Tony Stewart’s resurgence among NASCAR’s key storylines

Barring a surprise winner replicating Chris Buescher’s shocking, weather-aided victory at Pocono Raceway, the 16-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup field appears virtually solidified.

Nonetheless, plenty of intrigue remains as the Sprint Cup Series enters a run of 14 consecutive races that includes four regular season events and the 10-race playoffs. Here are the key storylines to watch as NASCAR hits its home stretch.

Will the Toyotas ever slow down?

While Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch have demonstrated remarkable consistency, and Team Penske’s Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano have come on strong during the summer, the 2016 season thus far has been defined by the utter dominance the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing and technical partner Furniture Row Racing have exhibited.

Coming off his first series crown, Kyle Busch has shown no championship hangover, tying for the series lead in wins and ranking second in laps led. JGR teammates Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin have two victories apiece, while FRR’s Martin Truex Jr. stomped the field in winning at Charlotte in May (leading a NASCAR record 582 miles) and would have several more checkered flags were it not for various missteps and bad luck.

So though NASCAR is cyclical, with the teams that are strong inevitably coming back to the pack and those lagging find a way to close the gap, there is every reason to think the Toyotas will remain hard to catch. Busch, Kenseth, Edwards, Hamlin and Truex are all bona fide title contenders capable of winning on any style of track, and it would surprise no one if JGR became the first team to place two drivers in the Chase’s championship round.

What’s going on with Hendrick Motorsports?

Usually Hendrick Motorsports holds the status as NASCAR’s best organization, but after a solid start to the season the fortunes of the once four-car juggernaut have nosedived considerably. Consider:

Opinions vary as to why Hendrick is slumping, but Harvick and Busch continually running up front indicates the issue doesn’t center on a perceived horsepower disadvantage within the Chevrolet camp. Hendrick’s lack of competitiveness is more about getting its cars constructed to the liking of its drivers, something Johnson hoped Jeff Gordon’s unexpected return could help address.

Avoiding mistakes would also go a long way to furthering a turnaround. Johnson and the No. 48 team have been uncharacteristically sloppy on pit road with penalties incurred in seven of the past nine races, while Elliott has crashed in four of the past six races. It’s hard to record good finishes when you continually have to rally from behind.

Can Tony Stewart retire as the reigning champion?

For much of the past two-and-a-half years, Tony Stewart simply looked old. Like a driver whose better days were clearly behind him and with little hope of recapturing his former glory.

And now? Stewart’s present form resembles the Stewart of old. He has a win, a second, three fifths and a seventh over the past eight races, results which would be even better had the three-time Cup Series champion not crashed at Daytona (finished 26th) and sped on pit road at Indianapolis (11th).

How will silly season play out?

The annual puzzle of which drivers, teams and manufacturers will end up where for the following season has already seen significant announcements by Stewart-Haas Racing (switching from Chevrolet to Ford) and Furniture Row Racing (the addition of a second car for rising star Erik Jones), but additional jockeying is likely on the horizon.

Ryan Newman’s three-year contract with Richard Childress Racing is up, and with the team keen to promote Ty Dillon from the Xfinity Series ranks, he could find himself the odd man out. Were this scenario to unfold, Newman’s options would be quite limited, with most prominent organizations either having its rosters set or lacking the necessary funds to expand.

One option for Newman could be Chip Ganassi Racing, where Jamie McMurray’s contract is also set to expire. However, swapping Newman for McMurray, who’s a favorite of team owner Chip Ganassi, would net little increase in performance.

Other potential moves to watch for: Paul Menard re-signing with RCR; what HScott Motorsports does to replace Clint Bowyer, who’s leaving to replace the retiring Stewart at SHR; whether underachieving Richard Petty Motorsports overhauls its driver lineup.