NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR team preview: Earnhardt Ganassi Racing

Published Jan. 19, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

Larry McReynolds

I was very impressed with what this operation did last year, in particular the No. 42 team, driver Juan Pablo Montoya, and crew chief Brian Pattie. I would love to have seen what Pattie, Montoya and a good part of that group would have beenable to accomplish as part of Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing. When you really look at what they accomplished ,it was pretty phenomenal because honestly, the No. 42 team was almost like a single-car team. The merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates came so late in the game in 2008 that really they did not operate that closely for a good part of the year — and it wasn't because people weren't trying to make it one organization. It was because they started so far apart since this deal came about so late.

If Chip Ganassi and his folks over there can get those two teams to work together closely and get their equipment closer, it'll help that No. 42 team be even stronger in 2010. And folks, that's the biggest problem for multicar teams, and one of the many things that Hendrick Motorsports does such a good job with. It's easy for Chad Knaus, Steve Letarte, Alan Gustafson and Lance McGrew to sit down and talk about what they got because it's pretty much the same. But what I've seen from many of these other multicar outfits, like Earnhardt Ganassi, it's hard for those crew chiefs or drivers to sit down and compare notes because Team A has this type of car at the racetrack, Team B will have another kind, etc. If EGR can get their teams to work together, we may be surprised by the numbers they put up all year long.

Yes, the No. 1 car with Jamie McMurray and Kevin "Bono" Manion is a bit of an unknown because it's a new combination. But Pattie and Montoya is a good package because they believe in each other, they work together good, and they can contend for wins and a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

From there, it seems like we can get all sorts of surprises.

Starting lineup

By Mike Harmon

Team #1
Driver: Jamie McMurray (Finished 22nd in the 2009 Cup standings, 3 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Kevin "Bono" Manion
Primary Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats

McMurray took only a small step backwards in terms of overall performance, but his weekly efforts were inconsistent. He raced to 19 top-20 finishes and his average finish dipped by only an average of 1.3 positions. However, McMurray produced six fewer top 10s and raced to only one top-five run after generating four top-five finishes in 2008.

Team #42
Driver: Juan Pablo Montoya (Finished eighth in the 2009 Cup standings, 1 career Cup win)
Crew chief: Brian Pattie
Primary Sponsor: Target

The third time can sometimes be the charm. Montoya experienced the breakthrough season of all breakthrough seasons. He had earned only nine top 10s in his first two seasons. He tallied 18 top 10s in 2009. The No. 42 Chevy also completed every race after posting 13 DNFs in the previous two seasons. Montoya has seemingly figured things out, and he's set to become a perennial contender.

share

Get more from NASCAR Cup Series Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

NASCAR Cup Series