NASCAR 2015
- Thread starter ifmanis5
- Start date
Well, I'm on record as being a Jeff Gordon fan, so my emotional side will be rooting for a cherry on top of a remarkable career.
This year saw 23 of the 26 races spread between just 8 drivers:
Johnon's last win was mid-year at Dover (race 13), so he seems to have cooled off. But It's hard to bet against him.
Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano finished the year hot, combining to win 5 of the final 6 races, so I would not be surprised if one of them wins.
But odd things happen in the Chase, like last year's events with Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman bouncing Gordon on an extremely odd series of events in 2 races (#2 knocking out #24 on the green-white-checkered re-start at Texas (Gordon was in the 1st row at re-start), and the following week with Newman pushing rookie Kyle Larson into the wall to take 11th at Phoenix - effectively bumping Gordon from the Chase (by 1 point), despite #24 finishing 2nd in the Phoenix race.
I'm going to say winner = Matt Kenseth.
On a side note, speculation has been out there since the even before this season began that Gordon might race part time in 2016. Gordon himself reportedly has never used the word "retire/ment"in any of his public statements/appearances.
This year saw 23 of the 26 races spread between just 8 drivers:
- Kenseth (4)
- Ky. Busch (4)
- Johnson (4)
- Logano (3)
- Harvick (2)
- Ku. Busch (2)
- Earnhardt (2)
- Edwards (2)
Johnon's last win was mid-year at Dover (race 13), so he seems to have cooled off. But It's hard to bet against him.
Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano finished the year hot, combining to win 5 of the final 6 races, so I would not be surprised if one of them wins.
But odd things happen in the Chase, like last year's events with Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman bouncing Gordon on an extremely odd series of events in 2 races (#2 knocking out #24 on the green-white-checkered re-start at Texas (Gordon was in the 1st row at re-start), and the following week with Newman pushing rookie Kyle Larson into the wall to take 11th at Phoenix - effectively bumping Gordon from the Chase (by 1 point), despite #24 finishing 2nd in the Phoenix race.
I'm going to say winner = Matt Kenseth.
On a side note, speculation has been out there since the even before this season began that Gordon might race part time in 2016. Gordon himself reportedly has never used the word "retire/ment"in any of his public statements/appearances.
Gordon fan here as well...incredible talent...not certain Kyle Bush isn't more talented tho at least at this point in his career.
Update after New Hampshire. My prediction for Kenseth remains intact. But Gordon's not out of it.
Into the Contender 12 round, and on to Charlotte.
Kevin Harvick hangs on by a chinny chin chin whisker. Dale Jr. in the same boat.
Surprisingly eliminated: Jimmy Johnson (broken rear axle assembly)
Other notables out: Kasey Kahne, Clint Boyer, Jamie McMurray, and Paul Menard
Kevin Harvick hangs on by a chinny chin chin whisker. Dale Jr. in the same boat.
Surprisingly eliminated: Jimmy Johnson (broken rear axle assembly)
Other notables out: Kasey Kahne, Clint Boyer, Jamie McMurray, and Paul Menard
Given last year's events, to have Gordon, Newman and Keselowski in the final 12 could produce some fireworks. Kenseth and Logano remain hot.
Harvick and Logano had a great dual at Charlotte. Logano led 227 of 334 laps and nosed out Harvick by less than a second to earn the win and become the first guaranteed advancer to the 3rd/"Eliminator 8" round. Kenneth is dropping fast after scraping the wall on at least two occasions - one alongside teammate Ryan Newman - and not finishing the race.
On to Kansas October 18th. Talladega, on October 25th, will close out the 2nd/"Contender 12" round.
On to Kansas October 18th. Talladega, on October 25th, will close out the 2nd/"Contender 12" round.
The Contender 12 Round is complete, with Joey Lagano sweeping all 3 races at Charlotte, Kansas, and Talladega. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was eliminated despite placing 2nd. It was an unusually incident-free race at Talladega, where crashes are about as common as Confederate flags and concealed carry licenses. With only 1 caution prior to things getting tight in the last 5 laps, over which 3 cautions came out and resulted in a single Green-White-Checker attempt.
The first start was deemed to not be an attempt as the caution came out with cars wrecking behind the leaders before the lead driver passed the start line. And they had just barely passed the start line the second time when another series of wrecks dominoed behind the leaders. With the caution occurring on the failed single G-W-C attempt, the race to ended where the drivers stood at the moment the caution came out – not as they crossed the finish line. Took officials a long time to finalize the finish order.
In any case, the final 8 are:
22 – Joey Logano
19 – Carl Edwards
24 – Jeff Gordon
41 – Kurt Busch
2 – Brad Keselowski
78 – Martin Truex, Jr.
4 – Kevin Harvick
18 – Kyle Busch
Now it's on to the Eliminator 8 Round, with the next race is at Martinsville, so they go from the longest track (Talladega) to the shortest track. The other 2 races in the round are at Texas and Phoenix,
Points are re-set, with all 8 qualifiers set to 4,000 points entering the Eliminator 8 Round.
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The first start was deemed to not be an attempt as the caution came out with cars wrecking behind the leaders before the lead driver passed the start line. And they had just barely passed the start line the second time when another series of wrecks dominoed behind the leaders. With the caution occurring on the failed single G-W-C attempt, the race to ended where the drivers stood at the moment the caution came out – not as they crossed the finish line. Took officials a long time to finalize the finish order.
In any case, the final 8 are:
22 – Joey Logano
19 – Carl Edwards
24 – Jeff Gordon
41 – Kurt Busch
2 – Brad Keselowski
78 – Martin Truex, Jr.
4 – Kevin Harvick
18 – Kyle Busch
Now it's on to the Eliminator 8 Round, with the next race is at Martinsville, so they go from the longest track (Talladega) to the shortest track. The other 2 races in the round are at Texas and Phoenix,
Points are re-set, with all 8 qualifiers set to 4,000 points entering the Eliminator 8 Round.
[
A classic Martinsville-short-track race.
Logano and Kenseth continue their inner world feud. NASCAR will ultimately slap both of these puppies down, but it drive ratings. Go figure.
I am so happy for Jeff. Ecstatic does to even come close to the exhilaration he and his team, family, sponsor must be feeling.
Logano and Kenseth continue their inner world feud. NASCAR will ultimately slap both of these puppies down, but it drive ratings. Go figure.
I am so happy for Jeff. Ecstatic does to even come close to the exhilaration he and his team, family, sponsor must be feeling.
Dale Earnhart won a rain-shortened race at Phoenix on lap 129 of 312 to set the final 4 for the Ford EcoBoost 400 Championship race at Homestead in Miami.
Truex' best finish was 2nd (2006). Busch's best was 7th (2013)
- #4 Kevin Harvick / Stewart-Haas Racing / Chevy (2nd at Phoenix)
- #24 Jeff Gordon / Hendrick Motorsports Chevy (6th)
- #18 Kyle Busch / Joe Gibbs Racing / Toyota (4th)
- #78 Martin Truex Jr / Furniture Row Racing / Chevy (14th)
Truex' best finish was 2nd (2006). Busch's best was 7th (2013)
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Interesting that of the 4 drivers remaining eligible for the championship, two have only 1 win each, and one missed a dozen races. Meanwhile, a 6-race winner, and two 5-race winners are field fillers. I thought all the chase changes were supposed to increase the value of winning.
Makes me wonder if more changes are coming before next season.
Makes me wonder if more changes are coming before next season.
My heart is with Gordon. But if I were betting, I'd have to go with Harvick. Busch would be a great reversal-of-fortune story, wouldn't it?
I wouldn't doubt that more changes are coming. True, greater emphasis was placed on winning to influence points and overall standings...which in turn laid the basis for the initial Chase grouping; but it's the overall performance that still reigns king. Nagano (6 wins) made it onto the Chase but didn't win when it counted. Same with Johnson (5 wins), who did very well early in the year, faded in the middle and later races, and then won when he was out of the Chase. Kenseth (5 wins and hot at season end), my early pick, just nuked himself after all was said and done.
This is no different than any other sport. It's like winning 110 games in baseball, making it to the playoffs, and then melting when it counts most. The Chase certainly was created to reward high performance and consistency in the "regular season", but wasn't created to ensure most-wins wins. It was created to build drama and interest. For NASCAR fans, check in the box.
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I may have just watched my last race, being a much bigger Jeff Gordon fan than NASCAR fan.
I've followed the guy since the early 90's when he was a kid. Today is bittersweet for me. Very rare to just plain "luck into" choosing to support best in a sport from day one, as opposed to being born into fandom. It was special, and I will miss it dearly.
I've followed the guy since the early 90's when he was a kid. Today is bittersweet for me. Very rare to just plain "luck into" choosing to support best in a sport from day one, as opposed to being born into fandom. It was special, and I will miss it dearly.
Well...despite Gordon not winning it was good to see Kyle do it.
I was unaware Jeremy Mayfield is driving again...He's racing in the Southern Modified Series...http://www.j2mayfield.com/schedule/
I was unaware Jeremy Mayfield is driving again...He's racing in the Southern Modified Series...http://www.j2mayfield.com/schedule/
I'll definitely keep watching, but I was a Gordon fan from day 1 as well. I'm happy that he's happy. It's hard to believe that as good as he was, he didn't hit the 1/2-way mark to sky-blue 43's record. That's one that will probably never be broken.
I'm glad for Kyle. To say that his career has been marked with some pretty wild incidents - both in Sprint and Camping World Truck series, would be a vast understatement. But to miss the first 15 races (12 official, not counting the Sprint Unlimited and Budweiser duels in February) of the season and accomplish this...well, quite a feat.
And he brought Toyota its first championship.