Now that the back to back short track races have been completed, it’s time for the Sprint Cup competitors to return to their more “normal” style of race tracks, in this case, the 1 ½ mile Bruton Smith speedway template at Texas Motor Speedway. Jack Raush’s Ford equipment generally is successful at such tracks. Carl Edwards won both Texas events in 2008. Given the Roush-Fenway fortunes the last few weeks, they need a real boost with their drivers racing for the win and finishing solidly in the top ten. Things are even gloomier in the Yates garage having to shut down the Travis Kvapil #28 team for lack of sponsorship and not locking into the top 35 while Paul Menard’s #98 team struggles and their partner, Hall of Fame racing, with Bobby Labonte barely cracking the top 20 with a #5 in Las Vegas, but a miserable 40th at Atlanta, but otherwise finishing somewhere around 20th in the remaining races.
While Kyle Busch has had some tough races so far this season, he is solidly in the top ten as is teammate, Denny Hamlin. The other Gibbs ride, the #20 Home Depot Toyota driven by Joey Legano shows just what a tough struggle the learning curve is from lower series to success at the Sprint Cup level. Aside from Las Vegas, his season has been a very difficult trial.
The shotgun marriage teams, Earnhardt-Ganassi and Richard Petty Racing (in truth the old Gillette/Evernham team bringing in the #43 legacy and Robbie Loomis) are producing mixed results. Earnhardt-Ganassi shows Juan Montoya in 14th place, but former DEI anchor after the departure of Junior, Martin Truex is struggling in 38th place. Aric Almirola, now racing full-time in the #8 car is buried in the go-or-go-home territory of 36th. The ride that was not even on the radar at the beginning of the season, the #34 car driven by John Andretti is in 33rd spot. Meanwhile, the Dodge boys racing for the King and a slew of investors has one top ten team, Kasey Kahne in 9th. A.J. Allmendinger is making the Red Bull operation look silly casting him off racing in 15th in his #44 ride. Elliot Sadler rides in 24th spot while Reed Sorenson carrying on the #43 legacy rests in 30th position.
There’s no question the Hendricks garage is pulling things together with Jeff Gordon desperately seeking his first win in over a year still commanding the top spot in points while Jimmie Johnson cracked the top five with his win at Martinsville. Mark Martin is starting to make his surge up the standings after being inexplicably snake-bitten in his early races now has two solid top ten finishes under his belt poised to break the top 25 or better with a good race in Texas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to be the mystery six races into his second year racing from the land of plenty. While inching closer to the chase zone in 16th position, the #88 team has had to attempt to account for far too many careless mistakes both driver and crew for what’s supposed to be champion capable operation.
Right now, the comeback driver of the year has to be Kurt Busch in the #2 Penske Miller Lite Dodge. With a victory in Atlanta and two more top ten finishes (and just missing with an 11th) the elder Busch is ahead of his brash little brother so far this season. He and his crew chief, Pat Tryson appear confident and prepared while the rest of the Penske operation struggles with Sam Hornish just barely in the top 35 and while David Stremme hangs around in 25th.
Tony Stewart’s entry into the ranks of ownership has to be considered a huge success. While Ryan Newman was riddled with bad luck early on especially at Daytona, he’s entered the top 20 on his way up with two consecutive top ten finishes showing improvement every week over the last. Meanwhile, the boss man, Senor Smoke himself stands solidly in the top ten finishing in the top ten in every race and now challenging for victories. With Hendricks equipment and the racing intellect and driving skill both drivers possess it will be interesting to see where they are after the September race in Richmond.
While Joe Gibbs Racing is Toyota’s primary team and Bill Davis racing has sold out, the other two Toyota teams, Michael Waltrip racing and Red Bull racing are now both competitive teams. David Reutimann, in 11th place, is a Chase contender who could be ready to score his first Cup win at any time. Ol’ Mikey who was the misfortunate laughing stock of NASCAR in his first year with his Toyota team is now a solid 17th in rank. For Red Bull, Brian Vickers is a solid competitor racing in position to be able to score the team’s first victory with just a little more mojo. Red Bull’s corporate decision to oust A.J. Allmendinger is looking like the most foolish move of the season as open whell stand out , Scott Speed, the series’ other rookie fumbles in 38th spot having to qualify to race.
Not to be ruled out, naturally, is Richard Childress Racing now a four car team. While it appeared chaser Clint Bowyer suffered a setback being transferred to the new #33 team surrendering the 07 Jack Daniels ride to newcomer, Casey Mears, he proudly stands in 2nd place with four top ten finishes and no finish worse than 19th. Kevin Harvick appears to still be pulling the pieces together but holds down a respectable 10th place. Jeff Burton is a little off the pace so far but given his professionalism and experience, he’ll certainly advance ahead of the 13th spot he currently occupies. So far, the new kid on the block, Casey Mears is the team’s one disappointment only managing to achieve 26th place.
Of the single car operations, Marcos Ambrose in the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota is king in 21st. Robby Gordon hangs around just inside the top 35, this year in a Toyota nailing down 31st spot. Beyond these two operations, the lack of sponsorship, a tough economy and the disadvantages of scale as single car teams has made 2009 especially cruel for the small independent rides. One has to wonder how much longer David Gilliland, Jeremy Mayfield and Joe Nemechek can continue. Owner Tommy Baldwin has a tough challenge getting his new team rolling as an owner rookie.
Finally, the Wood Brothers are officially a part time team this year with Bill Elliot only entering two races so far. They will race a limited schedule this year hoping to have Elliot’s past champion provisional as a security blanket should their qualifying speed not be good enough to make the field.
2009 has started as a very competitive season with no dominate team having emerged year, two victories a piece for Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch and victories for all four manufacturers will this year soon consolidate behind the super teams of Hendricks, Gibbs, Roush-Fenway and Childress dominating the top 12 chase bound teams or could the likes of Penske, Tony Stewart’s new team, Richard Petty racing, Michael Waltrip Racing or some dark horse join the elite fraternity?
The picture becomes clearer at Texas as it represents the kind of racing that dominates the Sprint Cup series. The boys take a week off for Easter or Nationwide racing the following weekend before finishing April going out west to Phoenix then their second restrictor plate race at the 2.6 mile Talladega speedway.
NASCAR brass must feel encouraged that there has been an ample crowd of drivers with more than enough rides to fill out the 43 car field each week so far, but as the expenditures pile up and the prospects look increasingly futile for the marginal teams. What will happen to the struggling one car operations or rides belonging to established owners that continue to fail to make the cut?
A lot will be settled before some NASCAR cowpoke gets to fire off the Texas style six shooters at race’s end on Sunday. Bring on the rattlesnake burgers, gents.
While Kyle Busch has had some tough races so far this season, he is solidly in the top ten as is teammate, Denny Hamlin. The other Gibbs ride, the #20 Home Depot Toyota driven by Joey Legano shows just what a tough struggle the learning curve is from lower series to success at the Sprint Cup level. Aside from Las Vegas, his season has been a very difficult trial.
The shotgun marriage teams, Earnhardt-Ganassi and Richard Petty Racing (in truth the old Gillette/Evernham team bringing in the #43 legacy and Robbie Loomis) are producing mixed results. Earnhardt-Ganassi shows Juan Montoya in 14th place, but former DEI anchor after the departure of Junior, Martin Truex is struggling in 38th place. Aric Almirola, now racing full-time in the #8 car is buried in the go-or-go-home territory of 36th. The ride that was not even on the radar at the beginning of the season, the #34 car driven by John Andretti is in 33rd spot. Meanwhile, the Dodge boys racing for the King and a slew of investors has one top ten team, Kasey Kahne in 9th. A.J. Allmendinger is making the Red Bull operation look silly casting him off racing in 15th in his #44 ride. Elliot Sadler rides in 24th spot while Reed Sorenson carrying on the #43 legacy rests in 30th position.
There’s no question the Hendricks garage is pulling things together with Jeff Gordon desperately seeking his first win in over a year still commanding the top spot in points while Jimmie Johnson cracked the top five with his win at Martinsville. Mark Martin is starting to make his surge up the standings after being inexplicably snake-bitten in his early races now has two solid top ten finishes under his belt poised to break the top 25 or better with a good race in Texas. Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to be the mystery six races into his second year racing from the land of plenty. While inching closer to the chase zone in 16th position, the #88 team has had to attempt to account for far too many careless mistakes both driver and crew for what’s supposed to be champion capable operation.
Right now, the comeback driver of the year has to be Kurt Busch in the #2 Penske Miller Lite Dodge. With a victory in Atlanta and two more top ten finishes (and just missing with an 11th) the elder Busch is ahead of his brash little brother so far this season. He and his crew chief, Pat Tryson appear confident and prepared while the rest of the Penske operation struggles with Sam Hornish just barely in the top 35 and while David Stremme hangs around in 25th.
Tony Stewart’s entry into the ranks of ownership has to be considered a huge success. While Ryan Newman was riddled with bad luck early on especially at Daytona, he’s entered the top 20 on his way up with two consecutive top ten finishes showing improvement every week over the last. Meanwhile, the boss man, Senor Smoke himself stands solidly in the top ten finishing in the top ten in every race and now challenging for victories. With Hendricks equipment and the racing intellect and driving skill both drivers possess it will be interesting to see where they are after the September race in Richmond.
While Joe Gibbs Racing is Toyota’s primary team and Bill Davis racing has sold out, the other two Toyota teams, Michael Waltrip racing and Red Bull racing are now both competitive teams. David Reutimann, in 11th place, is a Chase contender who could be ready to score his first Cup win at any time. Ol’ Mikey who was the misfortunate laughing stock of NASCAR in his first year with his Toyota team is now a solid 17th in rank. For Red Bull, Brian Vickers is a solid competitor racing in position to be able to score the team’s first victory with just a little more mojo. Red Bull’s corporate decision to oust A.J. Allmendinger is looking like the most foolish move of the season as open whell stand out , Scott Speed, the series’ other rookie fumbles in 38th spot having to qualify to race.
Not to be ruled out, naturally, is Richard Childress Racing now a four car team. While it appeared chaser Clint Bowyer suffered a setback being transferred to the new #33 team surrendering the 07 Jack Daniels ride to newcomer, Casey Mears, he proudly stands in 2nd place with four top ten finishes and no finish worse than 19th. Kevin Harvick appears to still be pulling the pieces together but holds down a respectable 10th place. Jeff Burton is a little off the pace so far but given his professionalism and experience, he’ll certainly advance ahead of the 13th spot he currently occupies. So far, the new kid on the block, Casey Mears is the team’s one disappointment only managing to achieve 26th place.
Of the single car operations, Marcos Ambrose in the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota is king in 21st. Robby Gordon hangs around just inside the top 35, this year in a Toyota nailing down 31st spot. Beyond these two operations, the lack of sponsorship, a tough economy and the disadvantages of scale as single car teams has made 2009 especially cruel for the small independent rides. One has to wonder how much longer David Gilliland, Jeremy Mayfield and Joe Nemechek can continue. Owner Tommy Baldwin has a tough challenge getting his new team rolling as an owner rookie.
Finally, the Wood Brothers are officially a part time team this year with Bill Elliot only entering two races so far. They will race a limited schedule this year hoping to have Elliot’s past champion provisional as a security blanket should their qualifying speed not be good enough to make the field.
2009 has started as a very competitive season with no dominate team having emerged year, two victories a piece for Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch and victories for all four manufacturers will this year soon consolidate behind the super teams of Hendricks, Gibbs, Roush-Fenway and Childress dominating the top 12 chase bound teams or could the likes of Penske, Tony Stewart’s new team, Richard Petty racing, Michael Waltrip Racing or some dark horse join the elite fraternity?
The picture becomes clearer at Texas as it represents the kind of racing that dominates the Sprint Cup series. The boys take a week off for Easter or Nationwide racing the following weekend before finishing April going out west to Phoenix then their second restrictor plate race at the 2.6 mile Talladega speedway.
NASCAR brass must feel encouraged that there has been an ample crowd of drivers with more than enough rides to fill out the 43 car field each week so far, but as the expenditures pile up and the prospects look increasingly futile for the marginal teams. What will happen to the struggling one car operations or rides belonging to established owners that continue to fail to make the cut?
A lot will be settled before some NASCAR cowpoke gets to fire off the Texas style six shooters at race’s end on Sunday. Bring on the rattlesnake burgers, gents.
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