by Mike Maruska
4/21/2008
Eight Races down in the 2008 Sprint Cup season. what have we learned so far? Here’s four tidbits to get the wheels turning again after the offweek.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is apparently good Actually, Earnhardt Jr has been more than good. While a portion of the media focuses on his winless streak or his heated discussions with crew chief Tony Eury Jr, it’s pretty obvious that Earnhardt Jr is getting great cars every week. He has three top fives and six top tens in eight races and has led laps in six races. He sits 3rd in the points and has a season driver rating of 107.6, also good for third. Only six drivers have won so far this year, so there is no shame in running in the top five on a weekly basis.
Juan Pablo was the exception, not the rule. In 2007 Montoya made the bold jump to NASCAR from Formula One and almost immediately settled in. He scored a top five in the fourth race of the year, won a Busch race at Mexico City and a Cup race at Sonoma and a second at Indianapolis. He won rookie of the year, won one race, had three top fives and six top tens. It was a solid year and it also set the table for other drivers with open-wheel backgrounds. This year four drivers with open-wheel ties began the season intent on entering the entire Cup schedule. One, Jacques Villeneuve has already moved on. No other open-wheeler sits higher than 33rd in the driver points. Only one driver, Sam Hornish Jr, has finished higher than 20th. Meanwhile Dario Franchitti and Patrick Carpentier sit outside the top 35 in owners points and have failed to qualify for races.
It’s less an indictment of this year’s rookie crop and more of a testament to how well Montoya adjusted last year. The open wheel drivers have varying degrees of success prior to NASCAR so they all have talent, but the transition is slower than Montoya’s was in 2007.
The CoT is a work in progress…but there is progress Just like this time last year, the Car of tomorrow Today is an easy target for critics. Both fans and drivers have complained about the boring racing due to the lack of passing.
It’s true, on the intermediate tracks the car is not handling as well as the old car. Of course teams have only had four official races with the CoT, so it’s hard to expect the teams, Goodyear and NASCAR to successfully sort everything out already and produce great racing. It’s disappointing for the fans and drivers, but it will take time. The good news is that NASCAR has finally allowed another test session at a downforce track. This will only help shorten the learning curve for the car at new tracks.
So far the results have been discouraging, but for a glimpse of the future look at the tracks where the CoT is in its second year. Bristol, Martinsville and Phoenix all produced good races, especially compared to the same races from 2007. Give the teams time and they will figure out whatever car is mandated by NASCAR.
The Manufacturer love is spread out this year When a powerhouse team like Joe Gibbs Racing switches manufacturers, it will obviously change the NASCAR landscape. They granted Toyota instant credibility and have already won two races this year. Additionally Roush-Fenway-Daisuke Racing rediscovered their speedway prowess in the offseason. Suddenly Ford and Toyota are worthy opponents to RCR, Hendrick and the other Chevy teams.
Meanwhile, shhhh, quiet, Dodge is sleeping. Sure they won the Daytona 500, but in the seven races since, they have one top five (Ryan Newman at Texas). Kurt Busch has not led a lap since Daytona, Evernham-Gillet is still trying to get more than one car to run well and Chip Ganassi can’t stop criticizing his own teams.
For more NASCAR stats and opinion go to Trouble in Turn 2.