Wednesday, October 22nd 'What If' Question

The 2014 Sprint Cup Series season was hyped around how much more winning was going to mean.

With NASCAR having announced a new Chase format along with new eligibility to make the Chase, it was all about winning. Wins would get you into the Chase and wins would advance you in the Chase. The thought process was that gone were the days of “good points day” from drivers in their post race interviews and how they raced on the track.

The Eliminator Round begins this weekend in Martinsville with eight remaining drivers in contention for the championship. Six of those drivers have won races while Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth have moved through the Chase on their performance and points.

Newman has been winless since Indianapolis in the summer of 2013 but has compiled 14 top-10 finishes this season and has an average finish of 13.3. Kenseth meanwhile has been winless since New Hampshire of last fall, yet continues to scratch and claw with his Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kenseth’s average finish in 32 races is 13.6 while he’s earned 19 top-10 finishes. He’s the 2003 Sprint Cup Series champion and whom many blame for the inception of the Chase.

Should one of the eight drivers win a race during the Eliminator Round it automatically moves them to Homestead-Miami. The final four will then go for the Sprint Cup Series championship in a winner take all event.

But …

What if we crown a winless Sprint Cup champion, how would that affect the perception that this season & NASCAR is now about winning?

@the DrakeKC another excuse for haters of the current system to express their displeasure at it. Though, think it would be a fluke, and hope NASCAR wouldn’t make any changes in response to it. Doubt they would

@CBWFAN if they win by the rules they are the champ. It has been done before and will happen again at some point.

@Tuck_Nation81 It would prove that regardless of pints format consistency still wins every time

@nascar7badger10 Odds don’t favor crowning winless Sprint Cup Champion since winners of next 3 races advance to final 4.

@poptart_31 we r going to make it happen!!!! P3 and haven’t won a race yet. #notbecausewehaventtried!!!!

@48GOAT Would not affect my perception; I read they used Dale Jr.’s 2013 stats to find he’d have won under this system.

@20goleft I guess we will see when Matt carries that trophy home!

@mattntonyfan No different than a Wild Card team winning Super Bowl.

@JoJo_6040 In this win and your in situation, hopefully fans will appreciate what it took for that driver to get there.

@RaceGirlAmanda They’d be the champion, it shows that being consistent does too play a favor much to France’s displeasure

Monday, October 20th 'What If' Question

Brad Keselowski did what he needed to do on Sunday afternoon in Talladega, win to stay in.

Keselowski’s victory in the GEICO 500 advanced him into the next round of the Chase, which he would not have done without the checkered flag. While Keselowski drove a masterful race and had the will to win, he also had two other teammates doing all they could to help. Late on Sunday Joey Logano threw furious blocks while running second and youngster Ryan Blaney also stayed glued to the No. 2 bumper when coming through the field.

It didn’t surprise many that teamwork was in play. After all, Logano was already locked into the next round, and Blaney was there for experience. Roger Penske had no hesitation in admitting during the winner’s press conference that coming into the weekend there were team orders.

According to Penske, all the drivers were sat down and instructed that they were there to ensure that Keselowski won the race. Logano played his part with his big blocks at the end, though it relegated him to an 11th place finish.

“I think he obeyed orders pretty well,” Penske said.

Keselowski and Logano, who have both been considered the class of the field this season, move on in the Chase. Keselowski now leads the series with six wins on the season, Logano the second-best with five.

But …

What if you were Joey Logano behind Brad Keselowski on Sunday, do you push / block or try to win and kick a strong car / teammate out of the Chase?

@TheAngryBirdie Brad and Joey seem to have a good friendship, so no

@lilmom88 ha, he had his orders.

@jpuryear91 I’d try and keep all the strong cars out. Not sure why you’d want a strong competitor even if it is a teammate.

@handsanfeet That’s a tough one. I guess help if I don’t have a chance to win myself. Bottom line though, win!

@Joturn33 No question go for the win at Talladega, or anywhere for that matter. Who knows if you’ll ever have that opportunity again?

@CBWFAN silly question, of course not. Winning is one thing, pay check is another

@mschub0928 I think we got our answer already. Looked like gave Brad a push then tried blocking when one of the lines got a run on him

Wednesday, October 15th 'What If' Question

Back when tandem drafting was a thing, the Hendrick Motorsports foursome put on a show at Talladega Superspeedway.

It was May 2011, and the only way to draft was by picking a partner and sticking your nose on their back bumper. Jeff Gordon was the best car at the Aaron’s 499 with then teammate Mark Martin his tandem buddy. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were the other pair.

They came from 11^th and 12^th with two laps to go to see Johnson pushed to victory in a four-wide photo finish. Earnhardt Jr. ended up fourth. Johnson’s margin of victory was 0.002, the closest in NASCAR history.

The Lowe’s driver made no bones about it that it wasn’t possible without Earnhardt Jr., as the two never left each other throughout the day. Even feeling as though he needed to give Earnhardt Jr. the checkered flag before heading to Victory Lane. Taking it a step further, however, Johnson and Chad Knaus acknowledged they now owed their teammate one the next time around.

It never game to fruition at Talladega or Daytona, though many never forgot. And Johnson took heat in a subsequent July Daytona race for where he and Earnhardt Jr. ended up.

This weekend the series returns to Talladega with both Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. needing a victory to keep their 2014 Chase hopes alive. Tandem drafting no longer applies as restrictor plate racing has gone back to the traditional pack of screaming machines.

It leaves drivers more in control of making their own moves in the pack and not having to worry about the person tagging along.

But …

What if Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. work together again at Talladega, with both needing a win, would and should Johnson return that favor and push Earnhardt Jr.?

@JR88Elves All bets are off if they are in that position on Sunday..

@modifiedcrazy No chance! #88

@kartracer3886 I wish he would lol. But he would go for the win if he could get it. And he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t go for it

@playingjust14 I think someone should help @TonyStewart for the win!

@JoJo_6040 Nope. All favors are out the window for this chase

@AlecWiseman If one is pushing the other, 2nd has a good chance of moving on to the next round, and the CC will let them know

@LeftTrnLutheran I’d like to see a @DaleJr and @KyleLarsonRacin tandem, one’s looking for a win, and the other a championship

@ladyndewgreen88 Never happen…..JJ will never be second just ask Junior how many times he pushed JJ

@denver2u ..absolutely…JJ has enough championships for now…Time to share and help DaleJr to the next round…if need be!!