RELATED: Chase pit crew analysis, Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
After the first race of the 2015 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, PitTalks.com ranks the 16 Chase teams’ pit crews For more pit crew news provided by PitTalks.com come back throughout the Chase.
No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Denny Hamlin
Rank: 1 (Even)
Wins: 2 — Martinsville, All Star Race, Chicago
Notes: This wasn’t a completely clean race for the No. 11, but it was good enough to keep the No. 1 spot. They had a little trouble on the left rear on one stop, but on the money stop, they nailed it!
No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing pit crew for Kurt Busch
Rank: 2 (Even)
Wins: 2 — Richmond and Michigan
Notes: The team didn’t have any real problems Sunday, and they ran up front all day. Solid stops keep them in the No. 2 hole.
No. 22 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Joey Logano
Rank: 3 (Even)
Wins: 3 — Daytona, Watkins Glen, Bristol
Notes: This crew had a great day on pit road, but without hesitation from the No. 11 or No. 41 team, they stay at the three spot. Last stop of the day they nailed.
No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Carl Edwards
Rank: 4 (Even)
Wins: 2 — Charlotte and Darlington
Notes: This group is in the same boat as the No. 22 at the moment. They had a solid day on pit road but not enough to gain a spot. However, it was definitely good enough to stay in the top 4.
No. 1 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Jamie McMurray
Rank: 5 (Even)
Wins: 0
Notes: Rounding out the top 5 is the No. 1, and they deserve to stay there. They were solid all day at Chicagoland and did nothing to lose their spot among the elite.
No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pit crew for Matt Kenseth
Rank: 6 (+2)
Wins: 4 — Bristol, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond
Notes: This team had a great day on pit road and moved up two spots from last week. They’ve been fast all year, and days like Sunday will keep them moving up.
No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet pit crew for Kevin Harvick
Rank: 7 (-1)
Wins: 2 — Las Vegas and Phoenix
Notes: This crew was out of the race early so we can’t really hold anything against them on the pit road side, but it did give the No. 20 a chance to move up … and they did.
No. 2 Team Penske Ford pit crew for Brad Keselowski
Rank: 8 (+2)
Wins: 1 — California
Notes: This team made a major change during the week and it seemed to have paid off. It wasn’t a killer race but good enough to gain two spots in our rankings.
No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing pit crew for Kyle Busch
Rank: 9 (-2)
Wins: 4 — Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Indianapolis
Notes: This is still a great team, but they’ve had better races. They struggled on the rear on two of their stops, one being the last stop.
No. 31 Richard Childress Racing pit crew for Ryan Newman
Rank: 10 (+2)
Wins: 0
Notes: This team was solid all day and helped get the No. 31 a top-5 finish. They’ve got the talent to move up, but staying consistent is key.
No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew for Jimmie Johnson
Rank: 11 (-2)
Wins: 4 — Atlanta, Texas, Kansas, Dover
Notes: This crew was having a good race until the last stop. Looked to have trouble on the right rear and that’s the reason for the drop. Still a good crew just a bad week.
No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Rank: 12 (-1)
Wins: 2 — Talladega, Daytona
Notes: This team didn’t do anything bad, it just didn’t do anything great, either. They had a pretty good day, but they have the potential to do better. The shift in rank leaves them minus 1.
No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports pit crew for Jeff Gordon
Rank: 13 +1
Wins: 0
Notes: They looked fast all day, and we didn’t see this group make many mistakes. If this crew gets going, look out. Their changers have lots of talent.
No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing pit crew for Clint Bowyer
Rank: 14 (+1)
Wins: 0
Notes: They didn’t run well at all from a car perspective, so it’s hard to see what the crew was capable of. Still, it was a solid day and enough to move up one spot.
No. 78 Furniture Row Racing pit crew for Martin Truex
Rank: 15 (-2 )
Wins: 1 – Pocono
Notes: On the third stop of the race, this crew had a loose left rear and had to pit. They ran up front most of the day, but you can’t afford those mistakes in the Chase.
No. 27 Richard Childress Racing pit crew for Paul Menard
Rank: 16
Wins: 0
Notes: On the second pit stop, they had a little trouble on the rear but nothing terrible. They just didn’t do anything to gain positions in the rankings.
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