Welcome to Timerssports
We are in the Windy City this weekend for the first race of the chase! On Friday, there was one practice session and qualifying session. However qualifying was rained out, therefore the starting lineup was based on practice results! On Saturday there were two more practice sessions held in the afternoon. Personally I fully expect the chase drivers to rise to the top before the checkers wave. Even though some of them starting deeper in the field, I still think they will find their way to the front.
***My overall rankings aren't just based on where I think a driver will finish. It's also based on combination of things such as track history, momentum, qualifying and practice results, personal thoughts,etc.
A:
1. Kevin Harvick - Harvick once again is my number 1 driver overall. There several reasons for this, personally I find it very hard to bet against the pole sitter! He was very fast in practice session and should be consider a lock for a top 5 finish on Sunday. He looked strong on the long run which could set him apart from rest of the pack. His consistency is another thing I love about him. From time to time, he have a bad finish. However he usually follows it up with a strong finish the follow race. I feel like Harvick will come out swinging on Sunday after a ''poor'' 16th-place run at Richmond! I have him across the line in 1st in my overall rankings.
My Overall Ranking: 1st
2. Joey Logano - I was very close to putting Logano over Harvick, but his track record costed him a spot in my rankings though. Over the past 14 races, Logano have put together 10 Top 5 finishes and could make that 11 in his past 15 starts this season. Logano is more consistent this season than he was last season, despite less wins. It helps that Logano will be rolling off from 2nd. I don't know if Logano have enough speed to straight up beat Harvick, but he definitely have top 5 potential headed into Sunday's race. I think he will likely finish somewhere in the top 3. Remember teammate Brad Keselowski won this race last season, so don't be shocked to see Penske back in victory lane once again!
My Overall Ranking: 2nd
3. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski will roll off from 3rd on Sunday. He was one of the heavy favorites headed into the race weekend and will reamain so as well. He looked fast in practice session and should probably contend for another top 5 finish. He haven't been as consistent as teammate Logano, but he still been pretty good though. I really like Brad this weekend, but he is robin to Logano's batman at the moment in my opinion. I Keselowski will finish somewhere between 3rd and 8th most likely. That been the range he have finish in most of the season, so I wouldn't be shocked if he finished there again.
My Overall Ranking: 3rd
4. Matt Kenseth - Kenseth get the 4th spot due to his strong track record, but I didn't think any of the JGR cars stood out like in weeks past. Of course I said that last week and Kenseth led 352 laps, so you can see why practice sometimes doesn't mean a lot. To be honest, Nobody really set themselves apart in practice. I like Kenseth a lot overall, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him win on Sunday. However I don't think he will. He been hit or miss pretty much since his win at Pocono. More often than not, he been a hit. So I fully expect him to be strong once again. Unfortunately history is against him though. Kenseth have won 4 times this season. In 3 of those 4 races, he either started 1st or 2nd. Only race he didn't start 1st or 2nd was Pocono, as he won that on fuel mileage. He still a top 5 play after taking everything into consideration!
My Overall Ranking: 4th
5. Jimmie Johnson: My sleeper in this tier is Jimmie Johnson. The 48 car looked real good and the garage was on notice I am sure of that! This is a very good track for Johnson and he was pretty happy with his car on Saturday. He said his car is really fast. I tracked Johnson's lap times and I thought they were strong. I wouldn't be shocked to see him back in victory lane. However this isn't the first time that the HMS cars have showed speed over the past few weeks. My question is: Can they back it up in the race? I don't know, but I think it worth the gamble though.
My Overall Ranking: 5th
My Overall Ranking: Kyle Busch (7th), Dale Jr (9th), Denny Hamlin (10th), Gordon (11th), and Newman (13th)
B:
1. Kurt Busch - Busch been solid this season on this type track and I expect him to be exactly that on Sunday. He will roll off from 10th and should be able to move forward. He been pretty good all weekend long and should be able to run in the top 10 most of Sunday's race. Busch have a decent record at Chicagoland too. He have never won, but he have 8 Top 10 finishes in 14 starts. However he only have one top 5 finish, even though that was in 2013 with the 78 car. There a lot to like about Busch, so I would consider taking a shot with him. Personally I think he will finish somewhere between 6th-9th when the checkers wave.
My Overall Ranking: 6th
2. Martin Truex Jr - Truex Jr have been inconsistent most of the summer, but now they have a chance to start over and prove that a single-car team can contend for a championship! Two season ago, Kurt Busch finished 4th in this race. That was no fluke, as the 78 car came back and finished 14th last season. I feel like this team is much improved after one year. He looked real solid all weekend, however his inconsistency is what scares me. For me, Truex needs to go out there and finish out a race and make a statement. Realistically I think he will finish somewhere in the top 10! I wouldn't rule out a top 5 run, but I wouldn't bank on it though.
My Overall Ranking: 8th
3. Carl Edwards - Edwards will start from 14th on Sunday and should contend for a top 10 finish, but I think he may fade late in race though. That seems to be the common trend this season with Edwards as he showed us last week at Richmond. I think Edwards should be a top 15 option with potential top 10 upside. I don't hate Edwards, but I do think there better tracks to use him at though. Personally I am not sure what to expect from Edwards on Sunday. He never have a normal race. He typically have a up and down race, just depends how the race plays out for him.
My Overall Ranking: 12th
4. Kyle Larson - Larson starting from 19th on Sunday, but should be able to move forward though. I like Larson more than I should this week, but one of the reason I like him is because he is doing triple duty at Chicagoland. The more time Larson have on a track, I think the better he get at that track. He finished 3rd here last season for those wondering. I don't think he will repeat that performance, however I do believe he will finish inside the top 15 once again though. More than likely top 10 I would say. He showed long run speed in both practices and shouldn't have many problems driving through the field. Over 5 of the past 6 races, Larson have finished 13th or better. Only race he didn't finish well was Bristol (wreck). He showing the consistency that I been looking for out of him all season.
My Overall Ranking: 14th
5. JMac - JMac have been consistent all season, but he will need to step up that consistency to be able to contend for a championship. I wonder how much CGR willing to push it to get Jamie past the first elimination round? We saw last season how far RPM went at Chicagoland for Almiorla (he blew a engine). I wonder if Chip will push the issue, too. I don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised either. I think JMac will be nothing more than a top 15 finisher when it all said and done. I considered ranking JMac over teammate Larson, but I don't think he have as much upside though. However he should be the safer option .
My Overall Ranking: 15th
Other Options - Menard (16th), Bowyer (17th), Kahne (18th), Dillon (19th) and Almirola (20th)
C:
1. David Ragan - Ragan starting from 29th, but should be considered the best driver in this grouping tier. I am not sure how much that is worth though. Especially since there aren't many good drivers in this tier. Ragan should be considered a top 25 option with possible potential to finish inside the top 20. However I don't think he will. He have struggled to finish well this season on this type track, so I don't know if he is a good play here. Personally I would try to avoid using him if possible. However if you do, I think you can expect a finish around 22nd or so.
My Overall Ranking: 23rd
2. Danica Patrick - I don't have a lot to say about Dancia to be honest. She is stating from 28th and should be able to improve by a few positions. Overall I don't think she will do much of anything. A top 25 finish would be a pretty good day for Danica. If the 10 team can fix her up mid-race (like last week), then I could see her finishing closer to the top 20. However I wouldn't be banking on that though.
My Overall Ranking: 25th
3. Justin Allagier - Allgaier strongest type track this season have been on the shorter track, but tracks such as Chicagoland not exactly his strong suit this season. He been inconsistent this season at best. There been 6 races on tracks with a 1.5 mile lay out (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Kansas and Kentucky), however he only have two finishes better than 30th. One was at Atalana (20th) and the other was at Kentuicky (24th). So not exactly encouraging, but I guess there worse choices out there, right? He finished 27th in two career starts at this track.
My Overall Ranking: 27th
Twitter - @JeffNathans
We are in the Windy City this weekend for the first race of the chase! On Friday, there was one practice session and qualifying session. However qualifying was rained out, therefore the starting lineup was based on practice results! On Saturday there were two more practice sessions held in the afternoon. Personally I fully expect the chase drivers to rise to the top before the checkers wave. Even though some of them starting deeper in the field, I still think they will find their way to the front.
***My overall rankings aren't just based on where I think a driver will finish. It's also based on combination of things such as track history, momentum, qualifying and practice results, personal thoughts,etc.
A:
1. Kevin Harvick - Harvick once again is my number 1 driver overall. There several reasons for this, personally I find it very hard to bet against the pole sitter! He was very fast in practice session and should be consider a lock for a top 5 finish on Sunday. He looked strong on the long run which could set him apart from rest of the pack. His consistency is another thing I love about him. From time to time, he have a bad finish. However he usually follows it up with a strong finish the follow race. I feel like Harvick will come out swinging on Sunday after a ''poor'' 16th-place run at Richmond! I have him across the line in 1st in my overall rankings.
My Overall Ranking: 1st
2. Joey Logano - I was very close to putting Logano over Harvick, but his track record costed him a spot in my rankings though. Over the past 14 races, Logano have put together 10 Top 5 finishes and could make that 11 in his past 15 starts this season. Logano is more consistent this season than he was last season, despite less wins. It helps that Logano will be rolling off from 2nd. I don't know if Logano have enough speed to straight up beat Harvick, but he definitely have top 5 potential headed into Sunday's race. I think he will likely finish somewhere in the top 3. Remember teammate Brad Keselowski won this race last season, so don't be shocked to see Penske back in victory lane once again!
My Overall Ranking: 2nd
3. Brad Keselowski - Keselowski will roll off from 3rd on Sunday. He was one of the heavy favorites headed into the race weekend and will reamain so as well. He looked fast in practice session and should probably contend for another top 5 finish. He haven't been as consistent as teammate Logano, but he still been pretty good though. I really like Brad this weekend, but he is robin to Logano's batman at the moment in my opinion. I Keselowski will finish somewhere between 3rd and 8th most likely. That been the range he have finish in most of the season, so I wouldn't be shocked if he finished there again.
My Overall Ranking: 3rd
4. Matt Kenseth - Kenseth get the 4th spot due to his strong track record, but I didn't think any of the JGR cars stood out like in weeks past. Of course I said that last week and Kenseth led 352 laps, so you can see why practice sometimes doesn't mean a lot. To be honest, Nobody really set themselves apart in practice. I like Kenseth a lot overall, so I wouldn't be shocked to see him win on Sunday. However I don't think he will. He been hit or miss pretty much since his win at Pocono. More often than not, he been a hit. So I fully expect him to be strong once again. Unfortunately history is against him though. Kenseth have won 4 times this season. In 3 of those 4 races, he either started 1st or 2nd. Only race he didn't start 1st or 2nd was Pocono, as he won that on fuel mileage. He still a top 5 play after taking everything into consideration!
My Overall Ranking: 4th
5. Jimmie Johnson: My sleeper in this tier is Jimmie Johnson. The 48 car looked real good and the garage was on notice I am sure of that! This is a very good track for Johnson and he was pretty happy with his car on Saturday. He said his car is really fast. I tracked Johnson's lap times and I thought they were strong. I wouldn't be shocked to see him back in victory lane. However this isn't the first time that the HMS cars have showed speed over the past few weeks. My question is: Can they back it up in the race? I don't know, but I think it worth the gamble though.
My Overall Ranking: 5th
My Overall Ranking: Kyle Busch (7th), Dale Jr (9th), Denny Hamlin (10th), Gordon (11th), and Newman (13th)
B:
1. Kurt Busch - Busch been solid this season on this type track and I expect him to be exactly that on Sunday. He will roll off from 10th and should be able to move forward. He been pretty good all weekend long and should be able to run in the top 10 most of Sunday's race. Busch have a decent record at Chicagoland too. He have never won, but he have 8 Top 10 finishes in 14 starts. However he only have one top 5 finish, even though that was in 2013 with the 78 car. There a lot to like about Busch, so I would consider taking a shot with him. Personally I think he will finish somewhere between 6th-9th when the checkers wave.
My Overall Ranking: 6th
2. Martin Truex Jr - Truex Jr have been inconsistent most of the summer, but now they have a chance to start over and prove that a single-car team can contend for a championship! Two season ago, Kurt Busch finished 4th in this race. That was no fluke, as the 78 car came back and finished 14th last season. I feel like this team is much improved after one year. He looked real solid all weekend, however his inconsistency is what scares me. For me, Truex needs to go out there and finish out a race and make a statement. Realistically I think he will finish somewhere in the top 10! I wouldn't rule out a top 5 run, but I wouldn't bank on it though.
My Overall Ranking: 8th
3. Carl Edwards - Edwards will start from 14th on Sunday and should contend for a top 10 finish, but I think he may fade late in race though. That seems to be the common trend this season with Edwards as he showed us last week at Richmond. I think Edwards should be a top 15 option with potential top 10 upside. I don't hate Edwards, but I do think there better tracks to use him at though. Personally I am not sure what to expect from Edwards on Sunday. He never have a normal race. He typically have a up and down race, just depends how the race plays out for him.
My Overall Ranking: 12th
4. Kyle Larson - Larson starting from 19th on Sunday, but should be able to move forward though. I like Larson more than I should this week, but one of the reason I like him is because he is doing triple duty at Chicagoland. The more time Larson have on a track, I think the better he get at that track. He finished 3rd here last season for those wondering. I don't think he will repeat that performance, however I do believe he will finish inside the top 15 once again though. More than likely top 10 I would say. He showed long run speed in both practices and shouldn't have many problems driving through the field. Over 5 of the past 6 races, Larson have finished 13th or better. Only race he didn't finish well was Bristol (wreck). He showing the consistency that I been looking for out of him all season.
My Overall Ranking: 14th
5. JMac - JMac have been consistent all season, but he will need to step up that consistency to be able to contend for a championship. I wonder how much CGR willing to push it to get Jamie past the first elimination round? We saw last season how far RPM went at Chicagoland for Almiorla (he blew a engine). I wonder if Chip will push the issue, too. I don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised either. I think JMac will be nothing more than a top 15 finisher when it all said and done. I considered ranking JMac over teammate Larson, but I don't think he have as much upside though. However he should be the safer option .
My Overall Ranking: 15th
Other Options - Menard (16th), Bowyer (17th), Kahne (18th), Dillon (19th) and Almirola (20th)
C:
1. David Ragan - Ragan starting from 29th, but should be considered the best driver in this grouping tier. I am not sure how much that is worth though. Especially since there aren't many good drivers in this tier. Ragan should be considered a top 25 option with possible potential to finish inside the top 20. However I don't think he will. He have struggled to finish well this season on this type track, so I don't know if he is a good play here. Personally I would try to avoid using him if possible. However if you do, I think you can expect a finish around 22nd or so.
My Overall Ranking: 23rd
2. Danica Patrick - I don't have a lot to say about Dancia to be honest. She is stating from 28th and should be able to improve by a few positions. Overall I don't think she will do much of anything. A top 25 finish would be a pretty good day for Danica. If the 10 team can fix her up mid-race (like last week), then I could see her finishing closer to the top 20. However I wouldn't be banking on that though.
My Overall Ranking: 25th
3. Justin Allagier - Allgaier strongest type track this season have been on the shorter track, but tracks such as Chicagoland not exactly his strong suit this season. He been inconsistent this season at best. There been 6 races on tracks with a 1.5 mile lay out (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Texas, Charlotte, Kansas and Kentucky), however he only have two finishes better than 30th. One was at Atalana (20th) and the other was at Kentuicky (24th). So not exactly encouraging, but I guess there worse choices out there, right? He finished 27th in two career starts at this track.
My Overall Ranking: 27th
Twitter - @JeffNathans
