NASCAR Sprint Cup Drivers Facing a Make-or-Break 2015 Season
Every season is important when you're a NASCAR driver, but as the pros will attest to, some seasons are more important than others.
Sometimes you're driving for a new contract, sometimes you're driving for a new boss and sometimes you're just driving to prove you've got what it takes after disappointing the prior year.
The drivers on this list are a combination of full-time Sprint Cup rookies and veteran drivers who have been in the series for over a decade. But they're all are under the microscope this season and need to deliver sooner rather than later.
Here are the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers who need to step it up a notch in 2015 if they want to keep their careers on the right path:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
1 of 7
In 2014—his second full Sprint Cup season—Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was pretty much a non-factor all year long. The 27-year-old finished the season in 27th place, eight places lower than he finished his Rookie-of-the-Year-winning 2013 campaign.
Stenhouse, who won back-to-back Nationwide Series championships in 2011 and 2012, only had one top-five finish and five top 10s on the year.
He does get a little bit of a pass because it was a down year for the entire Roush Fenway Racing organization, but with Carl Edwards departing, it's time for Stenhouse to step up and be the star driver RFR was hoping he could be. He will have a new crew chief in Nick Sandler, which should give him a boost.
In 2015, Stenhouse needs to prove that he's capable of being a contender in the Sprint Cup Series. Otherwise, he might be looking for a new ride very soon.
Sam Hornish Jr.
2 of 7
Sam Hornish Jr. gets a second chance in the Sprint Cup Series in 2015. If he messes it up, he's unlikely to get a third.
After joining Team Penske and driving full time in Sprint Cup from 2008-2010, Hornish was dropped down to the XFinity Series for two years. In 2014, he was only a part-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, this year, Hornish will take over Marcos Ambrose's ride at Richard Petty Motorsports.
As reported by Jordan Bianchi of SB Nation, the 35-year-old Hornish feels like he's finally where he belongs. Hornish said:
"This is a different opportunity, for sure, than the one that I had previously. The thing that I need to be thankful for over the long run is that I stayed in the fold long enough and held to my values of what I felt was going to get myself back into having the opportunity to be in a competitive Cup ride.
I've worked four years to get back to this point, and I feel like as a driver I've come a long way. I found my voice, as far as what you need to have as far as a Cup driver's concerned about directionally trying to help steer your organization.
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In his three years of Sprint Cup racing, Hornish never finished the year ranked higher than 28th and only amassed nine top 10s. He's going to have to vastly improve on both of those numbers to prove that he's deserving of this opportunity from RPM.
Danica Patrick
3 of 7
Danica Patrick is one of the most popular drivers in NASCAR, but such attention comes with a lot of scrutiny. In 2015, it's time for Patrick to make some strides on the track and justify the hype.
In her second full year in Sprint Cup, Patrick made small strides, leading 15 laps as opposed to just five in 2013, and getting three top-10 finishes compared to just one. However, in 2014 she finished 28th in the standings vs. 27th in 2013, and she still hasn't gotten her first top-five finish in a Sprint Cup race.
As reported by Jerry Bonkowski of Motor Sports Talk, she really needs to focus on her restarts. Former crew chief Tony Gibson told ESPN.com:
"She’s got to really figure out a way to race better and be more aggressive on restarts. If she can ever figure out how to get her restarts better here, she can hold her position or gain two or three, she will be more successful.
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Although Patrick is a good addition to the Stewart Haas racing team as long as she still has her GoDaddy sponsorship, if she doesn't at least finish in the top 20 in 2015 and get a few top fives, it's going to be more difficult for her supporters to defend her inclusion in the sport's top division.
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Kurt Busch
4 of 7
Kurt Busch's first season with Stewart-Haas Racing was not necessarily one for the highlight reel. He did have one win that propelled him into the Chase, but he only had six top fives and 11 top 10s, a significant step backward from his 2013 season at Furniture Row Racing.
Perhaps more damaging, the 2004 champion was in the news for the wrong reasons last year, as he faced domestic-violence allegations from his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll.
Busch is 36 years old and has 25 wins in his storied career, but he has made a lot of enemies during his Sprint Cup career with his attitude. He's going to need to make some noise on the track in 2015 to keep his reputation and the negative attention surrounding him from chasing the sponsors away.
Kevin Harvick was able to use the support at Stewart-Haas to propel him to a championship in 2014. Busch certainly doesn't need a Chase title to justify his spot at SHR, but he needs to do better than he did in 2014.
Trevor Bayne
5 of 7
Trevor Bayne has spent the last four years driving part time in Sprint Cup for Wood Brothers. He saw success there, winning the Daytona 500 back in 2011 in just his second start.
In 2015, he'll be a full-time participant in Sprint Cup for Roush Fenway Racing. But with a very sparse resume in both Sprint Cup and the XFinity Series since that breakout day in Daytona, he's going to need to have some very solid results with RFR to prove that he belongs and to keep the organization from turning to its talented developmental drivers, particularly Darrell Wallace Jr.
Bayne only has three top-five finishes in 58 Sprint Cup races. He's going to need to step up in his first full season in order to justify his place on the team.
Brian Vickers
6 of 7
Brian Vickers, a 31-year-old Michael Waltrip Racing driver, underwent his second heart surgery in December and will miss the beginning of the 2015 season, although it's unclear how many races he will sit out.
This is a case where, unfortunately, the business side of NASCAR trumps the personal. Despite his persistent health problems, Vickers is going to be under the microscope in 2015.
Vickers was thought to be ready for a breakout season before his surgery was announced, coming off a 22nd-place showing in 2014. He has been a Sprint Cup driver since 2003, racing nine full seasons. Heart problems in 2010, and then subsequent clots, led him to be part-time in 2010, 2012 and 2013.
As reported by Jeff Gluck of USA Today, Vickers is staying optimistic despite his latest setback. Vickers said in a statement:
"I have faced obstacles before and it has made victory that much sweeter, and I know that will be the case again. ... I will need plenty of time, rest and rehab but this temporary setback will not stop me from pursuing my dream of becoming a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.
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The persistent Vickers is going to need to deliver on the track when he gets healthy to justify the investment MWR has made in him.
Martin Truex Jr.
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Martin Truex Jr. moved from Michael Waltrip Racing to Furniture Row Racing after the controversial end to his 2013 season. However, the move was not a successful one, as the 34-year-old finished 24th in the standings, his worst finish in nine years as a Sprint Cup driver.
Clayton Caldwell of Speedway Media breaks down Truex's disappointing year:
"However, the 2014 season was a tough one for Truex. He and crew chief Todd Berrier did not seem to be on the same page for most of the season and the performance of the No. 78 team was down for most of the season.
Truex only recorded one top-five finish and five top-10 finishes. It was a far cry from the 2013 season which saw Kurt Busch rattle off 11 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes. It was a disappointing year for Truex and the Furniture Row Racing team.
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In his second year of a three-year contract with FRR, Truex will have a new crew chief and a lot of pressure on his shoulders to step it up and, at the very least, win a race and make it to the Chase.
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