Power Rankings: The first 6 races of 2015
1. Daytona: Much like 2014, the racing in the Daytona 500 was a great start to the season. Unlike last year, the sun was out for the race, which created a different set of circumstances for drivers to face throughout the race. But we loved how the 500 turned into a strategy race before late cautions bunched up the field and created the restrictor plate chaos that we’ve become accustomed to seeing. And no, we’re not discounting the race because it ended under caution. If you’re a regular reader of the site, you know we don’t judge races simply based on their highlight appeal.
2. Martinsville: Yeah, the race lasted about four hours, but there weren’t any lulls in the action, the finish was great (and clean!) and drivers had the opportunity to drive through the field. Look at Martin Truex Jr., who started up front, fell back because of a power steering problem and ended up back in the top 10. Yeah, we may be biased because we watched this race from the stands (and it went faster because we were there), but the only other worthy contender for the second spot is next, and we’ll explain why it’s third.
3. Fontana: For us, the madness at the end of the race actually discounts it. It was a fun race heading for the all-too-rare fuel mileage finish when it was derailed by debris cautions. We’ve clamored about our hate for conspiracy theories before, and inconsistency doesn’t equal conspiracy. However, we’ll admit to feeling a bit empty (like a fuel tank after a fuel-mileage race) following Brad Keselowski’s win. The win is in no way illegitimate. Rather, it’s the easiest “what-if?” race of the first six.
4. Atlanta: Kevin Harvick had the fastest car for most of the race, but Jimmie Johnson was the fastest over the last 14 laps and got the win. Watching Harvick and Jeff Gordon come through the field at the beginning of the race was fun and made you want to be in the production truck or at the race and able to solely watch the two drivers.
5. Phoenix: While it was fun to wonder if Jamie McMurray clears Kevin Harvick off turn two following the final restart, is there any belief that McMurray would have been able to hold off Harvick for the rest of the race? OK, we see you believers, and you’re wearing No. 1 hats. You don’t count. We’re also staunch advocates of an an accelerated aging process for the track’s surface. Not that we’re against Harvick’s domination by any means, we just want to see multi-groove racing and tire wear.
6. Las Vegas: What was the defining moment from the race? Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne? Kevin Harvick led 142 laps and Dale Earnhardt Jr. tried a strategy play to beat him with two tires. It didn’t work, and as pit stops cycled through the final time, Harvick cruised to a 1.6 second victory.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
