12:10 AM
JD
For Harvick, 2010 will leave a sour taste in his mouth for years. Had there not been a Chase format. Had he been given more points for winning the regular season. Had Jimmie Johnson's hauler just not made it to the track... Harvick did, however, have a phenomenal season. He led the points into the Chase, had 3 wins, and had an average finish of 4.0 in the last 5 races. Harvick will come out in 2011 with a "chip" on his shoulder, which may not bode well for those ahead of him on-track.
Bowyer had both a great and aggravating 2010. For example, he had 2 wins and a 2nd during the chase that sandwich 4 finishes between 15th and 38th. Bowyer had 12 finishes between 12th and 25th, 10 of which he finished on the lead lap. If Bowyer wants to break through to the top level of Sprint Cup drivers, he will have to transform some of those mid pack finishes into top ten finishes. The start of 2011 could go either way for Bowyer who was both hot and cold during the Chase of 2010. Hopefully, however, his 150 point penalty toward the end of 2010 will give him some motivation.
Although most drivers would trade their season for Jeff Burton's 2010, he was one of the most disappointed at the end of 2010. Yes, he made the Chase, but with no wins and an absolutely dismal Chase performance, Burton was glad to see 2010 end. Burton did have some good moments, however, he had 8 out of 11 finishes in the top 12 from June through August and 2010 was much better than the 17th place points finish in 2009. Look for Burton to break back into the win column in 2011, but possibly missing the Chase if he cannot reproduce the success he had this Summer.
A newcomer to RCR in 2011, Paul Menard, has finally got some success to build upon and something to build with. During the Chase, Menard was constantly battling to get in the top 10, although he sometimes faded at the end. In 2011, Menard will have tools behind him he did not have with RPM nor when he was the third car at the old DEI. However, great support demands success, and Menard will have to improve upon the 7 top ten finishes he has in the last 4 years of racing. I look for some initial success for Menard, due to excitement of being with RCR, but not much for 2011 as a whole.
Look for two of the four RCR drivers to make the Chase (unless it is expanded to 15). Kevin Harvick will definitely make the Chase, so Bowyer and Burton will have to scrap it out for that other spot!
Posted in: Clint Bowyer,Jeff Burton,Kevin Harvick,Nascar,Nascar Blog,Race,Racing,racing blog,Richard Childress,Sprint Cup
2 comments:
I look for Harvick to finally break through and end Johnson's phenomenal run of championships. I see him getting at least a half dozen wins and a slew of top 5's.
Harvick got a good jump with the "let's have at it boy's". This year however everyone is on the same page. There are a number of drivers who have long memories and Harvick may find himself bumped out of contention in some races. He'll probably make the chase but may find himself in a rooty/busch situation.
Post a Comment