Which Was The Best, And Worst, Owner In 2011?

As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season has drawn to a close, many people are focusing on which driver was best, or which team made the most improvements, but how do the owners, garages and operations as a whole rank?

1.  Stewart Haas Racing- It should be a surprise to nobody that SHR was the best organization in 2011.  At least not now that the season is over.  SHR won the Championship, had 6 wins, had both drivers in the top 10 in points, and owner/driver dominated the victory lanes of the Chase races, winning 5 of 10.  Of course, resting on your laurels gets you nowhere, so Tony Stewart has removed his crew chief Darian Grubb and has added Steve Addington, former crew chief of Kyle Busch and most recently Kurt Busch.  Time will tell if Stewart has made a logical or an emotional choice with this change.

2.  Roush Fenway Racing- Ahh, I'm sure owner Jack Roush and driver Carl Edwards are tired of seeing their name by the number 2, but so be it.  RFR had 5 wins, 2 cars in the top 5 in points, finished runner up for the Championship, and their average points finish was 11th.  Had Edwards grabbed a win from Stewart during the Chase, their offseason would have been much sweeter.

3.  Hendrick Motorsports-  I cannot remember back far enough to tell you how long it has been since Hendrick was not the top organization in NASCAR.  Don't get me wrong, with both a 5 time and a 4 time Champ, HMS is not weak by any measurement.  In 2011, HMS had 5 wins, 3 cars inside the top 10 in points, and averaged a points finish of just over 10th.  One has to wonder just what changes are in store at HMS this offseason after the wholesale changes after the 2010 season.

4.  Richard Childres Racing-  Many people though that this organization would capture another Cup title in 2011 after Kevin Harvicks performance last year, backed up by his late-race charging wins this year.  However, after Harvick stumbled a little early in the Chase and Bowyer, Menard and Burton missed the Chase, this group is looking to improve in 2012.  RCR had 6 wins, 1 team in the top 5 in points, and had an average points finish of 13th.

5.  Penske Racing-  It seemed as though Penske may have regained some strenth in 2011.  Although he proved inconsistent throughout the season, Kurt Busch had some dominating races early in the season, and teammate Brad  Keselowski caught on fire, figuratively, of course, during the summer to surge into the Chase.  Penske finished with 5 wins, both drivers inside the top 12, and an average finish of 8th in the points.

6.  Joe Gibbs Racing-  With Hamlin, "Shrub", and "Sliced Bread", many think this team is the most underproducing organization in NASCAR.  They definitely have the talent, but with the 20 team of Logano growing cold, Hamlin struggling, and Busch holding it together only to come apart at the seams, JGR has much offseason work to do.  JGR finished with 5 wins, 2 drivers in the top 12 in points, and average a points finish of 15th.

7.  Richard Petty Racing-  Many would have laughed if they had been told that RPM would have finished as well as they have in 2011.  Although they are not dominating, Allmendinger finished strong in many races and Ambrose claimed RPM a win.  The two averaged a finishing points position of 17th, and have much to build upon for next year.  It is unlikely, however, that these two drivers can make it into the Chase without more consistent good finishes.

8.  Team Red Bull-  Although their existence is in doubt for the 2012 season, they were not the worst team in 2011, largely due to the performance of exiting driver Kasey Kahne.  Had they only had Brian Vickers on track to hit as many cars as he could, they would not have had their 1 win and a car finishing inside the top 15 in points.  The two teams averaged a final points position of 20th.

9.  Michael Waltrip Racing-  Already making big changes for 2012 by adding Clint Bowyer, removing Reutimann, and making other staff changes, MWR is need of improvement for next season.  Not only did they not win any races, but had they not had some strong finished in the Chase they would have been mostly invisible for the season.  MWR had one driver in the top 20 and averaged a final points position of 23rd.

10.  Earnhardt Ganassi Racing-  After last years performance at the premier races of Daytona and Indianapolis, few would have thought that EGR would have had such a dissapointing year in 2011.  Both of the drivers are coming back next year, so look for changes to take place both in the pit box and in the garage if EGR hopes to improve in 2012.  EGR had no drivers in the top 20 in points, and they averaged a final points position of 24th.

The obvious honorable mentions for this list would have to be for both Wood Brothers Racing and Furniture Row Racing.  Trevor Bayne and Regan Smith snagged huge wins for these two small operations.

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The Musical Chairs Of NASCAR

Every year, as the NASCAR season winds down, the Sprint Cup "silly season" begins to heat up again.  Most of the larger named drivers and teams try to have moves and plans nailed down by late summer at the latest, but most of the smaller teams have to make quick adjustments for the coming season late in the year.

This year is, of course, no different.  Most of us followed the signings of Carl Edwards and Danica Patrick as the larger ships to fall this year, but many questions are unanswered for several drivers heading into the offseason.

With the anticipated closing or reconfiguration at Red Bull Racing, Brian Vickers is currently awaiting come concrete plans for next year.  As Vickers' teammate, Kasey Kahne, is moving to the 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports, much curiousity has been given to what plans would Mark Martin have for 2012.  Now, with sources saying that Martin will be driving part time in the 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing, everyone is scrambling to see where David Reutimann will be driving.

The two current big question marks are Reutimann and David Ragan.  Roush Fenway Racing is currently saying that they are anticipating running 3 teams next year with the #6 running a partial schedule.  With that change, Reutimann and Ragan, both race winners, could be a great grab for some of the smaller NASCAR Teams.

As interesting as it is to see who is up for grabs, the possibilities of what seats may or may not come to fruition is astounding.  There with full time rides dropping at RFR, MWR, and probably at RCR with Bowyer leaving, some of the mid-tier two car teams may decide to add a seat to take advantage of a possible opening in the top 35. 

Richard Petty Motorsports has already voiced interest in the possibility of adding a 3rd team to their stable of Allmendinger and Ambrose.  Of course, they were toying with the possibility of an available Danica Patrick or Mark Martin at the time.  Also, Chip Ganassi may see an advantage to adding a car to his EGR stable as may Roger Penske with Penske Racing.

The fact is, there is a probability that going into the 2012 Sprint Cup season there will only be one 4 car team: Hendrick Motorsports.  The key reason for this is, of course, the lack of large sponsorship dollars needed to pay for a top tier team.  Will fields drop below 43, I doubt it, but there may well be a couple more start and park teams.

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The Most Boring Talladega Race Ever?

Yes, I said it.  I doubt I am the only one.  I am sure there will be plenty of reporters and comentators saying how great the two car racing is and how much the NASCAR fans love it.  My reply to them is best summed up by two words: Empty Seats.

Sure, some of you will say I am testy simply because Dale Jr. was relegated to another disappointing Talladega finish.  Perhaps you are correct, but let me finish.

I believe that NASCAR's premier series is best when they have 43 (or as close to 43 as they can get) competitive cars all racing to get their best finish.  No "team orders."  No need for a "partner." 

Yet this past Sunday we had about 20 teams competing.  We had drivers told not to help other makes (Ford, Chevy, Etc) so that drivers with their own make that are in the Chase would benefit.  (No, I am not just speaking of the Roush/Bayne situation, because I am sure it happened with other teams as well.)  We saw about half the field content with laying back until about 20 laps to go.  They were simply happy to just ride for about 170 laps to compete in the last 18. 

NASCAR, that is not competition.

After the race, Richard Childress made the point that the drivers are not on the track to simply ride around.  I am sure that his former driver of the #3 would totally agree.  Previously, Dale Jr. would have as well.  Although he and Johnson have laid back in the past 2 or 3 plate races, earlier in his career Junior prefered to be ahead of the "big one" rather than dodging it from the back of the pack.  Hopefully the Hendrick teams can see that laying back with this two car tandem racing may be easy to overcome with 100 laps to go, but not so easy when everyone else at the back is also trying to wake up and start racing in the final laps.

Don't get me wrong.   Although I do prefer the pack racing to this ridiculous two-car stuff, much of what I am complaining about would still occur.  Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would probably still have "hidden out" in the back.  Trevor Bayne would still have been scolded for helping Jeff Gordon.

Should NASCAR fix this non-racing and make Talladega competitive again or should they simply tell the drivers that Talladega will only be 30 laps next year so they can conserve fuel and quit wasting tires simply to make time for commercials.  How many fans actually watched all 188 laps anyway?  I did.  But I will admit that the last 30 were the only laps where all the cars were actually competing. 

Again... NASCAR, that is not competition.

How can NASCAR fix the restrictor plate races.  Can they remove the restrictor plates?  This is what many NASCAR purists would love.  "Let 'em loose," they would say.  But with safety being so paramount these days, NASCAR will not let the cars maintain a speed above 200 mph.  Although that would do away with pack racing and tandem racing, if NASCAR says its not going to happen, it is not going to happen.

There are other possible solutions.  Changing the shape of the front and/or rear bumpers so that "linking up" is much more difficult is a possibility.  Opening the Restrictor plate up much more so that the car's ability to produce horsepower by itself makes running in a pack less necessary.  Mandate that the air intakes on the front bumper be only in the center of the bumper, that would really screw up the two car tandems.  I am sure there are others, but NASCAR should know after this weekend that 1/64th of an inch more opening in the restrictor plate and lowering the pressure allowed on the cooling system by a few pounds makes absolutely no difference whatsoever.

Perhaps NASCAR should conduct a test with one car from each team and experiment with several packages on track.  Obviously the wind patterns on the "drawing board" don't react the same way they do at Talladega and Daytona.

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NASCAR’s Greatest Crew Chief

With the announcement this week of 5 new inductees into NASCAR’s Hall Of Fame, NASCAR has recognized some of its greatest competitors. The third induction class will include Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Richie Evans, Dale Inman and Glen Wood. Each of these people have stamped their name on NASCAR in many ways, but for most newer fans, the name of Dale Inman may be a mystery.

It is easily understood, however, that Inman could be relatively unknown to the casual fans of the past 20 years. After all, for most of his career he stood in the shadow of one of NASCAR’s largest heroes. Richard Petty won seven championships, 200 races, and will forever be known as the “King” of NASCAR. He dominated the sport for the better part of two decades. Yet much of his success may have never come about if not for Dale Inman.

Dale Inman, Petty’s first cousin, was the first person to personify what we associate today with title “Crew Chief.” He was Petty’s crew chief from 1960 until leaving the team after winning the Daytona 500 in 1981. He had 192 victories and 7 championships with Richard Petty, along with 10 straight, and 27 total in 1967. His ability to set up the 43 and to keep the handling to Petty’s liking in no small part helped Petty become the “King.”

After leaving Petty in 1981, Inman worked with Dale Earnhardt on the #2 Wrangler car for part of the season. Earnhardt, the defending champion, left the team mid-season due to an owner change, but had several top 5 finishes with Inman in what could have been a budding relationship. Earnhardt would go on to race for Richard Childress and win 6 more championships, while Inman would join Terry Labonte a few years later for Labonte’s first championship.

His role in creating the basis for the crew chief position, along with his 190 plus wins and 8 championships definitely makes Inman the most important, if not the best crew chief of all time.

There are those, such as Leonard Wood, who would later be credited as one of the best and smartest crew chiefs in NASCAR history. However, to place Wood, and others of that day, in context, they were generally hailed as great for finding a way to beat the 43. While Wood and others tried to outsmart other teams by being innovative, Petty, with Inman, simply dominated. They pounded out every race with consistent, powerful cars and a driver that often would assume the lead as if it were a birthright.

NASCAR fanatic or casual fan, anyone can appreciate the special ability and character it takes for a person to build the caliber of career that Dale Inman built over three decades. Not only did he work with a high caliber athlete, but he excelled with him consistently for 21 plus years as his crew chief. Then to top it off, he reached the top of the sport again with another driver. Well known or not, he was definitely the best.

Follow Joseph on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter

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Can Hendrick Motorsports Return To Victory Lane At Talladega?

No other owner has quite the amount of restrictor plate success in his garage as Rick Hendrick. Sure, Richard Childress can boast a good bit of success, both by the late Dale Earnhardt and in recent years with Kevin Harvick and Clint Boyer. However, he still comes up short of Hendrick’s 17 wins at Daytona and Talladega. If you add the wins that Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin had before coming to HMS, the team has the experience of 26 wins heading into this weeks race at Talladega.

What is somewhat surprising of late at the restrictor plate tracks is that HMS has not visited victory lane at either track in 14 races. From July of 2001 to October of 2007, the trio of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. won 15 of 26 plate races. Yet since 2007 they have been relegated to doing post race interviews barely within earshot of the victory party.

Even worse, in the 7 races since an HMS win on a restrictor plate track, the for teams have only added up a total of 6 top 5 finishes out of a possible 28. The good news for 88 fans is that 3 of those top 5’s were posted by their driver. The bad news is that the last time Junior posted a top 5 at Talladega was two years and four races ago.

As if the HMS teams needed any more discouragement for the coming race, they again have to return to 2 car pack racing. Since it started in 2010, the new “form” of plate racing has not smiled on HMS drivers. Although Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon showed some strength in the season opener at Daytona, they never were able to dominate the way they have so often. It is highly likely that, unless they want to rely on being lucky like the rest of the field, they will have to adapt some new strategy to regain their plate dominance.

If there is anyone out of the HMS stable that has concreted his Talladega strategy, it may be Jimmy Johnson. Although he has not had a top 5 there in 4 years, he has repeatedly had a solid top 10 in each of the last 4 chase races there. His strategy there seems to have been survive to the last lap then get all you can. No doubt this strategy is what Johnson will go with this fall, but in the current season where wins are premium to solidify a chase berth, look for some aggressive racing from each of the HMS drivers this weekend.

Be sure to follow Joseph Davis on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter !
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Preview Of 2011's Top 5 Sprint Cup Teams: #4- Richard Childress Racing

2010 had many ups and downs for the RCR stable.  They had a title contender, a driver trying to have a break through season, and a driver looking to remain relevant.

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!

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The 5 Busiest Teams In The Offseason

There are many teams that have much to accomplish in the offseason. The 2011 season holds many unknowns: what teams will be competing, who will be strong, and who will flop. These are the five I think have the most to sort out in the next 2 months.

#5. The #18 Team.  To say Busch had an up and down season in 2010 would be an understatement.  Busch had 3 wins and got into the Chase, which would make a good season for most drivers.  In the month of May alone, Busch had 2 wins and in points races had an average finish of 3rd.  However, in the final 10 races, Busch's average finish was a dismal 18th, with an average finish of 21st in the final five races.  The telling stat for Busch in the final 5 races is that his average starting position was 25th.  Something is wrong with the #18 team, and I doubt it will sit well with "Shrub" this off-season.

#4. Richard Petty Motorsports.  With drivers Ambrose and Allmendinger, whose average finishes in 2010 were 22nd and 19th respectively, Petty has the unenviable task of rebuilding a team that has been built, bought, reformed, and torn apart in the matter of a couple years.  He has lost the big sponsorship of Budweiser, and is reportedly keeping the sponsorship of Stanley and working on Best Buy.  Releasing employees, training new employees, and attempting to restructure two teams into competitors will make for a stressful off-season to say the least.

#3. The #31 Team.  Burton made the Chase in 2010, largely due to a string of good finishes in the Summer, but that is where the good news ends.  Although Burton seemed to have some strong cars during the season, victory lane always stayed out of reach.  With the arrival of the Chase, Burton's team fell apart.  Burton had one top five and one other top ten in the Chase with an average finish of 21st and an average finish of 27th in the final five races.  Burton seemed exhausted by Homestead.  Much work to do on the CAT Team for Richard Childress in order to bring them back to the success they had a couple years ago.

#2. The #11 Team.  Hamlin was very successful in 2010; he had an average finish of 13th for the season and 7th for the Chase.  There is not much work needed in the off-season, but that doesn't mean the Gibbs crew won't be busy.  Neither Hamlin nor Gibbs like second place, and they won't settle for a "so close" finish.  Look for the #11 Team to be less worried about extra wins going into the Chase, and more concerned about dominance in the last ten races.  I think they are probably studying the Knaus playbook.

#1. Hendrick Motorsports.  Obviously not the team that finished #1 in points, but definitely the 9th, 13th and 21st place finishers.  Between drivers learning to communicate with new crew chiefs, moving teams from one garage to the other, and figuring out who has which pit crew, there is much to do in the next two months.  The next issue is which personality will be dominant at the 48/88 garage?  The Champ or the most popular driver?  Good luck Mr. Hendrick, I hope it works!

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Two Dissapointed Drivers

I am sure  that everyone saw the "fight" between Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton at Texas Motor Speedway.  Although the confrontation added a little excitement to the race, I thought it was rather sad.  It allowed the fans to see just how disappointed these two drivers are in their seasons.

For Jeff Gordon, this may be only the second winless year in his career since his rookie year in 1993.  The last winless year was 1998, only two years ago, which may show that the "kid" may have lost his edge.  His dominance of the Hendrick stable is over, Jimmy Johnson is now "King" at Hendrick, other than Rick Hendrick, of course.

For Jeff Burton, he is winless since 2008.  His career at Childress has been good, but nowhere near where it was in his good years at Roush.  He provides much guidance and advice at Childress, but that may be part of the problem: he is seen as a driver who can teach, not a driver with a fire in his belly.

The two of these drivers were once Rookie of the Year, Gordon in 1993 and Burton in 1994.  Now they are coming to grips with what may be the twilight of their careers.

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