My Thoughts: New Hampshire #2

         The site of Chase race #2 is the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The bad fast, flat one mile race track in Loudon, New Hampshire is a totally different monster compared to last week's race at the one and a half mile high banked Chicagoland Speedway. That makes today's race a totally different contest. Unlike last week, where passing was rather easy for the drivers, it will be a difficult task to pass anybody today. That means track position will be key and strategy will ultimately affect how the race is run. This is always the case when we head to New Hampshire. Earlier this year at the track, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon were hoping to go a long way on the last run of the race on fuel when the caution waved. The field slowed down and both Gordon and Harvick ran out of fuel during the caution laps. This gave Brad Keselowski the lead and he was able to head to the win. In the first race of 2013 at New Hampshire, it has been well documented how Brian Vickers was able to play the strategy game in his Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event since 2009. Unlike other tracks on the circuit, though, New Hampshire leaves the door open for many different drivers to win. In the last thirteen races at New Hampshire, thirteen different drivers have went to victory lane. That means any driver can step up and win the race just like Matt Kenseth did in the second Chase race last year. He went into New Hampshire having never won there before, but he was the victor on that day as he looked to win the championship. To conclude, we are in for a show today as all the Chase drivers will be looking to win and guarantee themselves a ticket to the next round of the Chase. With that introduction, I have a few topics to discuss before today's second Chase race. Topics include a discussion of Brad Keselowski, a discussion of Chip Ganassi Racing, a discussion of Aric Almirola, a discussion of the recent streak of different winners at New Hampshire, and, finally, my pick to win today's three hundred mile event. I am excited for today's race and these topics so let's jump right into them.

1. Brad Keselowski: Is He the Championship Favorite?
         If you read my qualifying post discussing the qualifying session for this weekend's race at New Hampshire, you know Brad Keselowski is rolling as of late. Two weeks ago at Richmond in the regular season finale, he lead all but seventeen laps in the event as he won his fourth race of the season and became the number one overall seed heading into the Chase. In the first Chase race at Chicagoland last week, Keselowski battled the rookie, Kyle Larson, and Kevin Harvick on a late race restart to take his fifth win of the season and grab himself a spot in the next round of the 2014 Chase. To top it all off, he came into New Hampshire this weekend and blistered the field as he grabbed his fifth pole of the season. To add even more weight to that pole, he has won the last two races where he started on the pole. With all that in mind about the Team Penske driver, I have just one question. Is he the championship favorite in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series? He most certainly is the favorite. The main reason is just his abilities at the next few tracks. New Hampshire, Dover, Charlotte, Talladega, and others have been really good tracks for Keselowski. He has the opportunity every single time we visit there to win and win with authority. Plus, he has a great team behind him. This entire year, Team Penske has provided the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion with some of the fastest cars I have ever seen. He has dominated events this year and has looked great doing it. His wave of momentum will continue as we roll through the Chase and he is the favorite in my mind to stand on the podium as champion in 2014.

2. Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson: Are They the Two Best Non-Chase Drivers?
        Chip Ganassi Racing has two drivers, Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, in its fold, but neither one are in the Chase for the championship this season. Well, somebody should tell them that. McMurray and Larson have ran great races all year long including Larson's second place finish at Auto Club earlier this year and his third place finish a week ago at Chicagoland. McMurray has also had great runs this entire year including a fourth place run at Richmond to end the regular season. Both were highly competitive last week at Chicagoland and they are extremely competitive this weekend at New Hampshire. In fact, both McMurray and Larson were two of the three non-Chase drivers to make the final round of qualifying this weekend. McMurray will roll off second while Larson rolls off from tenth place after a mistake in qualifying. With all that in mind, here is my question for this topic. Are they the two best Non-Chase drivers this season? They definitely are the two best drivers not in the Chase. The main reason is just how great they have been recently. In every race this year, the major contenders have been the drivers who are currently in the Chase along with McMurray and Larson. They have been on top of their game in all aspects of the word. In fact, Larson was in the Chase late in the regular season, but a couple bad events took him out of Chase contention. That is especially noteworthy for Larson considering he is a rookie this year in NASCAR's highest series. All in all, Chip Ganassi Racing has been a great team this entire year and expect them to contend for wins in the Chase even though Larson and McMurray aren't in the Chase.

3. Aric Almirola: Can He Recover After a Bad Finish at Chicagoland?
        Aric Almirola came into Chicagoland a week ago as one of the underdogs in the Chase. His upset victory at Daytona in July propelled him into the Chase for the first time in his young career. He came into Chicagoland last week with something to prove. And prove something he did. He was running in sixth place late in the event when his engine expired. He finished deep in the field and the loss of points put him last in the Chase running order with twenty three points to make up before Dover. It was an unfortunate problem for Almirola. He was on the verge of a Chase defining moment, but his engine quit on him. Still, he has two races to make up the points before the first round of Chase eliminations. That brings me to my question for this topic. Can Almirola recover after a bad finish at Chicagoland? He definitely can. When Almirola won at Daytona, I didn't see him going anywhere in the Chase. I now have changed my position. The main reason is his runs recently. At Richmond in the regular season finale, he took a tenth place finish as he looked to build up momentum. At Chicagoland last week, he was running sixth when his motor expired on him. With a little more work and some hard driving, Almirola can easily grab a top five today at New Hampshire along with having a good finish next week at Dover. Don't count out Aric Almirola from making the second round of the Chase as he looks to prove himself this year.

4. Thirteen Different Winners in Thirteen Races at New Hampshire: Who Has the Best Chance to Make It Fourteen?
        It isn't often where a track doesn't have dominant winners from year to year, but New Hampshire is one of those tracks. New Hampshire does not have a repeat winner since 2008 and that is thirteen full races. Plus, consider the drivers who haven't won during that streak. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, and others in the Chase have not won at New Hampshire during the thirteen race streak. That means the streak could continue today. It could especially continue today considering the amount of strategy at New Hampshire and the fact that difficult weather conditions could allow different drivers to win. With that, here is my question for this topic. Which driver who hasn't won during the streak at New Hampshire has the best chance to make it fourteen? Jeff Gordon has the best chance to make it fourteen today. Gordon rolls off thirteenth on the grid and he isn't exactly the best driver at New Hampshire, but look at how well he has done this year. He has won three races and he has looked strong at all tracks we have been to. He has a ton of momentum like Brad Keselowski after a second place finish last week behind the Team Penske driver. Gordon will certainly be a threat today and he could continue the streak to fourteen different winners today.

5. My Pick to Win
         I have mentioned it a lot today, but New Hampshire is one of the most unpredictable tracks in NASCAR. Weather conditions, restarts, strategy, car conditions, and so many other things greatly affect every single race here. Strategy has been factor in at least three of the last four events at New Hampshire. Today, we could be racing to halfway due to the rain in the area and strategy will be even more affected by this. All that information culminates into saying this: today's race at New Hampshire will be very unpredictable and we will be left on the edge of our seats during every single lap. I have a good many picks for today's race. My picks include Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick. Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Brian Vickers are underdog picks to win today's race as well. I am looking forward to today's race at New Hampshire and I'm sure it will greatly affect the rest of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. I won't be writing about it today, but I will be watching intently as the storylines unfold. Well, that is all for me and until we meet again.





Credits:
-Image:
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2014/0714/rpm_g_shepherd_logano1x_600x400.jpg

Brad Keselowski Continues His Wave of Momentum at the Start of the Chase By Taking the Pole at New Hampshire

        With a time of 27.090 seconds (140.598 mph), Brad Keselowski was able to set the track record at New Hampshire and take the pole for the second Chase race of 2014. Keselowski, who has been riding a wave of momentum in recent weeks, has been very impressive recently. He won the regular season finale at Richmond two weeks while leading all but seventeen laps in the event while also starting on the pole. Last week, he went to Chicagoland for the first race of the 2014 Chase and took the win to guarantee himself a spot in the next round of the Chase. He comes to New Hampshire this weekend and takes the pole while sitting at the top of the leaderboard in two of the practice sessions. It is safe to say Keselowski will be a factor again this weekend as he looks to sweep at New Hampshire on the season, but he will have a lot of competition from his fellow Chase drivers and the rest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field. Jamie McMurray, who is not in the Chase this year, will look to win and prove that he deserves to be in the Chase himself with a second place starting spot. Kevin Harvick continues to run fast every single week with a third place starting spot as he looks to win his first Cup championship. Denny Hamlin made his way into the Chase thanks to a win at Talladega and he looks to win again with a fourth place starting spot. Kyle Busch has finished second in the last three races at New Hampshire and he will look for a win with a fifth place starting spot. The rest of the Sprint Cup regulars and Chase contenders follow behind this stacked top five. The second knockout qualifying session for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at New Hampshire was rather calm, but the qualifying session could change a lot of things as we head down the stretch towards the battle for the championship.

        Marcos Ambrose was the first driver on track to start the thirty minute first round. Ambrose ran a decent lap as he looked to make the second and final round. Early on, Jimmie Johnson, who had struggled so far in practice on Friday, jumped to the top of the board with a track record speed. About six minutes into the round, Denny Hamlin jumped ahead of Johnson with a track record speed of his own. These two laps would not matter as Brad Keselowski, who had been fastest in practice on Friday, jumped to the top of the board two minutes later. Keselowski looked to hold station at the top while the rest of the drivers ran laps. The minutes were clicking away in the round as Chase drivers moved in and out of the top twelve that would head to the final round of qualifying. With about five minutes left in the final round, the session started to head up after a calm twenty five minutes. Drivers like Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and others were looking to take the twelfth and final transfer spot. The spots around twelfth began to shuffle quickly as the final minutes clicked away in the round. As the red and black flag waved to end the first round, the shuffle was complete with Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking the final transfer spot and Brad Keselowski remaining the fastest driver. Carl Edwards, Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Brian Vickers, Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman moved on while Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, and others missed the final round. After the long thirty minute first round, the drivers would only have a quick ten minutes to take the pole at New Hampshire.

        Denny Hamlin was the first driver on track to start the ten minute final round. Hamlin ran a good lap on his second time around to jump to the provisional pole early on. He looked to hold onto the pole, but he had a good many more drivers to contend with. Four minutes in, Jamie McMurray dashed Hamlin's hope of a pole as he jumped to the provisional pole. Just a minute later, though, McMurray would be knocked from the top as Brad Keselowski laid down a blazing fast track record speed. Keselowski had only a few more drivers to dodge as the session reached halfway. Kyle Larson looked to lay down a quick lap and beat Keselowski, but he would have a little trouble during his run. His brakes locked up heading into turn 3 and he sailed up the track. He managed to slow his car down and barely bump the outside wall. He pulled down pit road with little damage, but he would be able to lay down a lap a little later. Still, it was all Brad Keselowski with a minute left in the round. All the drivers completed their runs late and, as the red and black flag waved, Brad Keselowski was still at the top of the leaderboard. He grabbed his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series pole of the year as he looks to grab his sixth win of the season. Keselowski is fast once again and he is becoming the biggest threat for the Cup championship.

        Brad Keselowski is rolling in recent weeks. Two straight wins mean that Keselowski has the momentum for sure. Also, consider this. In the last two races where Keselowski has sat on the pole, he has taken his Team Penske Ford Fusion to victory lane. Plus, the last time NASCAR visited New Hampshire, Keselowski went to victory lane in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It is safe to say Keselowski is a heavy favorite, but here is another statistic to consider. In the last thirteen races at New Hampshire, thirteen different drivers have visited victory lane. Keselowski, who won just this summer, will have to end that streak to take his third straight win as we run the second race of the 2014 Chase. Behind him, Keselowski has a lot of drivers who are hoping to end Keselowski's recent streak of wins. Jamie McMurray would love to spoil the Chase party as he starts second tomorrow. Kevin Harvick, who hasn't won at New Hampshire since 2006, will look to become the fourteenth different winner in fourteen races from his third place starting spot. Denny Hamlin would like to guarantee himself a spot in the next round of the Chase with a win at New Hampshire from his fourth place starting spot. Kyle Busch, Hamlin's teammate, will look to do the same exact thing from his fifth place starting spot. The same can be said for the other Chase drivers behind these guys as Dover next week marks the first round of eliminations. The field will have to battle hard on the flat one mile track in New Hampshire and it will be a great battle for sure. Will Brad Keselowski win his third straight race, will Jamie McMurray win a Chase race as a non-Chase driver, will another non-Chase driver spoil the Chase party, or will another Chase driver seal his ticket to the next round? We only have to wait a day before we find out this information and a whole lot more.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Top 5 Qualifiers (With Times):
1st: Brad Keselowski     27.090 (140.598 mph)
2nd: Jamie McMurray     27.121 (140.437 mph)
3rd: Kevin Harvick     27.193 (140.065 mph)
4th: Denny Hamlin     27.253 (139.757 mph)
5th: Kyle Busch     27.260 (139.721 mph)

Notables Not in Top 5 (With Times):
6th: Jimmie Johnson     27.319 (139.419 mph)
7th: Joey Logano     27.354 (139.241 mph)
8th: Carl Edwards     27.398 (139.017 mph)
11th: Dale Earnhardt Jr.     27.428 (138.865 mph)
13th: Jeff Gordon     27.412 (138.946 mph)*
15th: Kurt Busch     27.413 (138.941 mph)*
16th: Matt Kenseth     27.430 (138.855 mph)
17th: Kasey Kahne     27.436 (138.825 mph)
(*: Gordon and Kurt Busch were fast enough to be in the top twelve, but they missed the final round.)

DNQs: None




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series/leaderboard/leaderboard-qualification.Round_2.html
http://racing-reference.info/getqualify/2014-28/W
-Image:
http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/244e7aa319ff908444a43ab6f505eeac6fa99b4f/c=669-0-4102-2581&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/USATODAY/2014/09/19/1411162981000-9-19-14-early-brad-keselowski.jpg

My Thoughts: 2014 Richmond #2

         Here we are. In February at Daytona, talk was cheap. People were picking their championship winners when they really had no idea how that driver would race throughout the season. After twenty five Cup races, all that has changed completely. Thirteen different drivers have went to victory lane and guaranteed a Chase spot while Matt Kenseth has guaranteed he will have a spot on points. That leaves two spots remaining with Ryan Newman, Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, and Kyle Larson all within striking distance of making the Chase on points. All the rest of the drivers in the top thirty need a win tonight to make the Chase. Most likely, the four drivers close on points will have the best opportunity to take the Chase spots. It is always interesting when we head to Richmond for the final regular season race of the year. In 2004 when the Chase was first used, Jeremy Mayfield came into the race fifty five points out of the Chase, but he changed that. He was able to dominate the race and take the win to make the Chase for the first time in the first year of it. Last year's race was one that has been talked about a ton since it happened. Late in the event, Clint Bowyer spun on track as his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., was on the outside looking in for the Chase. This brought a frantic finish to the race as the field battled hard. Ryan Newman, who had taken the lead with ten laps to go, looked to battle into the Chase while Carl Edwards held him off to win the race. This finish put Truex in the Chase while Joey Logano used help from David Gilliland to make the Chase. NASCAR decided this was cheating and moved Truex from the Chase while adding Newman and Jeff Gordon to the Chase with an unprecedented thirteenth place spot. Richmond has been home to these moments for years and tonight's race will be even crazier as two Chase spots remain. With that introduction, I have a few topics I want to discuss with you guys. Topics include a discussion of last year's race, a discussion of a sponsor extending with a team, a discussion of drivers with three wins, a discussion of the drivers who will take the final transfer spots into the Chase, and my pick to win tonight's race. Well, let us jump into these topics as we end the regular season and look forward to the Chase. 

1. 2013 Richmond Chase Controversy: Will It Ever Be Forgotten?
        I discussed briefly what happened in last year's race at Richmond, but I want to discuss it in-depth here. With about ten laps to go, Ryan Newman took the lead from Carl Edwards. If Newman held onto the lead, he would take the win and head into the Chase. As the laps began to wind down, some controversial audio came from Clint Bowyer's team and Bowyer spun on track almost immediately. Everyone thought the spin was questionable, but the caution still waved and pit stops occurred. Newman's pit stop did not go well and he slid back in the running order. The final restart came and Brian Vickers, who was also Truex's teammate, was called to pit road by his team to give Truex another spot. Newman tried to charge to the front again, but Edwards held onto the lead and win while Newman settled for third spot. This meant that Truex and Joey Logano took the final transfer spots into the Chase while Newman and Jeff Gordon were out of the Chase. After the controversy, the entire Michael Waltrip Racing team was fined and Truex was taken out of the Chase. Newman and Gordon were added as thirteen drivers looked to go to battle. The controversy rocked the NASCAR world for the next few weeks and it still resonates today. I have just one question for the sport and the controversy. Will it ever be forgotten? It will never be forgotten. The main reason is the outcomes of that controversy that are still around today. Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer's careers completely changed when that happened. Truex was forced to leave MWR because his sponsor, NAPA, left. He went to Furniture Row Racing where he hasn't done as good as he should be doing. Clint Bowyer made the Chase and ran okay during the Chase, but this year he has struggled and he will have to fight tonight to make the Chase. Plus, the format of the Chase has completely changed because of this dark controversy for NASCAR along with some other rules. It was a very dark spot in the history of our sport and it will be a moment that will never be forgotten.

2. Nationwide Expands Sponsorship with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick Motorsports: How Will This Help the Team?
         Nationwide Insurance has been a big part of NASCAR since 2008, but it will become an even bigger part heading into next year. The sponsor will no longer sponsor NASCAR's secondary series as Comcast XFINITY will take over, but Nationwide will be the primary sponsor on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car in twenty one races. This will be the case in 2015 along with 2016 and 2017. Along with that, Nationwide will be a big partner for the entire Hendrick Motorsports organization. We will see Nationwide on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car tonight at Richmond for the first time. If you recall, though, it has been the primary sponsor on Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s car a good many times in the past two years in the Sprint Cup Series. I have just one question for Earnhardt and his team. How will this help them in the next few years? It will certainly help them tremendously. If you remember, there were a few races this year where Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not have a scheduled sponsor. Now, there are only fifteen races in the next three years where Hendrick needs another sponsor other than Nationwide on his car. That will make it a whole lot easier for Hendrick and Earnhardt because they won't have to stress about getting sponsor money. Plus, this means Nationwide will still be a key part of NASCAR for a good many years to come. It also means Earnhardt will have a good year next year with this new sponsor on his car and a new backing for his team. Earnhardt will be a contender next year and Nationwide will be a huge part in it.

3. Which Driver With Three Wins Has the Best Chance to Grab Number 4?
       There have been thirteen winners this year in NASCAR's highest series, but the most wins for any driver in the field is three wins. Five drivers have taken three wins this year and they are the best of the best in our sport. Those drivers are Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, and Jimmie Johnson. With that in mind, I have just one question for these five drivers. Which one of them has the best chance to take their fourth win of the year and take the number one seed heading into the Chase? Joey Logano has the best chance out of these five drivers to take his fourth win of the season. The main reason is how fast he has been this weekend. Logano has been very fast the entire weekend at Richmond, like usual, and he took a fifth place starting spot yesterday during qualifying. Another reason is his win this past April at Richmond. Logano battled hard late in the race and he was able to hold off Brad Keselowski, Matt Kenseth, and others to take the win in style. It was Logano's first win at Richmond, but he looked great in taking the win. Logano will be fast tonight and he will look to take the win. If he does grab the win, he will be the number one seed heading into the 2014 Chase and he will be the favorite heading into the Chase. It could mean the difference between Logano winning his first title and not being about to take the title.

4. Which Two Drivers Will Take the Final Two Chase Spots at Richmond?
        Well, we have reached the most important topic of this edition of my thoughts for Richmond. Fourteen drivers are locked into the Chase already with Matt Kenseth the only driver locked in with points. Before the race starts, Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle are in while Clint Bowyer and Kyle Larson are just a few points out and hoping to jump into the Chase. The rest of the drivers who are in the top thirty will hope to win tonight's race and move into the Chase because of their win. Well, I have a little input on this subject with one question. Which two drivers will take the final two Chase spots at Richmond? Ryan Newman is going to take a Chase spot for sure. He doesn't have to run too hard unless somebody new wins the race tonight at Richmond, but he looks like a heavy favorite to me. Greg Biffle looks like another obvious choice, but I am not picking him. I am going with Kyle Larson. Wait, Kyle Larson? The rookie who struggled at Richmond in his first race there after a first lap spin? Yes, the rookie, Kyle Larson, is my pick. Here is why. Larson has been fast this entire year and he is really good when he returns to a track for the second time. Some people forget that Larson started first here in April before he spun on the first lap. He is starting eighth tonight and he will be a contender for the win along with being one of the guys who will be near the front as he looks to make it in on points. Newman and Larson will be the two drivers making the Chase after tonight's race and they will be contenders throughout the entire Chase.

5. My Pick to Win
        Richmond is a very hard race to predict, especially the second one of the year right before the Chase starts. Some drivers are completely focused on winning the race while others are focused solely on having the most points when the race is over. That means a lot of drivers will get into trouble and the Chase could be greatly affected by some moves in the race. Plus, strategy, restarts, and cautions can greatly changed the outlook of the event. Ryan Newman was leading last year in this race when the caution waved and pit stops occurred. He ended up third while Carl Edwards walked away with the win. The same thing could happen tonight and a driver could miss out on a much desired Chase spot. I have a good many picks for tonight's race. My picks include Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, and Jimmie Johnson. Some underdog picks for me include Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Danica Patrick, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, and Clint Bowyer. I am very excited for tonight's event. Richmond is always a track with great races, but add in the fact that it is the final race before the Chase and things will really start to heat up. Drivers will battle the entire night for just one position and I am ready to watch those battles. I won't be able to write about it tonight, but I will be watching with great interest. Well, that is all for me and until we meet again.




Credits:
-Image:
http://pbs.twimg.com/media/BmPGCevCIAAjYj-.jpg:medium