One of the biggest questions I get from fans is what’s really going on over at Hendrick Motorsports.
That’s the $64,000 question.
Richard Childress Racing has made such a rebound in only a year’s time, and many now believe there is a chink in the Hendrick armor.
I am sure that with only two races to go, the Hendrick folks are scrambling to work on the areas where they are off. You know, as good as they were at the start of the season, before the change from the wing to the spoiler, maybe they can figure out what variable they might be missing before the Chase for the Sprint Cup starts. If the organization could recapture any part of the dominance they had in the early stages of the 2010 season, then it would still be your odds-on favorite to capture another title.
Some folks like to speculate about how maybe trying to land the Wal-Mart sponsorship for Gordon, or the effort to get the No. 5 Mark Martin team, and especially the No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. team, on track is a distraction that might be taking its toll on everyone.
I don’t think that’s the case. I don’t think the guys that work day in and day out on a particular team worry about that. They focus and worry about making their car run better.
The one thing I have noticed as of late when talking about the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson is the problems they have been having on pit road. That’s never really been a problem for them in the past. I talked to their pit crew coach at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. He told me they have had serious meetings with the pit crew about their performance. They also practiced a lot last week in their fire suits, helmets, etc. They did that to add a racetrack feel to the practices. If you noticed, they were much better Saturday night at Bristol, which is a really tough place to pit a car.
You obviously saw how important pit stops and pit strategy were because those ultimately gave the race winner, Kyle Busch, the lead. So as we get ready to start the Chase, that is one of the variables I will be watching.
Who can rise to the occasion and elevate their game? Your pit crew is a variable that no one in the Chase can let slip through the cracks. You simply can’t win a championship if your pit crew performs badly.
Who can rise up and make enough noise in the Chase? Last year you saw Brian Vickers make it in, but then he had nothing left in the tank. If Clint Bowyer holds on to the 12th spot for two more races and is in the Chase, will he have anything left in his tank?
We never really talk enough or document enough the potential of dark horses being surprises in the Chase. I really think there are some folks laying in the weeds out there that, if they get on fire, can turn some heads and upset what we think is going to happen. The guys from Roush Fenway Racing come to my mind as being a long way from being done.
There are many folks out there right now that believe this is the year Johnson is dethroned and a new champion is crowned. Sure, he and his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team simply haven’t looked as sharp as they have been.
Whether it’s the change to the spoiler, the changes of the tires or the changes of the time, they just aren’t looking as invincible as in years past. So, yes, they look like they can be beat.
With all that said, however, you can’t dismiss that they have five wins so far in 2010. You can’t overlook that they have won the championship the past four consecutive years. So, most better be reluctant to jump out there on that limb and say the No. 48 won’t repeat as champion again.
Back in the day, I had a pit crew that went up against Childress’s Flying Ace’s pit crew, which was arguably the best pit crew out there.
We went into the Unocal Pit Crew competition with nothing to lose and everything to gain. At the end of the day, we walked away as the champion. My point is, I believe there are a few teams out there in that very same position with nothing to lose that might surprise you in the 2010 Chase.
It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
I go back to Clint. I would not overlook him. He has absolutely nothing to lose. If he is able to hang on to that 12th spot after the races at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Richmond International Raceway, well, then who knows what can happen. They might be able to carry some momentum into the start of the Chase and surprise folks.
Carl Edwards is another one to watch. He has been getting stronger every week. He’s been running more competitively. He and his team are starting to get this chassis tuned in better with the new Ford engine, and you never know when a guy like Carl can get on fire. He’s done it in the past, and he runs well at the tracks still remaining on the 2010 schedule.
How do you know that Clint or Carl could not get on fire at the right place and at the right time and run the table on Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin or Kyle Busch?
