Power Ranking After: Michigan , Power Rankings, Page 1 nbcsportsedge.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbcsportsedge.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
by Dan Beaver Updated On: July 19, 2021, 7:53 pm ET
As NASCAR pauses so that America can watch the Olympics, the drivers have a great opportunity to catch their collective breath and prepare for the last four races of the regular season.
Last week’s win by the longshot Aric Almirola keeps the field in a state where more than 16 winners might occur in the regular season. At this moment there are three slots remaining to be filled and four races to be run on the road courses of Watkins Glen International and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, plus Michigan International Speedway and the ultimate wild card, aero-restricted superspeedway of Daytona International Speedway.
by Dan Beaver Updated On: July 12, 2021, 5:11 pm ET
Much has changed in the past few weeks. While Hendrick Motorsports drivers continue to rack up wins, their dominance is being tested. Kyle Busch won at Pocono Raceway and Kurt Busch took the checkers last week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, the blush is off the rose for Kyle Larson at the moment. It’s not just that he finished outside the top 15 for the second race in a row, but he did not show much strength at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In fact, all of Hendrick Motorsports seemed to be much less forceful.
by Dan Beaver Updated On: July 5, 2021, 9:54 pm ET
Three road course races in five weekends changed the complexion of the season, not only for the Hendrick Motorsports drivers who swept them and gathered momentum, but also because it causes the rest of the field to shift their focus and find a different balance than they’ve had any season previous to 2021.
For any moderately capable driver and team, road courses allow them to control their fate to a degree we are not currently seeing on unrestricted, intermediate speedways and certainly not plate tracks. That is even truer for the dark horse teams that found their way into the top 10 at Road America. Kurt Busch, Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Briscoe, and Ross Chastain needed those runs to gain momentum for the final run to the playoffs. It could be the difference between being in the top 16 or outside that mark when the final 10 races roll around.
Power Ranking After: Pocono , Power Rankings, Page 1 nbcsportsedge.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbcsportsedge.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.