2014 After Eight Races

The 2014 season had a lot of excitement coming in. NASCAR announced a new Chase format & had announced knockout qualifying. This was in addition to Jimmie Johnson coming into the year as the reigning Sprint Cup Champion once again & the usual driver/crew/team swaps that occur every off season. The year started off strong for NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. as he won the Daytona 500 for the 2nd time in his career. Kevin Harvick came in to the year with a lot to prove. After spending 12 years with Richard Childress Racing following the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. he now drives the no. 4 Budweiser Chevy for Stewart Haas Racing. Harvick noted that he was disappointed with the performance in later years at RCR. He has came out very strong with victories at Phoenix and Darlington, securing a spot in this years Chase. A major talking point at this point in the season is the absence of Jimmie Johnson or Matt Kenseth from victory lane. Both drivers were very dominant during the 2013 season & battled for the Sprint Cup last year. However despite strong runs, both drivers have not been able to close & win this year in a season where winning is a priority with the new chase format. This has been the most consistent start to a season for veteran and 4 time Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon, he has been a front runner and in contention to win every week so far. As we race throughout the spring into the summer it will be interesting to see how this year shapes up & if Gordon, Johnson or Kenseth can see the success they have had in previous years.