I think you have to be encouraged by the way Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the No. 88 team rebounded Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.
He got a lap down, got the free pass and then rallied back for a top-10 finish. I think new crew chief Steve Letarte was able to keep Dale and the crew focused. I think it’s an encouraging sign for things to come.
We had Jeff Gordon win the race, but the other Jeff — Jeff Burton — was one I thought was going to have a good day. Unfortunately, he got caught up in a bunch of things on Sunday and his quest to get back to Victory Lane didn’t happen.
A lot of teams are already showing their potential.
Kasey Kahne is one you shouldn’t be surprised about when he wins again. No matter where he and crew chief Kenny Francis go, they make their team contenders for wins. Kasey had a solid weekend. Unfortunately his teammate, Brian Vickers, got caught up in a situation not of his making. I think both Red Bull teams are very solid now. It would come as no surprise to see one or both teams rattle some cages in Las Vegas this weekend.
Although they are still working to get to that point, I think you will see Brad Keselowski get to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year. His teammate, Kurt Busch, is always strong, so I think that will help propel Brad to bring home the checkered flag.
After seeing how strong Carl Edwards has run the first two races of the year, there is no reason to believe his three Roush Fenway Racing teammates can’t be equally as strong. Unfortunately, Carl and rival Kyle Busch had their problems on the backstretch on Sunday. I had talked to Carl on race morning, and he felt like he had the car to beat.
I think it is shaping up to be one of those years when on any given Sunday, any driver can win. I see the Dodges, Fords and Toyotas being much stronger this year and able to take it to the Chevrolets. I do think some teams will need to strike early.
Normally, by midseason, these teams have data and trends of how their cars handle, and that’s where you see the separation begin. For instance, in 2010, Gordon was a contender early in the season, but by the midpoint of the year, his team simply couldn’t ramp it up like the others did.
I think Sunday showed us these drivers are being very aggressive and going for it early on in the season. You didn’t see a whole lot of give and take Sunday.
A lot of this also is a byproduct of the new points system. Not only can’t teams afford to get down early, but the emphasis on wins and how that can play out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup is making these guys more aggressive than ever. We'll see how that plays out in the coming weeks.
