NASCAR: Who's Where for 2011 Sprint Cup (Part 2)

Racin' with Russ

Here is Part 2 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. 9—Kasey Kahne (now in the Red Bull No. 4) is out, and Aussie driver Marcos Ambrose is in the Richard Petty Motorsports Ford for this year with backers Stanley and Black & Decker on board.

I’m not sure how this one will work out overall, but this talented driver, along with veteran crew chief Todd Parrott, will always be a threat on any road course on any given day.

No. 11—Well, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it could be the mantra for this Gibbs Toyota team. Had it not been for a few tiny errors in judgment, their driver Denny Hamlin would be enjoying his first NASCAR title.

FedEx is definitely back on board to pick up the tab, while crew chief Mike Ford will continue to call the shots.

Predictions? Back in the Chase for sure and more than likely a top candidate to dethrone Superman Jimmie Johnson.

No. 13—Casey Mears returns to pilot this Toyota team, with crew chief Bootie Barker calling the shots. GEICO is the primary sponsor but is not able to foot the bill for the entire season.

No. 14—Tony Stewart will certainly be back behind the wheel of this Chevy team and by being owner/driver, why wouldn’t he? Add new sponsor Mobil 1 to Office Depot and the funding looks comfortable.

Coming off a decent season with two wins and a seventh in the points, I’d look for even better results this year.

No. 16—Greg Biffle certainly came on strong in the final races of the season, but will need more consistency to attain that top spot. Sponsor 3M is back as is crew chief Greg Erwin. Two wins and 19 top 10’s is good, but they’ll have to step up their weekly results with bigger numbers. The ingredients are there.

No. 17—Biffle’s teammate Matt Kenseth returns behind the wheel of his Roush-Fenway Ford with Crown Royal and Valvoline as sponsors. Kenseth also rallied later in the season to first gain a spot in the Chase, then run well enough to finish fifth in the points. Coming up blank in the win department will never land them in the top three and will surely be number one on their "things to do list" for 2011.

No. 18—Bad Boy Kyle Busch certainly won a lot of races throughout the top three NASCAR divisions but fell short of goals, with only three wins and eighth in the big picture. Some of the short comings were self inflicted by Busch with serious attitude adjustments needed.

M&M’s is the major backer, along with Interstate Batteries plastered on the sides of this Toyota racer. Can this team win the whole enchilada? Yes, but only with adjustments to the nut behind the wheel.

No. 20—Newbee Joey Logano was among those with the most points scored during the final 10 races of the season. This very talented young driver has continued to improve especially under the careful direction of crew chief Greg Zipadelli.

Home Depot returns as sponsor, along with a very orange paint scheme. Sixteenth in points in only his second year is very impressive, but a the ghostly appearance in the win column will have to change for a shot at the Chase. Overall, this Toyota combo can work.

From Rumorville—Looks like Mike Skinner is out of his truck ride with Randy Moss Motorsports and ex-champ Travis Kvapil will fill the bill. No word if Kvapil will return to the Cup ride from last season where he finished 34th in points and earned over $3 million.

As predicted, NASCAR has officially eliminated the catch can and its holder, thus eliminating one more crewman over the wall during pitstops. It worked just fine with the truck set last year, so they have implemented the new rules for all top three divisions.

That’s it for this week. Next week’s RWR will continue with Part 3 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]