NASCAR Cup Series

Baby steps: Stewart, Kurt Busch finally pointed in right direction

Published Jun. 11, 2014 9:16 a.m. ET

Larry McReynolds

Even though he won once already this year, Kurt Busch has struggled with his new team, but it looks like both he and Tony Stewart, who has also struggled, are both starting to come around. Both had fast cars this past weekend at Pocono. They both led the race and Kurt came home with a great third-place finish.

Even though his pit road spending penalty ruined his chances at winning and he ended up only 13th, we've been seeing some blips from Tony that he was returning to his normal self on the track. Up until last year when Tony won at Dover, he has really struggled there. Even though he didn't win there this year, he still had a very solid weekend. Then again, this past weekend in practice, qualifying and, as I mentioned, in the race, Tony was strong.

I don't know that everyone gave Tony enough slack coming back when he did in February of this year after not even being fully recovered from his wreck in 2013. While all these other drivers were off testing anywhere and everywhere they could with the new 2014 rules package, Tony was still doing rehab on his leg. Throw on top of that, Tony has a new crew chief this year in Chad Johnston and they never really got a chance to work on their chemistry with any testing, either.

Obviously when you have a car in your stable that is running as well as the No. 4 car is, then you have to look at what they are doing. I know that both Tony and Chad tried to mirror what Kevin Harvick was doing, but I think they finally have realized it simply isnât the feel that Tony is looking for. So I think it's been a combination of trying to get back to what Tony looks for in a race car, plus the growing communication/chemistry between a new driver/crew chief combo. I think we are starting to see it coming together for them.

This past weekend had to also be a big deal for Kurt Busch and his team. They had a solid day two weeks ago at Dover, but honestly, it was nothing spectacular. Yes, he has won a race, but the guy has had five DNFs in the first 14 races of the season. Let me put it into perspective how the struggle has gone for Kurt and that team. Until Sundayâs third-place finish, Kurt's 18th-place finish the week before at Dover was his best finish since he won Martinsville back on March 30.

Pocono was just what the doctor ordered for that team. They were good in practice. They just missed sitting on the pole by two one-thousandths of a second. They were good all day long at Pocono with Kurt leading five laps. Obviously they can't be running through the halls of Stewart-Haas Racing this week ringing the bells proclaiming they have it figured out now, but they definitely will roll into Michigan this weekend with a lot more confidence than I wager they had when they rolled into Pocono.