He
Said, She Said: Will the Last Person to Leave the 88 Garage Please Turn Out the Lights?
November 29, 2006
Everett Mugg and Sharon
Bundy - SCR
He
Said: It has been reported that Johnny Sauter might be driving the No. 88 Ford for Robert Yates Racing (RYR)
next year; or maybe Ricky Rudd for some races. Also a sponsor has been lined up………… well kinda……….
sponsorship has been secured but not signed. Huh? We may have a driver and we almost have a sponsor. What is next? We
almost have a car to run with four almost new tires? How far have the mighty fallen? While it was just a few short years ago
that Yates (and Ford) were competing for every Championship things appear to have changed. The two Yates cars were barely
field fillers in 2006 and both drivers have left for better opportunities (at this point one would think the Morgan Shepard
ride was a better opportunity than Yates). Heck, Robby Gordon was rumored to have made a competitive bid to take the team
over. Now Yates has a driver who won a Busch race against the Cup drivers and……… well maybe a car, maybe
a driver, and maybe a sponsor. Personally, I think I am seeing a team on its way out of NASCAR. I do not know why, but it
seems obvious that they have thrown in the towel. The only competitive team Ford has is Roush, and he seemed more concerned
with Busch this year than Cup.
She
Said: It is sad that a once dominate championship contending and winning organization has hit the skids sort
of speak. But, we have to remember that many championship caliber teams have hit rough times too. Richard Childress Racing
is a perfect example, they were just surviving following the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and maybe it took a few years to
move on from that tragedy. But look at them now, it took a driver with the qualities of a leader (just like Earnhardt) to
get this team back in the game. Jeff Burton has been credited with being the main reason the Childress organization turned
things around. Robert Yates Racing needs that in a driver, they need that leadership to guide both teams back. David Gilliland
has done a decent job since inheriting the No. 38 ride. I think he is a diamond in the rough. But the team needs strong leadership.
Can Johnny Sauter provide that? I'm not so sure, but if they were able to at least be competitive in '07, they have a better
chance of expanding and bringing in someone to lead the teams. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise to
the top. Yates is at the bottom.
He
Said: In their rush to hire “pretty boy” drivers to attract sponsors, many teams seem to have
forgotten that they need an experienced veteran to lead and guide these rookies. They have thrown out the baby with the bath
water as it were, getting rid of the experienced drivers and their wealth of experience. Look at the difference of even a
minor team like BAM with and without Kenny Schrader. Yates’ plight will only get worse with two inexperienced drivers
and no veteran to guide them along. I do not think Yates will “Go Phoenix” and rise from the ashes. Stick a fork
in them, they are done. You are dead right about Burton. His injection not only revitalized a stalled career for him but helped
to bring the organization as a whole up to a higher level. For the first time since his rookie year, Harvick had cars to drive
that were almost as good as he is. If they gave him cars equal to his talent level he would win a Cup championship as easily
as he won this last Busch title.
Virtually unnoticed during “the
chase” Robby Gordon switched to Fords despite earlier rumors placing him firmly in the Toyota
camp:
He
Said: This proves that the old saying, “May the bridges I burn light my way forward” is not true.
Gordon tromped all over Ford once before and conventional wisdom said they would never offer him any factory support again.
Perhaps it shows how thin the Ford lineup has become. They have Roush and they have……….. just darn, I’m
hitting a dead end when it comes to top tier Ford teams after Roush. Their cupboard seems bare. Yates has been on a downward
spiral for the last three years or so, Penske split when Dodge came back; the Woods aren’t exactly top tier in Cup.
What other teams that amount too much drive Fords anymore? As of this moment, the top Ford driver is Frank Kimmel winning
his 7th consecutive ARCA Championship. Is Ford preparing to exit NASCAR again? (Not a RUMOR, just a question).
She
Said: I highly doubt Ford will leave NASCAR. Jack Roush would not let that happen. He is the driving force
behind Ford's success in NASCAR. He, of all people will keep them here. I think the reason Robby Gordon's move to Ford was
unnoticed is because he still isn't as competitive as he can be. He drives over his head at times and does stupid things on
track. Once he settles down a bit and finishes he will make noise in this sport. It will be a big deal if he succeeds behind
the wheel of a Ford.
He
Said: Seems like we have waited forever for Gordon to “blossom” in Cup despite what some claim
to be his superior driving ability. It’s not going to happen with Ford anymore than it has already happened. It will
be more years with more excuses.
HOF
Racing is the real deal:
He
Said: How about that Hall of Fame (HOF) Racing team? They have to be one of the most impressive start-up teams
in recent NASCAR memory. With a solid 26th in owner’s points they are assured starting positions in the first five races
of next year. In only 29 races started, Tony Raines still finished 35th in driver points. The car just kept getting better
and better week in and week out. I wonder if Ward Burton is kicking himself in the butt for turning down the ride. I doubt
it; no one would have thought that a start up team would perform so well. What does the future hold for them? DLP as a sponsor
got a lot of exposure with their ads and such, but they got even more as this rookie team started running with the big dogs
at the front of the pack. BAM Racing may have been started and run as a hobby, but apparently Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach
of HOF Racing are not doing this as a “hobby”. Both men; in the pro football hall of fame and winners of multiple
football championships, have shown that they will not settle for second best. I see this as a team on the move.
She
Said: I agree with you on what Hall of Fame Racing did in their first season in NASCAR was impressive. I still
firmly believe they got a raw deal at Daytona with the carburetor infraction. I thought it was a bit harsh considering it
wasn't a device to enhance performance; it was simply an unapproved device. It wasn't like they knowingly manipulated something
on the car to gain an advantage (insert Chad Knaus). Being docked 25 points was a little way for NASCAR to keep them
on their toes. But still, the team had some impressive runs this year and I think 2007 will be a true test as to where
this team stacks up. No one expected them to be decent their first year out. 2007 will tell the tale.
Rookie of the Year:
He
Said: ROTY. Now that the season is finished, is it any surprise that Denny Hamlin captured the title? Well,
yes, in a way. Jimmie Johnson won 3 times and finished ahead of Ryan Newman in points yet failed to capture the 2002 ROTY
title. Ok, so I’m stretching a little. Hamlin crushed his rookie competition while Johnson was ahead in just a couple
of statistical categories. Nevertheless, Hamlin was indeed impressive. I saw a handful fans on message boards who were heaping
praises on Hamlin before he was announced for a full time ride, something I did not see any experts do. One person went so
far as to say that if only one ride was available for a rookie to Gibbs, then J.J. Yeley should be passed over and Hamlin
should drive. It will be interesting next year to see the dynamics of Gibbs racing next year.
She
Said: I was a bit shocked by the ROTY. I really thought Martin Truex Jr. was going to be a contender this
year. But the jump to Cup from Busch was not easy for the No. 1 team. But in all fairness, the team had a lot of good runs
that ended badly and sometimes where they finished wasn't a true reflection of how well they ran. Hamlin was a surprise, a
pleasant one. But ya know, the kid went into this deal with no expectations. This year was a year to learn and gain experience.
His season was a lot like Carl Edwards first full season in Cup in 2005. He finished third in the Chase and won a few races.
Hamlin also finished third in his first full season and won some races. Here’s hoping his second full season is nothing
like Edward’s second season. I really think all of the ROTY drivers were good. I think Yeley will get better, I
think he still drives like he is in a sprint car or something. Reed Sorenson is a dark horse for me. He had some good runs
and actually threatened for the win on a couple of occasions. Look for this kid in Victory Lane in 2007. I think the 2007 ROTY class will be a huge disappointment; the talent
pool of the 2006 class is hard to beat.
He
Said: Truex was no surprise to me; he merely assumed the role of test driver for Earnhardt Jr. that Michael
Waltrip played for so many years. Everyone knows who drives that money train and it is Earnhardt, if he does not do well then
the money may dry up. Face it, no driver for DEI will ever be allowed to out perform the namesake. Until they win a championship
or eight for him, he will always get the best equipment and personal that the team has to offer. At this point, any driver
they hire should know, going in, they will be an after thought. Sorenson is a product of the Ganassi team. They have been
in a downward spiral since Sterling Marlin crashed in 2002 ending a promising run for a title. Without a strong veteran around
who is Sorenson supposed to learn from? If Ganassi changes technical personnel and crew members as often as he does drivers
how can there be any consistency there? That whole team (Stremme, Mears, and Sorenson) had too many mechanical problems to
really be competitive. I do not see that changing next year. In 2007 they add Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM). While unquestionably
a superior driving talent, he is still a rookie when it comes to stock cars. As he will be struggling to learn himself, how
can he help out Sorenson? Sorenson needs to find a team that will develop him or he will find himself in the same boat as
Mears, tons of undeveloped talent with no real results to show for it.
She
Said: Martin Truex Jr. is not merely a test driver for Jr. If that was the case, then why add a third team
with Paul Menard? Both drivers have talent behind the wheel. Truex was set up to fail. All eyes were on him, he drives for
DEI, he is a two-time Busch champ, and he is Junior’s friend. He did a decent job this year; his finishes weren’t
always conducive of how he ran. That happens in racing. And comparing Truex to Waltrip is like apples and oranges. There is
no excuse for Waltrip anymore, he has been in Cup way long enough and just isn’t that great of a driver. This is Truex’s
first year in Cup, he has time. Junior is the team leader, he is the oldest, he has been in Cup longer and he is the namesake,
so it is only a given he holds court. But you are selling Truex and Menard short. They bring a lot to DEI and not just test
drivers for Junior’s equipment. I think Ganassi needs a leader, but I also think Sorenson has done an admirable job
in his rookie season. The kid will get wins. JPM will be a leader, despite very little stock car experience, he is a champion
race car driver, he has the experience to be a leader and I think that is what he will become at Ganassi.
2006 StockCar Review.
