The Perfect Storm

When the new Chase format was announced the hopes, were to create great drama and excitment; they have done just that. Through the first six races of the Chase, there was a Chase contender winning to advance to the next round. We are now entering the last race the eleminator round in the Chase and no drivers are locked in yet. This is the perfect storm.

Who would have thought that the Top Four in points entering the last race of the Eliminator 8 round would be Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, and Jeff Gordon. Now Logano and Gordon were expected to be in high positions, but Hamlin and Newman are surprise contenders. Keselowski and Harvick still find themselves at the bottom of the standings after their tough weekend at Martinsville. The pressure is starting to grow within the storm, and it is getting to the drivers. This is what NASCAR wanted, and it is what they are getting.

With one race left and tempers flaring in a few of the past races we can expect that those same tempers will be present in Pheonix. Keselowski is still in the hot seat with many drivers such as Harvick, Gordon, and Kenseth, which could be an issue for him heading into Sunday's race. Keselowski or Harvick essentially need to win or have a lot of things go their way to advance. The same can be said for Kenseth and Carl Edwards, although this is one of Carl's best tracks. So, as we head into Pheonix, the last race of the Eliminator round, you can expect NASCAR's perfect storm to be at full strength. Do not expect this to be a calm weekend.

Who Will Sneak in the Chase

Everyone is aware of the shadow Talladega is casting on the Chasers right now and how daunting it will be when they arrive. Many people are concerned about who will be eliminated after Talladega is over, rather than being concerned about who will still be in the chase.

Assuming a Chaser beside Joey Logano or Kevin Harvick wins this weekend at Talladega, there will be nine drivers going for the remaining six spots. On many chase grids, all front runners such as Johnson, Junior, Gordon, and Keselowski are expected to transfer to the Eliminator round of the Chase. But if Talladega has its’ way with the Chase, look for sneaks—the unexpected drivers who will knock out a key contender. Now all the drivers left are still contenders but we are all aware some driver’s ratings are higher then other. In my opinion, the two unexpected drivers with the best chance to make it into the next round of the chase are Ryan Newman and Carl Edwards.

Newman has a drive about him this season being with Richard Childress Racing and he definitely wants to leave his mark on the season. Carl Edwards has stated the he doesn’t feel his team is championship capable, but that doesn’t mean he is going to give up without a fight. His great 2011 was not that long ago and Cousin Carl wants to leave Roush Fenway with a parting gift. These are the two drivers that really need to be watched depending on how nice Talladega decides to play.

-Stephen Appell

Seizing an Opportunity

            A few weeks ago, young Alex Bowman asked Dale Earnhardt Jr. for a chance to drive the Jr Motorsport No.5 Nationwide car, to which Junior agreed. Last Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the Arizona native’s first night to seize his opportunity. This was Bowman’s first time behind the wheel knowing he could potentially park the car in Victory Lane at nights end.

            Bowman sported a large smile while in the Nationwide garage this weekend, knowing that he would have a chance to win on Saturday night. The Sprint cup series regular, driving the No. 23 for BK Racing, has never really had an opportunity in competitive equipment, but has always made the best of whatever was available to him. Bowman ran the full Nationwide Series last season for RAB Racing in the No.99, with which he managed three poles and a handful of Top Ten’s.

            Bowman made a quite a statement early in the weekend by being the first in practice on Thursday afternoon. He followed up with a seventh place qualifying effort Friday. The momentum followed him into the Nationwide race Friday night. Bowman had the car inside the Top 15 all night and within the Top Ten multiple times. Bowman managed the tire issues well and fought side by side with his Jr Motorsports teammates a few times. When all was said and done Bowman brought the No.5 Dirty Mo Radio Chevy into a solid 12^th place finish. Bowman showed everyone last season that he could drive well, but tonight solidified his chances at proving his potential.

-Stephen Appell

Continually Making A Statement

            Kevin Harvick grabbed the pole position for Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking his third consecutive pole for this race. During his previous twelve seasons, Harvick only claimed six poles, but in this 2014 season with Stewart-Haas, he has scored eight pole positions and his finishes are a reflection of that. Harvick is making quite a statement.

It’s one thing to qualify well week in and week out, but another to capitalize on it. Now Harvick doesn’t have a large amount of wins this season, but he does have solid finishes. For the first time in a long time, Harvick is being talked about as a viable threat for the championship with good reason. This is by far Harvick’s best season of his career; he is on top of his game. Even with the lack of help of a strong pit crew, Harvick has continuously worked his way into solid positions. How does he do it?

One could say Harvick fell into a rut while over at Richard Childress Racing. Others could argue RCR equipment was not up to par of other strong teams. When he left RCR to join Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick knew he would have to make a strong statement and lead a completely brand new team. Harvick knows what it takes to be a leader; his determination to lead a new team to the ultimate goal of a championship is what is helping him make his statement.

Gordon's Time

There is no doubt that this season has been one of the best Jeff Gordon has had in a long time, already scoring three wins heading into the third race of the chase. In the past few races Gordon has returned to his stealth mode that we saw him in earlier this season, not making a lot of noise but being there at the end.

This worked for him during the regular season, but now, it is playoff time and we should all be ready for “The Gordon Show”. There has been no lack of momentum on the 24 team and they show no signs of fading any time soon. In fact, these final ten races could be the hottest we have ever seen from Gordon. Many know that Gordon’s years in the cup series are numbered, and with an ailing back, many believe Gordon himself realizes that this may be one of his final chances to claim a fifth championship.

Gordon’s “Drive for Five” has been going on since his last championship thirteen years ago in 2001, and it has now been almost 20 years since his first cup title. There is no other driver that wants another championship as bad as Gordon; it just comes down to his ability to keep up his good luck. We will see very soon.

Not a Challenge Just a Threat

            Team Penske has sealed up the first two positions of the next championship round after Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano won the first two races of the chase. We knew at the beginning of the season when the 2 and 22 cars were consistently at the front that Team Penske would indeed be a challenge to everyone; now they’re just a threat to all.

            For the first time in his young career, Joey Logano has posted a multiple win season in the cup series collecting four wins thus far. Brad Keselowski has collected five wins tying his career high in a single season. Both drivers have posted an astounding 12 Top Five’s so far with 8 races still remaining.

            Team Penske is the threat because no matter where you go, the 2 and 22 cars will find a way to be there at the end. Penske has a deathly consistency this season winning on a variety of tracks and racking up Top Five’s and Ten’s like they’re Halloween candy, which is needed in this new world of points racing. Their goal is the same as every team: get to the next round and get locked in ASAP. There is just something about Penske; I can’t quite put the lugs on the wheel, but they just take everything to the next level. Everything about Penske seems to be bigger: when the win they do it in style, the hunger from their drivers is greater, their pit stops are flawless. However, the one thing that truly makes them stand out is their practices and qualifying. Keselowski and Logano are by far the most consistent drivers in practice and qualifying, making a statement the moment those cars roll off the trailers. Now the only question is if Penske wins the championship, which driver wins it for them?