Ryan Newman by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 39 U.S. Army/Tornados Chevrolet
Team: Stewart-Haas Racing
Owner: Tony Stewart/Gene Haas
Crew Chief: Tony Gibson

Years with current team: 3
Under contract through: 2011
Best points finish: 6th (2002, ’03, ’05)

Hometown: South Bend, Ind.
Born: December 8, 1977


2011 Spin
As a shy 25-year-old out of Indiana, NASCAR’s introverted intellectual was the sport’s hottest commodity. Ryan Newman won the 2002 Rookie of the Year and followed it with a sophomore season that was anything but a slump, scoring eight wins and an eye-popping 11 poles. It was only a matter of time, it seemed, until the Purdue graduate reached the top with powerhouse Penske Racing. Surely, he would win a title before 2002’s rookie runner-up, Jimmie Johnson. Right?

Fast-forward to 2011, and the now-33-year-old Newman has seen those tables turn. As Johnson has risen to the pinnacle of success, Newman is searching for the right direction on his career GPS. The only thing remaining red hot about this man is his temper, as Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne found out during awkward post-race confrontations last fall.

As he enters his third year with Stewart-Haas Racing, putting a cap on that frustration seems to be the key to Newman’s future. After two ugly Talladega wrecks in two years, he’s gone on a personal crusade against plate racing, hammering NASCAR to the point that it levied a “secret fine” against Newman that publicly embarrassed both sides. At least in public, the enjoyment he sought so desperately upon leaving Penske in 2008 has eluded him.

“I told Tony, ‘I’m here to have fun. I want to have fun with you,’” he said in 2009. “That’s what racing hasn’t been a whole lot of for me lately due to the fact we had success in ’02, ’03, part of ’04, and since then it hasn't been as successful. I look forward to having fun again.”

Will those days ever come? SHR initially breathed new life into Newman, when he jumped to ninth in points his first year in the No. 39. However, inconsistency, combined with handling horrors, relegated his 2010 finish to 15th. Getting back to the top from there won’t be easy, simply because of his place in the pecking order. One could argue he’s sixth on a totem pole of chassis and engine alliances between four-car Hendrick Motorsports and two-car team SHR.

The man is smart enough to know his nemesis: inconsistency. Even in that brilliant 2003 campaign he fell victim to it, collecting 22 top-10 finishes that were offset by finishes of 22nd or worse in 11 others, including seven DNFs, and that ugly pattern remains.

So what does Newman have going for him? For starters, he and Stewart may be the closest set of teammates in the business. They work well together, and Newman was widely credited with the boss’ shocking 2010 summer turnaround. Second, Hendrick Motorsports’ hand-me-down equipment still holds its value. After all, HMS has produced six championships in the last decade, so the leftovers are certainly going to taste better.

Newman is also a mechanical engineer who understands how racecars work. Drivers have become specialized, and many have never poked their heads under the hood on their own cars like the rough ’n’ tumble sort of years gone by. Not only can Newman turn a wrench, he can also thoroughly analyze a car’s performance, maintaining a wealth of chassis knowledge.

But brain cells can’t substitute for cold, hard cash, and Newman’s team had to rely on co-owner Gene Haas’ automation company for funding in several 2010 events. That scenario will happen again, with Haas picking up at least a dozen races along with the U.S. Army’s 15 and Tornados’ half dozen (to be fair, the organization maintains that this car is financially sound). It’s not that his sponsors don’t back Newman 100 percent — it’s a worry that he doesn’t have sponsorship 100 percent of the time.

If he and crew chief Tony Gibson can get out of the starting gate quickly, they could surprise. Gibson is a veteran of nearly 30 years and no stranger to winning, having worked with Jeff Gordon and Alan Kulwicki in title runs.

Newman has something to prove in 2011. Competitive at both short tracks and flat intermediates, he must step up at both the banked 1.5-milers and plate tracks that prove disastrous for him. Mainly, though, Newman needs consistency to kick this career out of neutral.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Stardom is slip-sliding away from Newman. “I think this is a big year for Newman and for his future with Stewart-Haas,” says a prominent crew chief. “I think he needs a good solid year — more than one win, make the Chase — or else he’s going to grow weary of playing second fiddle to Tony Stewart.”

“Remember,” says another, “Ryan Newman is the guy who beat out Jimmie Johnson for Rookie of the Year in 2002. You’ll never get Newman to admit it, but I think, at some level, that eats at him.”

A team owner says, “If he decides he wants to move along again, and I certainly don’t think he has, but he’ll find another good ride because, quite simply, he’s talented. There aren’t many people out there who ever won eight races in a single year (2003). And, by the way, Tony Stewart ain’t one of them.”


Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers: No wins at Darlington yet, but Newman has eight finishes of ninth or better in 12 starts.
Pretty Solid Pick: He’s a top-10 performer at Bristol.
Good Sleeper Pick: Not known for his road-racing prowess, but in actuality, the results aren’t bad.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: The Brickyard hasn’t made for a good home-track advantage for this Hoosier.
Insider Tip: Top 10s are always a possibility with Newman, but the wins are becoming fewer and fewer.


2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 4
Top 10s: 14
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 63
Laps Completed: 10,522
Lead Lap Finishes: 28
Bonus Points: 40
Races Led: 8
Average Start: 11.9
Average Finish: 15.7
After First 26 Races: 13th
Final Points Standing: 15th
Driver Rating: 82.2 (18th)
 

Juan Pablo Montoya by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 42 Target Chevrolet
Team: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
Owner: Chip Ganassi/Teresa Earnhardt
Crew Chief: Brian Pattie

Years with current team: 5
Under contract through: 2011+
Best points finish: 8th (2009)

Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Born: September 20, 1975

2011 Spin
After making a surprising leap into the ranks of the Chase in 2009, Juan Pablo Montoya and the No. 42 team had targeted another bid in 2010, but came up far short of that goal despite a career year from teammate Jamie McMurray. How did the world’s fastest Colombian win last year’s Fallback 500? One quick glance at the stat sheet gives an easy answer. In ’09, Montoya was running at the end of all 36 races. Last year, he failed to finish eight. So why the big difference? Bad luck? Faulty equipment? Over-aggression? Or is Montoya still feeling growing pains adjusting to stock car racing?

The first two are racing obstacles any driver has to deal with, so that doesn’t set Montoya apart. His talent is undeniable; the former open-wheel veteran acclimated himself to big, beefy stock cars sooner than most thought he would as evidenced by his two wins and five poles in his relatively brief career. So that leaves over-aggression as the culprit in the decline.

At times, Montoya’s emotions continue to cause distractions, and he doesn’t act in his best interests on the track and off it when dealing with his fellow Sprint Cup drivers.
One in particular is his teammate, McMurray. The two have a history, stemming from an incident at Bristol a couple years back that makes them NASCAR’s version of The Odd Couple. Things got so bad at Las Vegas in late February after McMurray caused both of them to wreck that Montoya’s wife tweeted in Spanish that McMurray was driving like a giant chicken. But like it or not, they have to find a way to co-exist, as each one is expected to stay over the long term.

McMurray is not the only driver on Montoya’s “hit list,” either. There was an on-track brouhaha with Mark Martin at Chicago, where Montoya offered to give Martin driving lessons. And there was the ugly season-finale when he made contact with Joey Logano. That ended with Montoya getting wrecked under caution in a burst of retaliation. Of course, when you talk to the man he’ll often say none of those incidents was his fault. But bottom line: A driver with a “take no prisoners” attitude has been taking himself out all too often in the process.

“(In 2009), we made the Chase,” he said last October. “This year, we had a lot of wrecks. I think we had the speed to make it, but we didn’t and it’s a bit of a shame. It is what it is.”

The problem with those comments is there’s seemingly no initiative on Montoya’s part to change either his style of driving or his attitude. It’s a worst-case scenario for a team that needs its driver to recognize mistakes — the ugly truth that with eight, nine, 10 wrecks per season, you can’t be the innocent victim in every one.

Montoya’s poor performance is even more shocking when you consider how well he qualifies. An 11.6-average start trailed only Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch in 2010. The No. 42 car once qualified eighth or better in 11 consecutive races, but in that same stretch, finished only two of those in a higher spot — once in winning at Watkins Glen, the other a seventh-place finish after starting eighth at Bristol.

On the plus side, the team enjoys stability from Chevrolet, spurning Ford for 2011, while crew chief Brian Pattie leads a talented returning group of over-the-wall veterans. And just 35, Montoya should be at, or slowly reaching, his prime.

Going forward, the big question seems to be whether Montoya can let his racing do the talking, not his mouth or emotions. Wrecked racecars and tirades certainly aren’t going to put points on the stat sheet, after all. How he handles the adversity will be a gauge on whether or not 2009’s Chase appearance was a sign of things to come or simply a flash in the pan.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Montoya is as highly regarded for his talent — no, his brilliance — in NASCAR as he was in Indy cars and Formula One. But the results haven’t been there. “No one has bad luck all year,” says a crew chief. “It all evens out, but not for Juan Pablo. He won a race, but it was on a road course and that’s where he’s supposed to win. His talent is undeniable, but I’m not sure his judgment has improved in four years. A stock car racer has to learn how to pick his spots, and I’m not sure Montoya ever will.”

Another says, “God, I could watch that guy race all day every week. I can’t tell you why he doesn’t win more. He’s not your typical road racer come to NASCAR. He’s got the skill to win at any track.”


Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers: The roadies, of course.
Pretty Solid Pick: JPM has gotten pretty good at playing chess on the plate tracks.
Good Sleeper Pick: Atlanta, where that Earnhardt-Childress horsepower pays dividends.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: Vegas, one of only two tracks (Homestead being the other) where Montoya has not notched a top 10.
Insider Tip: After two near misses, he’s going to get a Brickyard trophy soon.


2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 14
Poles: 3
Laps Led: 411
Laps Completed: 10,217
Lead Lap Finishes: 22
Bonus Points: 95
Races Led: 17
Average Start: 11.6
Average Finish: 18.0
After First 26 Races: 16th
Final Points Standing: 17th
Driver Rating: 90.9 (11th)

Brad Keselowski

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
Team: Penske Racing
Owner: Roger Penske
Crew Chief: Paul Wolfe

Years with current team: 2
Under contract through: 2012+
Best points finish: 25th (2010)

Hometown: Rochester Hills, Mich.
Born: February 12, 1984

2011 Spin
NASCAR 2010 was the rebirth of the Bad Boy in NASCAR, and right at the forefront of the “Boys, Have at It” movement was one Brad Keselowski. The second-generation racer from Michigan has had some noteworthy tangles in his short career, including scuffles with some of Sprint Cup’s biggest stars in Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin. That he isn’t afraid to stare down anyone in the sport is both a bane and blessing for the 26-year-old, who roars into 2011 with the confidence of a Nationwide Series title under his belt.

“That championship lays a foundation for success,” he says of succeeding in the second-tier division. “It’s a brand of excellence that carries way more than just your own confidence or even ability. It carries into attracting and keeping top talent that can help you get to (the next) level in Cup.”

That on-track development, combined with a fiery independence, allows Keselowski not to be pushed around on the racetrack, unlike talented young peer Joey Logano. He isn’t going to back down if there is a win to be had, and that could be a huge advantage for Keselowski as he moves into the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge this year — a ride that has been piloted by known hotheads for 20 seasons. After being driven by Rusty Wallace and Kurt Busch, the Blue Deuce is almost expected to be at the center of something big.

On the other hand, Keselowski isn’t making a lot of friends, and that can get lonely fast in the Cup Series. It also paints a target on his back, and, deserved or not, that’s not something that helps a guy get a great points finish. The wreckers or checkers philosophy will win some races, but it rarely brings season-long success in a Cup Series where consistency is as important as ever. Aggression requires a certain measure of give-and-take, and Keselowski hasn’t yet mastered the “give” part of the equation. His five DNFs in 2010 — all for wrecks — were more than double the two top-10 finishes he recorded.

What he does have going for him in 2011 is a dedicated sponsor and car owner. The Miller Brewing Company has as much tenure as any sponsor in the sport, and as an organization, Penske Racing has enjoyed 58 NASCAR wins with two teams in the last 20 seasons.

Also in his favor is the promotion of his NNS crew chief, Paul Wolfe, to the Cup operation. The chemistry between the two is unmistakable — the Nationwide title is proof of that — and Wolfe is viewed as one of the can’t-miss up and coming crew chiefs in the garage. As an added bonus, Penske’s motors have been some of the most durable in NASCAR in recent years (the organization suffered only a single engine failure in 2010).

Dodge is also dedicated, albeit shorthanded in the number of teams it supports. The manufacturer has all its eggs in Penske’s basket, although the future partnership of the two can be questioned with Penske’s upcoming Chevy commitment in IndyCar. Finally, the fact that Penske took team-building advice from Keselowski when he arrived from the Hendrick fold says a lot for the driver’s level of talent and understanding of what makes a team successful. The Nationwide program, an expanded workforce in the shop and engineering improvement can all be attributed to Keselowski’s consistent nagging to change the team’s internal culture.

Now, it’s time for the driver himself to mature. His hot temper puts him in some bad situations. One such incident last year came at Atlanta, where a perceived slight of Edwards resulted in Keselowski’s launching into a spectacular airborne flip.

One thing that needs to be questioned is Keselowski’s commitment to a full Nationwide Series schedule in 2011 — regardless of the rules. Historically, this has hurt drivers’ Cup efforts more than it’s helped, and in Keselowski’s case, some festering feuds have had their roots in that series. While a few double-duty drivers have successfully made the Chase, they haven’t won Cup titles. And with the Miller Lite backing carrying sky-high expectations with it, Keselowski may need to make a decision in the near future about where his dedication lies, for 2011 will be a season in which he is tested at NASCAR’s top level — and he needs to pass.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Everyone is waiting for Keselowski to become regularly competitive in Sprint Cup. “It seems really important to Keselowski that he assert himself,” says a crew chief, “and that gets him in a lot of trouble at the Sprint Cup level. He’s got what it takes to be a championship contender, but I think he’s just got to learn to be at home and comfortable in Cup. It’s hard to say whether his struggles are driver or car, but my suspicion is that it’s car. Another year might make all the difference in the world.”

Another crew chief says, “He’s made some enemies by sort of acting like, ‘Hey, I’m not taking nothing off nobody,’ but now he’s got to realize, OK, he’s shown everybody he’s got some toughness. Now he’s got to settle down and act like he belongs.”


Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers: The plate tracks — particularly Talladega.
Pretty Solid Pick: The more physical the better. Watch him at Bristol and Martinsville.
Good Sleeper Pick: Surprisingly, the youngster runs well at Darlington. Not many do.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: Not surprisingly, he’s still got a way to go to hang with the Cup boys on the road courses.
Insider Tip: He’s still learning the ropes and the team is still coming together. Use in select events only.


2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 2
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 41
Laps Completed: 10,410
Lead Lap Finishes: 16
Bonus Points: 30
Races Led: 6
Average Start: 23.0
Average Finish: 22.4
After First 26 Races: 26th
Final Points Standing: 25th
Driver Rating: 65.1 (26th)

Kasey Kahne by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 4 Red Bull Toyota
Team: Red Bull Racing
Owner: Dietrich Mateschitz
Crew Chief: Kenny Francis

Years with current team: 1
Under contract through: 2014 with Hendrick Motorsports
Best points finish: 8th (2006)

Hometown: Enumclaw, Wash.
Born: April 10, 1980

2011 Spin
Perhaps Kasey Kahne should start seeking sponsorship from U-Haul, since he’s been doing a lot of moving in recent months, and another big move is on the horizon. A disgruntled Kahne, given a contentious release from Richard Petty Motorsports last October, will have only one year to build on a five-race stint with Red Bull Racing that ended last season.

Kahne’s future plans have already been announced; he was signed to replace Mark Martin at the No. 5 seat at Hendrick beginning in 2012 before a rare agreement with Red Bull Racing was reached. That leaves RBR as a temporary stop on the way to arguably the sport’s best team, a partnership where keeping all sides distraction-free will be a challenge.

“I see what Red Bull’s all about,” claimed Kahne after surprising with a pole at Homestead in last season’s finale. “I see how they do it. They have really good people. It’s just a matter of a little bit of direction, some leadership, and we’re working on that. We can be a strong team next year.”

One development tops the list of fixes: Kahne is reunited with crew chief Kenny Francis, who also made the exit from RPM, and they will be joined by several other teammates who were laid off from that downsizing company. The return of veteran leader Brian Vickers to RBR should also rejuvenate the effort, which suffered without him. Jay Frye is also a solid and respected GM, excellent at making the most out of modest resources.

Overall, the dedication and financial support are a far cry from RPM, where it never seemed the money and equipment were fully behind Kahne for much of his tenure. But considering the short stint at RBR, can this guy keep his attitude adjusted should things go wrong early? How he left the No. 9 team was ugly at best — a third brake failure caused Kahne to crash at Charlotte and leave the track before repairs were made to his Ford. Kahne said he wasn’t feeling well, but what led to his release was the fact that he was essentially caught in a lie, running in a 5K charity race the next morning.

So will Kahne flourish in his one-year stint with RBR? Don’t hold your breath. He’s heading to a different team that runs a different manufacturer — his third in three years — so the depth of knowledge shared may not be adequate for large-scale success. They may eke out a win or two, due to Kahne’s talent alone, which could conceivably net them a wild card Chase berth, but nothing more.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

The recurring phrase with Kahne is “lots of talent.” A rival crew chief notes, “What happens to Kasey next year bears watching because it’s not something that happens very often. He’s sort of being farmed out to Team Red Bull for one year, and nobody really knows how that’s going to work. I think (crew chief) Kenny Francis showed a lot of professionalism. Distraction is a potential issue, since this whole arrangement will close at the end of the 2011 season.”

Another crew chief says, “You’ve just got to wonder when, or if, things are ever going to work out for this guy. He’s got great talent. He’s a proven winner. He’s had more than his share of bad luck in things falling apart around him, but yet, he hasn’t had a thing to do with any of it.”

A third says, “It’s hard to believe, but right now, I think Kasey Kahne is actually underrated.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 7
Top 10s: 10
Poles: 4
Laps Led: 350
Laps Completed: 10,309
Lead Lap Finishes: 21
Bonus Points: 60
Races Led: 10
Average Start: 13.5
Average Finish: 18.9
After First 26 Races: 18th
Final Points Standing: 20th
Driver Rating: 82.8 (15th)

Brian Vickers by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 83 Red Bull Toyota
Team: Red Bull Racing
Owner: Dietrich Mateschitz
Crew Chief: Ryan Pemberton

Years with current team: 5
Under contract through: 2012
Best points finish: 12th (2009)

Hometown: Thomasville, N.C.
Born: October 24, 1983

2011 Spin
After a thrilling entrance into the 2009 Chase, Brian Vickers and his Red Bull Racing team had their sights set on a return to the playoffs in 2010 — but that was before fate intervened. Just 11 races into last season, Vickers was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs and left leg. A pulmonary embolism caused by a hole in his heart would keep the 26-year old out of the No. 83 the remainder of the season.

Now, following a nine-month absence after recovering from open-heart surgery, Vickers is set to return to racing. “(Doctors) gave me full clearance for next year,” Vickers optimistically stated during a visit to Bristol Motor Speedway in August. “I will be back in (2011). I’m real excited about that. They feel I’m probably in the best shape of my life.”

But what shape will the team he was forced to leave be in when he makes his return?

Vickers will encounter a familiar face in crew chief Ryan Pemberton, who guided him to his first Chase berth in ’09 and to three top 10s in his brief, incomplete performance in 2010. Beyond that, there are plenty of new faces he’ll find in the Red Bull shop.

Gone is teammate Scott Speed, which isn’t much of a loss after another year of struggles, with Kasey Kahne hired to replace him. The addition of a teammate like Kahne in normal circumstances would be considered a welcomed addition, but this is a one and done deal for Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis, as both move to Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. That will put continued instability and distraction into a Red Bull team that already had its share in 2010. The two-car organization combined for only three top 10s in Vickers’ absence, a rocky merry-go-round of driver disappointments that raise serious questions as to how quickly a rebound can occur.

With Vickers likely to be a bit rusty after a prolonged period away from the sport and Kahne’s departure already set in stone, look for this year to be another rebuilding one for Vickers and a No. 83 team that once had a bright future ahead of it. Once he gets in a groove, Vickers could again compete for a win here or there, but a return to Chase form so quickly appears to be a tall order.

What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Vickers’ return — he missed most of the season because of a medical problem involving blood clots that required heart surgery to correct — carries with it some uncertainty. One rival thinks the presence of Kenny Francis as teammate Kasey Kahne’s crew chief will have a positive effect on the whole Team Red Bull operation. “Francis will bring a lot to that whole operation, Brian included,” he says. “Vickers can drive a car as loose as anyone. He’s got a lot of talent. We’ll have to see how the time off affected him. It’s really a shame because, a year ago, it seemed as if he was coming into his own.”

Another crew chief says, “I don’t think the layoff is going to be a problem. Brian’s still young (27), he’s won races, he’s made the Chase (2009), and he’s dedicated to what he does for a living. He had a tough break. He’ll be back.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 11
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 3
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 27
Laps Completed: 3,510
Lead Lap Finishes: 6
Bonus Points: 15
Races Led: 3
Average Start: 21.6
Average Finish: 20.0
Final Points Standing: 40th

Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images

NASCAR point changes underwhelm, miss mark

by Matt Taliaferro

Color me underwhelmed. And just a bit confused.

Ending weeks of speculation, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France announced changes to the sport’s points structure and Chase to the Championship format in a press conference at the NASCAR Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening.

Chief among the changes is a revamped season-long points structure that awards 43 points to the race winner, 42 to second and decreasing to one point for the 43rd-place finisher. Drivers will also be rewarded a one-time-only, one-point bonus for leading a lap, one for the driver leading the most laps and a three-point bonus to the winner. Added up, the winner of any race can earn a max of 48 points.

As for NASCAR’s controversial 10-race Chase for the Championship, France laid out a new qualification system, wherein the top 10 in Sprint Cup points will make the Chase, but in an interesting wrinkle, the final two slots will now be filled by the drivers within the top 20 not already qualified with the most wins. Any ties will be broken by virtue of points earned.

Seeding for the Chase will again be based on number of wins, but qualified drivers will now be separated by three points instead of 10. The two "wild card" drivers that earned spots in the Chase will not be awarded bonus points for wins.

France initially stressed winning — as in drivers battling for weekly wins — as a driving force behind the changes.

"The fans have been clear, though, about one thing: They care about winning," France stated. "They don't want drivers to just be content with a good points day or a good run."

However, when prompted in a Q&A with the media afterward, he implied that Goal No. 1 was simplicity in understanding how drivers are rewarded points, not winning.

"This is a goal ... the most important reason is simplicity," he said. "And this allows us a way to communicate the standings. This is a very, I think, straightforward way to do that.

"We didn't make a fundamental change on winning. We've always had a balance, and we like that. We didn't want to change it too much. We have to be cautious. We still have 43 cars racing out there. We can't measure things just on wins alone."

NASCAR President Mike Helton echoed the latter sentiment, telling reporters that a balance must be struck between winning and consistency throughout a long 36-week season. And in the sanctioning body’s view, a possible six-point cushion between first- and second-place finishers on a weekly basis combined with two Chase slot filled by virtue of wins alone accomplishes that goal.

OK, fair enough. The win-and-you’re-in Chase wild cards discourage just being satisfied with "good points days." But the 43-1 points format, when closely examined, does not award winning any more than the former Latford system. In fact, it penalizes a bad day more than rewarding a good one. And isn’t encouraging drivers to race all-out for wins the real way to attract a television audience? After all, it’s all about winning at the end of the day. Always has been.

And at what point since the Latford system was instituted in 1975 has simplicity been an issue? It certainly has not been a sticking point with fans over the last few turbulent seasons that witnessed NASCAR implement a playoff-style title format that coincided with plunging television ratings and decreased at-track attendance. Was the Latford system antiquated? Yes, but antiquated and confusing have totally different meanings, and at no point has an uproar from the fanbase or media been focused on not understanding how points were paid.

France, though, cited the NASCAR Fan Council’s input and the sanctioning body’s perception that a tight points battle in 2010 was difficult to follow and explain.

"We definitely communicated with our Fan Council," he said. "And listen, we saw with Denny (Hamlin), Jimmie (Johnson), Kevin (Harvick), through (last) fall, you needed a mathematician at the end, and you still might to some degree. But it was complicated to follow that. You knew somebody was behind and whatever. This will be easier for our fans and for our announcers and others in the booth to cover what is at stake at any given time during a race or the season."

The mathematician quip is a gross overstatement, of course. Points between the three competitors were compiled and relayed in real time throughout the telecast of the final race at Homestead. Viewers don’t need a calculator when the numbers are presented to them and change instantaneously as cars make up or lose ground.

No, this restructuring is about NASCAR making a third tweak to the points system in eight years — a staggering number for any sport at any level — simply because it can (or cannot, as in "cannot quit tinkering"). Fans didn’t ask for an overhaul to the point system, they asked for a refined schedule, shorter races, an emphasis on winning, better television coverage and a close examination of whether the Chase was needed at all.

Instead, the fans — the true fans that have remained loyal despite a plethora of poor decisions made by the governing body over the last decade — had more unwanted change forced upon them. It was change directed at bringing in the coveted 18-34 year old demographic, not appeasing the loyalists that NASCAR so dearly needs. It was change along the lines of what took Darlington’s Labor Day date and blurred the lines between a brand-specific car and a "spec" machine. It was change directed at attracting a new breed of fan. And it was these changes that precipitated the most turbulent years the sport has experienced in decades.

So color me underwhelmed, because a premium could have been placed on winning and was not. And color me confused, because I cannot understand how the leadership of the sport has not learned from its mistakes of the last 10 years.

But I’m sure Larry McReynolds can explain to me the positive aspects of change for the sake of change, where illusion is more important than tangible progress.

Follow Matt on Twitter at @MattTaliaferro

David Reutimann by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 00 Aaron’s Toyota
Team: Michael Waltrip Racing
Owner: Rob Kauffman
Crew Chief: Rodney Childers

Years with current team: 6
Under contract through: 2013
Best points finish: 16th (2009)

Hometown: Zephyrhills, Fla.
Born: March 2, 1970

2011 Spin
After slow but steady improvement every year, David Reutimann and his Michael Waltrip Racing team had lofty goals to take the next step and make the Chase last season. Unfortunately, three DNFs in the first eight races put the kibosh on that just two months in, an unlucky streak that left them focusing on wins instead — secondary in this era when teams are defined by playoff appearances.  

Reutimann and company did achieve that secondary goal on one special night, following a late-race pass on Jeff Gordon to win at Chicagoland last July, the lone highlight in what was otherwise a drop to 18th in the season standings. During the final 17 races, Reutimann led laps in just three events while stringing together back-to-back top 10s only once.

That inconsistency didn’t stop ownership from investing in Reutimann’s future, though. Two weeks after his second career victory, the driver had something else to celebrate: a contract extension that keeps him with MWR through the 2013 season. That provides stability for a team that returns crew chief Rodney Childers and top-level support from Toyota while refining its edges.

Reutimann has also upped the aggression level, hitting the headlines last season following a series of run-ins with Kyle Busch. The fact that someone perceived as so easygoing actually fought back through a set of verbal jabs at Busch was shocking, as was retaliation for a Kansas on-track incident during the Chase — although the payback may have been more a directive than a driver settling a score. Busch took full responsibility for the wreck, but for Reutimann that wasn’t enough. When the car was finally sent back out on the track, he hunted down Busch and drove into the side of the No. 18.

“He just rolled over me,” Reutimann said. “You guys can sugarcoat it all you want, but he wrecked me.”

That’ll give more than a few drivers second thoughts before they mess with a certain someone’s back bumper. But second is also what will hamper Reutimann’s bid for the Chase within his own program, as Martin Truex Jr. now occupies the prime seat in Waltrip’s former NAPA ride. With the same team intact, expect another random Victory Lane appearance from the No. 00, but as consistency proves elusive, so will the Chase spot that Reutimann desperately covets.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Reutimann is widely admired for his humility, a quality that should endear him to his team. That’s not necessarily the case, though. “Reutimann’s a really good guy, really liked by most everyone,” says one crew chief, “but I think he’s under fire from his team for not being tough enough and taking too much off other drivers. I don’t think that works. He’s got to be the way he is. You can’t try to imitate Dale Earnhardt just because your crew chief tells you to.”

Adds another, “He’s really a factor almost every time we go to intermediate tracks, but he’s nothing special everywhere else. It’s hard to say whether that’s more car or driver.”

Another says, “I wonder how many would bet Reutimann would remain the top guy (at Michael Waltrip Racing) once Truex came on board. Well, it’s still true.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 6
Top 10s: 9
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 104
Laps Completed: 10,055
Lead Lap Finishes: 25
Bonus Points: 40
Races Led: 8
Average Start: 15.6
Average Finish: 18.1
After First 26 Races: 17th
Final Points Standing: 18th
Driver Rating: 82.7 (17th)
 

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 43 Best Buy/Air Force Ford
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Owner: Richard Petty Petty/Andrew Murstein/Doug Bergeron
Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Years with current team: 3
Under contract through: 2012+
Best points finish: 19th (2010)

Hometown: Los Gatos, Calif.
Born: December 16, 1981

2011 Spin
Consistency has always been the key to success in NASCAR, but it takes baby steps to develop it. For AJ Allmendinger, 2010 was a year of slow, steady growth, and now, with his long-term employment seemingly settled, it’s time to step up and fill the role of team leader.

Allmendinger ended last season surrounded by an air of uncertainty, as his Richard Petty Motorsports team teetered on the brink of collapse while former owner George Gillett dodged both creditors and bankruptcy. But Richard Petty says that’s behind the team now, and a purchase announced in late November by Medallion Financial and VeriFone systems left the King, not the bankers, in charge of day-to-day operations once again.

His financial future seemingly secure, Petty has a tremendous amount of faith in Allmendinger, despite a verbal dustup at Daytona in July. There’s a reason he’s forgiven him quickly: The driver has shown flashes of brilliance in second-tier equipment, the type of brilliance not seen in the King’s car since Bobby Hamilton in the mid-1990s. Toward the end of 2010, amid the team’s struggles, Allmendinger very quietly took six top-12 finishes in the final 11 races. Considering the general upheaval around him, with a team uncertain if it would even show up at the track from week to week, that focus and dedication were exceptional.

Allmendinger and crew chief Mike Shiplett make a good match, as Shiplett knows how to work a less-than-perfect racecar to its best advantage. Ford is also behind the team and has a vested interest in making sure it stays afloat. While the Blue Ovals suffered as a whole early in 2010, they came on strong at the end, winning the last two races, and will head into 2011 on a hot streak thanks to FR9 engines built by the tuners at Roush-Yates Engines. RPM gets its chassis from Roush Fenway Racing, so the equipment and the resources will continue to flow.

Clearly, there are sighs of relief coming out of the RPM camp. But this investor group is the fifth merger Petty has had in the last two years. Will these owners prove to be legit? And with Kasey Kahne gone, how will Allmendinger handle the pressure of being the team’s No. 1 driver? If the money sticks, watch out — he’s a trendy Chase sleeper pick. If not, expect a pink slip or a shop closure by the end of November.


What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Allmendinger gets respect for showing considerable progress and sticking it out in Sprint Cup. “He’s fast and getting faster,” says one rival crew chief. “There’s no getting around that. When he came to NASCAR, he struggled about as bad as it’s possible for a driver to do. He’s still got a lot of work to do in regard to consistency, and there’s uncertainty with his team. If he gets a decent chance, I think eventually he’ll make a name for himself.”

Another crew chief says, “Allmendinger is like a lot of drivers who come here from other series. First he learns how to go fast, and then he has to learn how to race. He’s gotten gradually better and better. Is he ready to win races? Not quite. It’s hard to tell how far he can go because he hasn’t reached his ceiling and nobody really knows exactly where that ceiling is. We know how much he’s improved, but we don’t know how much he can improve. That’s not a criticism in any way. It’s the course every driver takes. In a way, you can’t see potential until it’s reached.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 2
Top 10s: 8
Poles: 1
Laps Led: 181
Laps Completed: 10,196
Lead Lap Finishes: 26
Bonus Points: 25
Races Led: 5
Average Start: 16.1
Average Finish: 17.8
After First 26 Races: 22nd
Final Points Standing: 19th
Driver Rating: 79.1 (21st)

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 27 Menards Chevrolet
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Owner: Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Slugger Labbe

Years with current team: 1
Under contract through: 2013
Best points finish: 23rd (2010)

Hometown: Eau Claire, Wis.
Born: August 21, 1980

2011 Spin
There’s one thing about having a guaranteed sponsor: There will always be a market for your services. Having his family’s business available to put on the hood has given Paul Menard several opportunities that other drivers of his caliber haven’t been able to find. Having that package deal in place also reopened the door to a fourth team for Richard Childress Racing, so bringing Menard into the fold creates a win-win situation for both driver and owner.

Or so it seems on the surface. Menard has more potential than most other drivers who find their way to NASCAR’s top ranks via family money, but he’ll still be the fourth fiddle in Childress’ band. With his fourth organization in as many years, this stop — he’s under contract through 2013 — may be Menard’s last, best chance to capitalize on the opportunities he has, following just eight top-10 finishes to show for a 147-race career in high-caliber equipment. Six of those occurred in 2010 during what could be called a “breakthrough” season for him — if, of course, your definition of “breakthrough” is 23rd in the series standings. Other than intermediates, the bullrings, road courses, and other challenging ovals leave him long on desire, short on results.

Menard does have a few things on his side. He’s fairly marketable, and a decent racecar driver to boot; he has a win and 60 top 10s in 165 Nationwide Series races.

Menard brings with him an experienced crew chief in Slugger Labbe, with whom he has worked with since his days at what was then Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Labbe knows how to win, and the team also has another ace up its sleeve in powerful Earnhardt-Childress engines, whose power put three RCR teams in the Chase in 2010.

Among insiders, Menard is known as a good teammate, a man whose yeoman’s work in testing helped turn Ford around behind the scenes after bad simulations nearly derailed its 2010 season. On the other hand, a fourth team turned out to be more than RCR could chew in 2009, and Menard will really have to bring his “A” game each week to make sure wrecks and wrong decisions don’t sap the organization of resources.

This year could really go either way: The breakthrough where Menard finds the top 10 on a semi-regular basis, or the year his reputation is sealed as a mid-pack driver racing on his daddy’s dollar.

What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Menard moves to his third team in four years, and many cite family money (his father’s company is his primary sponsor) as the 30-year-old’s meal ticket. “There’s not really much I have to say about Menard as a driver,” says a crew chief. “I just haven’t noticed that much, but I haven’t been paying that much attention, either. He’s competent, but what’s important about Paul Menard is that he brings money, and money is a crucial part of the industry, especially with the economy the way it is. That money may help the whole RCR operation, whether or not it actually benefits Menard.”

Another says, “Menard’s a decent driver. He won a Nationwide Series race (Milwaukee, 2006) one time. He might get by with some help from his dad, but I don’t think you can say the guy hasn’t paid his dues.”

Another scoffs: “What? Didn’t he have a top-5 finish (fifth, Atlanta) last year? That’s two in his career.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 1
Top 10s: 6
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 17
Laps Completed: 10,669
Lead Lap Finishes: 0
Bonus Points: 25
Races Led: 5
Average Start: 19.6
Average Finish: 19.8
After First 26 Races: 23rd
Final Points Standing: 23rd
Driver Rating: 70.9 (23rd)
 

Regan Smith by ASP, Inc.

2011 Driver Countdown

No. 78 Furniture Row Chevrolet
Team: Furniture Row Racing
Owner: Barney Visser/Richard Childress
Crew Chief: Pete Rondeau

Years with current team: 3
Under contract through: 2012
Best points finish: 28th (2010)

Hometown: Cato, N.Y.
Born: September 23, 1983

2011 Spin
Remember in the movie Cars, when old Doc Hudson tells Lightning McQueen that sometimes you need to slow down to go fast? It’s kind of like that for Regan Smith. After three completely lackluster seasons for Furniture Row Racing, the team took one giant step back in 2009, running just half the schedule while building for 2010 and beyond.

It worked like a charm. In his second season with FRR, Smith, just 27 years old, showed a tremendous amount of talent and poise. Finishing the year with three straight top-10 starts and just 10 races outside the top 30, he equaled as many lead lap finishes in one year (16) as the team collected in the previous five. Smith, who gained some notoriety for nearly winning at Talladega as a rookie in 2008 (he crossed the finish line first, but NASCAR took the win on a yellow line violation), is one of the sport’s underrated drivers, proving he can race with the best in the game.

Now, he needs to prove that he can consistently take this team to the next level. There needs to be top-10 finishes, not just the occasional top 15s, if FRR is to achieve its goal of sneaking inside the top 20 in points. To that end, the team switched from in-house to Richard Childress Racing chassis, and will also run Earnhardt-Childress engines this year, switching from Hendrick power. Smith was given a contract extension through 2012, which gives the team several years of stability to look forward to — something they lacked before his tenure.

There will be challenges. FRR is essentially self-sponsored, and while the team established a marketing department this offseason, that means there isn’t the cash flow that the multi-car giants have. Pete Rondeau, who took the crew chief job last fall, his first since an awkward stint as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s head wrench in 2005, brings experience, but not a lot of wins to the pit box. The team’s Denver, Colo., location is also a hindrance, being a half-continent away from the racing hub of Charlotte. The ties to RCR are great, but it’s hard for Childress to offer much assistance to a team that builds its cars 1,500 miles away.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the relative upward trend of an organization that sacrificed in the short-term in order to stick around for the long haul. Now, it’s time to see just how fast it can go.

What The Competition Is Saying
Thoughts from anonymous garage-area owners, crew chiefs and team members.

Smith turned heads with some respectable late-season showings. “They’re aligned with (Richard) Childress now,” says a crew chief. “That’s got a lot to do with the improvement.”

Another says, “I think Regan’s put himself back on the map. He’s done a good, solid job over there.”

A third crew chief says, “That team finished, what, 29th in owner points (Smith was 28th in driver points)? That may not seem like much, but it’s a hell of an accomplishment for that team. Smith’s a good little driver, definitely underrated.”

2010 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 0
Top 5s: 0
Top 10s: 0
Poles: 0
Laps Led: 4
Laps Completed: 10,208
Lead Lap Finishes: 16
Bonus Points: 10
Races Led: 2
Average Start: 24.6
Average Finish: 25.5
After First 26 Races: 30th
Final Points Standing: 28th
Driver Rating: 58.5 (29th)