(Originally posted on WordPress in September 2017)
This week's edition of the Monster Energy Nascar Cup Series Playoffs is brought to you by the letter "R" for "rebound."
Just when it appeared that points leader Martin Truex Jr.'s position in the championship standings may have been in jeopardy following a multi-car crash on the final lap of stage two, his day and standing atop the points would ultimately be saved by a fifth place finish that could be described as nothing less than phenomenal. And while his day would ultimately end four positions shy of capturing the checkered flag, his incredible comeback from potential disaster would be enough to put his closest competitors on notice that he and his team would "not" be counted out of the picture.
Equally impressive in terms of rebound this past week was race winner Kyle Busch. Coming off a disappointing 15th place finish in the post-season opener at Chicagoland and needing to make up some ground in his quest for a second Cup Series title, the Rowdy One would demonstrate incredible finesse in avoiding the stage two melee that ended the hopes of several fellow contenders, en route to winning said stage and ultimately, the race itself, when all was said and done.
While race winners Truex and Busch have now secured their advancement into the second playoff round, two other drivers can now breathe easy as their transfers are guaranteed based on their accumulated stage points: Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski. Eight spots now remain to be filled at the completion of this weekend's Apache Warrior 400 at Dover International Speedway, spelling the elimination of four hopefuls when the checkered flag falls on the final lap. Bearing the pressure of elimination in mind, the contenders now standing in greatest need of the ultimate rebound are Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Austin Dillon (tied with 2044 points), Ryan Newman (sitting in 14th with 2043 points), Kurt Busch (13th with 2027 points) and Kasey Kahne (16th with 2023 points). Bottom line, it's a "win or go home" scenario--the ultimate "rebound." A quick look at the finishing stats for each of the four drivers in question would give the best chance, albeit a most unlikely possibility, to Kahne whose average Dover finish of 8.6 over a total of five races since 2015 is the highest among the bottom four (source: DriverAverages.com).
FINAL THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
As the first round of eliminations is looming on the horizon and the field of 16 contenders will soon narrow to 12, the championship picture for 2017 is slowly coming into focus. What if any surprises will be in store for the remaining competitors in the picture? Will a longshot driver sneak through with a desperately needed win and advance to Round Two, mathematically ending the chances for a more likely favorite? Or will Sunday's scenario remain consistent with all that has transpired during the season to date? Will we see more aggressive driving by those who know the outcome could be their last shot at advancement? Will the four drivers currently locked into the picture opt to race more conservatively, knowing that they are securely positioned to continue into the next three-race phase? What about the mid-level competitors? And what should we expect to see from those drivers going for a first shot at the glory versus those with several years of playoff experience? What effect will the sheer determination of seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson to shoot for an unprecedented eighth title have upon the post-season outcome when all is said and done? Will a victory from a non-contender sneak in and shake things up? Or will we see a long-anticipated first time win from a contender of the caliber of Chase Elliott, thus propelling him into the next round of competition?
Legitimate questions. Numerous possibilities. Sunday at Dover will mark the first step in search of the answers.
Stay tuned. Things are about to get real.
–Lisa Ballantyne, Totally Nascar Talk
All views herein are my own. Readers’ comments are always welcome.
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