What do Jet Driers and Air Titans have in common? They have combined to lead the most laps this season.
For third time in seven races, rain has played havoc with NASCAR on race day. The season-opening Daytona 500 was delayed more than six hours as a massive storm system washed through the middle parts of Florida. And the Food City 500 at Bristol was delayed not once, but twice, as two different cells moved through the Tennessee area last month.
But it seems that long delays are not good enough for Mother Nature, as last Sunday’s Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was postponed for Monday afternoon.
But rain would not keep NASCAR down for long.
Once the race got going, the action was intense right of the bat. The early laps produced early drama as pre-race favorites Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Kevin Harvick and Jimmie Johnson were knocked from contention in the early going.
After cars pitted during the competition caution on lap 48, long stretches of green flag racing became the name of the game. With the green flag racing, contenders were knocked off the lead lap while others surged as the favorites.
The middle stages of the race saw Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin establish themselves as the cars to beat. They soon showed the way to Joey Logano who established himself as the car to beat in the race’s second half.
In the finals laps, Logano appeared to have the race in hand until Kurt Busch lost a left rear tire and dumped debris in turn 3 with less than two to go. The late caution brought everyone to pit road and saw strategy unfold as Gordon and Brian Vickers left in 1st and 2nd after taking two tires, while Logano left in 3rd after taking four.
The restart became a battle between two tires versus four as Gordon fended off Logano on the first lap, but lost out on the last lap as Logano got passed the four-time champion entering turn 1.
With the victory, Logano became the seventh different winner in seven races this season. He also joined the exclusive list of drivers who have nearly locked themselves into a Chase berth less than one third into the regular season.
But where will the victory place Logano in this week’s Power Rankings?
Let’s take a look:
1. Jeff Gordon — +3
For those doubting how much “Big Daddy” has left in the tank, the start to this season should help ease those doubts. While he has not won in the opening seven races, Gordon has shown incredible speed especially on the down-force tracks. He proved that during last Monday’s Duck Commander 500. Gordon started 12th and moved into the top 5 by the competition caution. He showed to have the best car on the long run in the first half of the race and led 40 laps throughout the event. Crew chief Alan Gustafson’s pit call for two tires was a genius decision and probably would have won Gordon the race had a few more cars tried that strategy. Gordon’s 2nd place finish on Monday also moved him into the points lead for the first time since May, 2009. It’s true that “four-time” has yet to win, but don’t expect that to last for too long.
At Darlington: No active driver has been better than Gordon at “The Lady in Black.” In 33 starts, Gordon has seven wins, 19 top 5s and 22 top 10s with an average finish of 11.5. In his last 10 races at the track, Gordon has one win, eight top 5s and eight top 10s with only one finish outside the top 12. With the speed this team has shown this season, expect Gordon to challenge for the win Saturday night.
2. Matt Kenseth — +1
While he’s not lighting the world on fire, the 2013 runner-up has been very steady to start the season. With his 7th place finish on Monday, Kenseth picked up his fifth top 10 of the season which tied him with Gordon for the series lead. The consistency has Kenseth in 2nd place in the standings, just four markers behind Gordon. This consistency puts Kenseth second in this week’s Power Rankings.
At Darlington: Kenseth has decent success at Darlington. In 20 starts, Kenseth has one win, two top 5s and nine top 10s with an average finish of 16.7. Last year, Kenseth took the lead from Kyle Busch with 17 laps remaining and ran away to his first victory at the track. Let’s see if he can pull that magic once again.
3. Joey Logano — +3
Without question the best car on Monday belonged to “Slice Bread.” After starting 10th, Logano ran in the top 10 for the majority of the first half of the race, but it wasn’t until the second half when he showed his car’s strength. Logano took the lead from teammate Brad Keselowski just passed lap 200 and was virtually untouchable, building more than a five-second lead at one point. Logano thoroughly dominated the second half of the race as he led a race-high 108 laps. And not even a late-race caution could slow down Logano, as he got by Gordon on the last lap to score his second win at Penske.
At Darlington: Logano has had little success in his limited starts at Darlington. In five starts, Logano has no wins or top 5s and just two top 10s with an average finish of 20.6. But like Keselowski started doing in 2012, Logano is starting to rewrite his stat book. Don’t be surprised if he’s near the front at end of 500 miles on Saturday night.
4. Jimmie Johnson — -2
With his record at Texas, Johnson was surprisingly Hendrick Motorsports’ snake-bitten driver on Monday. Johnson was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. made a mental mistake and wrecked his car right in front of Johnson. Junior’s wreck sent debris which damaged Johnson’s left front fender and windshield. While the damage wasn’t significant, it was a sign of things to come. Less than 25 laps later, Johnson ran over a piece of debris and shredded his right rear tire under green-flag conditions and lost three laps, thus ending any chance at a good finish. Johnson limped his car to a 25th place finish — his worst finish of the season.
At Darlington: Darlington might be the track where Johnson makes a comeback. In 15 starts, Johnson has three wins, eight top 5s and 11 top 10s with an average finish of 8.8. Like his teammate Gordon, expect Johnson to be a threat this weekend.
5. Kyle Busch — +2
The defending winner of the Duck Commander 500 made a solid defense on Sunday. After starting 29th, Busch charged his way into the top 10 in the first 100 miles of the race and led 10 laps in the mid stages of the event. He ran between 3rd and 5th in the second half of the race and charged to 3rd after the Green-White-Checkered (GWC) restart. Strong day for Busch and the No.18 team.
At Darlington: Busch has had solid success at Darlington. In nine starts, Busch has one win, two top 5s and five top 10s with an average finish of 14.4. He dominated last year’s race, leading 265 of the 367 laps. But he also drew controversy by tangling with Kasey Kahne while racing for the lead with about 30 laps to go, which took Kahne out of contention. He also lost the lead with 17 laps to go after suffering a leaking left rear tire and fell to 6th at the finish. Let’s see if he can close it out this weekend.
6. Carl Edwards — -1
After running strong in the first 100 miles of Monday’s race, Edwards faded to become a non-factor the rest of the day. Edwards battled a loose handling car during the mid stages of the race and went down a lap as a result. He made his lap up in the last 100 miles, but could only recover to 14th at the finish. Not a good day for Edwards at one of his best tracks.
At Darlington: Darlington has been a good track for Edwards. In 10 starts, Edwards has no wins, three top 5s and seven top 10s with an average finish of 12.5. Let’s see if he can another solid outing this weekend.
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — -6
Well, everyone is human and that includes the two-time Daytona 500 winner. Earnhardt, Jr. simply made a mistake on Monday after clipping the quad-oval grass and destroying the front end of his car just four laps into the race. Earnhardt, Jr. did man up for his mistake which is a good thing to see. Let’s see if he and the team can bounce back this weekend.
At Darlington: Darlington has been a decent track for Earnhardt, Jr. In 19 starts, Earnhardt, Jr. has no wins, three top 5s and eight top 10s with an average finish of 14.9. Time to see how the No.88 team can bounce back from early-season adversity.
8. Brian Vickers — +2
Quietly, Brian Vickers and his No.55 team are slowly climbing up the standings. After starting 23rd, Vickers slowly worked his way to the top 10 in the first 400 miles of Monday’s race. He was running 9th when caution waved with two laps to go and came out in 2nd after changing two tires during pit stops. Vickers only lost two spots during the GWC restart and came home in 4th for his best finish of the season. The top 5 moved Vickers to 9th place in the points standings.
At Darlington: Vickers has not fared too well at Darlington. In nine starts, Vickers has only one top 10 and his average finish is 27.1. But with the momentum this team has, his run of misfortune could change this weekend.
9. Brad Keselowski — -1
Monday was a tale of two races for Keselowski. He led 85 laps and had the second-best car most of the race, but a pit-road speeding penalty during the race’s final pit stop dropped him from 4th to 15th on the restart. Keselowski made up no ground and finished 15th — a bitter end to what looked to be a 1-2 finish for Team Penske.
At Darlington: In his limited starts, Keselowski has good success at Darlington. In five starts, Keselowski has no wins, one top 5 and two top 10s with an average finish of 13.8. Expect Keselowski to strong this weekend.
10. Paul Menard — +4
The hot streak continues for Menard as he picked up his fourth top 10 in five races on Monday. After starting 13th, Menard ran in the top 15 almost all race and stayed on the lead lap. He got a good restart during the GWC and passed a few cars to come home 9th. The top 10 moved the No.27 team into 10th in points for the first time this year. Can this group sustain this run? We shall see.
At Darlington: Like Vickers, Menard has not been good at Darlington. In seven starts, Menard doesn’t even have a top 10 finish at the track and his average finish is 23.7. Don’t expect too much from Menard this weekend.
11. Kyle Larson — +7
Two top 5s in three races and three top 10s in four events. This rookie is very impressive. After starting 14th on Monday, Larson ran in the top 10 nearly all race and had one of the best cars on the long run. He had a thrilling battle on the final laps with Busch and Vickers and came home in 5th place. This rookie will win before the season is out.
At Darlington: N/A
12. Tony Stewart — +5
When the track was shaded, “Smoke” looked nearly unbeatable as he led 74 of the first 76 laps of the race. But when the sun popped out, Stewart’s car looked mortal and it slowly back-slid through the pack in the mid stages of the race. Stewart had between a 9th and 11th in the second half of the race and he finished 10th place. The top 10 is Stewart’s third in the last four races, which also moved him to 14th in the standings. “Smoke” continues his rise.
At Darlington: There are two tracks that Stewart has not won on and Darlington is one of them. Even without the victory, Stewart has been very solid at the track. In 21 starts, Stewart has four top 5s and 11 top 10s with an average finish of 12.0. With his recent surge, expect another solid run for Stewart this weekend.
13. Denny Hamlin — +/-0
For a while, it looked as if Hamlin was the car to beat. He led 20 laps in the mid stages and had a solid long-run car. But a pit-road speeding penalty while leading right before halfway doomed Hamlin’s chances in the second half. He never challenged for the lead again and was relegated to a 13th place finish at the end. A missed chance for Hamlin and the team.
At Darlington: Hamlin’s record at Darlington has been pretty sporty. In eight starts, Hamlin has one win, four top 5s and seven top 10s with an average finish of 5.4 — which is best amongst active drivers. Expect Hamlin to be one of the favorites this weekend.
14. Austin Dillon — -2
After being sick most of the weekend, it probably didn’t make Dillon feel any better driving a car on Monday that was just as ill as him. Dillon struggled with the car all day and finished one lap down in 21st. Just a bad day for the rookie.
At Darlington: N/A
15. Jamie McMurray — +/-0
After running in the top 10 for a lot of the opening half of the race, McMurray struggled with the handling in the second half and finished in 17th. A decent showing, but McMurray should have done better.
At Darlington: McMurray has had decent success at Darlington. In 12 starts, McMurray has no wins, three top 5s and five top 10s with an average finish of 16.1. If he can avoid trouble throughout the night, expect a solid outing from McMurray on Saturday.
16. Kasey Kahne — +/-0
Kahne had a solid outing on Monday despite the deep starting spot. After starting 32nd, Kahne worked his way through the field and into the top 10 in the second half of the race. He ran between 8th and 10th for most of the second half, before being shuffled to 11th during the GWC. Despite the decent finish, Kahne and crew appear to be off in comparison to their teammates. They don’t seem to have the raw speed that the other three Hendrick cars have. But a win in the next month or two should throw those some of those doubts away.
At Darlington: Kahne has had decent success at Darlington. In 11 starts, Kahne has no wins, three top 5s and four top 10s with an average finish of 14.2. He was in position to win last year’s race when he and Busch tangled while racing for the lead which sent Kahne into the turn 1 wall — he went on to finish 17th. If he can avoid trouble, expect Kahne to be out front on Saturday.
17. Clint Bowyer — +3
After a slow start in the first five races of the season, Bowyer has reeled off back-to-back top 10s. Bowyer started 25th on Monday and worked his way into the top 10 in the first half of the race. He moved into the top 5 in the second half but lost his track position when he had to come back to pit road to place a missing lug nut with less than 100 laps to go — Bowyer fell from 5th to 15th. He was able to recover to 8th at the finish. A good finish for Bowyer, but he could have had more.
At Darlington: Darlington has not been too kind to Bowyer. In eight starts, Bowyer has only one top 10 and his average finish is 21.1. Let’s see if he can turn that around this weekend.
18. Greg Biffle — NEW
Texas was a huge boost for Biffle and No.16 team. After qualifying in 4th, Biffle ran in the top 10 all race and was flirting with a top 5 with less than 10 laps to until a caution brought everyone to pit road for the GWC. On the restart Biffle lost out on a three-wide battle with Busch, Vickers and Larson in the backstretch on the final lap and had to settle for 6th. Still, that was Biffle’s best finish of the season and his first top 10 since the Daytona 500.
At Darlington: Biffle has had a great track record at Darlington. In 13 starts, Biffle has two wins, two top 5s and five top 10s with an average finish of 13.9 — that number is somewhat deceptive as he finished 43rd in the 2008 race. In that race, Biffle led 95 laps and ran in the top 5 until he lost an engine with 133 laps to go. Expect another solid performance by Biffle and crew this weekend.
19. Ryan Newman — -+/-0
While Newman wasn’t spectacular on Monday, he wasn’t a disaster either. After starting 8th, Newman struggled with the handle of his racecar and ran between 18th and 22th for most of the day, one lap down. He recovered his lap on the final caution and was able to salvage a 16th place finish, which was better than where he had been running most of the race. Newman and crew have been a bit off the pace in the last month. They need to pick it up.
At Darlington: To some people’s surprise, Newman has been pretty good at Darlington. In 12 starts, Newman has no wins, seven top 5s and 10 top 10s with an average finish of 12.3. He has also scored four top 10s in the last five races at the track. Maybe this is the place where Newman and crew get back on track.
20. Kurt Busch — -11
How quickly can momentum shift in this sport. After the comeback victory at Martinsville, Busch had a weekend to forget at Texas. It first started during the Friday practice as Busch cut a left rear tire and smacked the turn 3 wall with a few minutes left in the session. And after qualifying 11th for the race, Busch struggled with handling of his car from the get-go. He fell a lap down during the mid stages and then blew two left rear tires in the second half of the race and finished 39th. Ouch.
At Darlington: Busch has had moderate success at Darlington. In 17 starts, Busch has no wins, two top 5s and five top 10s with an average finish of 17.2. Let’s see if Busch and the No.41 team can bounce back from a terrible weekend in Texas.
Notable: Dropped Out — Kevin Harvick.
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