Your questions answered on NASCAR’s All-Star Race, Kyle Busch’s possible return date, the struggles of Roush Fenway Racing and more.
Although there may not have been any Sprint Cup, Xfinity or Truck Series races this past weekend, that doesn't mean the April version of the NASCAR mailbag is lacking a shortage of topics to cover. As always if you have a question you want answered, you can do so via Twitter or by emailing jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.
What's the point of the All-Star Race? It used to be something unique and different, but it's now the same as every other race.
-- Chad
Agreed, the luster and allure of what used to be something special is long gone. Take the All-Star Race and compare it to just about any other speedway race and really, what's different? Not much, if anything. Charlotte used to be the lone intermediate oval run under the lights. Now it's commonplace, with seven 1.5-mile tracks currently staging night races -- including two others at Charlotte.
Further blurring the novelty is the expanded field that assures nearly every name driver competes and the de-emphasizing of points-racing, which used to be the All-Star Race's hallmark where winning was all that mattered. And in an effort to mind some kind of cure-all NASCAR has continually tweaked the format, except all that's done is create confusion among fans and competitors alike.
All this brings us to the next question.
If everyone is bored with the All-Star Race why not just cancel it or even better, move it elsewhere?
-- Mick
Even in spite of its many warts, NASCAR isn't going to cancel what has become a yearly tradition and one of the more anticipated events of the season.
However, the idea of moving the All-Star Race to different track carries merit. It would help restore the missing distinctiveness and be a way to push into new or underserved markets. Think Iowa Speedway, which doesn't currently have a Cup date and isn't going to get one anytime soon, or Las Vegas Speedway, where track owner Bruton Smith has long clamored for a second race.
Going even further, fans almost universally acknowledge road courses offer some of the best races each season. Therefore, what about having Road America or Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal host the All-Star Race? That without question would create anticipation, excitement and a must-watch event.
Quick, someone get Brian France on the phone.
Say David Ragan were to win a race subbing for Kyle Busch then switches to a different team when Kyle comes back. Does Ragan still make the Chase and if so, what happens to Joe Gibbs Racing? Wouldn't the 18 team essentially be forfeiting a Chase spot?
-- Geoff
A popular question, so to clarify Ragan would not lose his Chase eligibility just because he jumped to a different organization. There is no provision a driver must remain with the same team for the duration of the season.
As for JGR, its No. 18 team would still qualify for the owners' Chase, which is separate from the drivers' championship, despite utilizing a different driver. The possibility of split driver and owner champions would then exist, something that's occurred numerous times over the years in the Xfinity and Truck Series ranks.
What's interesting is if Ragan were to reach Victory Lane is the potential impact it could have on Busch's potential return.
Right now there's no timetable on when Busch will get back in the car. The compound fracture he suffered in the lower right leg is similar to the injury Tony Stewart sustained in 2013, which took him six months to be healthy enough to return and even then, he's still not 100 percent. A best guess is Busch doesn't come back until sometime in August.
But operating under the above scenario, if Ragan does win JGR would then face a dilemma. Does it jettison playoff eligible driver just weeks before the start of the Chase, or does it delay Busch's return to make a run at the championship and retain Ragan? In this case, the wisest move is keeping Ragan in the 18 car, while Busch works his way back into form by running Xfinity and truck races.
Why is Regan Smith the go to sub whenever a team needs a driver?
-- Russ
Smith is certainly in demand when a team needs a last-minute relief driver. Since 2012, Hendrick Motorsports, Stewart-Haas Racing (twice) and Chip Ganassi Racing have all employed Smith's services and in every instance, he got the nod to fill-in no more than a few days in advance.
As for why Smith is so popular the answer is multifold. First, he's a good driver with a vast amount of Cup experience. Owners want someone who's capable and won't overdrive, a description that fits the 31-year-old perfectly.
Secondly, it helps Smith drives fulltime for JR Motorsports, which like SHR, gets its cars and engines from Hendrick, who Smith also acts as a test driver. That familiarity goes a long way to explaining why he has had much success as a standby for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch.
And lastly, if a team is in a pinch there pickings are kind slim. There aren't an abundance of veterans available, especially in the Chevrolet camp -- which Hendrick, SHR and Ganassi all represent. Essentially, Smith is the only viable option.
So when is this big Roush (Fenway Racing) rebound everyone said was going to happen? I thought the team was supposed to be better this season and instead they've worse, which I didn't think was possible. I bleed Ford and unless Brad (Keselowski) or Joey (Logano) do well, I know a Chevy is likely to win.
-- Davis
During the offseason everyone associated with Roush was optimistic it had significantly improved after a dismal 2014 showing. The organization underwent an extensive reshuffling of personnel and recommitted itself on the engineering side, an area the team felt were at the core of its problems.
But everyone involved also cautioned it would take some time before the gains would show on the track and thus far through six races that has proved to be true. Of its three drivers, only Greg Biffle has recorded a top-10 finish and he's led all of two laps while Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have been out front for zero times. The woebegone performance has gotten so bad, Biffle remarked Roush was "dying a slow death" after the team struggled in qualifying at Auto Club Speedway.
Outside of the engineering aspect, compounding the feeling that Roush is an organization on the decline is its inability to effectively replace Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, each of whom wisely fled to JGR.
When Kenseth left, Stenhouse, a two-time Xfinity champion, was supposed to represent the future. Instead, he's regressed. After a solid rookie 2013 rookie season where he placed 19th in points, Stenhouse finished 27th overall last season and currently sits 28th. A lack of car control and patience continues to plague him almost weekly.
As for Bayne, 2015 is his first full season so there will be expected growing pains. Even then, there is serious doubt whether he's anything more than a journeyman. His Xfinity record is spotty with just a pair of victories and in limited Cup starts he's rarely impressed. Bottom-line, Bayne's given no indication he can adequately match Edwards' vast production, who regularly won races and challenged for the championship.
Hopefully Davis, this didn't make even more despondent about Roush's future. At least Team Penske is doing well.
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