1. Is Kasey Kahne Eliminated From the Chase After His Wreck at New Hampshire?
Last week, Kasey Kahne suffered a devastating blow at New Hampshire. With only about fifty laps to go, Kahne got loose exiting turn 4 and slammed he inside wall. He would return, but he ended up finishing thirty seventh after all was said and done. This put him back to last in the Chase standings with only seven events left to go. Immediately when his wreck happened, everybody eliminated him from the championship picture except his fans. I am one such fan who has not eliminated him yet. Even though I do have fan bias, I still have two reasons I believe he is still in contention. The first is the tracks left in the Chase. When I think about Kasey Kahne, I always picture him winning and running up front at mile and a half tracks. The Chase still has a good many of those races left and they are at tracks Kahne has been successful at this year including Charlotte and Kansas. If he gets on a roll and wins any of the upcoming races, he could be back in it just like that. The final reason is because of how many events are left. We have a good many events left before the champion is decided. There is still a chance that Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kyle Busch could have a bad race and open up the battle. If it does happen, drivers like Kasey Kahne could take full advantage of it. If you have eliminated Kahne already, I think it could come back to haunt you.
2. Is Matt Kenseth Going to Win the Championship?
After the first two races in the Chase, we have a good picture of what the championship looks like. First off, Matt Kenseth is in prime position to take the championship with two wins in the first two Chase races. Even with all this momentum, I don't think Kenseth has locked up the championship just yet. For one, Kenseth has had some moments this year where he didn't run good. Mostly this year, he has won the race or finished way back. Because of this, Kenseth was never really a favorite for the championship other than with his five wins heading to the playoffs. With a lot of tracks where drivers can mess up left on the circuit, Kenseth could have some problems and it would be someone else's chance. A final reason is the competitors behind him. If you are not going to pick Jimmie Johnson to win the championship, I personally think you are pretty crazy. When the championship is on the line, Johnson is going to be there and usually he is going to take it. If Kenseth struggles at any track, Johnson and even Kyle Busch will be there to take the points lead. I'm not saying Kenseth is not a front runner, but he needs to show the consistency that he has started early in the Chase if he wants to hoist the trophy in Homestead.
3. Is It a Three Man Race For the Championship?
In the first two races, we have also figured out who the main front runners are for the championship. Right now, they are Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch. Kenseth and Busch started off the Chase with 1-2 finishes and are running really well. Jimmie Johnson is his usual self with consistent finishes in the Chase. I don't think it is too much of a shock right now that these three are the main front runners for the Chase, but I am shocked by a couple things. I am shocked that Busch is running as well as he is. I mean, he has been a very good driver in the past, but usually that is before the Chase. When you take a look at his record, he has never won a race during the Chase and hasn't really been the main figure when it comes Chase time. To me, I think he has turned a complete corner. After missing the Chase last year, Busch worked his life back in order and is now a very competitive driver. If he keeps working like he does now, he could be a Champion this year. Matt Kenseth has also surprised me a good bit this year. After making the move from Roush-Fenway Racing to Joe Gibbs Racing, Kenseth has won seven races and has a nice cushion at the top of the points standings. Kenseth is a former champion, but it is just really surprising. I know he can win races, but he just has never been the guy at the top of the standings or even a constant threat. I think Kenseth has also turned a corner and looks very good right now. With him and Busch battling hard for the title, this could be a good battle for the championship that comes down to the final race of the year at Homestead.
4. Brian Scott to Make His Cup Debut at Charlotte; Will Run Partial Schedule Next Season
Some good news came out this week for Brian Scott. It was announced that he would make his Sprint Cup debut at Charlotte for RCR and he would run a partial schedule next year with the team. In case you aren't familiar with Scott, I will give you some background. Scott began running full time with Joe Gibbs Racing a few years ago. Scott was pretty good with the team, but he never grabbed any wins for them. This year, he moved over to Richard Childress Racing where he has had two races that he could have captured the checkered flag. He did not take the victory, but the team was proud of his good runs and decided he should get a Cup opportunity. I am very glad for Scott. One reason is that he is going to be a good driver in Cup. When you look at his record, there aren't any wins, but if you watch the races you see that he has a lot of promise. He doesn't wreck people, he can finish consistently at the front, and he has that natural ability as a race car driver. Now, you might not feel the same way, but based on what I have seen from him in Nationwide, he shows these qualities to me. I mean, he has had some moments where I and many others questioned if he would be the future of the sport, but I think he answered the call this year. With a team of Ryan Newman, Paul Menard, Austin Dillon, and Brian Scott for some races, Richard Childress Racing is looking very formidable heading into next season.
5. Steve Byrnes Diagnosed With Cancer; Taking a Medical Leave of Absence From Broadcasting
This week, we received some sad news in the world of NASCAR broadcasting. Steve Byrnes announced that he would have to take a medical leave of absence from broadcasting because of cancer. Byrnes has been a mainstay in NASCAR for a long time. He was a part time pit reporter in the late 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a full time pit reporter with FOX in 2001. Byrnes has been with FOX since then and is one of the hosts of NASCAR Race Hub on FOX Sports 1. Byrnes has always been one of my favorite pit reporters and I hope he makes a speedy recovery. If you read this Byrnes, I hope to see you at the track very soon and I hope you defeat that cancer as quick as possible.
6. My Pick to Win
Last week, Matt Kenseth continued his winning ways with another victory in the Chase. Earlier this year at Dover, Tony Stewart took the win after Jimmie Johnson jumped the final restart of the race. Today, I think this race is going to be one of the wild card races in the Chase and the points are going to shake up. I think Dale Earnhardt Jr. (What!?!?), Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Kevin Harvick are good picks to win the race today at the “Monster Mile”. Another thing is that this race could have a very different winner compared to the rest of the races this year and it should be a very good race. Once again, I thank you guys for reading through my opinions. If you guys have differing opinions on any of the issues I have discussed, please let me know in the comments down below. I hope you guys enjoy the race at Dover today and until we meet again.
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