Who's Where for 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup (Part 4)

Racin’ with Russ

Here is Part 4 of who’s where for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup team lineup for 2011. You might keep a score card as there are many changes in store.

No. 31 - Veteran racer Jeff Burton returns to his No. 31 Chevy with Childress power under the hood. Yes, he made the Chase, but finished last with an empty win column.

Caterpillar will continue to pay the bills with Todd Berrier calling the shots from atop the box. The Virginia driver will have to get up on the wheel to have an overall better performance and perhaps more job security.

No. 33 - Fellow Childress driver Clint Bowyer managed two wins and a 10^th in the Chase, but needs that old necessity to success…consistency.

Cheerios and BB & T return as backers as does the capable crew chief Shane Wilson. I could see more wins for this combo, but no title hunt.

Look for a very different orange and black Wheaties paint scheme early in the season.

No. 34 - This team’s plans are still up in the air with Travis Kvapil waiting in the wings for Long John Silver and owners Front Row Motorsports to fill in the blanks.

Kvapil ran well enough last year to make most of the races, stay among the top 35 for qualifying purposes, but came up nix in the top 10 column, yet managed to earn $3.2 million.

No. 37 & 38 - These are also Front Row Fords just managing to make most of the race, but their plans for 2011 have not been confirmed. I’d look for drivers David Gilliland and Tony Raines to be retained, but there has also been talk to narrow this trio down to just a pair. Taco Bell and A & W were the backers for 2010. With this low budget setup, making the races is their major goal with no threat for wins or titles.

No. 39 - Ryan Newman scored a win in 2010, but missed the Chase with inconsistency. The Stewart-Hass driver returns behind the wheel of this Chevy with Tornados and US Army writing the checks. Tony Gibson is back to help guide the team to at least a birth in the 2011 Chase.

Silver and black paint schemes will dominate the upcoming season.

No. 42 - Juan Montoya put together one road course win, but is still empty in the circle trophy department. Three poles is impressive, but only 14 top 10 runs just wont get it or satisfy team owner Chip Ganassi.

Major retailer Target is back on the Chevrolet quarters with Brian Pattie the crew chief. Looks like a mostly red Target livery for this year.

No. 43 - A.J. Allmendinger returns behind the wheel of this Richard Petty Motorsports mainstay. The legendary No. 43 had some decent runs last year, despite the ownership turmoil, notched one pole and six top 10 runs. Sponsors Best Buy and Valvoline will be the major backers on the car.

Their Roush-Fenway powered Fords should have enough power to possibly land this operation in the winner’s circle.

No. 46 - J.J. Yeley was just announced as the full-time driver for this Dusty Whitney owned Chevy ride with many unknowns at this point including a sponsor. Performance? Their major goal will be just to make the shows. Everything beyond that will be gravy.

From Rumorville - As expected, NASCAR’s bad boy Kyle Busch tied the knot with long-time girlfriend Samantha Sarcinella on New Year’s Eve. Maybe she can calm him down off the track as no one seems to be able to do it on the track.

--- Other drivers in off-season activities involving wheels includes Robby Gordon for yet another Dakar Rally adventure; Jamie McMurray and Allmendinger making high speed circuits around Daytona in high-powered go-karts; and Mike Stefanik and Ted Christopher among the long list of entrants for this year’s indoor Midget racing in Atlantic City at the end of the month.

That’s it for this week. Next week’s RWR will continue with Part 5 of Who’s Where in 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup along with more racing news from around the globe.

Questions? Comments? Contact Russ at [e-mail]