Seven races, two wins. Instead of sitting fifth in the standings, tucked in behind fellow two-race winners Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his brother, the Kentucky winner is left sitting 35th in the standings. Interestingly enough, he also sits just 87 points out of 30th and a place in the Chase, with eight events to go.
Can Kyle Busch do it? It can’t be done…in New Hampshire next Sunday. It will not take place by the time they leave Indianapolis. The odds might be a bit long for Pocono. As for Watkins Glen? It might be a bit early, but you tell me. Can Kyle claim four straight Top Tens, and is there a chance Cole Whitt might wind up four straight times 32nd or worse? If so, then yes!
That is over four races. It gets even more do-able over eight. If Busch and Whitt run for average in the upcoming events, by the time they leave Darlington on September 6th, Kyle would have accumulated an additional 196 points compared to Cole’s 112. That would leave Whitt ahead by three as they decide the issue in Richmond the following weekend.
Busch has won twice. He has also finished ninth, 11th and 17th. Keeping the average honest, he has also been outside the Top 35 twice. In eighteen races, Whitt finished 13th at Talladega, with his next best showings a trio of 22nd place results. Seven times he has finished 32nd or worse. The odds for Kyle succeeding seem pretty good.
As for Danica Patrick, her odds of winning at Kentucky were none. That was especially true after Junior ran her over when his brakes failed. She was upset. Hell, she was mad. She had some bleeping comments in regards to our most popular driver. While she had no chance of winning the race, she has tumbled out of the Top Twenty on the season after the past couple of weeks and she cannot be happy about it.
Should fans of Junior be unhappy with Danica? Why not? She tried to bump him as he came to pit row in retaliation. It was nothing, but his fans get torqued when bugs hit his windshield while out on the highway. I have yet to forgive Brian Vickers for when he took out Junior and Jimmie Johnson at Talladega, and that was almost nine years ago.
While Whitt, Justin Allgaier, Tony Stewart and Patrick are among those who are too far outside in points to qualify for the Chase that way, they do have enough to make it should they pick up a win. Kyle Busch has two wins but as long as he sits outside the Top 30 in points, he would not qualify for the Chase. Who do you think has the better odds of making it in?
I thought so.
Jr might have run a better race if he hadn’t forgotten to turn on his brake fans. Instead he forgot for a long enough time that he boiled the brake fluid which can’t be fixed unless you drain all the fluid out and put new in. Jr cost himself and the team any chance of having a good race. So glad the fox folks are gone, no longer do we have to watch the designated Danica camera as she runs 28th week in week out. NBCSN doesn’t have such a camera. Almost August and not a bite from a top notch company willing to spend the money on the 10 car, heck not a word out of the SHR camp on extending her contract either. You can bet on this, Gene Haas is footing the bill this year for Kurt’s car but his number one priority is funding Kurt first, not Danica, and Gene runs the show bottom line. Bet on Kyle making it also.