes things take a back seat. My love for NASCAR hasn't changed, but my free time for running Behind the Wall and producing content is running more and more dry by the season.

Now, I just do this as a hobby and never really saw it going somewhere too serious. I loved the aspect of my own power rankings and keeping a better tab on the sport and because of creating content it made me accountable to myself to stay in the know. I also loved that getting out my opinion also let me engage with many other fans and even make some online friendships through it. Now, if this was a serious ambition towards a career in NASCAR it would end up much higher on my priority list, but as of right now it is not that. So, this season I maybe cutting back on some content (which follows a trend from the end of last season).

However, I will still be here and on Twitter to interact as much as possible. The plan is to still do as many race previews and reviews (with power rankings taking the spotlight) as possible. I will more then likely link the TV schedules and entry lists instead of posting them myself. I am going to add to my weekly power rankings by doing a Team Power Rankings every 3-5 weeks (because week by week team power rankings may not change enough). 

So, no fear, NBTW will still be around... However, I do apologize that the up to date news will not be added to the content near as much and the Paint Schemes pages may take longer to get updated. Hit me up on Twitter (@NASCARBTW) as I will be active on there all season longer (whether it be races or personal content).

As always, lets get ready for a fun 2018! Below are some preseason driver and team power rankings for your enjoyment!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Preseason

1. Martin Truex Jr - Who else would be on top? Truex is still riding high after winning the 2017 Championship.
2. Kyle Busch - Toyota should still be fast, Chevy has to adjust to a new model, Ford hasn't made a change, and none of it matters to Kyle because all he cares about is winning. 
3. Kyle Larson - Larson started his rise into true NASCAR stardom last year and with a new Chevy Camaro it should only continue this season.
4. Denny Hamlin - I'm expecting a quick start to the year for the top Toyota drivers including Hamlin who should be one of the favorites to win the Daytona 500 to start 2018.
5. Kevin Harvick - Childers mentioned that last year they tried to actually reign it in so NASCAR wouldn't put the spotlight on them for being so fast. Rodney also mentioned that he hates that and has zero intention of doing that in 2018.
6. Chase Elliott - Chase has one heck of a season last year and will look to get the win less monkey off of his back. Once he does get a win, I still expect a bunch to pile up.
7. Brad Keselowski - BK made the final four in 2017, but really wasn't in the running at Homestead (except for a brief moment mid race where they gambled on strategy). He remained very vocal all season about the lack of gains Ford has made lately, will he be right? Will it help push Ford to make a move? Or is it a lost cause? NASCAR politics....
8. Jimmie Johnson - This might be the lowest I have ever started JJ out in my preseason rankings. He still put up three wins last season and should still be a threat in 2018 especially if the Camaro is a hit.
9. Joey Logano - Is anyone happier to get a fresh start in 2018? JoLo is ready for a full redemption tour and never has to hear "encumbered" again, well at least in an "official" way...
10. Ryan Blaney - Blaney is switching from the Penske affiliated No. 21 Wood Brothers ride to a new third Penske ride (No. 12). It should be a smooth transition for one of the bright young stars of NASCAR.
11. Erik Jones - Another young gun part of the youth movement, Jones should make a big jump in year two in Cup. 
12. Jamie McMurray - JMac once again pointed his way to the Playoffs in 2017 and will be back with Ganassi in 2018. He and teammate Kyle Larson have a good shot to both make the 2018 playoffs again. 

Team Power Rankings

1. Furniture Row Racing - 2017 Champions, check. Returning the combo of Cole Pearn and Martin Truex Jr, check. Until further notice, the defending Champion team stays on top even with the loss of a second car (No. 77).
2. Joe Gibbs Racing - Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin are in their prime years, meanwhile Daniel Suarez and Erik Jones gain another year of experience. Toyota coming off a dominating 2017 finish so JGR will be towards the top to start 2018.
3. Team Penske - Penske had a final four driver (BK), a win that was encumbered (JoLo), and an affiliated young gun who won his first race and made the playoffs (Blaney) in 2017. Now all of them are part of one team. The only question is will Ford be a step behind the other two manufacturers?
4. Hendrick Motorsports - HMS is now JJ and the young kids. Junior has retired from full time Cup driving and the team and Kasey Kahne separated ways. To put a cherry on top of all the moving parts, Chevy is bringing the new Camaro to Cup this season. Chevy seemed to be at a disadvantage in 2017, so the Camaro move could push them up this list quickly, but it will be a learning curve as will having so many new young names (Elliott, Bowman, and Byron).
5. Chip Ganassi Racing - Ganassi has arguably been the better Chevy team as of late, compared to HMS. They put Larson and McMurray in the Playoffs two years in a row and it looks like Larson is becoming a star in the sport. Can they take the next step and get to Homestead?
6. Stewart Haas Racing - The top end of SHR has been good, actually, great. Harvick has been holding up SHR for years now and Kurt Busch has held his own, but the questions continue to be the other two cars. Same can be said about SHR entering 2018 with Clint Bowyer back and Aric Almirola joining for his first year.
7. Richard Childress Racing - Last season RCR got two cars into the playoffs, but that really skews how well they ran (hint, not very well). Still, we can't look past RCR's two wins (Newman and Dillon) and the fact that they might get new life with the new Camaro.
8. Wood Brothers Racing - Wood Brothers will go from Ryan Blaney to Paul Menard in 2018. Menard should provide them some week to week stability compared to last season, but likely won't be front runners as often either. 
9. Roush Fenway Racing - RFR had a great season for them when comparing to the previous couple years, but work still needs to be done. Superspeedways and short tracks were surprisingly a strength, but the schedule is made up of a ton of 1.5 mile tracks and RFR isn't even close with their 1.5 mile program.
10. Germain Racing - I was surprised when RCR parted ways with Paul Menard and they didn't bring in Ty Dillon from Germain. However, that is a good thing for Germain as Ty gives them stability coming into 2018 with a chance to advance up the standings. 
11. Leavine Family Racing - Leavine made big strides over the years with Michael McDowell and took the plunge to make a larger splash by bringing in Kasey Kahne. If the Kahne signing works out they could be the next Furniture Row (bold statement alert). I am not saying they will, but they're following some of the footsteps FRR made.
12. Richard Petty Motorsports - Rounding out the top 12 is RPM. RPM will once again be a one car team in 2018 but made the big move from Ford to Chevy. They also moved on from Aric Almirola and brought in Darrell Wallace Jr. to take over the legendary No. 43.

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.

2017 NASCAR Pit Road Week 35: Phoenix

Weekly Review and Power Rankings

Can-Am 500

By Richard Tix

Man, was that a fun ride on Sunday. With the elimination format in place Phoenix has been a must watch race filled with drama AND good racing. This past Sunday was no different. We had a dominate car early that needed a win to advance (Hamlin), a mix up with Championship implications during Stage Three (Hamlin and Elliott), some late restarts to jumble everything up (including Elliott to the lead), and lastly a NASCAR Cup Champion who might be on his last couple races pull off the trip to Victory Lane (Kenseth).

Without the cut line storylines we still had some late drama, but most of it dwindled down to the move Hamlin made at Martinsville which again was caused mostly by this format. However, at the end of the day no format can ever script a finish like Kenseth had when he charged to the back bumper of Elliott late in the race and took the lead from him winning his first race of 2017 and his 39th of his career.

The way this season has progressed for Kenseth it really has left us scrambling to think of a final goodbye. All season long it was rumored he wouldn't be back with JGR, but many of us thought he would still find some kind of halfway competitive ride (I thought he would swap with Jones and get into the 77 for a year). So, Sundays win is bittersweet for NASCAR fans and I am sure Matt Kenseth as well.

Kenseth is a guy who might not fully get appreciated until he has retired from the sport. His dry humor and personality has always been welcomed by myself as a fan because it is a shake up from the norm. He was a Midwestern kid thriving in a southern sport. His 39 wins ties him with Tim Flock for 19th overall (third most of active drivers). In his 18 years of full time Cup driving he only had four season's in which he failed to notch a win and ten of those season's he won multiple races. His career spanned from the Winston Cup all the way through a playoff structure that was actually developed because of his own dominance of the system while only winning one race. Matt Kensseth will go down as a NASCAR Hall of Famer who was as consistent a driver as any.

If this truly is his last ride, I hope everyone lets it sink and and soaks it up during a season that has been dominated by the goodbyes to Dale Earnhardt Jr. 

Thanks for the memories Dale and Matt!

Pit Road Power Rankings: Week 35 (Week 34)

1. Martin Truex Jr (LW-1)- Everything is heads up for Homestead, but with how Truex has run on 1.5's this year he has to still be the favorite. It will be a disappointment leaving with anything other than a Championship.
2. Kevin Harvick (LW-3)- Can you count Harvick out of it now that it's straight up at Homestead? He's coming into the final race with three straight top fives and running as well as he has all year long.
3. Kyle Busch (LW-2)- Rowdy took care of business early at Martinsville and cruised into Homestead. The No. 18 team had a nice run at PIR so they should be heading into the final race with some confidence.
4. Brad Keselowski (LW-5)- What a roller coaster ride Sunday must have been. Watching Denny lead a ton of laps early while barely being a top 15 car must have been horrible behind the wheel. Then, a late mix up between the 24 and 11 opened the door before a late restart almost put BK in the wall. The No. 2 creeped in, but it doesn't matter now that it's all even.
5. Matt Kenseth (LW-9)- What a way to go out, if in fact Kenseth is done forever. I changed so many times how I wanted Sunday to end, but when the No. 20 got to the back bumper of the 24 I knew I wanted to see one last Kenseth win. What a cool moment!
6. Chase Elliott (LW-7)- How heartbreaking. First the 24 pulls a bump and run on the 11 that essentially left the 11 no room but the wall (or backing way out of the throttle). Then, the crowd went wild as Chase took the lead and looked to hold his Championship fate. All of it ended with a charging Matt Kenseth stealing the glory many were hoping went to Elliott.
7. Denny Hamlin (LW-4)- Denny had to know it was coming eventually after Martinsville and it did when Chase and Hamlin were battling late in Stage Three. It had to be a disappointing day especially given how well they ran all day.
8. Ryan Blaney (LW-6)- The No. 21 made it farther along then most probably anticipated and it was a fun run while it lasted for Wood Brother. I actually wish Blaney was staying in the No. 21 next year, but we all knew a move to Penske was eventually coming.
9. Erik Jones (LW-NR)- Erik's late wheel spin on a restart sure did cause some drama to end the race, but he still managed to finish off strong with a top five.
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr (LW-NR)- One more race. It is crazy to think Junior's last Cup race as a full time driver is coming up in less then a week. He has had a strong finish since Dover, racking up four top tens in seven races (just eight top tens all season). 
11. Ricky Stenhouse Jr (LW-NR)- It's been overlooked, but Ricky is actually finishing 2017 on a good note. He now has two top tens in his last three and three straight of 12th or better.
12. Austin Dillon (LW-12)- Another top 15, that makes it four straight. He isn't getting it done, but he is at least finding some kind of consistency, even if it is only top 15 consistency.

Dropped Out: Jimmie Johnson (LW-8), Kasey Kahne (LW-10), and Kurt Busch (LW-11)