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We entered this season with a lot of great drivers at the end of their contracts. Among them were Greg Biffle, Brian Vickers, Carl Edwards and Clint Bowyer. Biffle has already re-signed with Roush Fenway, but the other three are still without contracts for next year and beyond.
While they hold out to weigh their options, I suspect they’re not finding a whole lot out there. The issue isn’t whether there are seats available but if there are seats available that improve upon the drivers’ current situations.
The prospect of a fourth car at Gibbs, and a third car at Penske and maybe even Ganassi or Stewart Haas exists; all though are very dependent on sponsorship. And while a big name driver helps in securing that all important support, there are no guarantees.
Another option is Red Bull Racing that, at the moment, doesn’t have a single driver signed up for 2012. The problem with this team though is that its performance doesn’t come close to matching that of rival organizations. It’s very much a downgrade for top prospects Edwards and Bowyer.
Even with Gibbs, Penske et al., the best Bowyer and Edwards can hope for is a lateral move (which is why neither will go anywhere). They’re both currently driving for two of the top teams in the sport. Vickers can look around, but I doubt he’ll find any opportunities for improvement.
For Edwards, his is very much the A-team at Roush. Though he has been looking, is he going to improve upon that position somewhere else? I doubt it.
While Edwards and anyone else who may be playing the field might not be going anywhere, what talking to others does do is improve their position with their current teams. Create demand for yourself and you’ll get what you want. I’m sure it will work beautifully for Edwards.
So the long and short is, if you’re looking to move, lots of luck this year. There are no dominos to fall and no blatantly open rides to fall into. It’s just not a good year to be a free agent in NASCAR.
I know Jimmie is leading the points. And I’m not going to say he doesn’t have a chance of winning a fifth championship – he absolutely does. The points race though is the closest we’ve seen after three races in the history of the Chase, and I think Jimmie has the toughest competition (in terms of number of participants) he’s ever had.
Over the last three races we’ve seen drivers make missteps, make amazing recoveries, and show the kind of consistency and success that wins championships. Still, no one looks that much better than anyone else. The common thread that binds the eleven Chasers capable of winning the Chase is that they all have a pretty good chance to win this thing.
On Sunday we saw the strength of a lot of teams. The Roush Chasers showed, despite struggles the last two seasons, they shouldn’t be counted out. At one point in the race the top four cars came from the Roush stables. And how about Hendrick? Despite struggling off and on through the season, Jimmie Johnson is making his charge to the front (so much for us naysayers!) and teammate Jeff Gordon continues to be a consistent competitor (though pushing to a win is still a struggle).
Though one of the RCR cars is (at the moment at least) probably out of contention, Jeff Burton and most especially Kevin Harvick are displaying the strength of their organization. Harvick moved himself into third this weekend and continued to show just how important consistency is. He has more top-fives and more top-tens than any other driver in the sport right now. Obviously wins would help Harvick bring Richard Childress his first Cup championship in 16 years, but one misstep from one his competitors might be all ‘Mr. Consistency’ Kevin Harvick needs.
And lest I forget the Gibbs cars and the two guys without any teammates in the Chase. While Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin continue to make big headlines off the track, their performances on track is what everyone should be keeping their eyes on. Hamlin is second in the points and Busch is seventh, but both could very easily make their way to the top of the heap. And the final two guys, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart, are the only other drivers to have won a championship in the Chase format. If anyone other than Jimmie Johnson knows how to win in this format, it’s these two.
I know from our discussion the other day, many of you are burnt out on the Championship talk, but how could you not be interested in this? It’s not quite the post-season in the NFL, MLB or NBA, but it’s shaping up to be an interesting fight. With the first 11 cars separated by only 149 points every little mistake is going to be amplified, and the wild card race at Talladega could seriously shake things up.
After years of looking for a close battle among a lot of cars, this year is delivering so far. We’ve still got seven races left, but this year may finally be the year we get that race in the Chase.
It’s hard to believe we’re closing in on the final races of the season. In just more than two months we’ll be in Homestead to crown a champion for 2010. In the meantime we’ve got our Chase field set and 10 races to sort out the good from the great.
So far this season we’ve seen just how important consistency is in this points system (Kevin Harvick) and how bad luck can damage even the best teams (Jimmie Johnson). While we’ve had some convincing wins and some great performances, who exactly the strongest team is, is hard to say. The race for the championship is wide open for the first time in years, and there are 12 drivers now in a dogfight to become the next Sprint Cup Champion.
Denny Hamlin: Has all the makings of a champion. He’s the winningest driver so far this season, and when the #11 team is on, they’re on. The trouble they, and frankly all the Gibbs teams have had is consistency. Hamlin has two DNFs and five finishes of 30th or worse. His championship hopes are on his team at this point. The driver has proven he’s capable. The rest of the team now needs to figure out if they are.
Jimmie Johnson: The #48 team has been good this season – there’s no doubt about that. But they’ve struggled since the implementation of the spolier. Chad Knaus has been unable to keep up with track conditions some weekends, and other weekends, when they look like they’re on, they get hit by bad luck. Consistency was the thing that made this team so strong for so long and it just hasn’t been there. Johnson has four DNFs so far this season and nine races with finishes of 20th or worse. Just like Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson’s championship hopes rest heavily on his team – perhaps more importantly though are the things he cant control, like luck.
Kevin Harvick: Consistent is the one word to describe this team. In 26 races this season Harvick has won just three times, but built a commanding lead in the points. His average finish of 9.8 is the best of his career, and if the team can maintain it, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with. Though the team has been good just about every weekend, they’re not always in a position to win. Because of this, Harvick’s championship hopes hinge on the consistency of his competitors over the next 10 races. If everyone runs like they have all season, Harvick could very well give Richard Childress his first Cup championship since 1994.
Kyle Busch: Though he hasn’t had as many wins, Busch has been more consistent than his teammate Denny Hamlin. For that reason he might just be in a better position to win the championship. As I’ve said here before, whether you like him or not, it’s hard not to admit Kyle’s talents as a driver. That said he’s been plagued through his short career by a lack of maturity and focus. He’s definitely calmed down a lot this season, but with a truck team and his Nationwide efforts also on his mind does he consistently have what it takes to win on Sunday? Kyle Busch will be likely be a Cup Champion in the not too distant future, whether that could be this season remains to be seen.
The Roush Cars: Forgive me for grouping these guys together, but they all have the same problem – an inability to overcome the performance hump. Ford has struggled all year with the switchover to the FR9 and the Roush drivers just haven’t been as competitive as they should be. Greg Biffle is the last Ford driver to win a race back in Pocono. Before that it was Matt Kenseth last February at California. And Carl Edwards hasn’t seen victory lane since Homestead 2008. All of these guys are good enough to win championships – I’m just not sure the teams are there performance wise.
Kurt Busch: Just like many of his fellow Chasers, consistency, or lack thereof, has plagued Kurt Busch. It’s hard to believe Roger Penske doesn’t have a Cup championship. He’s certainly had drivers with the talent to do it, and teams formidable enough to compete, but it just hasn’t happened. Since becoming the lone Dodge team Penske, the organization, looks good. Kurt Busch could deliver “The Captain” his first Cup Series championship, I just don’t know if this will be the year.
Tony Stewart: This isn’t 2009 – and Tony Stewart knows it. He has hustled for every good finish he’s had this season. Though they struggled after the implementation of the spoiler, Stewart’s team looks to be back on track as of late. Since Dover he’s had 11 top-ten finishes, five top-five finishes, two second place finishes and one win. While he’s going to need to run a little bit better – as in more wins – Tony Stewart may be hitting his stride at the right time.
Jeff Gordon: Speaking of overcoming the hump. I feel bad for this team. They’re good year in and year out, but Jeff Gordon hasn’t won a race since April of 2009. Before that it was October of 2007. This season Gordon has 10 top-five finishes but no wins to speak of. He’s certainly got what it takes, but this team needs to find that little bit extra to make them a serious contender. Jeff Gordon can be a five time champion, but some things are going to have to improve.
The other two Childress Cars: Consistent but not Championship great – at least so far this season. Both Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are consistent performers for RCR, but they, like Gordon, just haven’t been able to close the deal. Burton has been in position a couple of times this season only to lose it because of mistakes. Bowyer, like Burton, hasn’t had a win since 2008 and is probably going to need to be a little stronger to truly compete. If these two are going to go head-to-head with Kevin Harvick they’re going to need to find some speed, and fast. They’re capable, but I have my doubts.
The single biggest problem facing NASCAR teams that want to continue being NASCAR teams is the search for, acquisition of, and retention of sponsors. Without them, we don’t get to go play on the weekends. But as the economy continues to struggle, this proposition has become much more difficult.
Just this year alone we’ve lost longtime sponsors like DeWalt Tools and Jack Daniels. With more companies pulling out and the case for investment in motorsports more difficult to make, teams must find new places to look for potential sponsors and new ways to keep them happy.
One tactic some teams have employed through the years is to lure sponsors away from their competition. An example of this is Discount Tire. The national tire store chain first appeared in the NNS Series on a Chip Ganassi Racing entry; they later moved to Roush Fenway Racing. Now for 2010, Discount Tire is moving from RFR to Penske Racing with Brad Keselowski.
When a deal like this happens, often times it’s because a team promises similar exposure for a smaller investment. But in other cases, it could be the opportunity to work with a specific driver or the hopes of better performance. Either way, it can be an ugly situation.
I’ve seen some discussion over the past few days about Miccosukee moving from Billy Ballew Motorsports to Kyle Busch’s new truck team. To say that KBM stole the sponsorship from BBM or to suggest that it is somehow not right or fair for this to happen is wrong. Racing is a business and teams must do what is necessary to survive. In this instance, obviously KBM did a better job selling their team to Miccosukee, and the Indian tribe made the conscious decision to move. On the flip side, Miccosukee found better value for their money at KBM. As I see it, no blood, no foul.
The successful sponsorship formula has never really stopped changing or evolving since racers first started asking businesses for money. As we progress and move forward, expect teams to continue being creative with their marketing and sales plans. As we’ve seen in recent years the multiple sponsor approach is becoming the new standard.
Right now is as difficult a time to find sponsorship as any in the sport’s history. It’s a cutthroat atmosphere for teams and the team who can offer the most for the least is likely to come out on top.