NASCAR heads to the three-quarters of a mile track in Richmond after a two-week break due to Easter. Eight races are complete with seven different winners (Kevin Harvick has two victories). As the rest of the season unfolds, here are a few things to watch for the rest of April and May.
1. When will Jimmie Johnson win?
The defending Sprint Cup champion has yet to win a race this season. Despite fielding near-dominant cars in a few races the best driver in the series has not closed out races. He started the year well with three top-six finishes, but had a flat tire at Auto Club with less than 20 laps to go that cost him a win, finishing 24th. He led the most laps and nearly picked up a win the next week at Martinsville, but settled for second. It is not a matter of if Johnson will win a points race this season, but when. He is fortunate to be a consistent front runner and finisher that a win will not be as urgent for him until the number of race winners approaches 16. By that time expect him to be among those and ready to defend his title.
2. Can Kevin Harvick pick up a third win at Richmond?
Kevin Harvick broke the Sprint Cup’s streak of different winners this season when he won at Darlington, and he heads to Richmond, a track where he has had plenty of success (three wins and 14 top 10’s since 2005). He won this event last year, so expect him to continue his impressive start at Stewart Haas Racing.
3. Three in a row?
The Nationwide Series was thought to give way to another Dillon when last year’s Truck Series runner-up Ty Dillon moved up. Instead, another rookie, Chase Elliot, son of former Winston Cup Champion Bill Elliot, has made the headlines winning the last two races at Texas and Darlington. Driving the 9 car just like his father, Elliot has been nothing short of spectacular. He has bested the likes of Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick two weeks in a row and has quickly become the favorite to win the Nationwide title. He heads to Richmond with the points lead, and finished ninth at Phoenix, a similar track. Another win and Chase might just be the next great thing since sliced bread (sorry Joey Logano).
4. Sprint Cup All-Star Race is less than one month away
On May 17th the Cup series best drivers and then some will compete in the one million-dollar race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Nineteen drivers are currently in the lineup, with potentially six more joining the festivities. If drivers not currently in the race fail to win in the next three weeks, they will rely on the Sprint Showdown and the fan vote. Expect Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick to be among the favorites to get the fan vote if none of them race their way in via the Showdown or a win before All-Star weekend. And look for Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard and A.J. Allmendinger to be among the Showdown favorites (assuming none win a race before then).