There are just three races left in the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season including this weekend’s race at Texas Motor Speedway. Which drivers have a good shot at two-stepping to a win in the AAA Texas 500?
The Texas Motor Speedway is a 1.5-mile track that has plenty of room to pass where drivers can run pretty much wide-open all the way around the track. That allows for high-speed racing and if a driver makes a mistake, high-speed wrecking. The cars will need to have that near perfect balance between speed and handling.
The pit crews will also need to be on top of their game to get the cars in and out of the pits mistake free to give their drivers the best chance at racing for the win at the end. Crew chiefs will need to make the right decision on the adjustments throughout the race to help the drivers go as fast as possible without losing control of the cars.
Kyle Busch won last weekend at Martinsville securing his spot among the final four in the championship race where the top finishing driver in that race wins the 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Championship. The other seven drivers in this Round of Eight don’t have that security.
Martin Truex Jr. is looking solid for making that final race with a chance to race for the championship. However, a disastrous race this week and he could be looking at a must win situation in the final race next week to advance. While Chase Elliott is not in a must win situation at this time, it might feel like it to him after the way last week’s race ended for him thanks to Denny Hamlin. Below is a look at the Chase Grid heading to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.
Which active drivers have performed the best during their NASCAR Cup Series careers? Here’s a look at that.
Top 10 Active Drivers at Texas
- Jimmie Johnson – 107.3
- Matt Kenseth – 103.6
- Kyle Busch – 101.5
- Chase Elliott – 98.3
- Martin Truex Jr. – 94.1
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 93.6
- Kevin Harvick – 91.4
- Denny Hamlin – 88.8
- Brad Keselowski – 88.1
- Kurt Busch – 87.8
Driver names in red are current championship contenders.
NOTE: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2017 races (25 total) among active drivers at Texas Motor Speedway.
Again this week we Jimmie Johnson sits at the top of the driver ratings. And again he is the driver with the most wins at the track. Jimmie has been to Victory Lane at Texas seven times during his career including the April race earlier this season. The seven-time champion is just below the cutoff line heading to this week’s race. While he doesn’t HAVE to win to advance in the playoffs, getting his eighth Texas win would lock him in for a chance at his eighth championship.
Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch are still both championship contenders who have a pair of wins each at Texas Motor Speedway. As mentioned earlier Kyle has already locked his spot in the final race with a shot at the championship. Denny tried to be the driver with that advantage last week, but failed in the attempt as he caused the race leader Chase Elliott to spin out in the process giving Kyle the opportunity to win the race. Denny could use another Texas win to secure his chance at the championship in a couple of weeks.
Matt Kenseth was eliminated from championship contention. He has two wins at Texas as well. Playing the role of spoiler to the remaining contenders by winning the race would likely suit Matt just fine I would imagine.
The only other active drivers that have won at Texas Motor Speedway during their career are not in contention to win the championship this year. Those five drivers each have a single win at the track and include eliminated Chase Grid drivers Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch. Like Matt Kenseth, these drivers would like to make a statement by playing the role of spoiler to those drivers still racing for the championship.
Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both have a single win at the track as well, although neither made the Chase Grid this season. Either one of these drivers would also love to play the role of spoiler by winning again at Texas.
I also have to point out a win by Dale Jr. would be somewhat “storybook.” Texas Motor Speedway is where Dale Jr. got his fist NASCAR Cup Series win back in 2000. This is his last season as a full-time driver. While Dale Jr. could win one of the last two races of the season, should he win in his last race at Texas Motor Speedway it could set up a scenario where Dale Jr.’s first NASCAR Cup Series win and last win of his career in the series were both at the same track.
What story will be told? Will there be a driver that secures his spot in the final four or will there be a spoiler? The answer will begin to be revealed when the green flag waives at Texas Motor Speedway Sunday, November 5th at 1:00 Pm central time (2:00 PM eastern time) in the AAA Texas 500.
Just a reminder, Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend, so make sure to “Fall Back” by setting your clocks back one hour before bed Saturday night (11/4) or you will be looking for the race an hour before it actually starts Sunday.
By: Buck Stevens
