Happy times for Team Penske even as Roush Fenway Fords struggle
I would say at this point as we head into the Easter weekend, there are basically two groups you need to look at in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. First are the ones that are tired and content. The second are the ones that are tired and frustrated.
Now, by that I mean, for example, if you are Kevin Harvick and the No. 4 team, well, you might be pretty tired, but you are also pretty darn content. They've had two wins, six top-10 finishes and five top-five finishes in these first six races. They obviously already know they are locked into the Chase come mid-September. That gives them so much more freedom now in April to try different combinations and experiment with different things.
Another example would be Martin Truex Jr. and his No. 78 bunch. In six races they have posted six top-10 finishes and, honestly, they look like a completely different race team than a year ago. This guy looks like he's been reborn.
If you are on the other side of the fence in the group that is tired and frustrated, you might enjoy some of this time off but you also know you still have a very long way to go. That group has worked just as hard as the previous group, but they have nothing to show for it. Sure, they can break it down race by race and say, "Well, we ran good there or we ran good there," but the bigger question becomes, "Were they competitive?"
If you know you have a good race team or even feel like you have a good race team but you haven't made any movement in a positive direction, then your sleepless nights are going to continue despite the off-weekend. I hate to sound like I am picking on them, but the clear example in this case has to be Roush Fenway Racing.
This is an organization that has to be burning the midnight oil instead of having the luxury to kick back and enjoy this Easter weekend to the fullest. In racing, as you know, it's all about results, and these three teams simply don't have any positive results.
As you've heard me say before, we know it's not the Ford bodies or the Ford engines that are holding Roush Fenway back. Look at Team Penske. Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski are sitting second and fourth in the points, respectively. They have the same bodies and same engines that Roush Fenway Racing has. Joey already has a win and has finished in the top 10 in all the races so far, while Brad is hot on his heels as he also has a win and five top-10 finishes in six races.
So like I said, there are really two camps. It is those that are tired and content versus those that are tired and frustrated. We've run seven consecutive weekends, of which six have been points races, to kick off our 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. For those that are content, they are going to have an enjoyable weekend off and recharge. Those that are frustrated still have a ton of work.
Let's face it, after this off-weekend, not only will they head to Texas Motor Speedway, which is no easy task in and of itself, but they also know this is the last break they will get until the third week of June. I sure don't envy them.
