NASCAR Crown Royal 400 2015: Preview and prediction
Who’s Not?
It seems like just a few weeks ago everyone was talking about Kyle Larson grabbing one of the final spots in “The Chase” and taking that next step as one of the finer young drivers in NASCAR. While he has a great future ahead of him and will be talked about a lot for many years to come, the 2015 season might be slipping away from Larson.
Michigan should have been his first win and his chance to compete for a Sprint Cup Championship, but misjudging the weather allowed Kurt Busch to steal his win away and leave Larson with a learning lesson. He set a course record in qualifying at Sonoma, but no dice on the win there either.
At New Hampshire, Larson finished 31st and afterward wasn’t focused on anything but getting better and wasn’t sure when the success would come. Things might be down for the No. 42 squad, but they get another chance again this week at the Crown Royal 400.
The other good news is that they will get another shot at Michigan before “The Chase” begins. Perhaps a little redemption is in order for Larson and his team.
Will the real Tony Stewart please stand up?
This has been a season to forget for Tony Stewart as week after week he has been struggling. It doesn’t even feel like he can crack the top-15 in standings after a race. At New Hampshire, Stewart finished 20th and put in another performance that left people scratching their heads.
Everyone has a down year, and this certainly has indeed been one for Stewart. At the same time though, it would have been a safe bet that Stewart would at least have had a couple races where he pushed for a win.
Lucky for him, that race might be this week at the Crown Royal 400. Stewart has won the race twice, and the Indiana native always puts on a great show in front of his home state contingency. If there was ever a week for him to bust out of the season-long slump, this is the week for him to do it.
When Jimmie Johnson goes into a slump, it is usually a mini-slump and this one should be no different. Johnson finished an unusual 22nd at New Hampshire and it was nowhere close to being the finish that he would have desired at the track.
After winning four races, Johnson has cooled off as of late even though he has come close a couple of times in his bid for fifth. Heading into “The Chase,” the safe bet would be that Johnson picks up another victory as he gears up for a run at his seventh championship.
It’s likely he bounces back with a far better run at the Crown Royal 400 this week. History is on his side too as Johnson has won four times at Indianapolis. Will he kiss the bricks again this Sunday?
Next: Prediction