Kenny Bruce: Dale Earnhardt Jr. not the only driver looking for answers
By Kenny Bruce - Assistant Managing Editor
Friday, May 29, 2009
Richard Petty Motorsports' Kasey Kahne is one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers trying to move into championship contention.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
Clearly the NASCAR world has come to something of a standstill, largely because of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s 19th-place position in the Sprint Cup Series point standings.
But for those who haven’t noticed, the sport’s most popular driver is far from the only one dealing with a lack of success this season. One third of the Cup season is official, run and done and put away, and it’s likely that the field is full of drivers and teams who are probably wondering how things went so wrong so soon.
Earnhardt Jr. is one of four drivers who were coasting along at this time a year ago but who now find themselves struggling to climb back into the thick of battle as the months of summer loom just over the horizon.
Twelve races into the 2008 season, Earnhardt Jr. was third in points and probably still enjoying that new-car smell that came with the move to Hendrick Motorsports. Recent results, though (or maybe it’s a lack of them) read 27th, 27th, 40th. Junior Nation has been in a funk. The newness is gone and reality is starting to set in.
In an effort to put some sizzle back in the No. 88 team, Lance McGrew has replaced Tony Eury Jr. as Earnhardt’s Jr.’s crew chief on an interim basis, beginning with next week’s stop at Pocono. Team manager Brian Whitesell is scheduled to be atop the pit box this weekend in Dover, Del.
Earnhardt Jr.’s team is in trouble. But so, too, are others.
Kasey Kahne’s fortunes haven’t been quite as disappointing – the Richard Petty Motorsports driver is just three spots off his 2008 pace. But his seventh-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway was his first top-10 in his last seven starts. As a result, he’s sitting 15th and said to be pondering his future at RPM.
He’s nearly a year removed from his last win, and maybe you don’t forget the how-to-win part, but this year the No. 9 team has not been close enough to prove that one way or the other.
Two spots behind Kahne is Richard Childress Racing’s Clint Bowyer. Fifth after 12 races a year ago, Bowyer has been as high as second in the point standings this year. Those were the good times. Then came Texas, and the beginning of a run of poor finishes that have dropped Bowyer and his No. 33 team to 17th in points. His average finishing position in the last six races has been about as bad as it gets (28.6) for a team that was expected to contend.
OK, maybe not. Kevin Harvick, Bowyer’s teammate, has an average finish of 30th in the last six races. A year ago, Harvick was cruising along, seventh in points through 12 races. This year has already seen one entire crew swap with teammate Casey Mears, but after three races, the jury’s still out on that move. He’ll head into this weekend’s stop 23rd in points, the deepest he has been in the standings since the sixth race of 2006 when he was also 23rd.
In many instances, teams take a major tumble because of a high number of DNFs. But that has not really been the case for any one of these four drivers. In fact, Kahne has yet to post a DNF this year, and each of the others has failed to finish only one race this season. Ahead of them are drivers with two, even three DNFs.
Which would seem to indicate that these particular teams have simply failed to run competitively on a consistent basis. They aren’t falling out of races. Just falling.
A solid top-five finish every now and then isn’t nearly enough to make up for a handful of subpar performances. In the meantime, those ahead of them in the point standings keep pulling further and further away.
Time hasn’t run out for Earnhardt Jr., Kahne, Bowyer or Harvick. But the clock is ticking.
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Comments
14 responses to "Kenny Bruce: Dale Earnhardt Jr. not the only driver looking for answers". Post a Comment.
motorsportsphotography said:
May 29, 2009 at 8:22 AMWell, this is a typical year for Kasey. His finishes have always been between 15th and 20th. No big surprise there. Clint had 2 great seasons with Jack Daniels and RC went and ruined that when he hired loser Mears and shook that team up. Harvick has always had a good year followed by a bad year for as long as I have known him and this is his bad year.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportnictmb said:
May 29, 2009 at 12:28 PMgosh, i hope kasey leaves and goes to Tony's team in 2010, and then he, being the amazing driver he is, and the potential he has, he can win races and get championships, but as long as hes at richard petty motorsports its never gonna happen...richard may be the king of nascar, but he hasn't been the big cheese for a long time, and i don't think hes really that updated to be running a successful team.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSTP43FAN said:
May 29, 2009 at 1:05 PMNICTMB - Kahne is not that amazing. "I don't think (Petty) is really that updated to be running a successful team." What the hell is that supposed to mean?
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
May 29, 2009 at 4:20 PMwhen are they running that new DODGE motor??...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkimba9 said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:06 PMtoday werner, and it looks pretty darn good! qualified 2nd and was 2nd fastest in practice!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkimba9 said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:15 PMoh and he went out first for qualifying, thought that was going to be a disaster. Did anyone see JG smack the wall and not even get in one qualifying lap? I don't care for him, but man that was an awful hit, he said it hurt (they asked if that was the car or him he stated "both") glad to see he was ok
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkbruce said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:35 PMYep, Kahne's running the new R6 engine this weekend. Only Richard Petty Motorsports driver with the new piece, though. Penske drivers have been running it already this season.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportvgradwell said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:42 PMkeep your chin up kasey your fans will stick by you i know i willgood luck at dover and pocono i will be at both to see you take the checkered flags vickie gradwell
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» Confirm Abuse Reportvgradwell said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:44 PMkeep your chin up kasey your fans are with you i know i will be at dover and pocono to see you take both checkered flags good luck vickie gradwell
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» Confirm Abuse Reportallshookup said:
May 29, 2009 at 5:58 PMI am a long time fan of the 4 time champion and do hope he is a ok! Very rude fans to cheer when any driver to hit the wall at that speed!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportcathyrrooks said:
May 29, 2009 at 7:58 PMKASEY YOU ARE THE BEST! GO KASEY # 9 YOU GO WITH THAT NEW ENGINE AND WIN BABY!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrmdunn3 said:
May 29, 2009 at 7:59 PMKimba, I watched the whole day and it looks like all the Petty guys are in the top 10 starting positions. I'm happy, now I hope they all run good and don't get into any wrecks. Don't worry about the naysayers on here, we can still keep cheering Kasey on.
Report as AbuseGoing out first didn't hurt him that much, like I thought it would. I loved the way DW explalined about Kasey eating Crab Claws.
I hope this new engine gives him the power he needs on restarts, not like the old one, where he loses about 5 spots on restarts.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportcathyrrooks said:
May 29, 2009 at 8:01 PMWHY ARE MY POSTS NOT POSTING??
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» Confirm Abuse Reportpithyone said:
May 29, 2009 at 9:41 PMHey STP43FAN, Kasey is an amazing driver -- have you been watching? I know that once they figure out a good setup witht eh new Dodge engine this weekend he is going to win a Championship! Go #9!!!!!!!!!!!
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