NASCAR on TV this week

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond

Kyle Larson continued to show that he’s not only a threat for Rookie of the Year honors, but also for winning. Larson got the top starting spot by virtue of his practice speed after qualifying was rained out, part of showing speed and prowess all weekend long. Unfortunately for Larson, he got tagged by Bowyer on the first lap of the race which dropped him to the rear of the field. Larson was able to recover somewhat to finish 16th, still good for Rookie of the Race honors, but clearly lacked the confidence and speed to get back to the front after that moment.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Duck Commander 500 at Texas

On a weekend when, once again, rain changed the game, in the end, the real game changer was Kurt Busch’s blown tire just before the white flag. At first, many questioned the caution as it appeared that Busch had gotten his slowing car onto the apron, but television replays showed that the left rear tire on the No. 41 came apart, shredding the car’s quarterpanel. Debris quickly spewed all over the asphalt, and some made its way onto the racing surface. The caution was a good call, and it set up a green-white-checkered run that a year or two ago would have been much different.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2014 Daytona 500

He didn’t quite have what it took to get by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the trifecta, but Denny Hamlin was stellar throughout Speedweeks, winning the Sprint Unlimited and his Budweiser Duel before coming home second in the 500. Hamlin, who also finished 2013 with a win at Homestead, is trying to bounce back from a back injury suffered in a crash at Auto Club Speedway last season. Hamlin made the decision not to have surgery on his back after fracturing a vertebra in the incident, and many questioned his decision as he struggled for most of the season following a return to the seat.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2013 Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

The good news is that nobody had to worry about points on Saturday night. The bad news is that many teams come to Daytona with three cars: their Sprint Unlimited car, Daytona 500 car and Daytona 500 backup. After a practice wreck, some teams could be left scrambling. Carl Edwards’s team already loaded his Unlimited car on a hauler bound for Charlotte after his practice wreck; they’ll fix it, hang new sheetmetal, and bring it back to serve as the Daytona 500 backup as Edwards was forced to pull his original second car out for Saturday’s race.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead

For possibly the first time ever, Dale Earnhardt Jr. snuck up for a good finish. Usually, it’s impossible for Earnhardt to fly under the radar in a race. But this week, with the spotlight on his teammate and his former employee running for the Cup, Earnhardt did just that, finishing 10th after running mid-pack for most of the day.