Holy smokes, it is good to be back! Even though I’m not writing to many people, blogging is almost like a best friend. And being away is tough. Since my last article, I turned 16, got a drivers license, and went on a long vacation. That’s quite a busy schedule, considering my last article was only a few weeks ago.

I suppose I don’t talk about myself much (On this blog or in real life), but I suppose I owe it to my audience to at least have a name. Call me H.T. For anyone who was wondering. A few fun things about me: I have a giant family (6 siblings, only one of whom is a boy. I was the only boy for 10 years.) Yeah, that was a little lonely. I know very few people my age, owing to the fact that I’m homeschooled. I have a deep appreciation for Italian food. I love the Florida Gators, Tampa Bay Bucs, and New York Yankees. I am writing several books, one of which is complete. I have four pets. (Two cats, River and Mr. Snuggles. Two pigs, who aren’t technically mine, named Gertrude and Mazy. I only named Snuggles.) My favorite animal is a frog. And somehow, in this giant family, which mostly consists of musically gifted girls or daredevils who happen to be my younger sisters and brother, I emerged as myself, a Nascar geek who has a knack for creating stories in his head. Funny thing, I feel like I’m sort of rambling, but that’s what I’m supposed to do. That’s why I love this… activity. I can’t really call it a job, considering I love doing it.

That said, let’s get on to the part where I actually talk about Nascar. I heck of a lot has happened in the past couple weeks. In the past ten races, ten different drivers have won, a strange occurrence in the Summer, when one or two drivers typically gain a stranglehold on victory lane. In that time, Austin Dillon, Ryan Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch have all won for the first time this year, virtually assuring themselves a spot  in the Chase. Or have they? With a mere three spots available, it is a very realistic possibility that we see more than 16 winners before the playoffs begin.,  especially given that there are five races left, and that streak I mentioned. Also, look at the tracks remaining, along with possible candidates for wins. Watkins Glen is a major wild card, especially with Road Course aces Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon retired. Michigan has been a track where young guns such as Chase Elliot and veteran like Clint Bowyer and Matt Kenseth have shined, and all three need wins to secure themselves. Bristol, well… it’s Bristol Baby! Who knows what to expect? And how about Darlington? A Nascar legend as far as tracks are concerned, this weirdly shaped bull ring is no stranger to surprise winners. And last of all Richmond, a track where  many a young driver has been seen proving his worth.

So, what is to be made of all this? Well, let’s start with the playoff picture. Right now, I see 11 drivers as secure. Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Keslowski, Ryan Blaney, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman have all placed themselves in relatively secure positions, with extreme circumstances needing to happen for any of them to miss the playoffs. However, that leaves five spots open. Austin Dillon and Kasey Kahne each hold one of those, via wins. Chase Elliot, Jamie McMurray, and Matt Kenseth hold the final three by virtue of points position. As extreme as it seems to declare Kahne and Dillon insecure, the pure randomness of the 2017 season suggests it is a very real possibility that Kahne and/or Dillon find themselves outside the playoffs. As for Kenseth, Elliot, and McMurray, the three of them are locked in battle with a rejuvenated Clint Bowyer for the final spots in the playoffs, and the more new people that win, the tighter it gets.

Now, here’s my outlook on the next several races. There is no more points racing. Elliot, Kenseth, Bowyer, and McMurray are all playoff caliber, yet insecure. Driver like Joey Logano, Eric Jones, Daniel Suarez, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and AJ Allmendinger are drivers who have shown speed, but are out of the points battle. They have to win, and most of them are capable of doing so. That said, they have to race for the win. The heck with points! Winning is all that matters now. And they know it. So tighten your seatbelts, adjust your gloves, and drive like a madman on a mission. Win a race, and your safe. That is the way to make it in.

Now, there is the minor question of who will actually win the next five races. I can’t help but think it will be some more surprises. So let’s go race by race.

Watkins Glen: Possibly the biggest wild card here, the Glen involves both strategy and skill, something which many drivers struggle to balance. However, one who seems to be gradually becoming the best in the business is Clint Bowyer. A man on a mission, Bowyer is determined to make the playoffs, and even more determined to get that win that has eluded him for the past five years. I believe his gritty performance earlier this year at Sonoma was merely a prelude to the success he will enjoy this weekend at Sonoma. Bowyer is my pick, though he won’t be alone. AJ Allmendinger will be in the picture, along with someone I didn’t expect: Danica Patrick. A sneakily consistent driver this Summer, Danica has been steadily improving to a consistent top-15 threat, and is outrunning the likes of Kyle Larson, Jimmie Johnson, and Joey Logano. She ran well at Sonoma in spite of being wrecked twice, and I perceive her as an under the radar driver this weekend.

Michigan: The plainest of the remaining tracks, it is also easily the fastest. Chase Elliot has raced here three times, and all three have resulted in runner up finishes. The first two came when he had winning cars. However, earlier this year he willed his way to a solid second. He has been a force to reckon with on the track, and I believe he will finally triumph in this race. However, don’t sleep on rookie Daniel Suarez. Suarez has a better average finish than Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, and many others. He is only getting better, and this is where he first won in the Xfinity Series. There is a certain confidence that grants, and he has to see this as an opportunity to claim not only a win but a playoff spot. However, both will have to get through Kyle Larson, who has been a wizard on 2-mile tracks.

Bristol: Always among the greatest in Nascar history, Bristol is a short track that thinks it’s related to Talladega. Surprise winners and massive wrecks are both common here, and among the successful here is Eric Jones. A rookie with a bright future, Jones doesn’t want to miss his first playoffs. When he won this race in the past, it came over legends such as Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson. Not an easy feat. Any one of those three could win, but Jones has the most to gain from it. And again, watch Danica and Clint, as both have a solid history here.

Darlington: Three of the past four races in Darlington have been won by Toyota drivers, and entering this race, there could be three who aren’t secure. And what better way for young guns Suarez or Jones to make their mark than by winning on throwback weekend? Or maybe Nascar elder Kenseth could lock up a spot in the playoffs with his second Darlington win? All possible scenarios. Or this could be the race that comes down to the most successful driver this year, such as Kyle Busch and Truex Jr.

Richmond: Ah, the cutoff. Well, who knows who’ll win here, because I certainly don’t. This track has been a variety pack in recent years, and with the desperation of the playoffs upon it, this race will be a thriller. The race there earlier this year saw a variety of front runners, and Joey Logano won it with what turned out to be an illegal car. However, I like Joe Gibbs Racing in this one. It is a real possibility at least one of their drivers finds themselves out of the playoffs coming into this race, and I think one of them will claim the win

So, I know that is a lot to take in, and I didn’t even get to the whole part about the shuffling lineups on various teams for 2018. But, that’s an article for another time. Like tomorrow. And until next time, let’s go racing!