NASCAR Barometer: Two In a Row for Harvick

Kevin Harvick made Sunday's CampingWorld.com 500 a pedestrian affair, winning from pole for his second victory of 2015. The defending champion became the first driver since Carl Edwards in 2010 to win from pole at the track, while also becoming the first driver with multiple wins in 2015. Harvick is completely on top of the Sprint Cup world right now, and the long season ahead just gives him more opportunities to shine.

While he didn't completely dominate the race, last week was the third consecutive Phoenix race where he led over 200 laps of the scheduled 312. After two weeks of Harvick domination, the rest of the garage must be wondering if they should even bother unloading in California. That's why the races are run, though. There should be plenty of competition next week, despite the odds-on favorite walking away to victory the past two weeks.

UPGRADE

Kevin Harvick – For two weeks in a row, Harvick has dominated the competition. The first driver to score two wins this season picked up his seventh Phoenix victory Sunday, and his fifth win in the last six races at the desert oval. If there was any track Harvick could almost be guaranteed to win, it would be Phoenix. The good news for fantasy players is that he also has a strong record at Fontana, and they can rely on him there too. The driver of the No. 4 has a win, four top-5s and nine top-10s at Auto Club Speedway. His average finish at the track is 16.4, and there is no better driver on the circuit at the moment.

Jamie McMurray – Sunday's race in Phoenix marked McMurray's second top-5 finish at the track. Based on how strong he was running at the end of the race, folks could be excused for thinking he had more than just the one prior top-5 at the track. It has been a good season to date for McMurray. The No. 1 team has just one finish outside of the top-10 so far this season, and they're steadily climbing the points standings. His three top-5s and six top-10s from 19 Auto Club Speedway starts give him an average finish of 17.2 at the track, and fantasy owners should confidently choose him next week as the series wraps up its west-coast tour.

Kasey Kahne – With 10 top-10 finishes from 18 Fontana starts, Kahne is definitely a driver for fantasy owners to pay attention to this week. When you add that he finished fourth last week in Phoenix, you can be even more confident of a top performance. It usually takes a top qualifying performance for the No. 5 to have a serious impact in the race, and that was the case last week in Phoenix. Kahne started from a top-10 position, and converted that early effort into his first top-5 of the season. He has a respectable Auto Club Speedway record as well, and should be a confident early selection heading into this week's race in California.

Ryan Newman – Newman has forced his way into the upgrade column for two consecutive weeks. His performances in Las Vegas and Phoenix don't leave much to be desired, and he seems to be picking up right where he left off last year. The Daytona 500 is the only race this season that Newman hasn't scored a top-10 finish. The Richard Childress Racing driver forced his way into the Chase last season, nearly stealing it from the favorites, and has continued to defy the odds this season. He has just four top-5s and eight top-10s from 20 tries at Auto Club Speedway, but that doesn't mean he won't be a contender again next week. Newman is knocking on the door of victory and could break through any week.

DOWNGRADE

Dale Earnhardt Jr. – Earnhardt suffered a tire failure that put him into the wall and ended his afternoon too early in Phoenix. The Hendrick Motorsports driver was working his way forward after a pit infraction put him deep in the order. The disastrous afternoon was Earnhardt's first finish outside of the top-10 since the season got underway. Unfortunately, the race ended a build-up in promise that the No. 88 had steadily been growing since Daytona. In 22 Auto Club Speedway starts Earnhardt has just six top-10 finishes, but finished inside the top-5 two of the last three efforts. While the team may be on the downside of recent momentum, Earnhardt could easily spring a surprise in California this week.

Tony Stewart – Stewart's Phoenix outing is an effort the team owner would love to forget. He found the wall twice, failing to finish the distance. We are now four races into the 2015 season and the No. 14 has yet to finish a single race inside the top-30. Stewart is known for slow starts to a season, but this year is something to worry about. The veteran has not shown a sign of serious competitiveness for almost two full seasons now. Despite two California wins and an average finish of 13.5 from 23 starts at the track, fantasy owners should be cautious. Waiting to see Stewart turn the tide of misfortune may pay off for rosters with a long-term vision.

Greg Biffle – Most knew that Roush Fenway Racing would have a hard time in 2015. The team lost one of its top contributors in Carl Edwards, but Biffle should still be expected to overcome the challenges and turn in some top results. However, the veteran has failed to do so yet this season. Biffle's only 2015 top-10 came in the Daytona 500, and has finished outside of the top-20 twice in the last three outings. Biffle is a past winner in California, but that was back in 2005. He finished 40th here last season, and has three top-10s in the last six races at the track. Until Biffle and Roush start showing some speed, it might be best for fantasy players to steer clear.

Danica Patrick – Without a single finish inside the top-15 yet this season, Patrick might be getting nervous about her future in the series. With three series champions as teammates, Patrick should be expecting a lot more. Harvick has already won two races, and Kurt Busch finished inside the top-5 in his first race of the season. Patrick has plenty of seat time under her belt, but she hasn't pieced together the finishes she needs to claim her rightful spot on the team. Her best finish in 2015 was 16th in Atlanta, and her average Fontana finish is 20th from two tries. She needs to start scoring consistent top-15 finishes, with a top-10 and top-5 here and there, before fantasy players can take her seriously.

Brian Vickers – The first two races back to action haven't been the greatest for Vickers. He scored a confident 15th-place finish in Las Vegas, but crashed in the first laps of Sunday's race at Phoenix. The team worked hard to get him back on track, but he was only able to finish 82 laps behind the leaders. Vickers only has one top-5 finish at Auto Club Speedway as well. He had his momentum stunted by the time out of the car, and he will need to do some work to build the trajectory he needs to challenge for top finishes. Still, Vickers clearly has the pedigree of the series greats, and should be back to the top of the field soon.

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Denny Hamlin – Having won at Phoenix in the past, one could be forgiven for expecting more from Hamlin last week. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has been one of the drivers to watch so far this season, but completely lost the plot in Phoenix. The driver with an average finish of 11th from 19 starts at the track was nowhere to be found in practice and qualifying, and only managed to finish 23rd in Sunday's race. Hamlin has a worse record at California than he does at Phoenix, so this team really needs to turn things around quickly. He has two top-5 finishes from four starts in 2015, and that could be a good indication that he can right the ship quickly. Hamlin, nonetheless, was wholly disappointing in Phoenix.