When the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams take to the track on Sunday afternoon, there are several somebodies that really need a win in 2019 at The Glen. The question is, who will win at the Glen and will it be someone that needs the win to lock themselves into the playoffs or will it be someone else?
I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. The playoff picture is really coming into focus and there is a real traffic jam at, or near, the cutoff spot of sixteenth. There are several that really need a good finish at The Glen and not all of those are pressing the envelope to get in, but they are pressing to stay in the top sixteen. It goes without saying the emotions are elevated and the drama is more evident than ever.
There are four or five that hog the conversation every week and, well, at least from this fan’s view, it does make every race very interesting. Now, I’m not one to mince words – well, at least not on a regular basis – but not all of the drama and excitement has been for the win at the end of the races the last couple of weeks. Some of it has taken place a little further back in the pack and some of it has centered around problems even before the race begins. Yeah, several have had major difficulties in practice and qualifying and it has affected where they start and probably a little bit of where they finish. Others? Well let’s just say they’ve had some problems in passing inspections. I won’t mention any names because we all know which ones they are but, suffice it to say, there are more than a couple.
The big news this week has been about the crew chief change over at Hendrick Motor-Sports for the #48 Chevy of Jimmie Johnson. It goes without saying he has been struggling most of the season and he is now just outside the top sixteen for the playoffs. He is twelve points behind Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman and the last couple of weeks have been a struggle for him. Yeah, I know he won the second stage last weekend but that was his first stage win and when all was said and done, he finished fifteenth at the end. Yes, he did gain five points on the two ahead of him with that finish but he needs more. In fact, it would really help if he took his first win at The Glen in his career this weekend with his new crew chief. Looking at his recent stats for The Glen, it isn’t likely he’ll win simply because he hasn’t done all that well in the last several years. Still, he is a seven-time Cup Champion and we all know he knows not only how to drive but how to win.
The Glen is a tough road course and there are places around the track that anyone could get themselves into trouble. It has happened to some of the best and I don’t see any reason why it may not be a factor this weekend. Last year’s winner, Chase Elliott is looking to repeat but he has really struggled over the last several weeks, especially the last two. I’m not saying he can’t or won’t repeat. I’m just saying they’re going to have to step it up a notch over what the last couple of weeks have been like.
Okay, let’s take a quick look at a couple of others that need a win at The Glen. The first
from my view is Kyle Larson. Sure, I know he’s about thirty-five points ahead of Bowyer and Newman, but with the way his luck has been running, he needs a win to solidify his playoff spot and then maybe he and his team can focus on just how they will approach the playoffs. Besides, thirty-five points isn’t much with the amount of races left before the playoffs.
Another is Daniel Suarez. He is just twenty-one points behind Jimmie Johnson in eighteenth spot. A win would immediately move him into the playoffs along with his other SHR teammates. Of the four SHR teams, he is the only one outside of the top sixteen. Go ahead. Think back over the last several weeks of racing and tell me, how aggressive has he been. Mm-Hm, that’s exactly what I was thinking. His aggressiveness on the track (and sometimes off) has been as elevated as his emotions. He can’t really afford to have another bad finish or two. Well, that is, if he doesn’t win a race between now and the playoffs.
The problem with things being so tight around the bubble area of the standings is that it only takes a DNF from any one or more of the five I’ve mentioned and everything about the playoffs can change for those close to the cut. The same goes for a win from any one or more of the five in the weeks before the playoffs. If anyone thinks that stress, aggression and emotional levels aren’t at a heightened level just doesn’t get it. All of the drivers in the series want to win and they want to win this weekend at The Glen, especially those wanting to make it into the playoffs. The problem is, only one of them can.
So… who will win at The Glen this weekend? I’m not really sure but, I know it could get rough out there and, as far as this fan is concerned, this one should be intense in every way. Whether you talk about strategy, driver aggression or pit crew performance, this could be one of the best we’ve seen at The Glen…
See ya next time…
All views expressed are strictly the opinion of the writer
© August 3, 2019 – all rights reserved
Rusty Norman, Nascarfansview.com and Justafansview.com
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