NASCAR Knockout: Cup Contenders Capable of Challenging the Champ In 2011
The contenders for the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup title just may be a new mixed bag if Brian France, NASCAR's head guy, proceeds with the anticipated changes to the Chase format.
The NASCAR Chase format that began with 10 drivers in 2004 was increased to 12 drivers in 2006. It is rumored that France may want to go to 15 drivers in the playoff for NASCARs top series with the new season.
France commented earlier this year on the 2011 Chase by saying, "So continuity will always be a factor in our play-off style format. What we're talking about is enhancing it in a way that will bring out more of the winning moments, the big moments, that happen in sports."
Jimmie Johnson made a worthwhile point regarding the Chase.
He stated, "I know the No.1 goal is to make it entertaining and exciting. The thing I keep questioning them on is making sure that it follows the history of our sport and a champion is crowned in a way that respects the past and the past champions."
Johnson's statement may be replete with irony given the way he has won his five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles under the Chase format. He didn't necessarily have to have the most wins and best record going into the last ten weeks of the season.
In 2011, it appears the emphasis will be on winning. Drivers will likely have even more incentives to win and reap greater rewards with points for doing so if France makes his implied changes.
Some races may carry bonus points for a win as the season closes in on the Chase.
The result of the highly competitive year that is expected in 2011 may mean new contenders for the title. Perhaps long shot drivers will win races that carry more weight, thereby throwing a curve at those expected to be contenders.
Johnson will still have the guidance of his crew chief, Chad Knaus, despite the switching of the other three drivers at Hendrick Motorsports with new teams. Johnson's time as "King of the Hill" is running low and it almost seemed the fifth championship was a bit of a surprise to him.
Let's take a look at drivers who may have the best chance to knock the reigning champ off his NASCAR Sprint Cup throne in 2011.
No. 1 Kevin Harvick
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Kevin Harvick was the NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader in the weeks leading up to the Chase. He only had three wins during the 2010 season, but he had 16 top-five finishes.
The Richard Childress Racing driver was considered a serious contender for the title as the Chase unfolded, and heading to Homestead, he was third in points, which is where he finished the season.
The driver of the No. 29 will have a new sponsorship for 20 races and two non-point races from Budweiser as he sheds his Shell/Pennzoil colors.
There is fire in the belly of this aggressive driver, and he was within reach of the Championship in 2010. RCR had all three drivers in the Chase, and even with the addition of Paul Menard as a fourth team, they should remain strong players in the upcoming season, with Harvick taking the lead in going for the championship.
No.2 Carl Edwards
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Carl Edwards ended the season by winning the last two races, which should give him momentum going into the new season.
Edwards had some struggles the first half of the season and had trouble finding speed with his No.99 Aflac Fusion. The second half of the racing schedule showed continued improvement, except for a poor finish at Fontana.
The Roush Fenway driver finished fourth in the NASCAR point standings in 2010 and looks to have gotten his groove back for the upcoming year.
No. 3 Jeff Gordon
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Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon will sport sponsorship from AARP in his Drive For Hunger No. 24 Chevy. Gordon will have a new crew chief, Alan Gustafson, and a new team to support him.
During the 2010 season, Gordon's fiery side kicked in with on-track scuffles in and out of his car. His frustration with teammate Jimmie Johnson was evident more than once.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver finished the season ninth in the point standings. He failed to win a race, but came very close several times and ended up with 11 top-five finishes.
The change at HMS may be just what the driver needs to gets him back in Victory Lane. Other than Jimmie Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, Gordon may have gotten the best deal with Gustafson.
Look for some wins out of this driver, and he may well be one of the top contenders in next year's Chase. He is very hungry to get a fifth title and tie Johnson, the driver he brought to Hendrick Motorsports.
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No. 4 Kyle Busch
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Kyle Busch will begin the new season as a married man, after his New Year's Eve wedding. The driver, who has won in all three of NASCAR's top series and has a NASCAR Nationwide Championship, is perhaps one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR.
In 2010, he finished eighth in the point standings with three wins and 10 top-five finishes. The driver of the No. 18 M&M's Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing has shown maturity this past season and even has fans cheering for him when he wins.
The only thing that jeopardizes his winning ways in the Cup series is the fact he is spread too thin with his driving duties in his Camping World Truck series truck and in the NASCAR Nationwide series. His eagerness to win in every series distorts his focus on his main job as a NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.
Busch won eight races in NASCAR's top series during 2008. It just may be time for this Busch brother to show he is a championship contender in NASCAR's top-tier of racing. Look for him to come on strong in 2011.
No. 5 Denny Hamlin
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The driver of the FedEx No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing could taste the NASCAR Sprint Cup title in 2010. He led the points for the two races heading to Homestead-Miami Speedway, won eight races and had 14 top-five finishes.
He and his crew chief, Mike Ford, were so very confident about their chance to grab the title. They made it clear their team was better than that of Jimmie Johnson's. Going into the final races of the Chase, mistakes shook their confidence.
Champions Week in Las Vegas was not a happy place for Hamlin, as he watched Johnson accept all the awards and the big check that he felt should have been his.
Coming in second to the Champion is no guarantee the following year will be strong. NASCAR driver, Mark Martin, will attest to that after finishing second in points to Johnson in 2009, then coming in at 13th place in 2010.
Hamlin will make the Chase, but it is far from a given that he will contend for the 2011 title after his confidence rattling loss to the five-time Sprint Cup Champ.
No. 6 Greg Biffle
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Greg Biffle, driver of the No.16 3M Ford for Roush Fenway Racing, finished sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings for 2010. He had two wins, nine top-five and 19 top-10 finishes during the year.
Biffle had some erratic performance during the past season with engine failures and an accident affecting his finishes. Despite the ups and downs of the year, he finished reasonably well.
If he can smooth out his performance much like his teammate Carl Edwards, then look for him to make the Chase and quite possibly be one of the ones who will take a shot at the title in 2011.
No.7 Tony Stewart
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Tony Stewart had a bit of an inconsistent 2010 season, but managed to win twice and finish in the top-five nine times. He was seventh in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings.
Stewart is hungry for a his third title, especially as a driver/owner in his Stewart Haas No. 14 Chevy. He should return to winning ways in 2011, and if he has more consistent finishes and wins, he will be a top contender for the Chase.
No. 8 Clint Bowyer
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Clint Bowyer finished 10th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings after having two wins and seven top-five finishes.
There was a good chance he would have finished much better had he not been stripped of 150 points after the New Hampshire race early in the 2010 Chase. After the penalty, Bowyer fell from second to 12th in the points. NASCAR found his car out of tolerance by 1/16th of an inch.
The driver of the No. 33 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing is serious about racing and winning. He certainly wants to win a title, but he doesn't appear to let the stress of the battle get to him with his laid-back attitude.
Look for a smiling Bowyer to make the 2011 Chase and much like teammate Kevin Harvick, he will most likely be one to take a few shots at Jimmie Johnson and maybe even grab the title from him.
No. 9 Joey Logano
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Joey Logano is considered one of the top up and coming drivers in NASCAR's Sprint Cup series. He is maturing as a driver, and though he finished 16th in the point standings for 2010, he showed strength toward the end of the season during the Chase, except at Homestead.
Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevy for Joe Gibbs Racing, did not win in 2010, but did have 16 top-10 finishes.
He let the NASCAR world know that he wasn't letting other drivers run over him when he took Kevin Harvick to task after Harvick sent him spinning.
Logano has strong teammates with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin at JGR. Look for this young driver to make some strong runs, win some races and with the possible changes to the Chase, he may just get a shot at the title if he wins the right races at the right time.
No. 10 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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In 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made the move to Hendrick Motorsports after making the decision to leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. He would have the best of everything and his future looked promising, so he and those who follow him thought.
Every reason imaginable has been bandied about as to why the wins and top finishes have not come as expected in three seasons.
Rick Hendrick made the decision to swap drivers and teams for Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon, because change is good, except in the case of Jimmie Johnson and his crew chief, Chad Knaus.
For 2011, Junior will have Jeff Gordon's former crew chief, Steve Letarte. He will reside in the same building as the five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champ Johnson.
The cards are on the table for Earnhardt Jr. It is time for the driver of the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevy to pull from within and show his talent once again as the driver Junior Nation has stood behind regardless of his decline in performance.
In 2010, Dale Jr. admitted to a loss of confidence based on his status with his team and inability to get the cars he was given to the front of the field. Communication issues were commonplace with his former crew chief, Lance McGrew.
Now it is a new season and Earnhardt Jr. has a crew chief in Letarte that can rein him in and build his confidence. Letarte is used to the spotlight having been with Jeff Gordon, so having the eight-time Most Popular Driver should not be an issue.
It is highly likely Junior has pulled himself together and is ready to race in 2011. He now has the equipment that won't be questioned as being less than it should be. All the pieces are in place and failure is no longer an option for Earnhardt Jr.
Look for this driver to blast out of the gate at Daytona and win some races this year. He will have better qualifying and setups when the car is unloaded, and communication with his team may still be colorful, but there will be more clarity.
Earnhardt Jr. knows that another dismal season for him is bad for NASCAR, stressful on the maintenance of Junior Nation, disappointing for Hendrick and mentally challenging for him. He knows the pressure that is on him, but he will still race his own way and he will make the Chase in 2011.
It would not be a stretch to see him contend for a title at long last, especially if changes to the Chase play in his favor.
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