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1. Austin Dillon: Has He Exceeded Expectations?
After six very diverse races in the Cup Series, it is pretty much time for evaluations of driver performance. I am going to start off today by giving my evaluation of Austin Dillon this year. If you recall, Dillon took a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title and a NASCAR Nationwide Series title before heading to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a rookie in 2014. Of course, the expectations were set pretty high considering he is running the number three for Richard Childress Racing, which was most famously used by Dale Earnhardt Sr. Here is my question for Austin Dillon and his team heading into the seventh race of the season. Have they been able to exceed expectations? I say they legitimately have. I mean, Dillon is usually horrendous at the start of the race. In fact, in almost every single race this season, my dad and I have joked about the future of our sport out there running outside the top 20. Basically, we think Childress has messed up. Then, by the end, this boy has it figured out. I mean, he has finished in the top 20 in basically all the races this season. Plus, he took the pole in the Daytona 500, which is usually one of the most talked about qualifying sessions of the entire season. Dillon followed that pole up with a top 10 in his first race in his rookie campaign. Pretty much the only thing he hasn't done yet is win a race. Opportunities for him to do so are coming up and he could very well take one of those opportunities to a win. To finish off my argument, Dillon is ninth in the points standings and ahead of drivers like Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and others that have experience in the sport. All in all, Dillon has done well for himself in a very pressure filled ride in NASCAR's highest series.
2. What Is Wrong With the Toyotas This Weekend?
This question floated across my mind the entire weekend through qualifying and practice. What is wrong with the Toyota drivers this weekend? Now, listen to me before I start this discussion. I don't think Toyota will struggle the entire race, but this weekend has been a complete struggle for them. Denny Hamlin and Brian Vickers were the only two Toyota drivers to make it into the second round of qualifying on Saturday. Hamlin was the only one to make it to the final round and he qualified sixth, which isn't too terrible, but everybody else was horrendous, to say the least. Clint Bowyer qualified twenty fifth, Matt Kenseth qualified twenty sixth, and Kyle Busch qualified a very measly twenty ninth. The bad thing about Busch is that one season ago he started on the pole at Texas and won the race in dominating fashion. The only thing I see wrong with the Toyota this weekend is that they just aren't fast. It seems like they are practically a mile per hour slower than the rest of the field at any part of the track. Now, speed is extremely important at Texas. I feel like Toyota will have this issue figured out when the race goes green this weekend and they will have some contenders at the front.
3. Kurt Busch: Is He Finally Back?
Last week's race at Martinsville for Kurt Busch was like his recent career. The early part of the day for Busch was like the down part of his career. Busch made contact with Brad Keselowski on pit road and he thought his day was over. Busch began to charge back through the field and by the end of the race, he was battling Jimmie Johnson for the win. Busch was able to beat Johnson in a fantastic battle and he took his first win since October of 2011. Because of that win, Busch has made it to the top of the mountain and he is now in the Chase. The question I have for Kurt Busch is a very simple one. Is he finally back to perfect form in NASCAR? I truly think he is. I mentioned this in my write-up about last week's race, but Kurt Busch seems to have experienced a complete attitude change recently. I mean, normally, Busch would be pretty angry after the incident with Keselowski in the pits. The key thing is he didn't get angry, really. He stayed pretty calm and he was able to keep himself up near the front of the pack. His ability to stay calm ultimately led to the win and now a Chase spot. Plus, he is with a pretty good team. Stewart-Haas Racing has several drivers who are the top tier of NASCAR currently and the past few years. Busch is now in the right hands for the future and he looks to be ready to make his way back to the championship.
4. Tony Stewart on Pole: Is Today His Day?
Another part of the Stewart-Haas Racing quartet of drivers is the boss and leader of the group, Tony Stewart. If you haven't heard about Stewart's problems recently, I will save everybody the trouble and not repeat them. If you want to read about his struggles, you guys can check my post the day after his incident last August and see all about it. Nonetheless, he has experienced some hard times recently. His return at the beginning of this year was also a little bit of a struggle, but he has turned it on recently as we approach his favorite part of the season: the summer. Yesterday, he took his first pole of the season and he looks fast. I have one question for Tony Stewart and the rest of his guys. Is today their day to have a good run? I really believe it is. First, take a look at these statistics before we get into the real part of the answer. Last year in the two Texas races, Kyle Busch started first and took the win and Jimmie Johnson took the win after starting third. That means somebody from either the top 5 or the late part of the top 10 will win the race. Well, Stewart starts in the first half of the field. Another part to this is Stewart's attitude recently. I mean, after winning the pole yesterday he looked ready and confident. I mean, he was pumped about the pole and it looks like he will be a legitimate contender for the rest of the year. Hopefully, Stewart makes his way back to the top in NASCAR and he returns to the great form we saw just a few years ago.
5. My Pick to Win
Last week's race at Martinsville went how everyone expected. Jimmie Johnson dominated the day, but a surprise winner took the checkered flag: Kurt Busch. Busch battled back from problems early in the race to take the win late. Really, today's race can't be compared to that. Texas Motor Speedway races are completely about strategy. Tires are very key and since it has rained there all day, tires and strategy will be a huge factor, considering the race might be run partially under night time conditions. To add to that, guys who were good throughout the weekend might not be good at night and the opposite might be true for guys near the back. Only time will tell how the race goes. I think some good picks for today's race are Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, and Jeff Gordon. Marcos Ambrose, Trevor Bayne, and Ryan Newman are also underdog picks to look at when the race nears the end. Well, rain has struck NASCAR again today. It looks like the race will finish by tonight, but I won't be able to write about it. Next week, the series heads to Darlington Raceway and I will be there for both races on the weekend. I am beyond excited and ready to go to Darlington for what is sure to be a good set of races. Expect some articles with pictures on my trip throughout the next week after the races. Well, that is all I have for today and until we meet again.
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