Kyle Busch won last week and will be favored again this week. Kylebusch.com
The NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series heads for the Commonwealth of Virginia this week for the Toyota Owners 400. Last Monday, we saw Kyle Busch capture his second consecutive victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. During the final five laps, he moved Kyle Larson out of the way and never looked back to claim his seventh Bristol Victory.
While the race was able to begin on Sunday, It was delayed due to rain on lap two-hundred and three. When the action resumed, there were wrecks aplenty. In total there were 13 caution flags and three multi-car incidents involving at least three or more cars. Most notably the first caution was a nine-car pile-up featuring Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. It is safe to say that the old Bristol that NASCAR fans loved is now back in full force. This race had it all, Crashes, lead changes and lots of beating and banging.
The driver I predicted to win last week was Erik Jones. The sophomore driver struggled immensely. After a good start on Sunday, a tire failure would end his chances of victory. He would finish 26th. One thing he and his crew can take away is how well he was running before everything went wrong. Look for him to be a contender and eventually a race winner in the near-future.
One of the biggest surprises of last week was Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Earlier in the race, Stenhouse was a pinball out there. He spun out on lap 62 and appeared to be in deep trouble, but on Monday, he looked like a completely different driver. He was able to bounce back and earn a fourth-place finish.
This Saturday, we head for Richmond Raceway. This track is a 0.75 mile oval with fourteen degree banked corners. It is a track that is wide enough for cars to run side-by-side and not get congested as we see on a lot of the other short tracks including Bristol or Martinsville. Look for there to be a lot of lead changes and battles for position. Another factor that could play a significant role is the time of the race. Last year this race was run on Sunday afternoon as opposed to this year's Saturday night. While it may seem trivial, the time that a race takes place plays a significant role in the conditions of the track. For example, during a day race, the track's surface is much hotter and slicker and more difficult to drive around. Look for this to be a difference on race day.
The favorite going into this week again is last week's winner Kyle Busch. After his win at Bristol, Busch goes to another one of his best tracks. Here he leads all active drivers in Average Finish with a 7.40 and in victories with four. Kyle is a solid pick to win at any race track, but Richmond is another one of his tracks where he especially thrives, in fact, he was able to win his first NASCAR Xfinity (then Busch Series) race here when he drove for Rick Hendrick. Look for the M&M's Camry to be a threat this weekend.
My pick to win this weekend is Denny Hamlin. Richmond is a track that Hamlin dominates. In 2008 he led over 380 laps before a tire failure cost him a shot at victory. While times have indeed changed since then, his results have not. Since 2016, Denny has the highest finishing average of 3.75! Look for the Fedex Camry to go to victory lane.
My sleeper pick is Ryan Newman. This has been a track that he has run well at in the past and has seven top five finishes and 18 top 10 finishes. While it has not been the best start to the season for the “Rocketman,” last week’s top 10 finish at Bristol should be a catalyst for him to run well this weekend. While he is a longshot for victory, if the chips fall in the right places it would not surprise me to see the No. 31 Camaro take the checkered flag. It should be an interesting 400 laps come Saturday.
Overall Richmond has the potential for many things including short fenders and short tempers at the end of the race. We have seen it many times in the past and even as recently as three years ago when the recently retired Carl Edwards bumped his teammate Kyle Busch out of the way for the victory or last year when Denny Hamlin wrecked Martin Truex Jr out of a chance at victory in the fall race here. It should be a weekend filled with fantastic racing.
(All stats and information used in this article is brought to you by the good folks at driveraverages.com and Racing-Refrence.com the best website for all NASCAR stats)
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Oct 27, 2024, 1:48 pm
The Houston Texans aren’t concerned about C.J. Stroud after the quarterback had the worst statistical game of his young career in a loss at Green Bay last week.
They have no doubt he’ll bounce back Sunday when the AFC South-leading Texans (5-2) host second-place Indianapolis (4-3), where they’ll try to sweep the season series for just the second time in franchise history.
“C.J. handles adversity really well because he’s really grounded ... and it doesn’t dictate who he is or change his personality and what he’s about,” coach DeMeco Ryans said. “So, I’m excited to see how, not only C.J., but how everyone responds after losing a game.”
Stroud, in his second year, had a career-low 86 yards passing and didn’t throw a touchdown pass for the first time this season as the Packers beat Houston 24-22 to snap a three-game winning streak.
Instead of dwelling on his bad game, Stroud is using it as a learning experience.
“Not everything goes your way and it is all about how you respond,” he said. “For me, I just watch the film, be critical on myself and just get better from there.”
Indianapolis quarterback Anthony Richardson also had a tough game last week against Miami in his return after missing almost three full games with an injured right hip, He completed just 41.7% of his passes for 129 yards.
But the good news for the Colts is that they won despite his struggles after the second-year pro led them to two fourth quarter field goals in the 16-10 victory.
Coach Shane Steichen said it’s important to remember that Richardson still doesn’t have much NFL experience because of all the games he has missed with injuries.
“We’re just trying to look for growth week in and week out,” he said. “I think he’s played nine games in the NFL now and going into another one with an opponent that he’s went against, so it’s good. He’s seeing some familiar faces. So, excited for Sunday for him.”
Mixon's work
Houston running back Joe Mixon has had at least 100 yards rushing in each of the three full games he has played this season. But his best game this season came in a win over the Colts in the season opener.
Mixon was named AFC offensive player of the week after carrying the ball a career-high 30 times for 159 yards and a touchdown in the 29-27 victory. Of his 159 yards, 101 came after contact.
Now he’ll face the Colts again after they gave up 188 yards rushing last week to the Dolphins. Indianapolis ranks second to last in the NFL by allowing 159.9 yards rushing a game.
Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said the addition of Mixon, a former Bengal, has boosted Houston’s offense.
“What’s made them even more complete is their run game. Now they can run the ball,” he said. “Joe Mixon is a great back and someone you’ve got to be aware of in the run game."
Taylor made
All-Pro running back Jonathan Taylor missed Indy’s last three games with a sprained ankle, but barring a setback later this week it appears he’ll play Sunday.
The first indication came Wednesday when Taylor was a full participant in Indy’s practice after missing every workout for the past three weeks. What will it mean for the Colts to have one of their top playmakers back on the field?
“It will be huge,” Steichen said. “Obviously, we know what JT brings to the table and Goodie (Tyler Goodson) and Trey (Sermon) did a hell of a job, but getting JT back in the fold will be big.”
Pro Bowl pickup
Linebacker Devin White, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021, joined the Texans this week and Ryans said he could help against the Colts.
White signed a one-year contract with the Eagles this offseason, but didn’t play before being released earlier this month. He was inactive for the first four games and then ruled out of the fifth game because of personal reasons before his release.
White was the fifth overall pick in the 2019 draft and spent five seasons with the Buccaneers before signing with the Eagles. Ryans isn’t worried about why things didn’t work out for him in Philadelphia and is looking forward to seeing him bounce back in Houston.
“He went top 10 in the draft, he was an exceptional talent,” Ryans said. “So, what happened and why he’s here, no one knows. Life happens to us all. You just have to keep punching, keep attacking each day with the right mindset and the opportunity for Devin is to come in here and compete.”
Close calls
The Colts lost their last two meetings with Houston by two and four points, both in Indianapolis. But one thing Steichen’s team has excelled at in his first 24 games as coach is winning close contests.
Indy is 11-6 in one-score games during Steichen’s tenure with every game this season decided by six or fewer points. The secret to Indy’s success is simple — they limit both penalties and turnovers.
“You want to play smart football, I think that’s part of it,” Steichen said. “You’ve got to preach that, but you’ve got to go do it. You’ve got to be disciplined, and it happens on the practice field. You’ve got to correct it on the practice field. And I think finding ways to finish and really having that relentless pursuit at the end of games to finish those games.”