Even though the NASCAR Silly Season has quieted down some, there are still plenty of rumors floating around. Here are a few of the bits we’ve heard over the last week or so.
Catch Can Man Back in April we told you that NASCAR was considering eliminating the catch can man for both the Nationwide and Cup Series just like they did for the Truck Series for the 2010 season. For the CWTS, NASCAR implemented a new style gas can that self vented and didn’t require the use of a catch can. We are hearing now that NASCAR has scrapped the idea for the Cup Series, but that they will implement this rule for the NNS for the 2011 season. We are not yet clear on whether this means NASCAR will also allow less than seven crew members over the wall, because we have heard that may not change. What it does do is scrap the catch can position and will probably slow down pit stop times.
More on the new Turner Motorsports We reported a little over a week ago via Twitter that we’d heard the Braun Racing sale to Steve Turner was a done deal. Journo even included that info in his recent post about Mr. Turner. More details are emerging about the deal and what this new Turner Motorsports will most likely be. First, we’ve heard that the team will still probably run 3-4 Nationwide cars next season, and that they may expand their Truck Series program to three teams. We’ve also heard that the team will utilize Chevrolet equipment, and that the current fleet of Braun Toyotas will be switched over. Look for James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson, and Brian Scott to all continue driving for the team, with the rest of the seats still up in the air.
Marc Davis returns at Dover After a failed attempt to get back on track earlier in the season at Las Vegas, we are hearing that R3 Motorsports has reached a deal to run Marc Davis in their #23 Nationwide car at Dover. It will be Davis’ first NASCAR start since Homestead at the end of 2009 and his first NNS start since June of ’09. Davis will be the fifth different driver for R3 this season, with Robert Richardson Jr, Alex Kennedy, Coleman Pressley, and Johnny Sauter having shared the ride. Expect an announcement from the team this week.
Like we always do here at TNI, we will keep you posted if we hear more as these stories develop.
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Over the last several seasons, the Camping World Truck Series has been dominated by the old guard. Names like Ron Hornaday, Johnny Benson, Todd Bodine, Ted Musgrave, and Bobby Hamilton have been inscribed on the championship trophy at years end. This season however, the landscape of the Truck Series may be changing.
I want to start off by giving you an interesting stat. Through the first ten races of the 2010 season, Ron Hornaday is winless. It’s the longest opening stretch of races he’s ever gone in his CWTS career without winning a race. For Hornaday and KHI, that’s a very big deal. While Hornaday still sits third in the points standings, this winless streak appears to have taken its first victim. Jayski is reporting that crew chief Doug George has left KHI. Harvick expects the #33 Chevy to be competing for wins every week, so this move doesn’t come as a shock. No word yet on who might replace George.
The other moderate surprise this season has been the struggles of Mike Skinner. After winning three races in 2009, Skinner currently sits sixth in the standings and his best finish was fourth at Texas. On top of that, he hasn’t been a real threat to win in any race this season. I say moderate with Skinner, because on some level his performance isn’t surprising. His #5 Randy Moss Motorsports team has been in disarray since it lost crew chief Eric Phillipsto Kyle Busch Motorsports before the season started.
So who has been winning races while Hornaday and Skinner struggle? Besides at least one win by Todd Bodine, Kevin Harvick, and Kyle Busch, the story of 2010 has been the new faces. Aric Almirola, Timothy Peters, Austin Dillon, and Johnny Sauter have all scored at least one victory, and any of these guys could legitimately challenge for the championship.
Starting last weekend at Iowa Speedway, the Truck Series now starts into a summer stretch of races that will go nine straight weeks. With only ten races currently in the books, a lot can and will change over the next nine weekends. While you can never count the veterans out, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Truck Series had a first time champion in 2010.
As NASCAR has struggled through the last year, and teams have closed up shop leaving drivers without a ride, I had to ask myself why more out of work drivers didn’t make the jump to a lower series?
At the risk of alienating people, I’ll refrain from specifically naming any drivers I think could stand to make a move, but I think the situation poses some real questions.
Is it demeaning to move down? Is it really better to run a start a park in the Cup Series? Is it better to run in the back? Is it better to not make races? I think the answer to all of those is no.
As diverse as the driver list could potentially be I think they easily fall into two categories: (1) the older driver who just isn’t as strong as he used to be; and (2) the younger guy who was rushed into the top series. Both are clinging to what remains of their moment in the sun, not realizing there could be better opportunities elsewhere.
Look at the cases of the drivers who have made a move back to a lower series and been successful. Ron Hornaday spent one full season in the Cup Series and several more in the Nationwide Series. Since returning to the truck series full time in 2005 Hornaday has won 19 races and one championship. He’s revitalized his career.
Or how about Mike Skinner? He spent seven-ish full time seasons in the Cup Series, five with Richard Childress. In 2004 Skinner returned to the truck series with Bang! Racing (which eventually became part of Bill Davis Racing). Since that time Skinner has won 12 races.
The two above aren’t alone either. How about Ted Musgrave, Jack Sprague, Brendan Gaughan, or Johnny Benson? Does anyone find anything shameful in them stepping away from the Cup Series? Absolutely not.
Even this season we saw Johnny Sauter and Aric Almirola find opportunities in the Truck Series.
Sauter, after five full seasons in the Nationwide Series made his move to the Cup Series with Haas CNC in 2007. After a tough year, Sauter was dropped at the end of the season and spent 2008 bouncing around NASCAR. He found a permanent home this season at ThorSport Racing. And you know what? Johnny looks like a guy who’s undergone a rebirth. He’s consistently running upfront now, and even captured his first ever Truck Series win a couple of weeks ago at Las Vegas.
When #8 team ran out of money earlier this year, Almirola was out of a ride. Committed to finding something he was in the garage every weekend. Billy Ballew gave Almirola a part time schedule in one of his trucks and he’s run well.
I guess what I’m saying is, there is no shame in admitting your career has run its course somewhere. When that happens find something new and adapt to your situation. And you never know, that move could just catapult back to the top.