NASCAR: Five predictions for Texas

FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 09: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe's Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /

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MARTINSVILLE, VA – OCTOBER 29: Cars race under the lights during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 29, 2017 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images) /

Texas Prediction #4 – Watch out for pit road speeding penalties

It is no secret that every inch helps in NASCAR. Any time a team can shave a few tenths of a second off of a lap, they will. It needs to be taken into consideration that pit road can be both a time saver and something that can ruin a team’s run all together. Each week, we hear over the broadcast about a team being penalized for speeding, causing them to have to have to start at the tail end of the field or serve a pass-through penalty.

With the high speeds at Texas, green flag pit stops will be increasingly difficult to manage. While wanting to stay ahead and gain an advantage, we could see teams penalized for being too quick on entry or exit or jumping the gun in one of the timing sectors. A pit road speeding penalty could be the difference between a playoff driver having a great finish and seeing his playoff hopes crushed.

If you watch the race this Sunday at Texas, pay close attention to the last pit stops. I have a feeling someone will push the limits a little too far and end up getting penalized for it. This penalty could essentially be the crime that costs a driver his chance at a win or even worse, a championship.

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