3:29 a.m.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Everyone comes into the new season with a clean slate and an optimistic outlook.
Unfortunately reality sets in pretty quickly and the challenge of a 36-race Sprint Cup Series schedule and the trials and tribulations race teams go through can quickly erase even the most positive outlook.
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Jimmie Johnson is still king until someone takes his crown. (Getty Images) |
The wild off-season of changes no doubt will impact competition. Everything from the new front nosepiece of the Sprint Cup car to how drivers will qualify for the Chase and earn championship points will affect the next ten months.
But no matter how points are distributed, or playoff qualification is achieved, the best teams and drivers will rise to the top.
I don't see a huge shift of balance or power in the Sprint Cup Series for 2011. Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing and Earnhardt Ganassi Racing were the top teams in the sport last season and will be this year.
The same holds true for the drivers who dominated in 2010. Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick went down to the wire in last year's title race and all will be back in the hunt.
However I do see the end of Johnson's reign coming and the guy who will finally unseat the five-time champion ended last year as hot as any driver on the series. Carl Edwards won the final two races of 2010 at Phoenix and Homestead and looks poised to carry that momentum into the new season.
So before the first official green flag of the yeas flies in the 53rd Daytona 500 on Sunday, here's how the field looks heading into 2011:
1) Jimmie Johnson
The champ is the king of the hill until someone knocks him off and Johnson remains perched on top on the eve of the season. Don't expect the wheels to come off the 48 team by any means. The mixing of his pit crew personnel will be the most interesting thing to watch develop early in the year, as crew chief Chad Knaus looks to find the right group to provide service on pit road.
2) Carl Edwards
Momentum is huge in NASCAR and even though it's been more than three months since Edwards won the season finale in Homestead, he rides high into the new year. The resurgence of Ford and Roush Fenway Racing was a major story that came together about mid-season last year and things are in place for that to continue through 2011.
3) Kevin Harvick
Richard Childress Racing's resurgence was on par with what RFR and Ford pulled off in 2010. RCR placed all three of its cars into the Chase and Harvick went right down to Homestead before finally being eliminated. He's back with a vengeance, as well as a new sponsor (Budweiser), and seems as determined as ever to bring team owner Childress that first Cup crown since 1994.
4) Denny Hamlin
Some still believe Hamlin lost last year's championship rather than Johnson winning it. However it's viewed, the bitterness over not fulfilling the prediction of being the 2010 champ should be more than enough to motivate Hamlin and crew chief Mike Ford. Don't expect any less bragging or bold talk, as the driver and crew chief continue to be two of the most confident people in the garage area.
5) Clint Bowyer
Speaking of motivation, Bowyer still bristles over the controversial penalty that basically knocked him out of championship contention in last season's Chase opener at New Hampshire. That penalty proved to be too great for Bowyer to overcome despite winning a few weeks later in Talladega and generally running well to play out the string. Bowyer will give RCR another legitimate shot at the 2011 crown.
6) Kyle Busch
The age old question of whether Busch finally will control his emotions remains in 2011. Talent is not a question for Busch nor is the quality of the Joe Gibbs Racing organization. If Busch can harness some of the passion that has derailed his title aspirations in the past he can put himself into the championship picture.
7) Greg Biffle
Was able to find victory lane a pair of times last year but suffered from the Ford issues early. Biffle needs more consistency to try to become the only driver to win championships in the Camping World Truck Series, Nationwide Series and Sprint Cup Series.
8) Tony Stewart
Inconsistency doomed Stewart in 2010. He proved he could win with a pair of trips to victory lane but was plagued by mechanical problems other times. Year three for the owner-driver most likely will include at least one checkered flag.
9) Matt Kenseth
The new Chase qualifications rule means Kenseth needs to pick up his usual consistency rate and stay in the top 10 in points. Finding wins wasn't easy for Kenseth last year who has made a career out of finishing inside the top ten.
10) Jeff Gordon
Will the new crew chief pairing of Alan Gustafson and Gordon pay better dividends than the Steve Letarte era? Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick are hoping the brand new duo take the 24 car to the next level after coming so close to winning several times last year.
11) Kurt Busch
His Budweiser Shootout win proved that Busch could win on a restrictor plate track, something that has lacked in his Sprint Cup career. There are new colors on the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge in Shell/Pennzoil but Busch and crew chief Steve Addington remain intact, looking to build on the two wins season of a year ago.
12) Jeff Burton
Appears on the verge of signing a contract extension with Richard Childress Racing, a reward for the veteran's consistent performance. Perhaps knowing his future is solidified for the next several seasons will catapult Burton further up the Cup standings.
13) Jamie McMurray
Last season's big-race winner (trips to victory lane at Daytona, Indianapolis and Charlotte) has a better chance of making the Chase this year because the new wild card system is in place for winning races. McMurray has a chance to take the No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team to the next level if more consistency can be found.
14) Mark Martin
His final season at Hendrick Motorsports doesn't mean the end of Martin's career. What he'll do beyond 2011 is unknown, Martin and his new crew chief Lance McGrew have a lot to prove this season -- they're last working together on the No. 5 Chevrolet.
15) Joey Logano
Ended last year on a tear of impressive finishes inside the top 10, Logano is on the doorstep of becoming a weekly contender for top five finishes and victories.
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