So guys and gals we are five races into this 2018 season. What do you guys think so far has been more shocking? The dominance of the Ford camp specifically Steward Haas, or maybe its the struggles of the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1? Either way I'm gonna discuss every major headline through the first part of this season for the Monster Energy Cup Series.
Daytona International Speedway:
Speed weeks started off and the big headlines where the recent comments by Kyle Bush about the youth movement in the sport, and that oh so beautiful new ZL1 the chevy camp was bringing to the track this year. The Clash started off as a free for all as usual, its kind of expected since these guys are just racing for a trophy and the check. The Ford camp dominated the finish with an almost total sweep of the top 5 with Keselowski winning after leading the most laps (43). The second most laps led (17) coming from the newly re born #9 car with Elliot driving. A late race caution took most of the Chevrolet camp out of the clash. They would rebound nicely.
Qualifying for the big race would see an oh to familiar site for most of the sport. A Chevrolet got the poll, but not just any Chevrolet a Hendricks car. Which has been the case for seven out of the last ten years. This year had one of the "youth movement" drivers that Hendricks has on board in Alex Bowman as your P1 starter. Veteran driver Denny Hamlin in his Joe Gibbs Toyota took P2 and your front row was set. Next up the duels to determine the lineup behind those two cars.
Duel one had the pole sitter Alex Bowman leading them to the green flag, but after taking the green he dropped to the back to preserve his pole sitting car for the big race. The sixty three lap race was dominated by the ford camp:mainly Roger Penske's fords. With sixty two of the laps being led by Logano and Blaney your eventual winner. Ryan Blaney led the most important lap of all the last one and would go onto start P3 in the 500 for his efforts. Only one other car led a lap in duel one and that was Justin Marks #51 Chevrolet. Ford decided that they were gonna show everyone they were still here and ready to compete as they did in the clash also.
Duel two was led to the green flag by Denny Hamlin and unlike Bowman, Hamlin wanted to win this and be competitive not just preserve his car, Hamlin lead eighteen of the 60 laps but finished ninth. The dominant car was once again one Chase Elliot and the Hendricks #9 leading thirty four laps. Chase and his crew decided to not set the car up for qualifying this year but instead go with race trim and it paid off for the duel. Chase would be rewarded with P4 starting position for the 500, and now the lineup was set.
The Daytona 500, one of if not the most historic races in history of the sport. Winners of this race include the likes of Petty, Pearson, and Earnhardt. If you win this race you go down in history as a Daytona champion. The front four for this years rolled to the green flag with hopes of becoming the next name engraved onto the historic trophy. Little did they and everyone else know that out of forty cars only ten would finish on the lead lap. A string of wrecks took out contenders such as Johnson, Keselowski, Elliot and many more. Which if your familiar with the sport you know Daytona can take a no body and make them a somebody its always a toss up with the draft and the speeds it takes to race here. The fords would go on to dominate leading a combine 147 of the 207 laps. With Ryan Blaney leading the way with 118. All other manufactures lead a total of sixty laps. With the most important lap the last one being led by arguably the most iconic number in Nascar history the #3 car driven by Austin Dillon. On the last lap in a very Earnhardt Sr. like move put on Almirola, Dillon took the lead and went onto win the race in a very symbolic fashion. With it being the 20th anniversary of Earnhardts first 500 win it was only fitting that the car and number made famous by him be back in victory lane. So, lets wrap up arguably the biggest race of the season. Daytona. Chevrolet struggled to adapt in the draft with the new car, Ford dominated most laps led and two outta four races won. Daytona left fans and team with more questions than answers.
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Folds of Honor Quiktrip 300, with Toyota looking to come into AMS and make a statement they did just that early on with Kyle Bush winning the pole. Unfortunately for them and Chevrolet it didn't last long with Ford coming on strong and dominating all of the race. Ford came on early and didn't let up at all leading 272 of 325 laps. The most astounding stat of all is that Stewart Hass teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Bush led 233 of those. With Mr. AMS himself Harvick absolutely dominating the race and said himself after the win "Its great getting into this race car and knowing that everybody knew they needed to beat our car." The Chevrolet camps were not so fortunate. With only one car the 31 leading 17 laps and only two cars finishing in the top ten. The only positive to that is they still led more laps than the Toyota camp at nine. The negatives are with only two cars in the top ten all of the chevrolet camp finished in the bottom half of the race either due to wrecks or struggles adapting. As all the the good winners and losers say onto the next one.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Penzoil 400, the first race of the west coast swing, and the beginning of a dominant performance thus far. The weekend once again started off almost right where the previous race left off with the blue ovals dominating qualifying and claiming three of the top five spots. With one of those being the west coast king himself "Happy Harvick." The number four Stewart Haas, Fusion took P2, and wouldn't stay there for long. Harvick went onto dominate leading 214 of 267 laps. In 592 total laps Harvick led a whopping 395 of those laps. Harvick was quoted saying after the race "Im fortunate to be riding the wave." Ford has come out with a vengeance this year to prove that no madder how dominant Toyota was last year with Truex, and no madder how the new ZL1 is they are still here and relevant. Chevrolet still struggled with just one car in the top ten and not a single lap led, fans are left wondering if maybe the manufacturers should've left a good thing alone. Teams are left with the thought of "whats next?" Toyota still hasn't really shown any competition for the Ford camp, Kyle Bush inched closer near the end of the race but never could put any pressure on Harvick and once again Harvick won his second race of the season, but wouldn't get to celebrate long. Shortly after the race all over multiple social media site where pictures of Harvicks car. The pictures showed the back glass and part of the car colapsed in the top right corner. Nascar didnt have any comment on the pictures and stuck with standard protocol and took the race winning car back for mandatory inspections. Less than five short days later penalties where given out to the four car team for two infractions. One penalty for a rear window brace broke, which is the reason for the pictures and while looking into that issue they found that the car had rocker panel extensions. Harvick will not have any points from the Vegas race. Crew Chief Childers fined $50,000 and car chief Robert Smith suspended for two races. Harvick was very open about his displeasure in how social media got involved in the process. Nascar's first headlining penalties have been issues whats to come next?
ISM Raceway
Ticket Guardian 500, finally the Chevrolet and Toyota camp made an appearance. Last years series champ Martix Truex Jr. and FRR started off the weekend with grabbing the pole from the dominant Fords. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliot and Alex Bowman grabbed 3 or the remaining four positions in the top five in qualifying. Maybe the new car was coming around for the chevrolet guys or so they thought. Toyota decided it was there turn to dominate this week leading 164 of the 312 lap race. Kyle Bush leading most of those laps with Hamlin and Truex the pole sitter contributing to the talley. Chevrolet wasn't far behind with 92 laps led, and Kyle Larson slipping and sliding his way to the majority of those. Even with the dominance finally showing up for the opposing camps. Happy Harvick came back with a vengeance to show his season to this point wasn't due to an unfair advantage just pure dominance and driving ability. Harvick went onto lead 38 laps and one of those the most important the final one. Harvick got out after his victory celebration, and patted the back glass of the car to show everyone with or without the broken window brace he was taking what he wanted at a track where that is oh to familiar. Harvick has nine total victories at ISM raceway after the one this season and won back to back to back races for the first time in his career. The veteran is showing the youth movement a thing or two and is hoping to go on to Auto Club and win one more an just assert his dominance.
Auto Club Speedway
Auto Club 400, once again Toyota and Chevrolet showed up for qualifying but not even the whole field showed up. Due to pre qualifying inspection a whopping thirteen cars were not allowed to qualify. With a good bit of the contenders not able to qualify it looked like Kevin Harvick was gonna run away with this pole award just like the last three races. Harvick got tripped up and allowed Martin Truex to grab his second pole award of the season in the final round. Leading the way for Toyota to claim three of the top five starting positions, and chevrolet claiming the other two with Kyle Larson leading the way. Once again the strong showing in qualifying but could they continue it into the race. Harvick showed strong times in practice and had everyone shaking again that the 4 car would be in victory lane. An early lap wreck caused Harvick to sustain significant damage and took him outta contention early. Kyle Larson the other car involved even said after the race he thought Harvick had a fast car. With the dominating man out Kyle Bush and Martin Truex battled all evening for control and with 39 laps remaining Kyle wiggled on the back stretch allowing Truex to take control and win his first of the season and sixteenth career victory. Kyle Bush's pit crew made a crucial mistake in taking wedge out of the car on the final pit stop and with Bush fighting a loose race car all day that only made it worse. None the less Toyota finally showed they were back in the game whether or not it was due to some good fortune or not they showed up and won. After the race, Kyle Bush received a lot of slack from fans for not interviewing with the fox crew. Kyle was quoted on twitter saying "Nascar parked me at the end of pit road due to loose lugs I then walked pit road the distance back to the turn into the garage and only MRN asked. TV was elsewhere. They had a shot skipped it" then proceeded to say that "There was even a NASCAR person who walked w my PR person and myself and we asked if we needed to go to media and we were told "all clear." The fans love to hate "Rowdy" no madder how good or bad he is toward the fans. The west coast swing has come to an end and drivers and teams are headed back to the east coast for some short track racing at "the paperclip" Martinsville Motor Speedway.
Conclusion
With Dayton and the west coast swing outta the way ford has showed to be dominant with Stewart Haas cars leading the way. Chevrolet is struggling to get a feel for the new car, Toyota has decided to get rolling at the right time. Well ladies and gents this post has took me a good bit to write feel free to let me know your opinion. Also STAY TUNED there is more to come now that I have got my computer back up and functioning.
No comments:
Post a Comment