Stock watch for the four eliminated Chase drivers
Sep 28, 2014; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Greg Biffle (16) during the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
The elimination round of the Chase is in the history books; now it’s on to Kansas for the first race of the Contender round in the Chase. Unfortunately for Greg Biffle, A.J. Allmendinger, Kurt Busch, and Aric Almirola, they will have to wait another year to fulfill their dreams of winning the Sprint Cup championship.
Now that the dream is over, where do the four eliminated Chase drivers go from here? Can these drivers make the most out of an unsatisfactory situation? Whether they choose to race for pride or are hell-bent on securing a higher position in the driver standings over the next seven races speaks volumes about where each of these four drivers is headed beyond the Chase. By no means is this season over for any
Sep 28, 2014; Dover, DE, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kurt Busch stands by his car prior to the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O
of the fallen four. Each of these four drivers mathematically has a fighting chance to finish as high as fifth in the overall standings. What remains to be seen is which of the eliminated Chase drivers’ stock will rise or plummet over the next seven races.
Here’s some insight into what lies ahead for the first four Chase casualties:
Greg Biffle
The Biff is in the midst of a tumultuous 2014 season, and quite honestly should consider himself lucky to have even made the Chase, considering how poorly Roush Fenway Racing has performed as an organization for much of the 2014 campaign. Roush Fenway Racing’s struggles were universally felt across the entire three car organization, but nobody felt that sentiment more than Greg Biffle, a driver who had become accustomed to winning races and running up front for most of his career at RFR. Biffle signed a multi- year extension with RFR this summer after months of speculation surrounding his future with the organization.
The driver of #16 Ford has expressed his frustrations with the quality of the team’s cars on more than one occasion this season. Simply, the cars haven’t demonstrated the speed required to compete with the sport’s heavy hitters on a consistent level, and judging by RFR’s continual decline, one has to wonder why Biffle decided to resign with the team when he could have easily gone elsewhere. There’s no denying Biffle’s had a profound impact on Jack Roush’s organization through the years. After all, he’s spent his entire career with the Cat in the Hat. However, was this the right decision for an aging driver whose chances of winning a championship are clearly behind him? It’s expected that Biffle will take on a mentor role for Roush Fenway Racing’s younger drivers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. & Trevor Bayne moving forward.
That’s not to say Biffle won’t wind up making the Chase next season, but at age 45, Biffle’s window of opportunity to become NASCAR’s first triple crown winner is slowly diminishing.
Verdict – Biffle’s stock is rapidly declining.
A.J. Allmendinger
A.J. Allmendinger received a tremendous amount of praise from the media for almost racing his way through to the Contender round of the Chase. But Allmendinger refused to find solace in moral victories once the checkers fell on the final race of the Challenger round last Sunday.
The Dinger entered the day as a long shot to make it through to the next round, but showed a tremendous amount of poise and determination, rallying from losing a lap to the leaders 45 laps into the race. When the dust settled, the Dinger’s valiant efforts to turn water into wine left him two points short of transferring to the Contender round of the Chase. Even though the Dinger affirmed on more than one occasion he didn’t make the Chase to achieve moral victory, it’s plain to see that he’s ready to take JTG Daugherty Racing to the next level. As the only single car team to make the Chase, JTG Daugherty Racing was at an obvious disadvantage coming into the Chase; however, if they continue to make gargantuan strides over the next seven races, the Dinger & his team could go from Cinderella story to legitimate title contender.
Verdict – The Dinger’s stock is on the rise.
Kurt Busch
Last Sunday, Kurt Busch celebrated a major career milestone, as the former Sprint Cup champion would make his 500th career start at the track (Dover) where his Sprint Cup career began 15 years earlier. Sadly for Busch, there would be little to celebrate once this day was in the books. Busch would start the day as one of the drivers on the outside looking in to transfer into the Contender round of the Chase. Unfortunately for Busch, his status would remain the same when the day ended, on the outside looking in.
During his post race interview with ESPN, Busch was obviously frustrated with his inability to take advantage of the opportunity that was placed before him. However, the disheartened driver of the #41 Stewart Haas Chevrolet remained optimistic about the team’s future and the remaining seven races of the 2014 season. “We don’t get to advance to the championship, but we can still run for pride and run for wins,” he said.
Considering how quickly this experiment came together last summer, the mere fact that this team made the Chase is a testament to how valuable of a driver Kurt Busch has been to Stewart Haas Racing in a season mired by obstacles on and off the track. Winning a race would, down the stretch, would be good for team morale; however the focus for Kurt and the #41 team going forward should lie squarely on improving upon the 2014 campaign. If this group can work out some of the kinks that derailed their chances of winning multiple races in 2014, expect them to go a lot further in the chase next season.
Verdict – Busch’s stock is on the rise.
Aric Almirola
Richard Petty Motorsports driver Aric Almirola relished his role as a David among Goliaths following a solid sixth place finish at New Hampshire. A week earlier at Chicago, Almirola spent most of the day running up front with the cream of the chase crop until his engine succumbed to failure in the dying laps of the race. Almirola was feeling pretty good about his chances of moving on to the Contender round before the drop of the green flag at Dover. Once the green flag dropped, it was evident Richard Petty Motorsports’ iconic #43 car is light years away from regaining past glory.
Fortunately for RPM’s future superstar, he’s in this for the long haul. Almirola signed an extension with the team this past summer. And with full support of his sponsors, Almirola is destined for great things in the Sprint Cup Series; his first chase appearances is just the beginning.
How Almirola and his team bounce back from their Chase disappointment will dictate the measure of success they achieve heading into 2015. First off, they definitely have to win a race convincingly. His rain shortened Daytona victory in July was considered to be a fluke, and he had no real business even being in the Chase. Almirola has run up front with the heavy hitters in the past, but until he can do it on a consistent basis, expect negative connotations to threaten his forward progress. Remember, his success hinders on how he can overcome the disappointment of nearly upstaging some of the sports superstars.
Verdict- Stock slightly down.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports
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