Katie's Komments: 13th Edition

Welcome to the thirteenth edition of Katie’s Komments, a place to find the latest NASCAR news and my opinion on it! All comments are my views only but feel free to leave your own!

Jimmie Johnson: Johnson and the Lowe’s No.48 team have just accomplished something that hasn’t been done in over 30 years; they swept Daytona. Johnson kicked off the 2013 season with a victory in the Great American Race and Saturday night then he took home his fourth win this season with the Coke Zero 400. The last driver to sweep Daytona was Bobby Allison back in 1982; 31 years later, Johnson does the same. It was pretty obvious Saturday night that there are a lot of NASCAR fans who despise Johnson and him dominating and ultimately running away with both Daytona wins didn’t help his cause. This latest history-making feat only builds on the fact that Jimmie Johnson will go down in history as one of the best drivers in NASCAR history, right alongside the likes of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and more. Can he win his sixth Championship this season? It is looking pretty good so far.

Will The Make It? With eight races left until the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship starts, there are a number of drivers outside of the top-10 who just might not make it in. The one driver who is more than likely NOT going to make the Chase is Denny Hamlin. He needs at least two wins and most importantly, needs to get into the top-20 in points with just 8 races left. Looking at how his season has gone so far, the chances of that happening are very slim: he currently sits 26th in points. Another big name that is on the verge of missing the Chase is Kasey Kahne. He sits 12th in points with one win that came early in the season. He is holding on to the second wild card spot but only by the slightest margin. Reigning Sprint Cup Series Champion Brad Keselowski has dropped out of the top-10 and with no wins this season, his Chase chances are getting smaller and smaller. He sits 13th in points and needs at least one win and a few top-5 finishes in the next eight races to make it into the Chase to defend his title. Another driver who is seeing his Chase hopes slipping away is Jeff Gordon. He raced his way into the Chase in 2012 at the last possible moment and this season, he might have to do it again. He is sitting 14th in points with no wins. The Chase is closing in and the big question is, who will make it, and will be left looking in from afar?

Kurt Busch on the Rise: With his new team in the No.78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet, Kurt Busch has secured himself a spot in the Chase; for now. With his sixth-place finish in Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400, the elder Busch Brother as slid in to the 9th spot in the standings. He has been running consistently this season and has missed out on a few wins but I wouldn’t count him out. Based in Denver, Colorado, Furniture Row Racing is the only full-time organization not based in NASCAR’s epicenter. With 4 top-5s and 8 top-10s, Kurt Busch could easily stay in the top-10 in points and could make a run for the Championship. Keep an eye on him these next eight races; I don’t think a win is out of the question for Kurt Busch.

That will be it for the thirteenth edition of Katie’s Komments and remember, if you don’t like mine, feel free to leave your own!