Hendrick Motorsports
The Hendrick Motorsports flock of cars were fast at Daytona and Johnson was no exception. He finished second behind teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. and led 35 laps.
It’s remarkable that Harvick continues to find his way into the top five, even on the unpredictable restrictor-plate tracks. That could come in handy if he needs to win in a pinch at Talladega in the Chase.
2
Hendrick Motorsports
-1
It wasn’t just Hendrick Motorsports drivers that succeeded at Daytona, it was those with Hendrick engines under the hood as well, like Busch. Another top five continues a recent trend of solidifying him as a true championship contender.
When Junior wins at Daytona, it always feels special. Now second in points with two wins under his belt, any doubts about the Earnhardt/Greg Ives connection should be fully quelled.
-1
Team Penske
The fact that Logano was able to rebound for a 22nd-place finish after the turmoil he went through multiple times in the race speaks to how much he’s progressed as a driver.
Keep your eye on the 78 of Truex this weekend at Kentucky. With a track-specific rules package in play at the 1.5-mile speedway, it could seriously hinder the performance of a team that has benefitted tremendously from the specifications run through the season’s first 17 races.
1
Joe Gibbs Racing
If you’re looking for this season’s Ryan Newman, you may have found him in Jamie McMurray. A model of consistency, McMurray is sixth in points despite just seven top 10s.
As long as Keselowski can avoid the perils of on-track action at Kentucky Speedway, he’ll have a great shot at repeating as the race winner. Of course, if he does, he’ll have to try to avoid the perils of Victory Lane.
-2
Kenseth missed an opportunity to pick up his second 2015 win at one of his better tracks, but he’ll have another shot at it this weekend. The veteran has never finished worse than seventh at Kentucky and owns a win.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Hamlin was super fast during Daytona Speedweeks earlier this year and it continued in July. Now, if the No. 11 driver could put things together at all the other track configurations, then he’d be cooking.
Gordon failed to pick up a win in what will likely be his final Daytona start. Still, a 6th-place finish goes a long way for a driver still looking for his first 2015 victory.
Stewart-Haas Racing
Kahne was in the one Hendrick car that struggled at Daytona, but even still, he paced five laps at the front of the field. Kentucky has been a great track for him in the past, so keep an eye on the 5.
-2
Busch didn’t move up in the standings at all, but did trim a little bit off his points deficit. As Kentucky Speedway’s first winner, look for the No. 18 to be a major player on Saturday night.
-1
Menard is an experienced plate racer and a 16th-place finish isn’t too bad considering how many incidents there were in the race. That said, it wasn’t enough to keep him at 12th in the standings, but he’s still Chase eligible.
1
Richard Childress Racing
A solid eighth-place finish gave Newman back-to-back top-10s after a few dismal weeks. The 2014 runner-up could see that trend continue, as he has two top-fives in four starts at Kentucky, including last year’s third-place result.