Well let me start with the recap of Dover, Jimmie? Really? He broke a track record with his 8th win at Dover and really, I believe got he lucky with the dreaded "clean air" and was able to stay in front of 4 tires and second place finisher Dale Earnhardt Jr, whom I believe had the car to beat, I know what your going to say, "that's easy for you to say, your a big Jr fan." Yes that is very true, but I will defend myself with this comment, he actually could pass cars when he caught them no matter where he caught them on the track, and he had a driver rating of 126.3 and was consistently the fastest car on the track. I think what held up Dale after the last restart was trying to pass the car on the bottom of the track, and the fact that Jimmie ran every place Dale needed to go to get around him, on the bottom. Dale's car was the best on the track when he could run and pass on the bottom of the track.
Matt Kenseth had a hard time keeping up at Dover and ended up loosing all but 8 points on race winner and second place points holder Jimmie Johnson. Finishing up 7th at the end of the day. He had a hard time, if that's what you call a 7th place finish. I have picked Matt to win the championship this year because of just how well he has been running all season. Count them folks, 7 is his magic number "so far" and I am saying that because I know he has 1 or 2 more wins in him before the end of the season. As I have said before, and this weekend will probably prove what is fact so far this year, Matt rules the 1 1/2 mile tracks and this week we go to Kansas where he 1: won the last race here in April, did it from the pole, had the fastest qualifying speed of 191.864. He has raced there 15 times, won 2, 6 top 5's, 9 top 10's, 2 poles. Only snag at this track, Jimmie has slightly better stats here. But I really think Matt has something Jimmie doesn't this year, the drive to show Jack Rousch that he messed up by letting Carl be the lead driver at at a place where Matt should of been the lead driver once Mark left. Jimmie, he has nothing to prove.
On to Kansas, um what else can I say? I think Matt will sweep Kansas this year and I think he will do it easily. I wont predict he gets the pole again, but I do believe he knows that Jimmie did a little catching up and he needs to gain a few points back from what he lost last weekend and what better place to do it then the place he won at already this season. I think we will see another race where Kyle will have a good race and Dale Jr will continue his upswing in the points with another top 5 finish. The lower half of the chasers will be mixed as they have been with I think 2 exceptions, Dale Jr obviously and Carl Edwards will do ok but the rest will be mixed someplace between 15th to 25th.
On the sponsorship front, Brad K. and Roger Penske were happy to announce that MillerCoors signed on through the 2017 season with Brad and Penske, but its only for 26 races a year, so who gets put on the car for the other 12 races (36 with the all star race and the duels at the beginning of the season.)
The Points as of race #3 in the Chase:
1: Matt Kenseth(2149)
2: Jimmie Johnson(2141)
3: Kyle Busch(2137)
4: Jeff Gordon(2110)
5: Kevin Harvick(2110)
6: Greg Biffle(2108)
7: Ryan Newman(2101)
8: Clint Bowyer(2098)
9: Kurt Busch(2094)
10: Dale Earnhardt Jr(2092)
11: Carl Edwards (2084)
12: Joey Logano(2083)
13: Kasey Kahne(2071)
Until next time.......
