Just six races into the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, and already there have been enough surprises and plot twists to make this one of the most interesting campaigns in years.
Call it the good, the bad and the ugly. There’s already been lots of all three. To wit:
The good: Kevin Harvick has followed up his championship season with two victories, three runner-up finishes and six top 10s in six races. That’s an average finish of 2.33. And, oh yeah, he’s led 37 percent of the laps run so far this season. Those are Richard Petty-type numbers.
The bad: Kyle Busch has not raced since breaking his lower right leg and left foot in a crash in the season-opening NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Daytona. There is still no timetable for his return.
The ugly: Of the 1,816 laps run so far this season, Roush Fenway Racing has led just two, both by Greg Biffle in the Daytona 500. In their 18 combined starts, teammates Biffle, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse have combined for one top-10 finish.
The good: Martin Truex Jr. has exorcised the demons of his hellish 2014 season and has opened the year with a career-high six consecutive top-10 finishes in the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet.
The bad: Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart is 32nd in points with two DNFs and no top-10 finishes.
The ugly: Kurt Busch was suspended for three races by NASCAR for alleged domestic violence then quickly reinstated when the state of Delaware said he wouldn’t face criminal charges.
The good: Both Team Penske drivers have won races and are all but locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Joey Logano won the Daytona 500, while Brad Keselowski led only the final lap to win at Auto Club Speedway.
The bad: Engine trouble two weeks in a row has dropped AJ Allmendinger all the way from fifth to 20th in points, a huge disappointment after a strong start.
The ugly: In half the races this year, Jeff Gordon got caught in someone else’s crash. And a pit-road speeding penalty probably cost him a victory at Martinsville, a place where he has won eight times.
The good: Denny Hamlin is pretty much assured of a spot in the Chase after winning his fifth race at Martinsville and delivering the first win for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota in nearly a year.
The bad: New JGR driver Carl Edwards was expected to be really strong out of the box. But by Edwards’ own admission, he’s been pressing too hard. He has yet to finish a race inside the top 10 this season.
The ugly: A recurrence of blood clots has forced Brian Vickers to the sidelines for a minimum of three months and maybe longer. In addition, Kyle Larson missed the Martinsville race after fainting during an autograph session.
The good: Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened the year with three consecutive top-five finishes, for an average finish of 3.33.
The bad: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s average finish in the most recent three races is 28.33, including a 43rd at Phoenix and 36th at Martinsville.
The ugly: Ryan Newman, crew chief Luke Lambert and the rest of the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing team got socked hard by NASCAR for alleged tire violations at Auto Club Speedway. The team plans to appeal.
The good: They haven’t put up gaudy numbers, but consistent finishes have landed Kasey Kahne in the top five in points, and Paul Menard and Aric Almirola in the top 10.
The bad: While his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate Almirola is 10th in points, Sam Hornish Jr. is struggling way back in 31st.
The ugly: After winning in the second race of the year at Atlanta, Jimmie Johnson has a best finish in the next four races of ninth — recorded at Auto Club Speedway.
