This article is part of our NASCAR Barometer series.
Martin Truex Jr. had the measure of the field in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. He not only started the race from pole position, but then went on to lead 174 laps, sweeping both stage victories, on his way to his fourth win of the season. It was his 19th series win, and further demonstrates his ability to contend with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch for season domination. After the race Truex praised his team for continuing the work to improve and catch the other two championship contenders who had been streaking away in the wins column. His Furniture Row Racing team could arguably be considered the best team in recent weeks, which is making the 2018 championship a three-horse race.
Next up is the difficult New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin took the wins at the circuit last season. Ford hasn't won at the track since Joey Logano did it in 2014. Just seven races remain for teams to find their way into the playoffs, and everyone will be working to peak for the knockout battles. Pressure will continue to mount, and the desperation will grow as chances begin to dwindle.
UPGRADE
Martin Truex Jr. – Truex started Saturday night's race from pole and then led most of the first segment to capture yet another stage win. He then repeated that performance in the second stage, setting up a repeat of last season's Kentucky sweep, which he then completed after overcoming the varying
Martin Truex Jr. had the measure of the field in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. He not only started the race from pole position, but then went on to lead 174 laps, sweeping both stage victories, on his way to his fourth win of the season. It was his 19th series win, and further demonstrates his ability to contend with Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch for season domination. After the race Truex praised his team for continuing the work to improve and catch the other two championship contenders who had been streaking away in the wins column. His Furniture Row Racing team could arguably be considered the best team in recent weeks, which is making the 2018 championship a three-horse race.
Next up is the difficult New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Teammates Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin took the wins at the circuit last season. Ford hasn't won at the track since Joey Logano did it in 2014. Just seven races remain for teams to find their way into the playoffs, and everyone will be working to peak for the knockout battles. Pressure will continue to mount, and the desperation will grow as chances begin to dwindle.
UPGRADE
Martin Truex Jr. – Truex started Saturday night's race from pole and then led most of the first segment to capture yet another stage win. He then repeated that performance in the second stage, setting up a repeat of last season's Kentucky sweep, which he then completed after overcoming the varying tire strategies that set the stage for the final run to the checkered flag. The win was his fourth of the season, and truly shows the team hitting its stride as the playoffs approach. Truex has never won at New Hampshire, but he has led more than 100 laps in all of the last four races at the track. He should be valuable to fantasy rosters this week even if only for those laps led.
Kurt Busch – Busch used strategy throughout the night to gain and maintain track position. His car was handling better later in his stints, and was happy to use two-tire stops to get back to the front as well. The team used that unique strategy all night, which kept his car inside the top 10. It was a brilliant play considering he didn't have one of the fastest cars, yet he walked away with a sixth-place finish. This team is figuring out ways to get the job done, which will come in handy as he works to solidify his spot in the playoffs. This week we go to a track where Busch has three wins, but hasn't led a lap for four years. His average finish from 34 New Hampshire starts is 16.2.
Ryan Blaney – Blaney was quick right off of the truck last week in Kentucky. The young driver has been quick throughout the season to date, but remains in search of his first win with Penske Racing. A win would also give him a lot more security for the playoff picture. He and the team are making progress, too. They have overcome diversity, and showed they can keep up with a changing track and competition throughout an entire race weekend. Blaney finished second Saturday night beating out both Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. That is no small feat considering how dominant those two drivers have been so far this season. While Blaney may not be a favorite this week in New Hampshire he did finish ninth there last fall.
Brad Keselowski – Another Penske Racing driver who had a good weekend in Kentucky was Keselowski. The former champion has had plenty of Kentucky success, but a 2018 win didn't pan out. An early speeding penalty forced him to use some creative strategy to get back on the lead lap and move back toward the front. He got it done, but didn't have the pace to make a serious challenge for the win. Still, walking away with a top-five finish is a great turnaround after being unceremoniously taken out at Daytona two weeks ago. This is another team that would love a regular-season win to take some pressure off. His only New Hampshire victory was in 2014, and he has three top-10 finishes at the track in his last three visits.
Paul Menard – Kentucky was a big confidence booster for Menard and his Wood Brothers Racing team. The combination showed pace throughout the weekend and went on to run among the top 10 throughout the distance Saturday night. In the end Menard captured an 11th-place finish, but the race will give them confidence they have what it takes to get into the playoffs on their first season together. Fantasy players will want to see this team continue to progress before regularly making him a selection, but signs of progress were evident Saturday night. However, next week may be a better gauge of their true progress. In 22 New Hampshire starts Menard has never finished inside the top 10.
DOWNGRADE
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. – Early contact with Jamie McMurray cut a rear tire and sent Stenhouse to pit road early. The change of tires didn't solve all of his problems, though. Immediately upon returning to the track he struggled with an extremely loose car, and was forced to pit road for a second time in just a handful of laps. The multiple stops put him two laps down to the leaders before the race was even 40 laps old. Stenhouse has two top-10 finishes from 10 New Hampshire starts, but his average result in that span is just 19.9. Stenhouse still makes for a good play on the restrictor-plate circuits, but also remains less than ideal on most other ovals.
Denny Hamlin – Hamlin is facing building pressure as his season continues without a win. His problems in Kentucky started early when he complained about a soft brake pedal. That brake issue plagued his race throughout the night, making it difficult for him to make inroads on the leaders. On a night he should have been solidly in the top 10 he struggled a 16th-place finish. More runs like that are not what the team wants as the playoffs loom, and they'll need to straighten out their issues quickly after a difficult season. New Hampshire has typically been a good track for Hamlin, though. He has won there three times in his career, including this race last season when he led 54 of the 301 laps.
Alex Bowman – Bowman entered Saturday night's race in Kentucky in the final playoff position in the standings. A failed right-front tire during the second segment sent him hard into the wall, bringing out the first caution of the race for contact. Being right on the cut line in the playoff picture required a clean race for him to maintain his hopes of entering the championship hunt, and Saturday's race was anything but. He and the team now find themselves on the back foot and the pressure will only continue to mount as the final races of the regular season pass. Bowman has six New Hampshire starts under his belt, and he'll need to replicate his 14th-place finish there last fall in order to stabilize.
Clint Bowyer – Small problems derailed what could have been another top finish for Bowyer Saturday night. The Stewart-Haas Racing teammate will need to assess what went wrong to ensure everything is under control for the playoffs. Luckily, with their wins, his ticket to the championship fight isn't in jeopardy, but improvements need to be made in order to take a step forward in competitiveness. Bowyer has demonstrated consistently fast pace so far this season, but hasn't converted that into wins as often as the three dominant contenders. That will need to change in order for him to have a serious shot at the championship. That should come this week in New Hampshire where he has two wins. Another slip could signal a rough road ahead in the playoffs.
BIGGEST SURPRISE
David Ragan – Ragan's 18th-place finish at Kentucky was a terrific result for the team that usually expects to finish outside the top 20. The position doesn't fully reflect how well he ran, but it was a better than average performance from one of the underdogs of the series. Ragan hasn't been frequently inside the top 15 outside of Daytona or Talladega in quite some time, but that was precisely the case Saturday night in Kentucky at a track you normally wouldn't expect. It was a good night, which can hopefully spark more comparable finishes from the organization. This week's New Hampshire visit will be a good test for that. Ragan finished 29th in both visits last season and only has one top-20 there in the last eight visits.
