This team can really turn out to be a head scratcher.
The addition of Brad Keselowski is great, but I would've thought that Steve Addington had enough of the Busch family after splitting with Kyle at the end of last season. Instead, he's the second big offseason signing after agreeing to be Kurt's new crew chief. Now that he has arrived, the real question is whether Addington can have the kind of effect Pat Tryson had and give Kurt the confidence he needs to succeed. Having worked with Kurt and listened to Kyle, I can tell you folks that the Busch family can be very high strung and you have to be willing to deal with that if you want to be successful. Is this new pairing going to work? The No. 2 team made a huge turnaround in 2009, but in this sport just when you have things figured out, you can be left behind.
The No. 2 team isn't the only one to have question marks surrounding it going into 2010. A lot of people will be watching to see if Penske as a whole is going to get enough help from Dodge to stay competitive. Also, will the offseason additions foster the right type of environment where Penske can continue progressing, or will this not be the right mix?
Performance will be the key all the way around at the organization. Penske can't afford to fall back, but they won't have a lot of help to draw from since they are the only Dodge outfit.
Starting lineup
By Mike Harmon
Team #2
Driver: Kurt Busch (One time Cup champion, 20 career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Steve Addington (first year with team)
Primary sponsor: Miller Lite
It'd been awhile since he rallied to the top of the heap consistently, but Busch rediscovered his past brilliance to produce a huge 2009 campaign. He generated 21 top-10 finishes, his highest total since 2004, and averaged a tremendous 12.8-position finish. Busch also offered a 13.4-position average qualifying slot.
Will the No. 2 Penske Dodge offer a season similar to his dramatic downturn in 2008 or will he dominate as he did last year? I suspect that the answer is somewhere between those marks.
Team #12
Driver: Brad Keselowski (first full season of Sprint Cup competition, 1 career Cup win)
Crew chief: Jay Guy (first year with the team)
Primary sponsor: Penske Racing
Keselowski was an intriguing prospect when he ran during the 2009 season. He appeared in only 15 races last year, producing six top-15 runs (four top 10s) along the way. Keselowski did run 25th or worse in the final three events, but there's great hope that a full-time ride puts him into contention on a weekly basis. Keep an eye on him at Talladega as Keselowski won one event and finished eighth in the other in 2009.
Team #77
Driver: Sam Hornish Jr. (Finished 28th in 2009 Cup standings, zero career Cup wins)
Crew chief: Chris Carrier
Primary Sponsors: Mobil 1, AAA
Hornish experienced a tremendous breakthrough in his second full season on the circuit. He produced seven top-10 performances and 13 top-20 rides. Unfortunately, Hornish also posted eight DNFs along the way. That's a very easy measureable for Hornish to improve upon in 2010.
Inside line
By Jorge A. Mondaca
