Flashback Friday 5 Stages of Analysis: Newman Starts First and Finishes First in Fuel Mileage Battle at Pocono

(Author’s Note: Since this is my first Flashback Friday using my new article format, I was unsure of how to write this piece. I could have either wrote from the 2017 perspective and known all the outcomes of each one of my topics like when Ricky Rudd’s streak ends. Or I could write it from the July 27, 2003, perspective where everything is based on speculation and anticipation of the remainder of the season. I decided to write from the 2003 perspective because, to me, it is so cool to think about how people placed this race into its proper context back in 2003. Another Ryan Newman win, Matt Kenseth’s continued hold of the Winston Cup points lead, cheers for Jeff Gordon wrecking, and so many other moments that just make living in the 2003 mindset spectacular. So, let’s hop in and view the 2003 Pennsylvania 500 like it just happened a couple of hours ago.)


        Ryan Newman and his team managed to play the strategy perfectly at Pocono to take the team’s fourth win of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Like usual at Pocono, teams were prepared to save fuel and see if they could steal a win. The fuel mileage games began early in this race with green flag pit stops on lap 107. Newman’s team brought him down pit road early and he looked to be on a two-stop strategy at that point. On the other side of the spectrum, Dale Earnhardt Inc. teammates, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., managed to stay out until lap 117, which put them in the window to make only one more stop. As the caution waved a lap later, the strategy was shaken up even more as Waltrip and Earnhardt inherited the lead while Newman was mired deep in the pack. The sixth caution on lap 153 brought everyone to pit road with hopes of making it to the end as Newman took two tires and grabbed the lead. As drivers continued to pit under green and during cautions following the lap 153 caution, Newman and others stayed on the race track. Caution laps secured that the drivers who had stayed out since the sixth caution would make it to the end. Finally, after the eighth caution waved and set up a twelve-lap dash, the battle would be solely about who had the best car. In that late fight, Kurt Busch stayed right on Newman’s back bumper through all three of Pocono’s turns, but he could not pass him as Newman took his first checkered flag at Pocono Raceway. On paper, Newman’s 88 laps led and first place starting spot make it look like it was an easy race to win for the 2002 NWCS Rookie of the Year. However, the race was filled with passes for the lead, handling problems for all drivers, stressful strategy calls, and interesting restarts that made the winner anything but predictable. These five stages of analysis show that Pocono deserves the moniker as “The Tricky Triangle.”

Stage 1:
Driver of the Day: Newman Dominates and Manages to Win the Race

        Coming into today at Pocono, Ryan Newman was tied with Kurt Busch for the most wins on the season with three. In addition to that, he was leading the pack in poles after grabbing his fifth for today’s Pennsylvania 500. At the end of the day, Newman was not satisfied with being tied for Busch in wins as he held him off to put himself in first on the season with four wins. And it was a dominating performance for Newman. He led 88 of the 200 laps and played the strategy game perfectly, despite a bevy of potential ways the strategy could have went awry. However, Newman had several opportunities to throw away the win. On lap 33, he made an evasive move to pit road from the lead as he reported to his crew chief, Matt Borland, that a tire was going down. His team serviced the car and returned him to the track, still on the lead lap. Fortunately for Newman, the stop came at the beginning of the window for green flag stops and as the rest of the field pitted in the next few laps, he cycled back to the lead. Just laps later, the first caution waved on lap 49 and added the first layer of strategy to the race. As most of the lead lap drivers took two tires, Newman and Borland decided on four tires, which put the early leader of the race back in the pack. After the restart, it became obvious that his car was not prepared for battling in traffic as he was unable to pass or move on the track. The strategy came back to Newman with a two tire stop during the second caution that put him back towards the front. From there, his team made all the right strategy calls to keep him out front and with a final pit stop under the sixth caution, Newman stayed in the lead for the remainder of the event despite concerns that he would run out of fuel. Ultimately, Newman and Borland worked as a perfect duo to take a fuel mileage gamble to win the race at Pocono.

Stage 2:
Historic Occurrence: Rudd Becomes the First NASCAR Driver to Make 700 Consecutive Starts

        Since January 11, 1981, there has been one consistency in NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing: Ricky Rudd. Today, Rudd made his 700th consecutive start in NASCAR’s premier series, a streak that began twenty-years ago in the 1981 season opener at Riverside. While the streak is impressive on its own, he is also first driver in NASCAR history to make it to the 700-consecutive start mark. Along the way, it has not been easy for Rudd to make every event. During the 1984 Busch Clash, he wrecked violently and walked away with a lot of bruises, including two severely blackened eyes. He refused to miss the Daytona 500 a week later, even going as far as taping his eyes open to complete the event. Even more impressively, he won at Richmond with those black eyes taped open a week after the 500. In 1998, Rudd won the Cup race at Martinsville while battling a broken cooling system that allowed exhaust fumes to enter his helmet for nearly the entire race. Yet, Rudd battled through all those tough moments to make it to Pocono with his consecutive start streak intact. However, the 700th start was one to forget. Driving a paint scheme designed by his son, Landon, Rudd seemed to be making progress from his 27th place starting spot throughout the early portion of the race. After the halfway point of the race, he was running around the middle of the pack when his day went downhill quickly. During the fourth caution, his car stalled on track due to a broken oil pump belt that caused the engine to overheat and blow up. He ended up 39th when the checkered flag waved, but that did not take away from the significance of the race. Rudd proved that he is one of NASCAR’s most courageous competitors by running through injuries to make 700 starts in a row. While 700 is astonishing, 701 will be even more impressive when he attempts to add to his streak at the Brickyard next week.

Stage 3:
Terrible Luck: Joe Gibbs Racing Loses Two Engines in Last Fifty Laps

        After leading laps early in the race and competing for the win, Joe Gibbs Racing was left with two destroyed engines and two finishes outside the Top 30 when today’s race was over. The team’s two drivers, Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, looked to be competitive and poised for great finishes. Stewart, the reigning Winston Cup Series champion, started 33rd and methodically worked his way towards the front before taking the lead from Jeff Burton on lap 98. Labonte was right with his teammate at the front of the field and things were looking up for the team. Stewart’s championship defense had not been going well through 2003 as he had four DNF’s in the first nineteen races of the season. It looked like he was on the verge of reversing his luck at Pocono, but the same bad luck came back to bite him. On lap 153, while running second, Stewart’s car began to smoke going towards turn 2 and the engine problem was terminal. In just a couple of seconds, his second place run evaporated and his race was over. However, Joe Gibbs Racing still had hope that Labonte could contend for a great finish. However, thirty laps later, he began to report that something was wrong with his Chevrolet powerplant. Three laps later, Labonte’s engine expired heading into turn 3 and the oil from his motor caused him to spin hard into the outside wall. Just like that, a promising race turned into a disappointing finish for the entire organization. While Pocono ended in frustration, the team heads to Indianapolis next week where Labonte has a previous win and Stewart feels right at home as an Indiana kid with hopes of changing the tide on a struggling season.

Stage 4:
Underdogs of the Race: Bodine, Blaney, and Raines Use Fuel Mileage Gamble to Take Impressive Finishes

        When fuel mileage races are over, the winner is usually remembered the most because of how impressive it is to win a high-speed race while saving fuel. Plus, fuel mileage races often deliver surprise wins for middle of the pack drivers and teams. While today’s race at Pocono didn’t deliver a surprise winner, it did deliver some great finishes for some underdog organizations. Driving for Travis Carter’s team, Todd Bodine grabbed an eighth-place finish in his National Guard Ford Taurus, which is the best finish for the team in 2003. Dave Blaney secured a ninth-place finish for his Jasper Motorsports team, which is his third best finish of the season. Finally, Tony Raines took an unsponsored BACE Motorsports car to a 16th place finish, which is tied for his second-best finish of the season. However, while the finishes might be surprising, all three drivers were battling at the middle of the pack for the entire race before strategy came into play. The trio came to pit road after the sixth caution and all three topped off with fuel before the race went back green, setting the stage for their fuel saving finish. From there, they stayed out and battled drivers like Kevin Harvick, Rusty Wallace, Jimmie Johnson, and Bill Elliott for great finishes. One of the joys of NASCAR racing is watching unnoticed drivers sneak into the Top 20 and give their teams a great boost of confidence. As the NWCS heads to Indianapolis, the trio of Bodine, Blaney, and Raines have excellent finishes from Pocono to use as momentum at a track with similar characteristics.

Stage 5:
Comeback of the Race: Dale Earnhardt Inc. Teammates Go from Early Crash to Top 5 Finishes

        On lap 74, it seemed like Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were going to join Jeff Green, who had engine troubles earlier, in the garage with poor finishes for all Dale Earnhardt Inc. teams. Earnhardt Jr. drove into turn 2 around the middle of the pack with Mark Martin just in front of him. Earnhardt made an aggressive move and slammed into Martin’s left side entering the turn. Martin began to slide and looked to save his car before Waltrip came along and bumped him. The bump lifted Martin off the ground and sent him spinning hard into the outside wall, which ended his day before the halfway mark and brought out the third caution. While the two DEI drivers were not done, repairs were needed on their cars. Waltrip had a large hole in the hood of his car from the contact and Earnhardt’s right side was flattened due to the initial contact with Martin. Both drivers made several stops during the caution period, but they returned to the track deep in the field for the restart. In the laps following the restart, both drivers moved slowly through the traffic before strategy went in their favor. As the drivers in front of them pitted for green flag stops around lap 110, Waltrip and Earnhardt stayed out longer due to pitting during the third caution. Fortunately for them, Ricky Craven’s car slowed on track and with an impending caution, the two drivers shot to pit road on lap 117 and returned to the track just as the caution waved. Due to Pocono’s size, Waltrip and Earnhardt stayed on the lead lap and as the field pitted under the caution, DEI took the first two positions. Throughout the rest of the race, Tony Eury Sr., Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s crew chief, and Slugger Labbe, Michael Waltrip’s crew chief, played the strategy game perfectly and gave the two drivers Top 5 finishes despite crash damage. Plus, Earnhardt Jr. capitalized on Jeff Gordon’s crash to move to second place in the points behind Matt Kenseth, who he battled for Rookie of the Year in 2000. Overall, Dale Earnhardt Inc. turned a potential disaster into a positive finish for two of its teams.

        While today’s race has not been over for long, the discussion has already turned to the 21st race of the 2003 season next Sunday at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For the tenth time, NASCAR’s best drivers will invade IMS to see which driver can make it to the yard of bricks first. Like usual, there is a plethora of storylines heading into the Brickyard 400. After a huge hit to the outside wall in turn 3 today, hometown driver Jeff Gordon heads to his favorite race track for a chance to win his fourth Brickyard 400 and grab back his second-place points position. Ryan Newman will look to win consecutive races on the season at his home track and continue his impressive season thus far. He might be leading the points, but Matt Kenseth needs a rebound after his team missed the strategy calls in today’s race. Finally, Joe Gibbs Racing needs to bounce back from engine failures that ended promising runs for Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte. The tenth running of the Brickyard 400 is filled with anticipation and excitement for the NWCS. Like usual, fuel mileage was the story of the day at Pocono as Ryan Newman took his fourth victory of the 2003 season. Indianapolis has the same potential for a fuel saving battle, but the high speeds and limited passing at IMS make staying out front the most important aspect of the race.
(More Stats Down Below!)




Cautions:

1st Caution: Lap 50- Jeff Green dropped oil in turn 1 and NASCAR waved the caution to clean the track.

2nd Caution: Lap 68- Robby Gordon turned Jeremy Mayfield exiting turn 1 after Mayfield came up the track. He ended up slamming the outside wall hard while Gordon drove away with only slight damage.

3rd Caution: Lap 74- Dale Earnhardt Jr. slammed into Mark Martin entering turn 2, which caused Martin to slide up the track. He almost saved his car until Michael Waltrip bumped into his rear end. Martin spun up the track and slammed the outside wall hard, which ended his race.

4th Caution: Lap 118- Ricky Craven stalled on the track in turn 3 after having problems in turn 1.

5th Caution: Lap 124- Jeff Gordon slid up the track in turn 3 after the field stacked up. Dave Blaney bumped him and sent him spinning towards the outside wall. He slammed it hard with the right side of his car and ended his day.

6th Caution: Lap 154- Tony Stewart had an engine blow up heading towards turn 2 while running second, which ended his day.

7th Caution: Lap 166- Casey Mears broke loose exiting turn 1 and slammed the outside wall hard with his right side, which ended a hard-fought day for the rookie. 

8th Caution: Lap 183- Bobby Labonte had an engine expire entering turn 3, which caused him to slide up the track. He spun towards the outside wall and slammed it hard to end his day with considerable damage and a blown motor.

Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Ryan Newman
2nd: Kurt Busch
3rd: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4th: Michael Waltrip
5th: Terry Labonte

Notables Not in Top 5:
6th: Jeff Burton
11th: Rusty Wallace
12th: Kevin Harvick
13th: Matt Kenseth
15th: Jimmie Johnson
17th: Bill Elliott
21st: Dale Jarrett
30th: Bobby Labonte
36th: Jeff Gordon
37th: Tony Stewart
39th: Ricky Rudd
41st: Mark Martin




Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://racing-reference.info/race/2003_Pennsylvania_500/W
-Image:
http://cache4.asset-cache.net/xr/2339945.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=3&d=77BFBA49EF878921F7C3FC3F69D929FD1577E5EC72F4184A61411E52AB5088703FE56FC43A0DF8F7
-Full Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URd9HuwDnm0

My Thoughts: 2014 Pocono #2

        Six races remain before the start of the 2014 Chase and only one word describes them: diverse. The road course named Watkins Glen, the two mile Michigan Speedway, the half mile oval known as Bristol, the mile and a half Atlanta Motor Speedway, and the three fourths of a mile Richmond International Raceway are five of the six, but the most diverse of these tracks is this weekend: the two and a half mile Pocono Raceway. The track only has three distinct corners and it is one of the trickiest tracks on the circuit. It isn't called “The Tricky Triangle” for no reason. The track has been home to some great finishes in the past and one of them was in this race last August. Jeff Gordon and Kasey Kahne lined up side by side on the final restart of the day. Gordon got the jump on Kahne heading to turn 1, but Kahne didn't let out of the gas and powered around Gordon's outside. Kahne ran away and was able to take the win with ease over his teammate. The win guaranteed Kahne a Chase spot and it propelled him through the ten race stretch. Another good finish was at this track just a couple of months ago. Brad Keselowski was leading late, but his grille became covered with trash. He attempted to clean his grille by catching up to Danica Patrick, but his momentum slowed enough to allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to pass him for the lead. Earnhardt held on and took the win ahead of Keselowski, who was bummed about giving up the win. One key to follow in all Pocono races wasn't mentioned in these finishes, but it is definitely fuel strategy. Fuel is key to winning a race at Pocono and whoever has the best fuel strategy will end up winning the race. With that introduction, I have some topics to discuss with you guys today. Topics include a driver leaving his organization next year, a new crew chief jumping on the box for a historic driver, a team receiving harsh fines after Indy, an up and coming driver heading to a historic organization, and, finally, my pick to win the second Pocono race. Well, let us jump into these exciting topics before the race begins today. 

1. Carl Edwards Not Returning to Roush-Fenway Racing in 2015: Where Will He Go?
        News broke at around 10:30 last week before Sunday's John Wayne Walding 400 about who would drive for Roush-Fenway Racing in 2015. It turned out to be a press conference about who wouldn't drive for Roush next year. The one driver who wouldn't: Carl Edwards, who had been with the team since his debut in Cup in 2004 and along with a couple years in the Truck Series. Edwards had been rumored to be leaving the team, but now it is official. The man who finished second in the points in 2008 and 2011 will be behind the wheel of another car next season. The key question is this one. What team will he be racing for next year? It seems without a doubt that Edwards will be taking his talents to Joe Gibbs Racing next year and I feel like this is a good fit. The main reason I see this as a good fit is the drivers Edwards would have around him. Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, and Carl Edwards on the same team sounds like a very formidable team in NASCAR. Between those drivers is one hundred and seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins along with Kenseth's 2003 Cup title. Edwards would fit in well as a fourth driver on the team and he could grab some more wins. Another reason is that all of these drivers are from about the same era of NASCAR. Kenseth started a few years before the other three, but Hamlin, Edwards, and Busch started their Cup careers around the same time. That means they would have similar experiences in Cup and they would be able to relate to each other behind the wheel. Honestly, I think this move for Edwards will hand him some more Cup wins and hand him a championship along the way behind the wheel of a fast Toyota.

2. Greg Ives Will Be Crew Chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2015: How Well Will the Duo Work Together?
        It was announced earlier this year that Steve Letarte would be leaving as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and head to the NBC Sports booth to cover NASCAR races for the network next season. Amidst all that, it was not known who would be on top of the box for NASCAR's most popular driver. Now, we know without a doubt who will be there. Greg Ives, the chief engineer for five of Jimmie Johnson's championships and current crew chief for Chase Elliott in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will be the man on Junior's pit next season. Elliott's car, which is owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., has been fast the entire year including three wins with Ives at the reins. That means Earnhardt has knowledge of Ives ability as a leader and Rick Hendrick knows he will be a good leader of a Cup team. Here is the question for the duo, though. How will they work together next year after Earnhardt's success this season? I think Earnhardt will run really well with Ives guiding him every race. The main reason is the connection the two have with Ives working for Junior's Nationwide team. It is a testament to Greg Ives that one of the most notable drivers in the sport would want him to guide one of the young faces in NASCAR and they haven't disappointed this year. Three wins in twenty races is not something that comes easily especially the win Chase Elliott had at Darlington earlier this year. To me, that means that Greg Ives knows how to lead a team. Another reason is the two are pretty similar. Earnhardt is a rather quiet guy who doesn't talk too much during interviews, but he is pretty outspoken on the radio with what adjustments he wants. Ives is very good and making sure his driver receives the right adjustment and he will be able to calm Earnhardt down in certain situations. I feel like this is a formidable duo next year and we will be talking a lot about their success.

3. Denny Hamlin and Team Fined After Indianapolis Infraction: Were the Penalties Too Harsh?
       One of the major stories leaving Indianapolis was the infraction Denny Hamlin's team had committed. The firewall in the back of the car, which protects the driver from fires, was found to have holes in it. That is illegal according to the rule book because it could harm the driver and it adds a lot of downforce to the back of the car, which was the intention of the team. The penalties following this were pretty hefty. Darian Grubb, Hamlin's crew chief, and the team's car chief, Wesley Sherrill, were both fined and suspended for six races, which means they will be back for the first Chase race of the year. Hamlin was docked seventy five driver points and seventy five owner points along with receiving some fines of his own. That doesn't affect making the Chase for Hamlin because he already has a win on the year and is locked into the ten race battle for a title. Here is the question I have concerning this issue. Were the penalties for the entire number eleven team too harsh? I don't think they were harsh at all. Keep in mind that we are discussing driver safety here. When teams start messing with areas that are designed to protect a driver, I believe they should receive max fines and penalties. I mean, that was a stupid call to make for twenty pounds of rear downforce if you could hurt your driver in the end. I think the whole team knew a penalty was coming and they decided to go for it, but NASCAR caught them and now they are paying the right consequences.

4. Ryan Blaney Driving for the Wood Brothers in 2015: Is That a Smart Move?
        Ryan Blaney isn't a household name yet in NASCAR competition, but his last name is a very notable one in our sport. Ryan's father, Dave Blaney, was and still is a great USAC sprint car racer and he has had some great runs in NASCAR for many years now. These next few years, though, are going to be the years of Ryan Blaney. Next year, Blaney will head to the Wood Brothers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to run the limited schedule the team runs every year. Along with that, Blaney will run full time in either the Nationwide Series or the Truck Series, but most likely the Nationwide Series. None of that is official yet, but Blaney's part time move to Cup next year is official. I have one question about this new job for Blaney. Is it a smart move to run Cup part time during the next few years for Blaney? I believe it is an extremely smart move for him to run some Cup races next year. I have discussed before about how Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, the Dillon brothers, Darrell Wallace Jr., and others are the future of our sport, but Ryan Blaney is definitely the future of our sport. The kid can drive for sure considering he has won in the Nationwide Series and the Truck Series during his little time in NASCAR. He is really fast and this gig Blaney now has to drive in Cup is a fantastic one. He will get some experience along with running with the best drivers in the sport. Blaney will definitely be full time in Cup in a few years, but these runs he will have these next few years will really help him out.

5. My Pick to Win
         In the last edition of my thoughts for Pocono, I discussed how the track was kind of a driver's race track. It takes a certain mold of a driver to succeed at Pocono and not every driver likes the track. Then, there are the drivers who absolutely love when the series pulls into “The Tricky Triangle”. Those drivers are the ones who will be the drivers to beat today. But don't forget about strategy. One strategy call could take the dominator of the event out of the battle for the win and hand the win to a driver who wasn't expecting to run up front. Plus, the finish could become crazy thanks to strategy and we see a fantastic race in the Pocono mountains. I have a good many picks to win today's race and they will all be contenders for the win. Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson, Kevin Harvick, and Ryan Newman are good picks to win today's race. Brian Vickers, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Austin Dillon are possible underdog winners of today's race. Pocono is always an exciting track and I feel like today's event will be another exciting show. I am excited to write about it and watch as the action unfolds over four hundred long miles. Well, that is all for me and until we meet again. 





Credits:
-Image:
http://www.auto123.com/ArtImages/119737/nascar-pocono-wrek-inline.jpg

My Thoughts: 2014 Pocono

         Almost all the time, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races on tracks with four turns. Twice every year, the series heads to a road course with many winding and quick turns on the circuit. Two other times a year, the case is completely different. The series heads around a triangle with only three corners instead of the typical four. That track is known as Pocono Raceway or “The Tricky Triangle”. Because of its unique shape and tricky corners, Pocono has been home to some of the oddest wrecks and craziest finishes in NASCAR history. In terms of wrecks, it isn't too hard to find those. In 1992, Davey Allison went barrel rolling down the straightaway between turns 1 and 2 after contact with Darrell Waltrip. Allison was unhurt for the most part, but the wreck was extremely big. In 2003, Ken Schrader slammed into the turn 1 wall and went for a flip before catching on fire. There also have been a good many altercations at the track. In 2010, Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano had problems on track and the discussion after the race still has not been forgotten today. In 2011, Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson had a little discussion after the race due to some contact late in the race. There have also been some great finishes. One example was a season ago in the August race. Kasey Kahne drove the wheels off his car on the final restart and held off Jeff Gordon to take his second win of the season in a rather tense situation. Other races have ended in the same fashion, but one thing has always been the same about Pocono: the racing is always great. With that, I have a few topics I want to discuss with you guys before the race starts today. Topics include a discussion of Greg Biffle, a discussion of Carl Edwards, a discussion of Ricky Stenhouse Jr., a discussion of Matt Kenseth, and my pick to win this afternoon's race. Let us not wait any longer and jump into these interesting topics before a race at the interesting track in Pennsylvania.

1. Greg Biffle: Will He Be at Roush-Fenway Racing Next Season?
         This week's edition of my thoughts begins with discussions of the three drivers at Roush-Fenway Racing. The first discussion is of Greg Biffle. Recently, Biffle and his teammate, Carl Edwards, have been rumored to be in the process of moving away from RFR next season. If you recall, Biffle has been running full time for Jack Roush since 2003 and Biffle has won nineteen races while looking to be the first driver to win a championship in all three of NASCAR's highest series. When Matt Kenseth left Roush at the end of the 2012 season, Biffle became the veteran leader of the team. Biffle did well in that role in 2013 with a win and a ninth place points finish, but he really needs more for his abilities. This year has been decent for Biffle, but he is still looking for speed from week to week and his first win of the season. With all that in mind, I have one question for Biffle. Will he be at Roush-Fenway Racing next year? I think he will. Listen, you can make a case for him staying and leaving, but staying seems like the better option. The main reason is he is working for a team that has been good for years in NASCAR. Biffle has been the guy for Roush and he really hasn't disappointed his team there. I think it would suit him to stay there and continue rattling off wins for Jack. A final reason is Biffle can still run well for the Ford camp. I think Biffle still has the potential to grab wins for Roush and I still think he can win a title for them. All he has to do is remain the face of the organization and I think he can do that. All in all, expect Greg Biffle to remain at RFR driver next year and contend like he always does in the Cup Series.

2. Carl Edwards: Will He Be at Roush-Fenway Racing Next Season?
        The other side of the leaving Roush-Fenway Racing discussion is with Carl Edwards. Edwards has also been rumored to be leaving the team after the 2014 season. If you recall, Edwards has been a full time driver for Jack Roush since 2005 along with winning twenty two races and finishing second in the points in 2008 and 2011. Carl Edwards has really been a huge part of the Roush-Fenway Racing organization since he came in 2005 and he is now part of the duo with Greg Biffle and the trio with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. I just have one question for Edwards. Will he be at Roush-Fenway Racing next season? I don't really see him at Roush next season. The main reason is the caliber of teams who have been considering signing him for next season. Team Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing have both shown interest in Edwards. Both of these teams have been performing great recently in NASCAR's highest series. Listen to this statistic. In thirteen races this season, those two teams have combined to win five races thus far. To me, both of those teams sound like they know what they are doing and Edwards would be a good fit. A final reason is Edwards needs a change to win a title. Let's face it. Edwards probably does not have a chance to win a championship at Roush. I could be wrong, but it just doesn't seem like the team is consistent from week to week. Gibbs and Penske are two organizations who will have teams that can win championships for years to come. Edwards needs that environment and I think he could take a title at either one of those organizations. Carl Edwards has been a mainstay driver at Roush for going on ten years, but it seems like he is close to a change in his career. 

3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Why Has He Been Struggling This Year?
         To end the discussions of the trio of Roush-Fenway Racing drivers, we will discuss Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Stenhouse's season didn't start off bad, but since a second place finish at Bristol, he has been really struggling. He has only finished in the top twenty two times in nine races since then. If you recall, Stenhouse made the jump to NASCAR's highest series last year and he took the rookie of the year award after having a decent year. It looked like he would continue to improve this year after a decent rookie season, but with the exception of the second at Bristol, he hasn't been running well at all in his sophomore season. Here is my question for Stenhouse. Why has he been struggling this year? I think the main reason might be this uncertainty at Roush-Fenway Racing for next year. In the previous topics, I discussed how Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards are, potentially, leaving the team. This has left the team in a little bit of turmoil and I feel like Stenhouse has made his way into the situation. I'm sure he looks up to Biffle and Edwards and they are his role models, which causes him to want them to stay there. A final reason for his struggles, in my opinion, is the new pairing with his Nationwide crew chief, Mike Kelley, for 2014. Kelley led Stenhouse to two Nationwide championships in 2011 and 2012, but the Cup Series is different. The two have to grow a different notebook together and that takes a good bit of time. I feel like their partnership will build a great notebook and they will be fine as the series continues to visit tracks for a second time. I really don't think Stenhouse's struggles are permanent and he will be able to make his way to the top in the Cup Series.

4. Matt Kenseth: Will He Win a Race This Year?
        At this point one season ago, Matt Kenseth had three wins for his new team at Joe Gibbs Racing  and he was a perennial contender in the championship. This season after thirteen races, Kenseth is still a perennial championship contender with the points lead, but there is one key difference: no wins. Unlike last year, Kenseth has rattled off no wins in thirteen races in 2014. If you recall, Kenseth finished off 2013 with seven wins and a second place finish in the championship behind one Jimmie Johnson. Here is the thing, though. Kenseth hasn't been bad this year. He has finished in the top five five times this season and he has been great all year, but victory lane has alluded him. Here is my question for Kenseth and his team. Will he win a race this season in the Cup Series? He will definitely win a race in the Cup Series this season. The main reason is just how consistent Kenseth has been this season. Every single race this year, Kenseth has had the opportunity to win the race. At Charlotte two weeks ago, he was leading in the final ten laps before Jimmie Johnson passed him for the win. A week ago at Dover, Kenseth was in position on the final restart, but he couldn't pass Johnson to take the win. To me, it seems like he just needs the right opportunity to win the race. A final reason is the race tracks we are about to visit. We are about to go to Kentucky, New Hampshire, Daytona, and others and Kenseth has won at all of these tracks. I think he will be a contender at all these tracks and he can easily take a win at any of them. Don't worry about Kenseth's chances for a win the rest of the year because he will definitely be a factor to take a win. 

5. My Pick to Win
         Pocono is one track on the Cup Series schedule that is built for certain drivers. A driver either loves the track or hates it because of the tough conditions and the tough layout. Some of the greatest in our sport have never won a race at Pocono and some of the best have taken a good many wins at the raceway. In terms of a winner today, it doesn't take an expert to find that Hendrick Motorsports will be a team to watch throughout the race. Listen to this statistic. In the last three races at Pocono, a different Hendrick Motorsports driver has won the race. It seems like all four of their drivers will be there when the race is nearing the finish. Along with the Hendrick drivers, there are a good many others to watch out for. Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Tony Stewart, and Kurt Busch look like possible winners in today's race at Pocono. Also, look at Ryan Newman and Austin Dillon as possible underdog winners in the race. I am excited about today's race, but I won't be able to write about it because I am on vacation. I will still be watching and cheering on some great triangular racing. Well, that is all for me and until we meet again. 





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