Beyond the Flag
Fansided

NASCAR: Five Predictions for the Go Bowling 400 at Kansas

By Michael Guadalupe

Oct 18, 2015; Kansas City, KS, USA; A over all view of Kansas Speedway prior to the Hollywood Casino 400. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; Kansas City, KS, USA; A over all view of Kansas Speedway prior to the Hollywood Casino 400. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Both Dale Jr. and Jimmie Johnson failed to make a qualifying run. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Both Dale Jr. and Jimmie Johnson failed to make a qualifying run. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Drivers Who Didn’t Make Qualifying Will Struggle in The Back

A total of 11 drivers failed to make qualifying for the Go Bowling 400. Included in those 11 are some big name drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer.

So how did some of NASCAR’s best end up missing qualifying?  They had issues with pre-qualifying inspection and by the time they were cleared, it was already too late; qualifying had ended and now these drivers will need to start the race from the back on Saturday night.

Jimmie Johnson didn’t seem too worried about starting from the back, saying:

"“A lot of cars had trouble. I don’t know what lies in all of that, but I’m not the best at qualifying anyway, so this takes all the pressure off of me.” H/T Fox Sports"

And while the 7-time champ might not be feeling the pressure of qualifying, he could end up feeling the pressure during the race.

These drivers are at a huge disadvantage starting from the back during the Go Bowling 400. Not only will they have to work their way through the field to try to make it to the front, they will have even less room for error on pit road since they can’t afford to lose positions.

They also have to worry about getting caught up in any accidents that happen mid-pack. And unless anyone has an extremely fast car, the only way t that any of them can get to the front at Kansas is if they play a pit road game and choose to pit when others do not and choose not to pit when others do.

Failing to make a qualifying run is going to turn out to be a problem for some of NASCAR’s top drivers on Saturday night as they struggle to make it to the front during the Go Bowling 400.

Home/NASCAR