Roundtable - Why have road courses become so popular in NASCAR?

1. Now that Kyle Busch has the winless streak behind him, do you think he can be a contender to win the championship?

Jim: Absolutely. Even without the victory, Busch was assured a spot in the playoffs and had run well enough this season that he had the opportunity to earn wins even before Sunday's at Pocono. He has led the second-most laps this season behind series points leader Martin Truex Jr. - a sure sign he has the speed necessary to compete for the championship.

Lee: Absolutely. Clearly, Busch has the speed to accomplish the task. He leads the top with five poles. He’s led the second most laps — 1,114 circuits — and has been at the point in 16 of 21 races. Of the top 10 drivers in the Monster Energy Cup standings, Busch is one of four champions but the most recent to win a title. This team could get on a roll and make magic happen.

Nick: No doubt about it. Even before the win, he proved himself as a legitimate contender with his performance on the track. This is a team you shouldn't only consider as a threat, but mark down as one of the final four at Homestead.

Tim: I think Kyle Busch could be one of the final four at Homestead come November. He obviously has the talent and ability to get the job done. If he can get any amount of good luck at all during the playoffs, he should be a contender all the way to Miami.

2. As of this week, these drivers are 15-20 in the playoff standings with 13 winners so far (Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Erik Jones, Daniel Suarez). Of these six names, who are the four you think will be outside of the playoffs? Who has the best chance to make the playoffs of this group?

Jim: This is difficult to say simply because there are several - Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Erik Jones among them - who could easily pop into Victory Lane between now the start of the playoffs. Even Joey Logano could finally recover the speed he's been lacking and find his way back to Victory Lane. But as of this moment, I'll go with Bowyer and McMurray as the two who make it in of the current group.

Lee: Of the top drivers sans wins, I think the only two that are safe are Chase Elliott and Jamie McMurray. Kenseth trails McMurray by 21 points and following Bowyer’s wreck at Indy, he’s nearly a full race behind McMurray. I expect to see another winner in the next five races that will leave only two positions for drivers to transfer into the playoffs on points.

Nick: Another surprise winner will really change things, so it's tough to say. Pending anymore surprises, I'd put Suarez, Jones, Logano and Bowyer on the outside.

Tim: This is kind of hard to predict right now with several races to go and anything – as we’ve seen recently – can happen in these races. I think it will be Jamie McMurray and Joey Logano. I believe Logano will get a win before by Richmond and I feel McMurray is safe enough in the points.

3. Do you think Ryan Preece's recent NASCAR Xfinity Series win and podium finish in his other start for Joe Gibbs Racing will lead to another opportunity next season?

Jim: I would hope so. I have long been an advocate for young drivers to pool their resources and get part time rides in good equipment that can win rather than race full-time with a team that's not competitive. In my opinion, the best way to show what you can do is to do it in the best equipment possible. Ryan has certainly shown what he is capable of in the two Xfinity starts he's had at Joe Gibbs Racing this season. Surely, someone is paying attention.

Lee: Preece certainly proved that he deserves a shot in better equipment than he has raced in the past. Preece was surrounded by Xfinity Series regulars at Iowa Speedway last Saturday — and outran every last one. In his previous start in Joe Gibbs Racing equipment, he outran every driver except for Kyle Busch. An average finish of 1.5 is pretty tough to beat. While there are certain drivers currently locked into the manufacturer and team pipelines, Preece, 26, would be an upgrade for most teams.

Nick: It should. In fact, that runner-up finish is more impressive than the win in my opinion. He finished second to Kyle Busch and beat out other Cup drivers such as Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski. If those two races don't prove his worth, I don't know what will.

Tim: As someone who’s worked a lot with the young talent pool in NASCAR over the past several years, I would love to see several up-and-comers get the opportunity. While Preece was not a rookie in the series (and no offense Johnny Davis), but the equipment he was in before in the was not winning caliber. He proved that given the right situation, he is capable of getting it done. I hope someone takes notice and gives him a shot.

4. Watkins Glen has become one of the more popular stops on the NASCAR Cup schedule for competitors and fans alike. A decade ago, fans and most drivers hated the road courses. What do you think helped changed that mindset?

Jim: I think over time, the bumping and banging on road courses - in large part to double-file restarts - has taken the place of what many fans enjoyed seeing on short tracks like Bristol and Richmond. There's no question road course racing produces some of the most dramatic racing of the season, outside of Daytona and Talladega. I also think NASCAR drivers in general have become much better at road course racing the longer they have participated in it. The fact the Xfinity and Trucks also run road courses now has played a part in that development.

Lee: There really are no road course specialists any more. The best racers in NASCAR have had to adapt and become proficient at turning left and right. So in addition to improving the talent, the product is amazing. There’s not the aero push on a road course that the current cars develop with straight-line speed and road courses automatically promote side-by-side racing and drivers squeeze through the turns. Tempers appear shorter on road courses generally for the slower cars not moving out of the way. Using the front bumper is not only acceptable, it should be expected.

Nick: I remember being in the minority and loving road courses. It always baffled me why so many are against it. I think the reason for its surge in popularity is that they've recently put on some of the best shows of the year. While other tracks struggle to produce exciting on-track action, road courses need only throw the green-flag. You don't need track bite or a particular aero package to encourage passing. It just happens naturally.

Tim: I think the level of skill among the oval track racers just caught up and there’s less 'road course ringers’ in the field these days too. For whatever reason, the racing has been closer, more aggressive and more entertaining to the fans, which has helped change the view of road course events. Plus, I think as the current crop of drivers have worked to get better on road courses, the product has just been better.

5. Who do you think could surprise fans and win this weekend at Watkins Glen in the Cup Series and why?

Jim: I­­­n the last three races at the Glen, Joey Logano has finished second, first and sixth. I have a feeling the No. 22 Team Penske group is going to shock the NASCAR world with a in this weekend and turn the playoff seeding on its head.

Lee: While Martin Truex Jr. has never won at Watkins Glen he’s the only current driver other than AJ Allmendinger to lead laps while completing every race on the lead lap. His name just doesn’t come up in conversation they way Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano when discussing the best drivers at the Glen. In the last five races on the 2.45-mile circuit, Logano has earned the most points follow by Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Allmendinger and Kyle Busch.

Nick: You always have to keep an eye on A.J. Allmendinger, but Michael McDowell is another one I think people need to watch. That No. 95 team has really stepped it up in 2017 and McDowell is known for his road course prowess. Given the right strategy and a track position grab, he's a driver that could hold his own. A less-surprising choice would be Joey Logano, who desperately needs to find Victory Lane in order to salvage his season.

Tim: While it wouldn't be a total surprise to see Joey Logano in Victory Lane this weekend (he's won there several times before), but given the fact his team has been struggling recently, it would be a big victory. I also think we could see Kurt Busch surprise some people on Sunday.