This time of year has arrived once again. A season that began on the final Sunday of February has come to a conclusion entering the holidays. Last year, so many changes came to NASCAR in the form of new rules, a new car, and new expectations. The following year, there were even more changes, and even higher expectations, plus a new way to determine the champion.
Extreme highs and extreme lows were among things that were discussed throughout the year, and it was a season that saw increases in viewership and attendance, despite at times it being expensive to arrive at the track itself.
With that in mind, here is a look at my “six-pack” of moments that summed up the 2014 season:
There probably will never be a pair of rookies that would see the kind of success and attention than the two that were the class of the field in both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series.
First, second-generation driver Chase Elliott stood the entire NASCAR community at attention when he landed a ride with JR Motorsports, complete with full sponsorship from NAPA Auto Parts. Initially, the focus was on that he was just the son of Bill Elliott, Hall of Fame inductee and former champion, so the pressure was already added. But then, he wins at Texas, showing up some of the best in the sport. A few weeks later, he storms through the field to win at Darlington, a track where his dad saw incredible success. Another win at Chicagoland turned this rookie into a title contender.
In doing that, it appeared the focus became when he would make a mistake, or if he would…and it never happened. This kid, yes…KID, since he is only 18 and just graduated high school, didn’t have a “rookie” moment, and would become the first ever first-year driver to win a NASCAR championship at one of the top levels. The sky is the limit now for this young man, and he will only get better with each passing year.
In the Cup Series, it was Kyle Larson that was making headlines each week, running strong and putting forth every effort he could to win a race. In doing so, he was earning respect with each race, each lap, and drivers were taking notice, congratulating him after strong runs and praising the efforts.
The only thing not accomplished for the Cup Rookie of the Year was winning a race, but that is only a matter of time before that comes to reality. The young man had a lot of eyes on him, and he would steal a lot of thunder in the Chase by scoring more points than any non-Chase driver, nearly stealing a few wins in the process. This young man is going somewhere, and is someone that will be watched for many seasons to come.
The biggest change entering the 2014 season was a revamped, complete overhaul, Chase format. It wasn’t even a format…it was a grid. Gone was the top-10 plus two “Wild Car” entries from the last two years, and enter in a new 16-driver grid, with four rounds to determine a champion.
How one made the Chase…win a race. It was not expected that 12 of the 16 spots be filled with winners, but after the regular season that was exactly what happened. Then, things got interesting. All drivers were reset to 2000 points, with three additional points for each win. The first round, the “Challenger Round” would see all 16 compete for entry into the next round. As a Chase driver, win and it’s an automatic pass.
When that round ended, the bottom four drivers were done. Points get reset to 3000, giving those 12 drivers an even start. Same rules applied to the next two rounds, except after the second, or “Contender Round,” the field is down to eight drivers, and points reset to 4000. After the third round, the “Eliminator Round,” the final four go into the final race of the year, all even at 5000 points, with the first Chase driver crossing the finish line becoming champion.
What did this do…increase pressure, and make big moments become bigger once the checkered flag waved. Brad Keselowski was at the center of two fights, one at Charlotte and another at Texas, where he was put in a headlock, ran into, and given a right cross.
The new format increased viewership, and the pressure to make it to the next round was loaded up more than a motorhome on a cross-country trip. When the season ended, a champion was crowned, but more on that later.
That headline does not sound as it reads. Stewart, or “Smoke” as he’s known, is very much alive. However, an incident on an August night changed his life, and one family’s life, forever.
In a sprint car race, ironically on the same weekend that a year earlier he would break his leg that sidelined him for the latter part of the season, Stewart would be involved in another incident, but with drastically different results. He would have a run-in with 16-year-old Kevin Ward Jr, who wound up in the outside wall. Ward then exited his car, and was on the track, apparently waiting for Stewart to go by and do some kind of motion towards him.
Stewart sees him, but very late, and suddenly the young man is hurled in the air and down the track from the right-rear tire of Stewart’s car. The injuries to Ward, sadly, would be enough to cause his death.
The incident brought about questions as to how and why it happened, as well as what’s next for Stewart. What did happen was Stewart elected to not race at Watkins Glen, and a phone call was made to Regan Smith to step into the No. 14. Stewart spent the next two weeks away from the track as well, as he made the call to stay away and not race. Jeff Burton stepped behind the wheel for those races. All the while, everyone wondered if Stewart would be charged in any aspect in the death, as thoughts of negligent homicide or manslaughter were brought up, and in some aspects expected from the family.
Stewart returned to the track in Atlanta, but wouldn’t talk about it, as the investigation was still ongoing, and he even wasn’t ready to speak of it. Weeks later, Stewart was cleared in regards to causing the death, as it was classified as an “on-track accident,” something that was no one’s fault.
But, Stewart’s life, not just career, is now forever altered. Every time he gets in a car, or goes to the track, he’s reminded of that night. He was the one that caused a young man to lose his life, something that no one can ever get over, or forget. Even now, questions of what is next for his career away from NASCAR are still lingering. Only Stewart has those answers, but that one incident changed his entire life forever, and put his career on hold.
February 18, 2001. That day is etched into the hearts of every fan that watches, attends, or reads about this sport. That was the last time the No. 3 was entered in a Sprint Cup race, then named Winston Cup.
That was the day Dale Earnhardt would pass away on the final lap of the Daytona 500. A week later, there was no black car. GM Goodwrench was still on the car, but the car was white, with a No. 29, and it was Kevin Harvick at the wheel.
Everyone wondered would that number return to the top level of NASCAR competition, and there were some that hoped it wouldn’t.
But, Richard Childress had his grandson, Austin, run the number in the Truck Series, then into Nationwide competition. His other grandson, Ty, did the same thing. But, the time had come for Austin to move up the ladder. All his life, that number was the one he was running, and when the time came to move up to the top level competition, that was the number he wanted. Childress, knowing he owned the No. 3 and knowing there may be some that wouldn’t approve, brought it back. It wasn’t a black car with a silver stripe, but would have different looks as the year progressed.
The first weekend out, the No. 3 and Austin captured the pole for the Daytona 500. He may have won Rookie of the Year, but that weekend, seeing that number at the front of the field in that race, it was a special moment.
The No. 3 will always be associated with Dale Earnhardt, but now, a new generation can cheer on one of the most famed numbers in the sport.
One thing that was certain this season was that there were a few wins in the year that were unexpected, but at the same time held a lot of meaning to the drivers that accomplished them.
In July, even though the weekend at Daytona was highlighted with a lot of rain and a shortened race, the driver in victory lane was one that had just signed a new deal to stay with his team for years to come. It was Aric Almirola in victory lane at Daytona, but it was the car he was in that made that win more special.
His win at Daytona came just over 20 years since Richard Petty won his 200th career race, and it was 15 years since the No. 43 would be in victory lane in Cup competition. That victory, even if it was due to weather, was the first of his career, and one always cherished because of where it came.
Then there’s A.J. Allmendinger, who just a few years ago was suddenly out of a ride after failing a random drug screening. It appeared that his entire career was over, and his life was on hold. But, he took the channels to get better, and people began to notice.
This season he was full-time at the wheel of the No. 47, and at Watkins Glen, he officially went from the ultimate low in his life to the ultimate success. That win was the first of his career, and more importantly the fans that witnessed it could feel the emotion of the accomplishment. Even car owner Brad Daugherty was overjoyed in the ESPN Pit Studio, and as tall as he is jumping up and down probably put a few dents in the roof of the mobile building.
These two wins were just a few that were remembered on the year, but were possibly the most rewarding for the drivers that accomplished them.
New Chase Yields New Champion
As was stated earlier, the new Chase format would take the initial 16-driver field down to just four. Those drivers had yellow numbers on the roof, yellow name panels on the windshield and a yellow splitter on the front end.
At the final race of the season, it was down to Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in a one-race dash to the title. The first Chase driver to the line would be the 2014 champion. It was a night that saw all four drivers run strong, with only one seeing trouble late in the going.
When it was all said and done, the way the title was won gave a reminder to the 2011 Chase, because the champion would win the race.
Kevin Harvick, in his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, would be the one to take the checkered flag, and capture his first Sprint Cup championship. He was the one that took over the ride that Newman held just a year earlier, and in an ironic twist it was Newman that would finish second in the race. It was predicted that in order to win this championship, one would have to win the race. That became a reality as Harvick would celebrate with his team, his owner, and his family long into the night.
Call him the “Closer,” or call him “Happy,” but now everyone can call him something else…champion.
Well, there you have it. Another season has passed and now the off-time has begun. With no testing between now and Daytona, the next three months will be long and difficult. But before you know it, it will be Speedweeks once again.
Until that time, the 2014 season for the Parks Pit Report is over. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.