Big 6

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

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They say it takes a combination of luck and skill to be successful in racing, and nobody took that to heart in the Unlimited more than Kyle Busch. After getting together with Brad Keselowski in the final segment, Busch looked to be toast—but somehow managed to hang on to his racecar and contend for the win. He had an almost identical wild ride in the 2012 version of the Unlimited and won that one. He didn’t quite get there this time, finishing third to teammate Denny Hamlin, but Busch again treated fans to his amazing car control. The luck factor also worked in Busch’s favor as the rest of the field avoided his spinning Toyota. But Busch was both lucky and good in this one.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega

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What is there to say that’s positive about a type of racing where one driver makes a small mistake and a dozen or more others pay the price? Talladega, along with Daytona, is the epitome of what racing should not be: artificially restricted power that allows no throttle response, huge crashes that destroy a dozen or more innocent bystanders, drivers not racing for most of the race because it doesn’t matter until the last few laps. Yes, the finishes are close, but is a close finish worth watching a race just waiting for the inevitable Big One and wondering who will get taken out this time?

The Big Six: Questions Answered After the Toyota Owners’ 400

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*Who…gets my shoutout of the race?*

One thing about racing — sometimes the driver who _should_ win doesn’t, and that’s exactly what went down on Laburnum Avenue Saturday night. *Juan Pablo Montoya* had the best car late and was driving like he owned the place before a late crash by Brian Vickers shuffled the field and left Montoya on the outside row for the restart. That was all she wrote as it was Kevin Harvick who was able to make the move to the front on a green-white-checkered run to the finish; Montoya was left sitting fourth.

The Big Six: Questions Answered After The STP 400

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_Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered with each week with the answers to six race day questions, covering all five W’s and even the H…the Big Six._

*Who…gets my shoutout of the race?*

Running for the team that has suffered the most from Penske Racing’s change to Ford this year, *Aric Almirola* posted his second top-10 finish in the last two races on Sunday, coming home eighth. Almirola is a driver who has shown that he can run well if given a stable environment, and he has done that at Richard Petty Motorsports, despite the team being underfunded in comparison to its closest competitors in points.

The Big Six… Questions Answered After the NRA 500

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_Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered with each week with the answers to six race day questions, covering all five W’s and even the H…the Big Six_

*Who…gets my shoutout of the race?*

After getting a bombshell dropped on his team just before race time, *Brad Keselowski* had reason to be angry. And sometimes, an angry danger is a dangerous driver. But instead of letting them get the best of him, Keselowski was able to focus his emotions into a deeper drive on Saturday night, and with help from the free pass on the final caution, went out and took ninth place in the closing laps. If that’s what Keselowski does when he’s mad, Penske Racing needs to get someone to really piss him off come Chase time…

The Big Six: Questions Answered After the STP Gas Booster 500

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_Looking for the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How behind Sunday’s race? Amy Henderson has you covered with each week with the answers to six race day questions, covering all five W’s and even the H…the Big Six_

*Who…gets my shoutout of the race?*

Sometimes kudos are like potato chips; I can’t pick just one this week after a pair of drivers who started in the back of the pack simply manhandled their cars to the front after 500 long laps. Well, maybe “manhandled” is the wrong word, because *Danica Patrick* brought it to the front, gaining 20 spots on her official starting spot of 32nd to end up 12th at the checkers.

The Big Six: Questions Answered After The Auto Club 400

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There’s no doubt that Furniture Row Racing has come a long way from the days when they once failed to qualify for a Sprint Cup race because someone put a brake rotor on the car backwards before their run (yes, that really happened). With a fifth-place finish for *Kurt Busch* on Sunday, the Denver-based team, which hasn’t had a win since 2011 and has five top-5 finishes since its start in 2005, cemented itself as the best of the single-car teams (though it does have a strong enough satellite relationship with Richard Childress Racing to be considered a de facto fourth car) in the sport for the first time in its existence.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Food City 500 at Bristol

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The thing about Brad Keselowski that makes him a threat every place on the circuit is that he doesn’t let any racetrack beat him. You can’t look at past finishes and think, “Hey, a rival could really have a great day, because Keselowski isn’t that good here.” No sooner will the thought be formed than Keselowski will go out and prove it to be wrong by posting a stronger finish than he’s ever had before. That, really, is what makes him scary good, and a threat to win every time out. Sure, he’ll have his bad luck, but that rarely indicates a trend. Prior to his back-to-back Bristol wins (fall ’11 and spring ’12), Keselowski hadn’t even cracked the top 10 in three Cup races there, posting a best finish of 13th. Now, he’s a top pick. And he can do that anywhere.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Daytona 500

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Matt Kenseth looked like he might be the first driver to go back-to-back in the Great American Race since Sterling Marlin did it in 1994-’95. Kenseth led four times for a total of 86 laps and ran in the top group all day, until a drivetrain failure ended his race 51 laps early in 37th place. (Editor’s Note: The official cause listed on the results sheet was “engine;” Joe Gibbs Racing officials are still determining the ultimate culprit). Kenseth did nab the bonus point for leading the most laps, impressive for his debut with a new team but left Daytona 33rd in points. Realistically, that won’t hurt his title hopes, but it had to be deflating for a driver in his first race with brand-new sponsors and crewmen.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Budweiser Duels at Daytona

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The Duels aren’t points races, so nobody saw their title hopes go up in flames like you might see at Talladega in October. However, the week’s activities did leave a few drivers behind the eight-ball to start the season. In particular, Carl Edwards has suffered what could be an early season blow, beginning with a hard crash in preseason Daytona testing. Last week, practicing for the Sprint Unlimited, Edwards wrecked his car for that race, forcing him to go to his Daytona 500 backup. His team made preparations to return to Charlotte for a replacement, which was a smart move because they’d need it: Edwards suffered another practice crash before having his primary car turned into sheet metal spaghetti in the first Duel.