Parks Pit Report: Consumers Energy 400

This season has been about domination by three different drivers.  One season ago, domination by one driver was regarded as an unreal ability to show how the points system works, and how to use it to one’s advantage.

One year later, the top three drivers have figured out a way to showcase how the points work.

Simply put, to have one’s self in the best position in the playoffs, earn the most playoff points.  And when it comes to that, no three have shown how it’s done better this year than Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr.  Combined, they have 102 playoff points, and each are in position to make a run towards Homestead.

Many have said all three will make it to that final race and fight it out for the title.  Me, I am expecting no more than two to be there.

When the final 10 races begin, and considering the resets that happen during that time frame, it is highly possible that one, or two, of these men will suddenly be looking from the outside when the season ends and the title is determined in 400 miles within 267 laps.  Now I’m not saying that to frighten anyone, but it definitely feels as though this could happen, because one is only as good as the three races in each round, and once those races end, the field resets once again.

That final event, the four remaining in the hunt go at it just like everyone does in the first race of the year.  Things are all even, with playoff points not mattering any longer.  The first driver in the Championship 4 to cross the finish line will be the champion, and since this format was instituted three years ago, every champion won that race.

At this rate, it’s almost guaranteed to happen a fourth.

Harvick now has seven wins on the season, and has stated he wants to shoot for being the first driver to reach double-digit wins since Jeff Gordon in 1998.  That year, Gordon won 13, tying the modern-era record in one season with Richard Petty (note-Petty won 26 races in a season, including 10 in a row, but that season included 48 races.  In 1972, the season was shortened to races of 300 miles or more, and is considered the modern-era of NASCAR).

We still have 13 races left…it could very well happen, from any of the big three.  All we can do is watch and wait.

STAGE 1:  Kevin Harvick

STAGE 2:  Kevin Harvick

RESULTS:  1-Harvick  2-Keselowski  3-Kyle Busch  4-Dillon  5-Blaney  6-Kurt Busch  7-Almirola  8-Hamlin  9-Elliott  10-Logano

NOTABLE FINISHES:  12-Bowyer  13-Jones  14-Truex Jr.  23-Wallace

CAUTIONS:  8 for 37 Laps.  Lap 10-13 (#20 Spin-T4); 17-19 (#24, 78 Incident-T2); 27-29 (Competition); 62-66 (Stage 1 Conclusion); 76-79 (#31 Spin-T2); 85-87 (#20 Spin-T2); 122-126 (Stage 2 Conclusion); 134-143 (#13 Incident-T3).

LEAD CHANGES:  15 among 9 drivers.  D. Hamlin 1-13; K. Harvick 14; Kyle Busch 15-26; K. Harvick 27; Kyle Busch 28-29; K. Harvick 30-63; J. Johnson 64-67; Kyle Busch
68-75; J. Johnson 76-84; M. Truex Jr. 85-109; K. Harvick 110-170; A. Dillon 171-175; J. Logano 176; R. Newman 177-188; J. McMurray 189; K. Harvick 190-200.

TIME OF RACE:  2 Hrs, 50 Mins, 51 Secs.

AVERAGE SPEED:  140.474 MPH

MARGIN OF VICTORY:  3.233 Seconds

POINTS-Top 10 (Earned/Behind Leader [Playoff Points]):  1. Kyle Busch, 986 [35]; 2. Harvick, -62 [40]; 3. Truex Jr, -144 [27]; 4. Kurt Busch, -236 [2]; 5. Bowyer, -254 [10]; 6. Logano, -263 [7]; 7. Keselowski, -277 [4]; 8. Blaney, -299 [4]; 9. Hamlin, -302 [2]; 10. Larson, -305.

PLAYOFF ELIGIBLE (Behind Leader [Playoff Points]):  11. Elliott, -339 [8]; 13. Jones, -390 [5]; 20. Dillon, -535 [5]