Chase Race No. 10: Harvick, Childers Wins First Title in First Year at SHR

Kevin Harvick after winning the race and the 2014 title in Homestead
(Photo: Google Images)

After 36 races, five wins, 21 top tens and one season at Stewart-Haas Racing, Kevin Harvick can now add one championship to his 2014 resume.

NASCAR reinvented the Chase for the Sprint Cup this season to make winning more of a factor. And while it didn't necessarily seem that way early on in the Chase, the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway proved to be the winner take all battle that Brian France intended to create.

Three of the four Chasers, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and Harvick started near the front of the field, while the fourth Musketeer, Ryan Newman, rolled off from 21st spot. Initially it seemed as if Newman's title run had been something of a fluke, having not won a race all season, yet still being able to run for the title.

But as the event progressed, the race for the title became tighter and NASCAR saw its vision for a one race, winner take all finale come to fruition. Harvick, Logano, Newman and Hamlin all made their way to the front and, right up until Logano's car fell off the jack on a pit stop and he lost track position late, any one of these four could have been the champion. On the final restart, it was Harvick and Newman because on the previous restart, Hamlin spun his tires and lost a few spots.

The Newman-Harvick dynamic was also interesting. Harvick took sponsor Budweiser and left Richard Childress Racing for Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of last season, while Newman was forced out of SHR and found a home replacing Jeff Burton in the No. 31 Caterpillar car at RCR. Both drivers believed that these new teams would offer them a better shot at a title and, right up until the Ford 400 at Homestead, I at least believed that was just the stereotypical, PR driven response any driver says when they land at a new team.

Kevin Harvick poses with son Keelan after the race (Photo: Google Images)

But Newman and Harvick apparently weren't kidding because they were the two who would up fighting it out  for the title. Newman had a shot to maybe wiggle Harvick a little bit coming into turn three heading for the white flag, but other than that, he couldn't get close enough to Harvick's No. 4 to move it out of the groove.

This was also Rodney Childers first title as a crew chief as well. I have long maintained he is the most underrated crew chief in the garage ever since he scored his first two career wins with driver David Reutimann in the No. 00 car, he has proven he knows what it takes to build winning race cars on a weekly basis.

This duo also provided a bright spot in a fairly dismal year at SHR. Danica Patrick had another sub par year, owner Tony Stewart was embroiled in a legal battle after killing Kevin Ward Jr at an upstate New York dirt track the weekend of Watkins Glen, and Kurt Busch was recently suspected of beating his now ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll the weekend of the fall Dover race. Meanwhile Harvick rattled off 5 wins and captured his first Sprint Cup crown and SHR's second.

If the 2014 season proved anything, its that anything can, and probably will happen. The revamped Chase for the Cup format might have a few bugs in it still (maybe nix the eliminations and keep the winner take all finale for the top four in points?), but for the most part, it proved to be very exciting. To quote ESPN's Allen Bestwick after Harvick took the checkers, "That's how you crown a racing champion."

Here's to crowning a 2015 champion in exactly the same way when next November rolls around. If 2014 was this exciting, who knows what next season holds.

And Then There Were Four...

Denny Hamlin has won the season finale twice (Photo: Google Images)

After facing nine races, a field of 16 drivers and a few bonehead moves from Brad Keselowski, four drivers remain to battle for the Sprint Cup title this weekend in Homestead. Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Ryan Newman will take to the track Sunday afternoon, fighting not only each other, but the other 39 cars on the track as well, and whoever finishes highest of those four will be the 2014 champion. 

Sounds simple right?

Well not exactly. Just like in 2011 when Tony Stewart won the race and beat Carl Edwards in a tie for the championship, the driver who wins the title will more than likely have to win the race too. And the driver who will probably stands the best chance of doing that is Kevin Harvick. He and crew chief Rodney Childers both left their respective teams last season to join Stewart-Haas Racing on the No. 4 car because they both had ambitions about winning a title. They have won a few races this year and been outrageously consistent the rest of the time when they didn't have a wreck or mechanical gremlins. When it all plays out in Homestead, Harvick will more than likely be the 2014 Sprint Cup champion.

Joey Logano is the next biggest threat. He has been almost as consistent as Harvick and also won a few races. Since leaving Dodge for Ford, Team Penske has never looked back, winning 11 races this year between Logano and teammate Brad Keselowski. Keselowski won Roger Penske his first Nascar title in 2012 and Logano stands to win "The Captain" a title of his own, which is surprising after the struggles Logano had in his first year in Sprint Cup competition at Joe Gibbs Racing.

Kevin Harvick won in his second race for SHR. Can he win in his 36th?
(Photo: Google Images)

But while there are flu drivers fighting for a title, really Logano and Harvick are the only two deserving drivers.

Denny Hamlin only made it into the Chase because he won the spring race at Talladega; the biggest crapshoot on the schedule next to the October Talladega race. Not that it wash't without merit because a win is a win no matter where it is. But this disproves Nascar's theory of trying to make winning the most important thing. Hamlin also missed the race at Auto Club Speedway because of a small fragment of metal in his eye. Yes drivers like David Pearson won titles without running the full schedule, but that was the norm back in those days when a good number of drivers didn't run all the races. To be competitive today, running all 36 races is almost a necessity. But Hamlin is proving that in many cases, consistency and being able to top ten the field to death is just as important, if not more so, than winning races.

But the best example of this is Ryan Newman. Newman has't won a race since Indianapolis last season. He made it into the Chase by the skin of his teeth and has been nothing but consistent and relied on the mistakes of other teams to advance, and a swift kick to Kyle Larson's back bumper to advance to the finale. Honestly, neither Newman or Hamlin deserve the title over Logano or Harvick. They just have not accomplished as much this year. And neither of them will stand a chance of winning Homestead, which is what it will take to grab the title.

This race should be very exciting and the championship should come right down to the wire. May the best man win.

Chase Race No. 9: Harvick Sweeps Phoenix; Keselowski Doesn't Advance

Kevin Harvick celebrates his win Sunday in Phoenix (Photo: Google Images)

Is there an echo in here?

After a long afternoon in the desert, Kevin Harvick showed why he should be considered the last real threat to win the 2014 Sprint Cup. He and crew chief Rodney Childers have been strong all season and after the duo won their first race together at PIR in the spring, it was hard to imagine they wouldn't repeat the feat this time.

The top five was actually filled with Chase drivers, Jeff Gordon finished second, Matt Kenseth third, Brad Keselowski fourth and Denny Hamlin came in fifth. But depite solid runs from Gordon, Keselowski and Kenseth, only Harvick, Hamlin, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman will advance to the final round of the Chase and fight for the title at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

After a race that saw Hamlin and Keselowski start first and second respectively,  Logano snatched the lead from the No. 11 of Hamlin on lap 25. Logano then led for a while, but on lap 88, Harvick grabbed the lead and didn't look back, the driver who won the last two races at Phoenix International Raceway managed to grab his third and sweep the season's events there too. The dynamic duo of Childers and Harvick has proved very potent this year and while they may have only won four times, they have had a shot to win just about every race on the 2014 schedule.

While it was a big day for Harvick and his team, other big names like Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch had problems. Johnson had an accident in turn one of the speedway on lap 238 and Busch got loose, spun up the track, then back down again on lap 213. On his way back, he barely clipped the right rear of Clint Bowyer's Camry and sent Bowyer head on into the outside wall. The cleanup from this wreck caused a four minute red flag.

Ryan Newman could be the 2014 Sprint Cup champ (Photo: Google Images)

But ultimately, it was all about the Chase today. Many of the Chase drivers made it though without any trouble and thought that their runs would be good enough to advance to the "Final Four." My pick to win it all, Gordon, ran second, but he could not overcome his getting wrecked by Keselowski last weekend and fell one point shy of advancing. Thanks to Ryan Newman for stuffing Kyle Larson in the wall on the last lap to pick up the spot that locked Gordon out.

Newman is the real wild card in all this. he has no wins at all this year. In fact, his last win was the Brickyard 400 last season. If you're looking for someone to play spoiler, the driver of Richard Childress's No. 31 car might be your guy. It would be Childress's first Cup Series title not won by someone named Earnhardt and it would be Newman's first title period.Perhaps if he wins he'll finally be able to afford a neck.

However, that;s why they run the race. Yes Newman has as good a shot as anyone else; Hamlin is always a contender, winning last year's race at Homestead and Logano was picked by many to win it all this season after a breakout year with Team Penske. But Harvick is still the man to beat in my opinion. He and his team are too good and their cars are too fast every week to not go down without a fight. They showed that in their domination of Phoenix this past weekend.

Homestead-Miami Speedway and Ford Championship Weekend await. There are four drivers left who can win the title. Who's it gonna be?

Harvick Will Sweep Phoenix; Keselowski Won't Advance

Kevin Harvick won Phoenix this past February (Photo: Google Images)

With only one race left until the championship finale next weekend in Homestead-Miami, the "Eliminator Eight" must get through this weekend's event at the Phoenix International Raceway. Potential title contenders like Jeff Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick all face elimination, while drivers like Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards can assure themselves a place in the final four and a shot at the title with solid runs on Sunday.

But ultimately, I believe it will be Harvick who wins and gets into the championship finale. He runs too well at Phoenix, sweeping the races there in 2006 and winning the last two races, including his second points race for Stewart-Haas Racing this past spring. He has an average finish of 11th aand a very impressive 12 top tens in 23 starts. And given the bad luck the No. 4 team has been plauged with all season, Harvick will no doubt be on a mission to right the ship and lock his team into a shot at the title next weekend in Miami.

But what about Gordon and Keselowski? What will become of the drivers who came to blows last weekend in Texas? I believe they were simply arguing Miller Lite's "great taste, less filling" debate and things just got out of hand, but in any event, the driver of the Miller Lite No. 2 car will see his title hopes dashed in the desert.  Keselowski might be the 2012 champion, but it'll be a while before he matures enough to win his next one. The team got lucky with their Chase-saving win at Talladega last time they were backed into a corner, but Phoenix is not Talladega. Keselowski will need t rely on his car's handling, his pit crew and his own ability behind the wheel if he hopes to advance to the

Brad Keselowski's won the pole in Phoenix this spring (Photo: Google Images)

finale.

Gordon on the other hand is probably in good shape. i still believe that this is the year his "drive for Five" will come to fruition and we will see Gordon win his first Sprint Cup title. They have run too well all season; been too consistent to not have a shot at it. And with 21 top tens and two wins in 31 starts at the track, he will no doubt be up front when it comes down to the final laps.

Speaking of consistent, there is one driver who has been something of a fly in the ointment for NASCAR all Chase long. The sanctioning body wanted winning to be the only thing that mattered. That is why winning assured you a spot in the Chase, winning assured you would advance to the next round and winning could ultimately net you a championship. But Newman and Edwards have yet to win a race and, while I can't see Edwards making it past this weekend, Newman has a shot to become the first driver to win a title without winning a race. Homestead is "highest finishing" Chase driver wins. So if Newman finishes second and can still beat his three competitors, he'll be the 2014 champion. Good thing NASCAR put such an emphasis on winning and developed the Chase. Can't have drivers like Matt Kenseth winning one race and then clinching the title early (like he did in 2003, one year before the Chase format was introduced).

So it might not match the drama of "the Brawl" in Texas last weekend, but there are still several story lines to follow in Phoenix. One race left till we decide the four championship combatants. It should be very exciting.

Chase Race No. 8: Johnson Scores Number 70; Gordon Punches Keselowski

Jimmie Johnson won his 70th race in Texas this weekend (Photo: Google Images)

It was a typical afternoon in Texas. Aside from a few debris cautions, the AAA Texas 500 was Jimmie Johnson's race to lose. But on a late race restart, the focus of the event shifted from on track action to off track fisticuffs when Jeff Gordon and Brad Keselowski came to blows on pit road after the race.

Matt Kenseth started on the pole, flanked to his outside by Gordon, but it didn't take long for Johnson to assert his dominance. The No. 48 car led 191 of the race's 341 laps, grabbing the top spot for the first time on the 54th circuit. The only cars who could seem to keep pace with Johnson were Gordon, Kenseth and Kevin Harvick. Both Kenseth and Harvick needed to be fast because, realistically, their only shot to advance to the finale is to win one of the next two races. Especially now that Johnson has won and he is no longer championship eligible, there is only one race left for Gordon, Kenseth and Harvick to try and win their way in and stay alive for the championship battle in Miami.

But it was not Johnson's 70th Sprint Cup win that stole the show Sunday night. It was his teammate who grabbed the spotlight one the checkered flag fell.

On the race's next to last restart, Johnson and Gordon started on the front row and were set to provide fans an epic battle to the finish. But Keselowski decided to make the small hole between the two Hendrick Motorsports cars a little bigger and force his way through to the lead. But in the process, Keselowski bumped Gordon and cut down the No. 24 car's left rear tire. This caused Gordon to spin in turn four and led to another restart. Keselowski finished third and Gordon finished 29th, one lap down.

Gordon then pulled up next to Keselowski on pit road and appeared to only want to talk to the 2012 champion. But ESPN cameras caught Harvick standing behind the No. 2 car as the drivers yelled, surrounded by their pit crews. Harvick then pushed Keselowski from behind, Gordon grabbed his collar and what has since become known as "The Brawl" was on. Hat tip to NASCAR's YouTube account for the video footage.

When he was interviewed afterwards by ESPN's Jamie Little, Keselowski took a sip of water and when he spit it out, the water was red with blood, so whether they were from Gordon or not, a few punches were landed. Likewise, Gordon continued to surprise fans when he called Keselowski a "dipsh*t" in his interview after the fight. All of this was almost as surprising as when Kenseth tackled Keselowski after the Charlotte race a few weeks ago.

Whether you love it or you hate it, this new Chase format is creating some really intense drama and emotions are definitely running higher and hotter than in the past. Next weekend's event in Phoenix is going to be a very entertaining affair if this race was any indication. Things could get very ugly very quickly with one race left till the finale.

Look for Penske Racing to be Strong in Texas; Harvick Looks to Rebound

Brad Keselowski (2) and Joey Logano (22)  will be very strong this weekend
(Photo: Google Images)

They say everything is bigger in Texas and there is no bigger race for a select few drivers with only one race before the season finale in Miami in two weeks.

Kevin Harvick is one driver who is looking to rebound in a big way. After wrecking at Martinsville last week and finishing 33rd, Harvick is looking to come back at Texas Sunday and climb back into championship contention. He and crew chief Rodney Childers have been very fast all season long and had a shot at winning just about every race. But it is bad luck like last weekend and things like mechanical issues that have cost them several victories. Otherwise they could have been serious title contenders. They are still in the Sprint Cup fight but it will be difficult to overcome their wreck last weekend without winning one of the next two races.

Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth should also run strong in the Lone Star State. Kenseth has always been great on the mile and a half tracks, especially since joining Joe Gibbs Racing last season and Gordon won at the speedway back in 2008 after years of back luck there. Both of these drivers need a good run to stay eligible for the season finale in two weeks and to be able to run for the championship.

However, the Penske Racing duo of Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano will more than likely steal the show.

Jimmie Johnson is always strong at Texas (Photo: Google Images)

Keselowski and Logano have dominated the "cookie cutter" tracks this season; Keselowski won at Las Vegas this spring, Chicago and Kentucky and Logano scored victories in the Chase race at Kansas and at Texas earlier this year. So with Logano going for the sweep and Penske's straight up dominance this past season, there isn't any reason to doubt that they will at least be in contention on Sunday. But while Logano is in good shape to advance to the finale, Keselowski needs a win to assure himself a shot at a second title after having a serious parts failure at Martinsville last week. If he has another bad run or if another part breaks, it could spell disaster for the 2012 champion.

Speaking of past champions, look for Jimmie Johnson to play spoiler.

Texas has been the six-time champion's personal playground many times in the past and this year will probably be no different. While he is no longer eligible for the title, Johnson and his team are simply going for wins. They do not have any so far in the Chase and, unless they can win one of the final three events, that would be the first time ever the No. 48 team failed to win a race in the Chase. But they are always stellar at tracks like Charlotte and Texas, so if there is a non-Chaser to keep an eye on this weekend, the No. 48 car is definitely one to watch. If the Penske cars don't pull off a victory, Johnson will.

This week, there is definitely going to be some Texas-sized pressure on a number of drivers to try to win a title for their team, but it could be a driver with nothing to lose who crashes the party and puts even more pressure on the Chasers heading to Phoenix.

Chase Race No. 7: Earnhardt Jr Scores Major Martinsville Victory; Harvick, Keselowski in Trouble

Dale Jr poses with his first Martinsville grandfather clock (Photo: Google Images)

After 14 years of trying to capture a Ridgeway Grandfather Clock trophy, Dale Earnhardt Jr finally accomplished that feat Sunday afternoon. Junior scored his first win at the Virginia short track and held off one of the best at the track, teammate Jeff Gordon to do so. Unfortunately, as far as the Chase is concerned, it was too little too late as a wreck at Talladega last week ended Earnhardt Jr's bid for the 2014 title. But clearly he and crew chief Steve Letarte could have still been contenders with how they ran this weekend.

Jamie McMurray started on the pole, starting outside of Chaser Joey Logano. McMurray was strong all day, but on lap 85, Gordon grabbed the lead and established his role as the dominant car in the race. The event would prove to be a battle between Gordon and Earnhardt Jr for most of the day when the No. 88 grabbed the lead from his teammate on lap 192. But just because there weren't that many different leaders, the Goody's Headache Relief 500 was not without it's controversy.

On lap 229, Matt Kenseth wheel hopped his No. 20 car going into turn one. When his rear wheels locked up, he slid up the track and spun the No. 4 of fellow Chaser Kevin Harvick into the outside wall. After the accident, Harvick declared to reporters that he would personally see to it that Kenseth would not win the championship. So with three races left and some bad blood between these drivers, next weeks event in Texas could prove very interesting in who makes it to the final four championship eligible drivers in Homestead.

The race also saw last week's winner Brad Keselowski have trouble. After narrowly avoiding elimination with a win at Talladega, Keselowski broke had a rear end issue in his No. 2 Ford (a faily common issue at Martinsville). The only problem is that his car decided to break off of turn four, which led to a pileup that collected Casey Mears, Kasey Kahne, Danica Patrick and Martin Truex Jr. It also led to a ten minute red flag so Nascar could clean up the frontstrech.


Kevin Harvick after his Martinsville wreck (Photo: Google Images)

The next caution was also really bizarre. McMurray got into a shoving match with the No. 9 of Marcos Ambrose. Ambrose bumped the No. 1 car back and that appeared to be the end of it. But McMurray's teammate, Kyle Larson decided to spin Ambrose out in thorn four. It was almost like he was trying to defend McMurray caused another ten minute red flag to remove Larson's stalled car from the track.

In the end, it was series of late race pit stops that saw Tony Stewart stay out in an effort to steal his first win of the year. But he was passed by Earnhardt and Gordon, as both were on four fresh tires, and Earnhardt scored the grandfather clock trophy, the first of his career. Now it's on to Texas Motor Speedway, the track where Junior scored his first win in 2001. It will be interesting to see if he can ride this momentum and score another win in the Lone Star State. It will also be interesting to see if the Penske drivers can rebound. But with how Keselowski and Logano have run at the mile-and-a-half speedways all year, they will be a force in Texas too.

Everything is bigger in Texas, and this will be one of the biggest events of the year with only two races left till the season finale.

Look for Gordon, Hendrick Stable to Dominate Martinsville

Jeff Gordon's last title was in 2001 (Photo: Google Images)

While it has been a few years since Jeff Gordon was a serious title contender, and even longer still since his last championship (the 2001 Winston Cup trophy), it has appeared to me all season that if Gordon is going to win another title before he retires, 2014 was going to be his year. He's won too many races and run too consistently to not be in the final four come Homestead. Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski have since made me second guess myself with their dominant runs as of late. But Gordon has yet to be near elimination and has been very consistent, which might prove helpful in the winner-take-all finale in Miami.

Another reason to think Gordon might hoist his first Sprint Cup at season's end is the fact that Phoenix is in three weeks and this weekend, the series heads to Martinsville. That track has been Gordon's playground for quite some time now. He has eight wins and 27 top five finishes in 43 races there. The track has also taken on special significance for the No. 24 team, as well as the rest of Hendrick Motorsports, since the 2004 plane crash that killed ten HMS employees and family members, including team GM Jeff Turner, head engine builder Randy Dorton and Rick Hendrick's son Ricky.

With both of these factors at play, it is a very real possibility that Gordon will catch fire and score the win this weekend. And with Phoenix being the final race in round three, I wouldn't be shocked to see him win their either and gear up for a potential championship run. However, if Gordon doesn't pick up a ninth Ridgeway grandfather clock trophy this weekend, it will probably be one of his Hendrick teammate that pulls off the victory.

Jimmie Johnson beats teammate Jeff Gordon on the last
lap at Martinsville in 2007 (Photo: Google Images) 

While they are no longer title eligible, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr have never been slouches at eh Virgina paperclip. Especially Johnson, who beat Gordon in an epic side-by-side battle in 2007. Junior has also run well at Martinsville in the past, leading late in the spring race of 2011, only to get beaten by Kevin Harvick in the closing laps.

Speaking of Harvick, look for his No. 4 Chevy to run up front on Sunday. His Stewart-Haas Racing car is essentially a fifth Hendrick entry in the Chase and, since Gordon is the only real HMS car still eligible for the title, Harvick provides another chance at the title for Hendrick's usually  superior equipment.

But there will also be drivers looking to play spoiler. In addition to Johnson and Earnhardt running strong, look for Jamie McMurray to also be in contention for the win Sunday. Though he may not be in the Chase or have won since the All-Star Race in Charlotte this past May, he always runs strong at the Virginia short track. His teammate Kyle Larson has also been on a tear lately and it would not be surprising to see both the Ganassi entries do well Sunday. Martin Truex Jr led his first laps of the season at Talladega last weekend. He was fast in practice so the No. 78 entry for Furniture Row Racing might be one to contend with as well.

But that's why we run the race. After 500 laps around the Martinsville Speedway, it will be interesting to see who takes home the Ridgeway clock this time. Just like last week, there are a few Chasers who can win, but there are also a lot of non-Chasers who also stand a great chance of upsetting the field this weekend.

Chase Race No. 6: With Backs Against the Wall, Keselowski's Team Advances; Big Names Eliminated

After coming to blows last week, Brad Keselowski (2) and Matt Kenseth (20)
helped each other advance to the Eliminator Round (Photo: Google Images)

Going into this weekend's Geico 500 at Talladega, Brad Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth faced elimination from the Chase for the Cup. But after Sunday's race was run, two of these drivers have advanced into the Eliminator Round, while the other two will have to wait until next year to win a championship.

Everyone knew going in that Talladega was going to be the ultimate wild card race. Anyone can get wrecked at any time because of someone else's mistake. Normally, drivers who aren't in the Chase will give a little extra room to those who are because they don't want to have any effect on the outcome of the championship fight. But at Talladega, where cars are inches apart and 25 cars run within three or four second of each other in a giant pack, it's hard to give someone else extra space. While many fans were waiting for the big one, it never actually happened. But the few wrecks that happened were still big in the sense of the title implications they had.

The first wreck on lap 61 saw Joey Logano, already locked into round three after his win at Kansas, spin through the infield grass after Jamie McMurray blew a tire and spun off Earnhardt Jr's nose. Logano's teammate Keselowski also received some right side damage to his No. 2 Ford. But the dent was square enough to the center of the door that it really didn't effect his car all that much. But other drivers battling for playoff sports were not as lucky.

Kyle Busch's wrecked car limps to the garage (Photo: Google Images)

The next caution was for a much more serious wreck. On lap 104, J.J. Yeley's No. 83 Camry came into contact with the front of Aric Almirola's No. 43 Fusion, setting off a chain reaction that had major implications. While he was not in the vicinity of the initial bump, Busch was tapped from behind by Austin Dillon when he tried to slow up to avoid getting collected. This sent his No. 18 car skidding towards the inside wall, where it eventually hit and ended any realistic chance he had of advancing to the third round.

Throughout the afternoon, it looked as if Johnson or Junior would beat Keselowski and punch their ticket to the next round with a win. But just as quickly as it seemed Junior Nation could rejoice, their driver met the same untimely fate as Busch.

On lap 189, just a few from the scheduled 194 lap distance, Greg Biffle was tapped from behind by David Gilliland, sending Biffle's Ford into Junior's Chevy and turning NASCAR's most popular driver back into traffic. The incident also collected the cars of Paul Menard and Michael Annett and saw Junior's potential winning car relegated to a 31st place finish.

In Johnson's case, he just could not keep his car at the front as the race got closer to the finish and he lost any potential drafting help. He finished 24th on the day.

However, while the competition was taken out in a few accidents, Keselowski avoided all the mess and mistakes and held off a late charge from Kenseth to score the win and keep his title horpes alive for another week. Because he won the race, this meant that there was one less spot available on points, so the four drivers eliminated were Kasey Kahne, Johnson, Busch and Earnhardt Jr.

Next week, the Chase heads from one of NASCAR's biggest track's to one of its smallest; the paperclip shaped Martinsville Speedway. With these four perennial title contenders elininated from the hunt, it will be interesting to see how the remaining races of the season play out.

Talladega Will Provide Heckitc End to Contender Round

It's go or go home time for title hopefuls Dale Jr (L) and Jimmie Johnson (R)
(Photo: Google Images)

Talladega Superspeedway will provide the closing number for round number two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr all need to win the race or finish well enough to advance to the next round of the Chase, avoiding the "Big One" and possibly several other smaller ones. You can't make this stuff up.

The retaining wall along the frontstrech says it all: "This is Talladega." Built on land that was once an airport and before that, was an ancient Indian burial ground, the former Alabama Motor Speedway has long been one of the craziest and most exciting race tracks on the circuit. It has always had a date in the Chase for the Cup, but because of NASCAR's new elimination, bracket-style system, this race will have much greater implications than ever before.

As it stands now, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick are safe, as they won Kansas and Charlotte respectively. They are also first and third in points respectively. The rest of the top five in points are Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards. Aside from Busch and Harvick, these other three names are not ones we typically see near the top of the standings. We've been used to seeing Johnson, Junior, Keselowski and Kenseth atop the points. But now, because winning is at a premium and running up front is a must, one little slip and your Chase could be over just as quickly as it started.


Could Joey Logano be the 2014 Sprint Cup Champion? (Photo: Google Images)

Talladega has long been known for it's big wrecks and frequent lead changes. Just as quickly as a driver takes the lead, the next lap they can be shuffled to the back and in danger of being taken out by another driver's mistake. This could prove both good and bad for drivers vying for a place in round three. The safest bet is Dale Jr. He's won a Talladega five times and has an average finish of 15th. If anyone can make their way to the front and nail down a spot in the Eliminator Round it's Junior.

But Kenseth, Keselowski and Johnson also stand a good shot at winning the race. Because of the element of the draft, Reed Sorenson, David Ragan and Danica Patrick also stand a great chance of winning the event. So those four drivers fighting to keep their title hopes alive are not only fighting each other for the win, they're fighting drivers that they normally wouldn't have to worry about when contending for a victory.

This race is truly going to be a wild card and, with the exception of the season finale at Homestead, this will more than likely be the most exciting race in the Chase simply because of the very serious title implications it has. Can Junior survive, climb out of the cellar and advance to round three? Will Logano or Harvick win another race? Or will a complete unknown upset the apple cart and score a win at Talladega? Tune in Sunday to find out because it will be very exciting to see how round two shakes out.

Chase Race No. 5: Sparks Fly as Harvick Wins in Charlotte

Kevin Harvick celebrates his first win in months (Photo: Google Images)

Five races down and five to go. We are halfway through the 2014 Chase for the Sprint Cup and the tension is beginning to rise. Kevin Harvick was one of the strongest cars in Saturday night's Bank of America 500 and he was finally able to capitalize on his speed and close the deal, winning the race and locking himself into round three of the Chase. So even if they wreck at Talladega next week, both he and Joey Logano know their title hopes are still alive.

However, the teams at the bottom of the standings didn't do themselves any favors. Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth now face elimination heading to next week's race at Talladega. All of these drivers showed promise in Saturday's event, but they all saw their night's quickly unravel and the pressure is clearly getting to many of them.

Earnhardt Jr's night was the first to go south. While running in the top five, he was still fighting the same vibration his team was battling all weekend. They changed tires, hubs, everything that might cause a wheel to shake, but that didn't solve the issue. Then it became evident that the problem was in the transmission because the car shook so violently, the shifter lever broke in half and had to be hastily repaired by his No. 88 crew. However, NASCAR's most popular driver only lost one lap and managed to rally to a 20th place finish. But despite this charge, he is still at the bottom of the standings.

Johnson, normally dominant at Charlotte Motor Speedway, had a very uneventful night. This proved to be both good and bad because, while driver No. 48 avoided trouble, he was never up front to lead any laps or take a shot at the victory. He came home a mediocre 17th and is one spot above teammate Earnhardt Jr in the standings.

Now to the fireworks. Matt Kenseth and Brad Keselowski made contact going for the lead on a late restart when Keselowski went high to block Kenseth, sending him into the outside wall and dropping Kenseth back in the field. Keselowski also managed to irk Kenseth's teammate Denny Hamlin, a driver he has irritated many times in the past, when the two were racing for position on the last lap. After the race, Hamlin brake checked Keselowski on the cool down lap, which prompted Keselowski to try and turn Hamlin's No. 11. Keselowski's No. 2 then barreled down pit road, hit Kenseth's car as Kenseth was taking off his helmet and safety belts and bumped into the No. 14 of Tony Stewart. Because he was an innocent bystander, Stewart then backed his car into Keselowski's, demolishing the front end of the No. 2 Ford.

In the garage, the excitement continued. Hamlin tried to get to Keselowski, but was restrained by NASCAR officials and his crew. However, Kenseth was not restrained, all but tackling Keselowski as he tried to enter his hauler. This led to both drivers crews and several officials having to break up the excitement. Hamlin finished in ninth position, while Keselowski and Kenseth were not as lucky, finishing sixteenth and nineteenth respectively and facing elimination heading to Talladega.

Both videos are linked from NASCAR's YouTube account.

So if this was the race before Talladega, imagine the intensity these drivers will be racing with on NASCAR's biggest track next weekend. The final race in round two, four more drivers will be eliminated from the Chase, facing "the Big One" and more than likely unable to control their own destiny. This will no doubt prove to be one of, if not the most exciting Chase race since the Chase format began a decade ago.

Penske Racing, Hendrick Motorsports See Reversal of Fortunes from Dover

Joey Logano celebrates his first Kansas win (Photo: Google Images)

Penske Racing drivers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have dominated the Chase for the Cup so far in 2014, winning the first two Chase races and the final regular season event at Richmond. However, Jeff Gordon asserted the dominance of his No. 24 team by beating Keselowski and winning at Dover last week.Lest we forget Hendrick Motorsports will still have a role to play in the season finale at Homestead.

Or will they?

After four drivers were eliminated last week, there are two more events before another four title contenders are eliminated from the playoffs. And after the Kansas race, the bottom four in the standings are Kasey Kahne, Keselowski, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jimmie Johnson. In short, three Hendrick cars and one Penske car face elimination after only two rounds of the Chase.

 A combination of hectic restarts and tire problems caused problems for these four dominant drivers. After dominating the regular season finale at Richmond and winning the first Chase race at Chicago, Keselowski saw his hopes of winning a second Sprint Cup title take a serious hit when his No. 2 Miller Lite Ford blew a tire and smacked the wall on lap 161. However, the crew was able to repair the car enough to where their driver could get back out and salvage a 36th place finish.

Jimmie Johnson's car after his early wreck at Kansas (Photo: Google Images)

Three of the four Hendrick cars also saw their title hops take a hit Sunday. Earnhardt Jr experienced the worst luck of this troubled HMS trio, when he lost a tire while leading the race. His No. 88 car slammed the run four wall and was forced to limp to the garage on lap 123. He too would return and score a 39th place finish for his efforts. Six time champion Johnson will have to fight a little harder to win his record-tying seventh title this year after his day ended on the back of a tow truck. His Chevy made slight contact with Greg Biffle's Ford coming off turn two on lap 86. Johnson spun down towards the inside wall, collecting the No. 51 of Justin Allgaier who looped back into traffic, and  hit the right side of his car hard against tie inside retaining wall. While he would finish 40th, the No. 48 Lowe's crew got their driver back out to at least finish the event. Kahne, the third HMS car to have issues, got loose on the backstrech on a lap 237 restart and damage the rear of his car. But the No. 5 team only lost two laps in the process and Kahne would still bring the Farmer's Insurance Chevy home in 22nd place.

The Chase also overshadowed some good runs by other drivers who have been searching for speed for a while. Austin Dillon brought the famous No. 3 car home in eighth place on Sunday. This is just his fourth top ten of the season. Also, coupled with Chaser Ryan Newman finished a solid sixth and his teammate Paul Menard grabbed ninth on the day, this meant all three Richard Childress Racing cars finished in the top ten. Rookie phenom Kyle Larson's second place run, coupled with Logano's win and Chasers Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards landing third and fifth respectively, let's not forget who finished in between these two drivers. Martin Truex Jr brought the No. 78 Furniture Row Chevy home fourth at Kansas Speedway for his sixth top ten. This is also the New Jersey native's second top ten in a row after scoring seventh at Dover last week.

So now we head to Charlotte to race under the lights. This track has been very good to drivers like Keselowski and Johnson in the past, especially Johnson who's won a staggering eleven times at the track and scored a total of 26 top tens in 39 races in Concord. But in 2009, Jamie McMurray won the Bank of America 500 after not qualifying for NASCAR's playoffs. Could we see another non-Chaser play spoiler and steal a victory this weekend? After 500 laps around the Charlotte Motor Speedway this Saturday night we'll know for sure.

Chase Race No. 4: Kansas Kicks off "Contender Round" of the Chase

Matt Kenseth won at Kansas in 2012...(Photo: Google Images)

...and in 2013 (Photo: Google Images)

Kansas sports fans have had a very exciting week. They saw their beloved Chiefs blow out Tom Brady's New England Patriots 41-14 on Monday night, the Royals finally reached baseball's post season for the first time since 1985, when the club won the World Series, on Tuesday night. And now, on Sunday afternoon, the Kansas Speedway will host the opening event in round two of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Known as the "Contender Round," this is thought to be the most treacherous round in the title fight because it culminates with a race at Talladega Superspeedway. So getting off to a good start in Kansas will prove vital to any title hopefuls looking to avoid elimination in Alabama.

 So which Chasers might race to the front of the pack on Sunday, Well how about Matt Kenseth? Over the last two seasons, he's won the fall race in 2012 and the spring event last year. This time last season, he finished 11th in the Heartland and scored a respectable tenth place finish there earlier this season.  Kenseth and his team will be feeling the heat Sunday as they sit eighth in the standings and fighting to win at least one race following a year when he won seven times in his No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. But what better place to kick-start a title run than with a win at a track where he's won two of the last four races?

 Another driver to watch will be Dale Earnhardt Jr. NASCAR's favorite son will be trying to continue his best season since 2004. This year he's swept both races at Pocono and won the prestigious Daytona 500 for the second time in his career. But the No. 88 team's last three races have been a far cry from how good they were to start out they year. The finished 11th at Chicago, ninth at Loudon and a solid, yet depressing 17th at Dover last week. with this being crew chief Steve Letarte's last season on the pit box before transitioning to the press box for NBC Sports, Earnhardt Jr would no doubt love nothing more than to get things righted and send his crew chief off with a championship.

Kevin Harvick won this race last year (Photo; Google Images)

Another big question this week will be if Kevin Harvick can get the proverbial monkey off his back. After last week's disappointment in Dover when a broken valve stem relegated his probable winning run into a 13th place finish, they will be looking to harness the same strong runs they had to start off the season. Like Earnhartd Jr, the No. 4 team was freakishly consistent to start the year. You'd be hard pressed to find a race they did not have a shot to win. But due to bad luck, pit crew issues or mechanical problems, the dynamic duo of Harvick and Rodney Childers has been relegated to only two wins so far (one at Phoenix, the other at Darlington). Like Kenseth, Kansas has also been goof to Harvick. He won the fall race last year and finished second in the spring of this year. Both of those races also saw him start from the pole. If this team is going to change their luck, this looks like the track to do it.

While Kansas is typically known for racing that isn't necessarily as exciting as Daytona or Talladega, this new Chase format might just spice things up a bit. It will also afford any drivers looking to rebound after a sub-par first round to gain momentum for the next three weeks. The Contender Round should prove to be very exciting and very unpredictable.

Gordon Ends Penske Dominance, First Four Drivers Knocked Out of Title Hunt

Jeff Gordon celebrating his win at the Monster Mile (Photo: Google Images)

After a string of three races where Roger Penske's Fords wound up in victory lane, it looked as if that trend would continue after Kevin Harvick's dominant No. 4 Chevy blew a tire midway through the AAA 400 at Dover on Sunday. Once he pitted, Brad Keselowski took the lead and it looked as if Penske would have their fourth straight win. But it was four-time champion Jeff Gordon who passed Keselowski with 95 laps to go and scored his fourth win on the year and end the Penske duo's stranglehold on the winner's circle.

Kevin Harvick started on the pole and led almost the entire first half of the race over second place starter Keselowski before he lost a tire on lap 248. The culprit? A broken valve stem. The same issue that ruined another potential winning drive when NASCAR visited Dover last June. However, Harvick's chances weren't totally deflated. Rodney Childers and his team did a great job of repairing the Budweiser Chevy and keeping their driver on the lead lap. Because of their quick work and an even quicker car, Harvick was able to mount a spectacular charge and finish 13th on the day. They might not have won the race, but they might have shown that they will be very tough to beat for the championship, as they sit third in points heading to Kansas.

However, it wasn't all comebacks and winning runs for every driver. Four Chase contenders were eliminated from the title race after this race. AJ Allmendinger, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Aric Almirola will all have to wait until 2015 to vye for the Sprint Cup. Because for them, this year's champion-ship has sailed.

The Dinger was tenth in points going into Dover, but after finishing 23rd at the Monster Mile, he came up just two points shy of twelfth place Kasey Kahne who finished 20th on the day. "It was an awful day," said Allmendinger. "I'm not going to take a moral victory out of it to miss by two points. We know (the JTG Daugherty team) is making steps in the right direction. We kept throwing the kitchen sink at it every stop. We just missed it all weekend."

Kurt Busch might have a Martinsville grandfather clock, but he'll have to
wait till next year to collect another Sprint Cup (Photo: Google Images)

The Nextel Cup Champion in 2004, Busch was looking to add a Sprint Cup to his trohpy case a decade after his first title. But the Las Vegas native came up six points shy of transferring to round two. After scoring a win at Martinsville with a team that was assembled very late in the offseason, they were never consistent enough to run for a title. "It was just tight the last 100 miles," Busch said. "I felt like we were in good position to advance, but you just can't expect to advance by running 18th. You have to be more competitive. You've got to have better lap times every time you go and hit the track. We don't get to advance to the championship but we can still run for pride and run for wins."
Biffle is also a perennial title contender and a champion in both NASCAR's Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. But his season has been far from stellar. It's been 50 races since Biffle's last win at Michigan and, like Busch's team, they have lacked speed and consistency all season long. "Part of you wants to just pull it, put (the car) in the garage, while the other half of you is racing as hard as you can to get in the Chase. This is the way it's gone all season. We're just searching for speed and (we) struggled all day. We've worked hard, trying to fix our problems, but it just hasn't come together yet."

Like Allmendinger, Almirola was also a long shot to advance to round number two. But after two strong runs at Chicago and Loudon, it looked as if Dover would be another track to continue their momentum and maybe advance in the title fight. But after running mid pack all day, it just wasn't in the cards for the No. 43 team. "It just didn't work out for us. I hate it," Almirola said. "We picked a bad day to run the way we did and we can't blame anybody but ourselves. My car didn't have any grip. You can't go fast without grip. Right now, it's pretty disappointing."

Now twelve drivers will compete for a spot in round three of the Chase for the Championship, a fight that begins this weekend at Kansas Speedway with the Hollywood Casino 400. Hopefully round two can start off as excitingly as round one ended.

Chase Race No. 3: Four Drivers Face Elimination at "Monster Mile," Almirola Will Advance

Aric Almirola won a Truck Series race at Dover in 2010 (Photo: Google Images)

This Sunday, NASCAR will be at Dover International Speedway. This track has always been one that provides a great deal of excitement for fans (they don't call it the "Monster Mile" for nothing) but this weekend's event might prove to be one of the more exciting race's held at the high banked concrete oval in recent memory.

That is because, for the first time ever, NASCAR has implemented elimination rounds in their often maligned Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff system and Dover is the first of these three elimination races. Right now there are some big names that face not advancing to the next round; the bottom four include Denny Hamlin in 13th, Greg Biffle in 14th, Kurt Busch in 15th and Aric Almirola in 16th. But don't think that any of these drivers are out of contention and there can't be a major shakeup going into next week's race at Kansas. Hamlin and Biffle are tied for 13th, Busch is two points behind them and Almirola is two points behind Busch. And Hamlin Biffle are only six markers behind 12th place Ryan Newman, while last place Almirola is only ten points back of Newman.

But while he entered the Chase as a major underdog, scoring an upset victory in Daytona's rain-shortened July race, Almirola stands just as good a chance of advancing as anyone else facing elimination. And I believe that he will.

Title contender Denny Hamlin faces elimination Sunday (Photo: Google Images)

While most feel like they lucked into their playoff spot and wouldn't run competitively (this author included), Almirola and his Trent Owen's-led No. 43 Smithfield Ford team have really surprised in the first two Chase races. While they did suffer a blown engine in the closing laps of the race at Chicagoland Speedway, they were running well inside the top 10 at the time. And while they didn't move out of 16th in the standings, they finished a very solid sixth last week at Loudon. Almirola has run well at Dover in the past, scoring a best finish of sixth at his first Cup race in the "First State" and an average finish of 15th at the track and he has also won there before.

Driving the No. 51 Graceway Pharmaceuticals Toyota Tundra for the now shuddered Billy Ballew Racing team, Almirola started seventh that day and went on to score the win when Kyle Busch's truck ran out of fuel. Yes it may seem like a fluke, but to run second to Busch at a track as tough as Dover still takes some work. Almirola's team this year has been very consistent and they have returned owner Richard Petty's famous No. 43 to prominence after years of being a back-marker, while perennial contenders like Hamlin and Busch have been wildly irregular when it comes to decent finishes. While these three combined only have a handful of wins this year, it might be Amirola's consistency that carries him into round two and perhaps even further into the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But there are other drivers in the playoff mix as well and the points are so tight that any one driver having a problem could open the door for another to take his place in the top 12. It will be very interesting to see who can advance and who will get grabbed by the Miles the Monster in Sunday's AAA 400.

New Hampshire Race Proves to be Feast or Famine for Chase Drivers

Joey Logano poses with a New England "lobstah" after winning in New Hampshire
(Photo: Google Images)

Going into Sunday's Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, it appeared Brad Keselowski was going to nab his third win in a row. But after being outdueled on a few late race restarts, it was his Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano who wound up in victory lane. He also grabbed the the second of three spots in round two of the Chase for drivers who win in round one. This was the Middletown, Conn. native's second win of his career at what he considers his home track and his fourth win of the year.

But while Roger Penske's reign of dominance was extended with his third consecutive win, many of the Chase drivers want so lucky. Many frontrunners experienced issues at Loudon and  face elimination heading into Dover next weekend. The race was also about a few drivers 3who no one expected to contend in NASCAR's version of the playoffs, grabbing back some of the spotlight and letting everyone known they aren't finished yet.

Many of the drivers who many expected to run away in the points and battle for the championship experienced issues, either from someone else s mess or from their own team having problems. Dale Earnhardt Jr lost a lap early after he had to pit so his team could replace a loose wheel; a costly, careless error that a team running for it's first championship can ill afford to make. But "June Bug" would rebound to finish an impressive ninth on the day. Matt Kenseth also experienced issues. His first problem came when he got loose down the backstretch, crumpling the hood of teammate Kyle Busch's car. The result of these two getting together also collected Ksaey Kahne, who drilled the back of Busch's No. 18 Camry and ended any hope of his No. 5 Chevy being competitive again. But while Kahne limped home 23rd, Busch's team managed to keep their driver on the lead lap and repair his car enough to score an eight-place finish.

Could AJ Allmendinger be the 2014 champion? (Photo: Google Images)

 

However Kenseth wasn't so lucky. He got collected in a late wreck with Paul Menard with 30 laps to go and came home in 21st place.

Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin might have also seen their chances to advance to round two take a serious turn for the worse after Sunday. They finished 36th and 37th respectively. After leading early, Hamlin's car had an issue with the fuel probe, an integral part of making sure the car can be filled with fuel, and this cost him four laps while his team fixed the problem. But later on, he was collected in a lap 180 wreck with Martin Truex Jr and David Ragan crashed and Hamlin slid right into their mess. Busch was strong early on as well, but after losing a lap for having to pit for a loose wheel, "The Outlaw" clobbered the wall in turn three and saw his day end abruptly.

But drivers like AJ Allmendinger finished 13th, Aric Almirola came home a very impressive sixth place, Ryan Newman finished 18th after crash damage to keep his hopes alive another week. It's these drivers who snuck in under the radar that might prove more dangerous in this fight than anyone  thought. The drivers who didn't expect to make the Chase and really have nothing to lose and are trying to prove they belong in the second round.

A scant 12 points separate eight place Kenseth from last place Almirola in points. The drivers are eight places apart in the standings. While many criticized the new format for the Chase, myself included, it looks as if NASCAR got what they wanted. Fans might get a tight championship battle after all. We might see what can happen when eight drivers fight to get out of the bottom four in the standings and they are forced to run all-out to do so.

Next week's trip to the "Monster Mile" might be more monstrous than ever before.

Chase Race No. 2: Keselowski Looks to Pull off Hat Trick at "Magic Mile"

Brad Keselowski celebrates his win at Loudon this past July (Photo: Google Images)

In hockey, when one player scores three goals in a single game, that player has just accomplished what has become known as a "hat trick" and fans will  show their appreciation by throwing their caps onto the ice. While fans at New Hampshire Motor Speedway might not throw their caps onto the track if he wins, Brad Keselowski is going for Nascar's version of the hat trick. He not only tring to win his third race in a row, but also to sweep both races at the "Magic Mile" and potentially show himself to be the driver to beat in the championship hunt.

In that race, Keselowski dominated the field, leading seven times for 138 laps. The next highest lap leader was first place starter and second place finisher Kyle Busch, who was out front once for a total of 62 laps. This will be a great chance for Keselowski to assert his dominance and establish himself as the 2014 champ.

Both he and teammate Joey Logano ran very strongly in the Granite State last July. The only reason Logano was not up front at the end was because he was collected in an accident on lap 213 of the 305 lap event. While both Penske teammates were strong, it was Keselowski's Redd's Apple Ale Ford that had the field seeing red and, with the dominating performance he gave ten weeks ago, it might take some doing to take down Keselowski this weekend.

Matt Kenseth also won this race one year ago in his 500th start. He has never had a great record at Loudon,  his win last September is his only victory at the track, But his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Busch and Denny Hamlin have run strong at New Hampshire in the past, with Hamlin finishing outside the top ten only six times in seventeen starts at the speedway for Gibbs. Perhaps being teamed with these two drivers is what Kenseth needed to help perfect his setup for this flat, tricky race track. While Kesneth's win last September was a surprise, it would not be total shocking to see him or either of his teammates win this Sunday. This past July, Busch finished second, Kenseth was fourth and Hamlin was eighth.

Kevin Harvick won on a flat mile track at Phoenix in February
 (Photo: Google Images)

There are also a few Chasers who might prove to be dark horses at Loudon. At the top of that list is someone who, in my opinion, has been the king of the dark horses this year is Ryan Newman. Newman has three wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and an average finish of 13th. He also finished fifth in July in his first race at the speedway for Richard Childress Racing. So look for the Rocket Man to run strong yet again.

And while they didn't run strong this summer, look for Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick to run strong this weekend. Gordon and Johnson both have average finishes of tenth at New Hampshire and their teammates, and fellow Chasers Dale Earnhardt, Jr and Kasey Kahne finished tenth and 11th respectively last July. Both Johnson and Gordon could glean some information from their teammates and run strongly this Sunday. Hendrick Motorsports always seems to turn up the wick when the Chase begins.

Harvick on the other hand, has an average finish of 14th and only has one win at Loudon, scoring a victory in September of 2006 for Richard Childress Racing. He may have finished 30th in July, but that was his first race at New Hampshire with his new team. His crew chief Rodney Childers has had success there in the past, having strong runs with drivers David Reutimann and Brian Vickers (the duo won at this track in September of 2013). Harvick and Childers have run strong in almost every race this year and it would not be a shock to see them do it again.

When the dust clears and the checkered flag waves this Sunday afternoon, it would not be surprising to see any of these drivers in victory lane, locking themselves into round two of the Chase for the Championship. But look for  either Keselowski or Logano to grab the win and move closer to a second Nascar title for Penske Racing

Keselowski Nets Win, Extends Points Lead in Windy City; Almirola's Title Hopes Go Up in Smoke

Brad Keselowski poses next to his name at the top of Round Two in the Chase
Grid. He automatically advanced after his win Sunday (Photo: Google Images)

The first race in the Chase for the Championship took place Sunday afternoon in Chicago and, just like he did two years ago, Brad Keselowski threw down the gauntlet. The driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford scored his second win in the Windy City in three years. Why is this significant? When he scored that first Chicagoland win, he went on to win the 2012 championship nine races later.

This was also Keselowski's second win in a row, after netting the victory last weekend at Richmond. However, when the race started any chance of Keselowski winning seemed like a long shot. Because qualifying was rained out and the field was set by practice speeds, Kyle Busch was on the pole and Keselowski rolled off in 25th position. Even during the event, he was forced to come back down pit road after a stop to tighten a loose wheel, miring him back in 16th place on the lap 287 restart.

Keselowski gained the lost track position on the restarts that came following his team's botched pit stop. Then with 15 laps to go, he drive his Ford in between fellow Chase contender Kevin Harvick and rookie sensation Kyle Larson, who was vying for his first career Sprint Cup Series victory. The driver known as "Bad Brad" made it three wide off of turn two and passed both Harvick and Larson by the end of the backstretch. Had he clipped either driver on his way past, it would have been detrimental to not only his Chase hopes, but also Harvick's.

On a restart that resulted from Danica Patrick getting into boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr's No. 17 Ford, Keselowski took the green with five laps to go and not only held the lead, but continued to stretch it out. He would win by almost two seconds over fellow Chaser Jeff Gordon.

Keselowski leads the field around Chicagoland Speedway
(Photo: Google Images)

But while both the No. 2 team had a great start to their post-season run, not every Chase driver was that fortunate. Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards  both had flat tires, but both rallied back to finish 15th and 20th respectively. Other big names also experienced trouble. Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch also had issues, with Busch and Kenseth spinning out as they entered pit road for routine service and Johnson's tire changer tripping as he ran from one side of the car to the other, turning what should have been a 12-second pit stop into a 17-second stop. Busch and Kenseth would rebound to grab top ten finishes and Johnson would finish a respectable 12th place.

However, AJ Allmendinger and Greg Biffle were slow all day long, finishing 22dn and 23rd respectively. Both these drivers are now in the bottom three in the standings and will have to find speed quickly or face elimination. The third Chase driver to have issues, and be the bottom of the bottom three drivers, was Aric Almirola. With 37 laps to go, the motor under the hood of Almirola's No. 43 Ford just let go, forcing him to go to the garage and ruining what was a surprisingly strong sixth place run for the underdog Chaser.

To quote Keselowski in victory lane, "It was a crazy day." There were a few wrecks, a lot of Chase contenders ran well, a few didn't, and there was a three wide battle for the lead that definitely gave fans their moneys worth. At the end of the day it was Keselowski in victory lane, advancing into the Contender Round of the Chase and making sure the Nascar world knows he will be a driver to watch for the championship. Just like he did when he won this race two years ago.

The next race on the schedule is the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Keselowski will go for three wins in a row and the rest of the field, Chasers or not, will try to knock him off the top of the hill.

Chase Race No. 1: Chicagoland Speedway a Good Barometer for Who Might Be Champion

Number one seed Brad Keselowski won Chicago in 2012 (Photo: Google Images)

After 26 regular season races, it is time for Nascar's top 16 drivers to battle it out for the 2014 Sprint Cup title. The first stop on the ten race stretch that will decide the next champion is the Chicagoland Speedway this Sunday and, the last three seasons at least, this race has proven to be a good indicator of which drivers will be serious title contenders.

When last season's Geico 400 was completed, Matt Kenseth found himself in victory lane after edging out Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch for the victory. Kenseth was also the number one seed entering last year's chase and it appeared that his No. 20 team had only gotten more dominant, as this was their sixth win of the season. Kenseth would go on to win the next race at New Hampshire, but he would come up just short of Jimmie Johnson in the championship standings, finishing second overall after a bad race in Phoenix. But despite this, in my opinion at least, with seven wins, 20 top-ten finishes and an average finish of twelfth, last year truly was Kenseth's championship to lose.

The year before, Brad Keselowski won in the "Windy City," for his fourth win of the season. This Chase would also prove to be a battle between Keselowski and Johnson and Keselowski made no bones about the fact he was out to take the No. 48 team down a peg or two. Both drivers had five wins going into the finale, Johnson had 24 top-tens to Keselowski's 23 and both drivers had an average finish between tenth and eleventh. It would come down to Homestead, a broken rear-end gear on Johnson's Chevrolet and a fifteenth place finish for Keselowski and when the checkered flag fell, "Bad Brad" was the 2012 Sprint Cup champion.

Tony Stewart with the 2011 Sprint Cup (Photo: Google Images)

In 2011, Tony Stewart famously said his team did not deserve a spot in the Chase because they were nowhere near ready to contend for a title. Well, Stewart's team would go on to qualify for the Chase and win the first race at Chicagoland. They would also go on to win four more Chase races (that's right. They won HALF of the Chase races), including the season finale at Homestead. It was that win that netted Stewart the 2011 title as well, as he was tied in points with Carl Edwards and the tiebreaker was number of wins. Stewart's No. 14 team might not have been ready before the Chase began, but they sure caught fire once the final ten races began.

So heading into this weekend's race at Chicago, knowing that the track has shown who will be strongest over the final ten weeks, look for Keselowski to win again in Illinois. He was won already this year at Las Vegas and Kentucky, two tracks very similar to Chicago. And, while it isn't all that similar to Chicago, his Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano won at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year.

In addition to the two Penske cars, would also look for Hendrick Motorsports to be strong as well. Jeff Gordon won at Kansas and Michigan this year and, while they are bigger than Chicagoland Speedway, they have the same type of sweeping corners as Chicago. Dale Earnhardt, Jr is another driver who should also do well. He won at Chicago back in 2005 and he's already won three times this year. With this being crew chief Steve Letarte's last season with the No. 88 team, they want to send him off with a championship so that could be all the motivation they need to get their Chase off to a strong start. And Jimmie Johnson is Jimmie Johnson, six-time defending champ and 69 races. He's strong just about everywhere.


Kevin Harvick (L) and Rodney Childers have been a very
strong duo in 2014 (Photo: Google Images)

As far as any dark horses, while he might not really be a dark horse, look for Kevin Harvick to be a threat. He and crew chief Rodney Childers have already won twice this year as a new team and, save for a few slow pit stops and a lot of mechanical issues, with thirteen top-ten finishes they have been in contention almost every week. While everyone is focusing on drivers like Keselowski and Johnson, "Happy Harvick" might just sneak up into the top-five and show he's ready to land Stewart-Haas Racing its second Sprint Cup title.

Other unassuming drivers could be Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman. While they have not won yet this year, they have been quiet and consistent with both Newman and Biffle netting ten top-tens this year. Aric Almirola could also surprise some people. He managed to sneak into the top ten and finish tenth at Richmond last week, his sixth of the season.

While the Chase is only beginning this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway and there will still be nine races left to run once the dust clears Sunday night, this race will help separate the contenders from the pretenders. Two champions and a runner-up have won this race the last three seasons. Will that trend continue this weekend? If a Chase driver wins on Sunday, he might be someone to keep an eye on over the next several weeks.

Keselowski Wins Richmond, Field of 16 Drivers Set to Chase Championship

The 16 drivers who will race for the 2014 Sprint Cup Championship
 Top (L-R): Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman,
Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Aric Almirola
Bottom (L-R): Brad Keselowski, Greg Biffle, AJ ALlmendinger, Kasey Kahne,
Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kevin Harvick (Photo from Google Images)

After 25 grueling races, it all came down to Richmond and the regular season finale to see who would capture the final few spots in the top 16 in points and qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Just like he had done three previous times in 2014, Brad Keselowski qualified his Miller Lite Ford on the pole. Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman were trying to maintain the final two spots in the Chase, while Clint Bowyer was faced with a "win-and-you're-in" scenario that would bump out either of the Biffle-Newman duo. With some drivers racing for the win, others racing for pride, and still others racing for their shot at a title, the Federated Auto Parts 400 got underway.

Keselowski put on a clinic at the three-quarter mile Virginia short track, leading a staggering 383 of the 400 laps run Saturday night, with Kevin Harvick leading the other 17 circuits in his Budweiser Chevrolet. For a race that would set the championship field, not to mention racing at a short track where tempers usually flare up quickly, the race was very tame. The only real on-track slip up came when Matt Kenseth slid his Dollar General Toyota into the outside wall. The resulting damage would  ruin his night and relegated driver No. 20 to a 41st place finish. But while the racing on the track was calm, there was an incident off the track that got everyone's attention.

James Richard Dennis sits atop the catch fence in turn four at
 Richmond International Raceway (Photo from Google Images)

Nascar fans tend to have a reputation as drunken lunatics and that stereotype was not really helped on Saturday when a fan decided to climb the retaining fence (normally meant to protect spectators from the potential of flying debris) and sit atop it for several laps. James Richard Dennis, 53, sat atop the fence, arms raised, cheering to his fellow fans. Shortly after, Nascar placed the race under caution to slow the cars down and bring the fan down from the fence. Dennis was then arrested, charged with disorderly conduct and public drunkenness and escorted off the premises.

But when the fans settled down and the smoke had cleared, it was Keselowski who grabbed his fourth win of the season and the number one seed in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Jeff Gordon finished a strong second place and Bowyer finished third. But despite his top three finish, Bowyer missed  qualifying for the Chase by a scant seven points to Biffle. That equates to seven finishing positions during any of the previous 25 races, which really illustrates just how close making the cut to run for the championship playoff can be. There was also a scary moment after the checkered flag fell.

Title contender and defending six-time champion Jimmie Johnson finished a strong eighth in the race. But when he exited his car on pit road afterwards, he sat on the wall surrounded by his crew. He then sat on the ground, rolled over to lay on his back. Track medical personnel placed Johnson on a stretcher and rushed him to the infield care center where he was later diagnosed as being severely dehydrated and received an IV to help return him to normal. This was very odd, as Johnson is a big advocate of physical fitness and often competes in triathlons. Johnson is fine and will compete in Chicago this weekend.

Brad Keselowski celebrates his Richmond win
(Photo from Google Images)

So the field of 16 title contenders is set and the Chase for the Sprint Cup is set to begin this Sunday afternoon at Chicagoland Speedway. Keselowski is the number one seed going into the race, followed by Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Johnson and Joey Logano round out the top five, followed by Harvick, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Kurt Busch. The eleventh spot is held down by Kasey Kahne, Aric Amirola is twelfth and AJ Allmendinger is thirteenth. Matt Kenseth is fourteenth, and is the first of the drivers to lock into the Chase on points because they failed to win a race. He is followed by Biffle in fifteenth and Newman in sixteenth.

This 16 driver playoff is part of a new Nascar initiative to place more of a premium on winning races. Not only did winning a race in the first 25 events lock a driver into the Chase, the field was also set by who had the most victories (which is why Keselowski is the top seed with four wins). However, in the final ten race playoff, every three races, four drivers will be eliminated from title contention. The only way to avoid being knocked out is to win a race or run at a competitive level every week. This new system also results in a winner-take-all finale between the top four drivers in points going into the tenth race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the highest finishing driver from those four will be crowned the 2014 Sprint Cup Series Champion.

While it has been heavily criticize by some and hard to understand at times, this new system should be good for the sport. It will force every driver to race hard if they want to be champion and really help the cream rise to the top. This should be a very exciting stretch for drivers and fans alike and I'm looking forward to posting for you every step of the way. Lets go racing!