Struggling NASCAR Drivers Who Can Still Turn Things Around in 2015
Six weeks into the Sprint Cup season, it's finally time to take a break for the holidays. With the drivers getting a week off, we can already start to take a look at how the season is shaping up.
Sure, drivers like Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr.—what?— have already stolen the early headlines. But some of the biggest names in the sport are currently outside of the Chase Grid after the first month-and-a-half.
Some of those names include past champions like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon, along with emerging stars such as Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon. Some are there due to poor results, while others have been derailed by unforeseen issues. Luckily, there are still 20 more races to get into the top 16 before the Chase gets underway.
Here's a look at the drivers who have the best shot to turn things around and get back into the Chase this season.
Tony Stewart
1 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 32nd
How He Can Turn Things Around
Smoke's season so far has literally gone up in smoke.
Tony Stewart has tried different strategies to lead laps and accrue extra points, but the speed simply hasn't been there like teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. Two DNFs already this season have derailed any chance to sit in the top 30 in points.
It's clear that Stewart-Haas Racing has the equipment and machines to drive near the front. Harvick and Busch already have a combined seven top-five finishes, and Danica Patrick is 16th in points. If Stewart can simply avoid huge wrecks and keep a clean car, he'll be a contender again in the near future.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
During his career, Stewart has won at nearly every style of track. He's won five times at Watkins Glen and four times at Daytona. Despite having a poor showing in the Daytona 500, Stewart will run well in the Coke Zero 400 in July.
That elusive win might also come at the end of May in Dover, the last track he won a race at in 2013. He may be struggling through the first six weeks, but don't count Smoke out just yet.
Sam Hornish Jr.
2 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 31st
How He Can Turn Things Around
Sam Hornish Jr.'s return to the Sprint Cup level hasn't been pretty so far. Unlike Stewart, the Richard Petty Motorsports driver can't blame it on wrecks or similar issues on the track.
Simply put, the results just haven't been there for Hornish. He spoke about that earlier in the season, via Jay Pennell of Fox Sports:
"We know that there is work to be done and the biggest thing is being able to try to figure out how we do everything in the right way. How do we figure out what the Penske guys are doing that is making them better than us? That is their job: To go out there and beat us, and ours is the same way, as well as the rest of the competition.
"
There's no question his team can find the speed necessary to get him to the front. After all, RPM teammate Aric Almirola is currently 10th in points. If his team can give him that speed consistently, Hornish's skills can take over and potentially get a second RPM car in the Chase.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
Considering Hornish has never won at the Sprint Cup level, this is a hard question to answer. But with a top-five finish and two top 10s at Pocono, Hornish can tame the Tricky Triangle to secure a berth to NASCAR's postseason in June or August.
Kyle Larson
3 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 24th
How He Can Turn Things Around
OK, so this driver isn't quite as desperate as the previous names on the list. Kyle Larson is actually driving well this season, but he missed a start due to a health issue this past weekend in Martinsville.
He was held out of the race after fainting during an autograph session, but Chip Ganassi Racing released a statement saying he "feels completely fine." Nothing is certain right now, but it appears he should be ready to return to the track soon. It also appears the break couldn't have come at a more perfect time.
Turning things around for Larson means consistently finding his way into the top 10 this season. With the way he's driven already at intermediate tracks, he can navigate his way back into the Chase by dominating at those courses in the coming months.
Suffice to say, if he's healthy soon, Larson should easily climb back into the top 16.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
Those aforementioned intermediate tracks have been gold for Larson during his brief career. More specifically, he's expected to be a contender at Dover, Kansas and New Hampshire—where he had a combined four top fives in six races.
Getting to Victory Lane at any of those tracks would clinch a spot in the Chase. Look for him to do his first burnout at one of them before the postseason begins.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Austin Dillon
4 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 23rd
How He Can Turn Things Around
Sometimes the best way to correct a situation is confiding in your teammates. This is true in any sport, and racing is no exception.
Austin Dillon should heed that advice this season.
His Richard Childress Racing partners in Ryan Newman and Paul Menard are surging this season. Claiming four top-five finishes between them, it's evident that the RCR machines are more than capable of driving near the front.
Then again, Newman's results look tainted now with the tire penalties handed down on Tuesday, per NASCAR.com.
Dillon has the talent but hasn't quite found his way at the Sprint Cup level yet. Utilizing his teammates in Newman and Menard might just pay off with 20 races remaining before the Chase.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
Dillon has a consistent track record at Daytona, despite never winning at the superspeedway. The aforementioned Stewart will be a challenger there, but Dillon might shock the field by taking home his first victory in the Coke Zero 400.
Greg Biffle
5 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 21st
How He Can Turn Things Around
Having a chance to move on from Roush Fenway Racing last season, Greg Biffle made the decision to stick with the team. That choice has not paid dividends yet, as he sits outside of the Chase with just one top 10 on the year.
Biff's frustration to this point prompted some controversial comments in Fontana, California.
"It's difficult as a competitor to show up at a place you've won twice at and come off the truck 32nd in speed," he said, via Mike Hembree of USA Today. "This is difficult. I didn't mean we were dying a slow death. You want to unload off the truck and be 10th, or you want to unload off the truck and be in the top 10 or top 15."
The No. 16 isn't the only car without speed for RFR, which is the most troubling part. Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. are also lagging behind in 26th and 28th, respectively.
But the trying times can only last so long for Biffle. With multiple tracks coming up that he's been consistently strong at, the Biff should be back on the Chase Grid soon.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
His most recent victory was at Michigan in 2013. Biffle also has a career-high four wins at the track. If he's going to add another checkered flag to his collection, it will be in the Great Lakes State.
Carl Edwards
6 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 18th
How He Can Turn Things Around
The switch over to Joe Gibbs Racing hasn't exactly been as smooth as some originally expected. However, the season is still early, and Carl Edwards has time to move into Chase contention.
Unlike the previous drivers, there's no doubt that Edwards will earn a victory. Clinching two wins in a less-than-ideal situation last year, he will unequivocally drive to Victory Lane with JGR. It wasn't just Edwards who got off to a slow start—it was every Toyota machine, as Tom Jensen of Fox Sports notes:
"No point in sugar coating it: So far the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has been brutal for Toyota's top two teams, Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. ...
The arrival of Carl Edwards and a fourth team at JGR was expected to pay big dividends. That hasn't happened so far. Edwards is still looking for his first top-10 finish with the team and is 17th in points after five races.
"
All of that was of course written before Denny Hamlin secured a win for JGR. However, Edwards is still searching for that elusive top 10. He'll be able to navigate his way to a win to get himself back into the Chase. It's a question of when, not if, he'll pace the field at the end of a race.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
There are several tracks where Edwards might clinch a win. In fact, he has three wins at Texas—the next course after the break. Thanks to his recent run at road courses and short tracks, Bristol and Sonoma also look like great opportunities to secure a spot in the Chase with a win.
Jeff Gordon
7 of 7
Current Sprint Cup standing: 17th
How He Can Turn Things Around
Out of all the drivers mentioned, Jeff Gordon has the best shot at getting into the Chase discussion soon. Despite a streak of three straight top-10 finishes, Gordon is still on the outside looking in at 17th in the standings.
That's bound to change soon.
Actually, he nearly reversed his fortunes last Sunday. If not for a speeding penalty late in the race at Martinsville, Gordon might have won his ninth race at the Paperclip. The Hendrick Motorsports driver shared his feelings on the matter after the race, via Pennell:
"It's one thing when you don't feel like you have the car underneath you or you're missing something, but when it's on you -- whether it's a pit crew guy, a crew chief or the driver -- it hurts. That's the way I feel right now. I feel pain because we had a golden opportunity right there and I ruined it for us. We're going to get it all together. We just haven't been clicking all at one time. As hard as everybody work, gosh, I just hated that I made that mistake.
"
He doesn't make those mistakes often. Don't expect it to continue with the No. 24 team on the cusp of being in the Chase. Gordon's final full-time season won't end without him driving into Victory Lane one year after falling just short of a championship.
Best Chance to Win Moving Forward
Gordon has literally won at every single track except for Kentucky. While that track is certainly a box he's still looking to check off, he'll likely be challenging Edwards for a win at the short tracks and road courses. Holding five wins in 21 races at Indianapolis, he can also seal his career by kissing the bricks again.
Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter. He's got grease under his fingernails.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
