TOP TEN TEAMS 2018

 

TOP TEN TEAMS 2018

 

1. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #1)
2. TEAM PENSKE (LW #4)
3. FURNITURE ROW RACING (LW #2)
4. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #2)
5. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #5)
6. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (LW #6)
7. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #7)
8. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #8)
9. JTG RACING (LW #9)
10. ROUSH FENWAY RACING(LW #10)

 

It may come as a surprise that this year’s #1 ranked team does not have our 2018 Monster Energy Cup winner. Our #1 ranking goes Stewart Haas Racing who saw all four of their drivers visit Victory Lane this year. Four drivers that got 12 win’s for the team! They also took the highest number of drivers to the Playoffs with four.  Our #2 team is Team Penske who took all three of their drivers into the Playoffs with a combined seven wins including three from 2018 Champion Joey Logano. Last year’s #1 Team Furniture Row Racing is ranked #3. One driver, Martin Truex, with four wins is pretty stout but just not as strong as last year and it will be sad to see them fade away next year. In 2019 we’ll see Martin Truex move to this year’s #4 team, Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR started the Playoffs with three drivers and one, Kyle Busch made it all the way to the Fast Final Four. Nine wins and eight of them from Kyle is strong and with Martin Truex joining next year tells me they will be the team to challenge SHR next year. Our #5 team gathered three wins this year but they all came from just one of their four drivers. Hendrick Motorsports sent two drivers into the Playoffs, seven time Champion Jimmie Johnson and Chase Elliott. Jimmie was winless and was eliminated in the first round of the Playoffs and Chase Elliott got three wins and made it through three rounds. Hopefully off season changes will bring better results to the team with the most Championships of any team. At #6 we find Richard Childress Racing who sent one of their two drivers to the Playoffs. Playoff driver Austin Dillon was the first driver in the field to lock into a Playoff spot getting a win in the Daytona 500. In the #7 spot we find Chip Ganassi Racing who will gain Kurt Busch next year from Stewart Haas Racing. The #8 place is the same as last week, Wood Brothers Racing and driver Paul Menard. At the #9 spot we have another team that is losing a driver, JTG Racing. JTG will lose #47 A.J. Allmendinger. He’ll give up his ride to Ryan Preece. Lastly at #10 we find Roush Fenway Racing. This is a team that saw more than their share of changes this year. Trevor Bayne started the year as sole driver of the #6 car but ended up sharing it with former Roush driver Matt Kenseth. That sharing arrangement will end as Ryan Newman will move into that ride coming from Richard Childress Racing.

 

Look for our Pre Season Top Ten Teams Monday Jan, 7^th 2019.

TOP FIVE DRIVERS

FORD EcoBoost 400 from HOMESTEAD-MIAMI

 

My #5 pick is not in the battle for the championship, #9 Chase Elliott. He is #6 hottest over the last six weeks. He has just two starts here, he finished 5^th here last year. He might be out of the Championship but he is not out of the race.

My #4 driver to watch has terrible stats here, #22 Joey Logano. Joey has nine starts here with only two Top 5’s, but those Top 5’s were both 4th place finishes in 2015 and the 2016. Last year he finished 6^th. He is still in the Playoff hunt. He is #5 ranked for me on tracks like this and rolls in here 2^th hottest over the last six races.

The number #3 driver is the defending Monster Energy Cup Champion, #78 Martin Truex Jr. He is #7 hottest over the last six weeks. But more importantly he is #1 ranked at tracks like this. He has been killing it at all the 1-2 mile tracks all year long but he has been slightly better on the higher banked tracks. He has done well in many places he hasn’t done well before. Here he has 13 starts, a win here last year and just four Top 5 finishes (41%).

My #2 driver won here three years ago, #18 Kyle Busch. Kyle has 13 starts, that win and three Top 5’s (23%). Kyle is #3 hottest over the last six weeks. He is also #2 rated on tracks like this. He finished second here last year and sadly even though he is coming off a win in Phoenix I look for him to come is second this year.

My #1 driver to watch has the highest percentage of Top 5’s, #4 Kevin Harvick. Kevin has 15 starts at this track, a win four years ago and nine Top 5 finishes (60%). He is #1 in average finish and in his 15 starts 14 have been Top 10’s. His last four races were all Top 5’s. He is #3 rated on tracks like this. He is also #1 hottest over the last six weeks. He has won the most races this year and when he wins this one he will be a Champion…again.

Monday look for our year end Top ten teams.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

TOP 30 DRIVERS

FORD 400 HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

 

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. MARTIN TRUEX #78
4. JOEY LOGANO #22
5. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
6. KYLE LARSON #42
7. DENNY HAMLIN #11
8. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
9. KURT BUSCH #41
10. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
11. JAMIE MCMURRAY #1
12. ERIK JONES #20
13. AUSTIN DILLON #3
14. RYAN NEWMAN #31
15. MATT KENSETH #6
16. PAUL MENARD #21
17. RYAN BLANEY #12
18. CLINT BOWYER #14
19. A. J. ALLMENDINGER #47
20. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
21. WILLIAM BYRON #24
22. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
23. ALEX BOWMAN #88
24. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
25. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
26. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
27. REGAN SMITH #95
28. DAVID RAGAN #38
29. TY DILLON #13
30. DARRELL WALLACE #43

 

 

Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch in the Ford 400.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST PHOENIX

1. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #1)
2. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #4)
3. FURNITURE ROW RACING (LW #3)
4. TEAM PENSKE (LW #2)
5. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #5)
6. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (LW #6)
7. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #7)
8. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #8)
9. JTG RACING (LW #9)
10. ROUSH FENWAY RACING(LW #10)

 

 

Stewart Haas Racing is at #1 for the sixth straight week. Joe Gibbs Racing get the win from #18 Kyle Busch and move up two places from #4 to #2.  Their Toyota team mates at Furniture Row Racing remain at #3. Team Penske drop two places to #4. Hendrick Motorsports stay at #5 and remain in the Top 5. They are the highest ranked non playoff team. Richard Childress Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Wood Brothers Racing, JTG Racing and Roush Fenway Racing all stay in place this week.

 

Thursday look for our Top30 drivers at Miami-Homestead Speedway.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10 DRIVERS: DOWNFORCE TRACKS

1. MARTIN TRUEX #78
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. KEVIN HARVICK #4
4. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
5. JOEY LOGANO #22
6. KYLE LARSON #42
7. DENNY HAMLIN #11
8. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
9. RYAN BLANEY #12
10. KURT BUSCH #41

Top 10 on Downforce tracks, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers for Sunday’s FORD 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

RACE PREVIEW

MIAMI HOMESTEAD FORD ECOBOOST 400

HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY

November 18th, 3PM EST NBC TV

1 Mile 20 Degrees of Banking

It doesn’t seem that long ago that 40 drivers showed up at Daytona in February to get into the Daytona 500. Forty drivers started the race hoping not only to win the race but kick off the 2018 season in the best way possible. Austin Dillon won and left 39 drivers thinking we’ll try again next race. Twelve different drivers found Victory Lane from six different teams this season. Nine races ago sixteen drivers made it into the NASCAR Playoffs and a chance to win the Cup –  twelve drivers have been slowly eliminated leaving four to decide the 2018 Monster Energy Cup Champion. Now after thirty-five races, it all comes down to one race, all points have been thrown out. It is all about just this one race.  Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch, and Joey Logano.will all battle for the Championship. This track was reconfigured just before the 2003 season. Since that time five teams have found Victory Lane.  Roush Fenway Racing has the most victories since then, six. But none since 2010. Joe Gibbs Racing has four wins, with two coming from Denny Hamlin in 2009 and 2013 and one coming from Kyle Busch in 2015. Stewart Haas Racing has two wins, with one coming from Kevin Harvick in 2014. Hendrick Motorsports has two. Last year Martin Truex got a win for Furniture Row Racing and locked himself into the Championship. That leaves Joey Logano as the only Fast Four driver to have never won here. The highest finisher will win the Championship and a win will put you in. Who will snag the Championship?  We’ll know on Sunday.

Tuesday look for our Top 10 drivers on Downforce tracks going into Homestead-Miami.

Top Five Drivers

We apologize we could not put up the Top Five drivers for Phoenix due to fire activity in the Los Angeles area. We are sorry and hope to have all information up and on time for Homestead Miami.

TOP 30 DRIVERS

CAN AM 500:PHOENIX

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. CHASE ELLIOTT #9
4. KURT BUSCH #41
5. DENNY HAMLIN #11
6. ERIK JONES #20
7. JOEY LOGANO #22
8. MARTIN TRUEX #78
9. ARIC ALMIROLA #10
10. RYAN BLANEY #12
11. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
12. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
13. KYLE LARSON #42
14. RYAN NEWMAN #31
15. CLINT BOWYER #14
16. JAMIE MCMURRAY #1
17. WILLIAM BYRON #24
18. JIMMIE JOHNSON #48
19. ALEX BOWMAN #88
20. MATT KENSETH #6
21. AUSTIN DILLON #3
22. PAUL MENARD #21
23. A. J. ALLMEDINGER #47
24. TY DILLON #13
25. RICKY STENHOUSE #17
26. REGAN SMITH #95
27. DAVID RAGAN #38
28. CHRIS BUESCHER #37
29. MICHAEL MCDOWELL #34
30. MATT DIBENNEDETTO #32

 

Top 30 drivers, Friday we break down the Top 5 drivers to watch.

TOP TEN TEAMS

TOP 10 TEAMS POST TEXAS

1. STEWART HAAS RACING (LW #1)
2. TEAM PENSKE (LW #2)
3. FURNITURE ROW RACING (LW #3)
4. JOE GIBBS RACING (LW #4)
5. HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS (LW #5)
6. RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING (LW #6)
7. CHIP GANASSI RACING (LW #7)
8. WOOD BROTHERS RACING (LW #8)
9. JTG RACING (LW #9)
10. ROUSH FENWAY RACING(LW #OFF)

 

For the fifth straight week Stewart Haas Racing is #1 where they have been most of the year. Team Penske, Furniture Row Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports all stay in place in the Top 5. We see little change in the Top 10, not surprising with just two races to go.  Richard Childress Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, Wood Brothers Racing and JTG Racing all stay in place this week. Roush Fenway Racing returns to the Top 10 this week at #10.

These are the Top 10 Teams, Thursday look for our Top 30 drivers at Phoenix.

TOP TEN DRIVERS by TRACK TYPE

TOP 10: FLAT TRACKS

1. KEVIN HARVICK #4
2. KYLE BUSCH #18
3. DENNY HAMLIN #11
4. MATT KENSETH #6
5. BRAD KESELOWSKI #2
6. DANIEL SUAREZ #19
7. KURT BUSCH #41
8. KYLE LARSON #42
9. MARTIN TRUEX #78
10. CHASE ELLIOTT #9

 

Top 10 drivers on Flat tracks, Wednesday look for our Top 10 teams and Thursday look for our Top 30 rankings for Sunday’s Can-Am 500 from Phoenix Raceway.