Experts Weigh In On Biggest Questions Heading To Watkins Glen

By ESPN

Our experts weigh in on four of the biggest questions in motorsports as the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series heads to Watkins Glen International:

Turn 1: Kyle Larson has finished outside the top 25 in four of the past six races. Is there any cause for concern?

Ricky Craven, ESPN NASCAR analyst: It's a little concerning because of the timing. I'd rather be in Kyle Busch's position with five races to go before the playoffs because he appears to be peaking at the perfect time. The No. 42 had its wings clipped a few weeks back prior to competing at New Hampshire. For that team's sake, you hope this doesn't take on a similar effect to the headwind the No. 22 team faced after being penalized postrace. The radio communication between the driver and his crew chief the next few weeks will tell us how challenged the No. 42 is. But, I still have Larson in the final four.

Ryan McGee, ESPN.com: The timing of if certainly isn't good. But in those other two races he finished second and if you went back seven races instead of six, he'd have a win to go with those two runner-ups. So, it ain't all bad.

Bob Pockrass, ESPN.com: Not too much, considering he started 40th and 39th in the other two races and finished second in both. Getting caught violating rules after Kentucky probably didn't help, but finishes at Indianapolis and Pocono (28th and 33rd) don't typically translate to results the rest of the season.

Matt Willis, ESPN Stats & Information: Concern is relative, because he has two runner-up finishes in that span, but there are a couple of signs that Larson hasn't been as strong. He has lost some of his qualifying magic, as he hasn't started in the top 15 in the past five races. And he hasn't gotten himself out front as much, seemingly losing some of the "class of the field" magic to Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. He has led only 10 laps in six races since his Michigan victory.
Turn 2: NASCAR won't let Cup drivers in the final eight Xfinity/truck races. Is that the right move?

Craven: Yes, it's the right move. The whole dynamic of the truck series has changed in terms of Cup driver participation. In the early days, there was curiosity and intrigue and Cup drivers were more eager to compete. Today it feels and appears more like a Class A baseball series -- the field filled with young aspiring talent sprinkled in with sage veterans such as Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton. To be sustainable and healthy, the truck series budget must operate like a Class A franchise and too many Cup drivers along with too much Cup technology puts that at risk.

McGee: Yes. Down the stretch with championships on the line, that's something that needs to be sorted out among the racers who are actually competing for that championship. I don't have an issue with the Cup guys running races earlier in the year. But in autumn, that should be the time for those who should have the spotlight to be in that spotlight without sharing it.

Pockrass: It's the right move for the sanctity of the playoffs and the poor optics of having Cup drivers win races and take playoff-advancing opportunities out of the hands of the drivers competing for the title. I would still like to see a system that gives more incentive to sponsors to couple backing a Cup driver with a young driver.

Willis: I've long been in favor of controlling the dominance of Cup drivers in the lower series, and think this is a great move. In the playoffs especially, it's important to see the series regulars getting a chance to settle their championship among themselves, and not having the champion finish in the back part of the top 10 at Homestead. To attract sponsors to young drivers, you have to let them shine. Occasionally beating the Cup guys is helpful, but to have series regulars constantly running back in the field and off TV doesn't help.
Turn 3: Chevrolet unveils its new Cup model next week. What do you want it to be?

Craven: I can't honestly say that it matters, but it used to when I competed as a driver. You wanted the newest, greatest hot rod available. Today cars are so tightly inspected, and since I'm not driving them, the manufacturer component doesn't excite me the way it once did.

McGee: A car without a splitter.

Pockrass: Camaro. Corvette is too fancy for NASCAR. Malibu and Impala are too pedestrian and not sporty enough for NASCAR.

Willis: I'll be honest, I'm not the car expert as some of the others on the panel. But I know one, ESPN segment producer/Formula 1 expert/former researcher/Simpsons fanatic Tom McKean, and he told me, "The Camaro. The muscle car category in America is hotly-contested right now and spotlighting the Camaro makes the most sense in my mind." I agree. Tom's a smart dude.

Turn 4: Danica Patrick has had four consecutive top-15 finishes. Is she making progress? Too little, too late?

Craven: I consider it outstanding progress ... as far as too little, too late. Sponsorships in NASCAR seem very challenging considering how well the economy is gaining traction, but Patrick cannot allow that to derail her progress as performance ultimately solves all problems. Patrick and the No. 10 team deserve credit for not folding under the early season pressures.

McGee: There's no question she's making progress. But yeah, feels like too little, too late. The reality is that she has run this well for a while but didn't have the finishes to show for it during the spring. Thus her chippiness at that time. Oh, the plot twist this could be. She was able to get to Cup and stay in Cup even with bad finishes because of sponsorship. Now she's running well and might be out of a ride ... because of sponsorship.

Pockrass: She will need to continue to show more consistency. In the past 10 races, she ranks 20th in points. If she can do that for another 10, that would show real progress. And it still might be too little, too late.

Willis: I think there has been progress, because it's not just the four straight top 15s, it's the seven finishes of 17th or better in the past nine races. She did that once in the first 12 races this season. And it's not just lucking her way into finishes, her average running position (the average of her position on each lap) has been better than 20th in five of the past six races, after doing so twice in the first 15 races. But is it enough for her to stay in that ride? It depends. If a driver who can provide better finishes and attract sponsors is there, Stewart-Haas would probably opt to go in that direction.