Top 35 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers: No. 32, David Stremme

By Rea White - Associate Editor

Monday, November 30, 2009

David Stremme finished 32nd in the standings despite making only 33 starts during the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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David Stremme likely didn't have the kind of NASCAR Sprint Cup season he envisioned at Penske Racing this year.

Stremme was the driver of the organization's No. 12 entry for the opening 33 races, but was replaced in the final trio by incoming driver Brad Keselowski. Stremme also attempted to qualify for the season-ending race in a Phoenix Racing entry but failed to do so.

For Stremme, this was supposed to be a comeback season. A Cup regular for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006 and 2007, the 32-year-old returned to the Nationwide Series in 2008, driving for Rusty Wallace Racing. This season, he tried to make his return to the Cup series, but he labored deep in the points for most of the year and failed to post a top-10.

Late in the season, it was announced that Keselowski would drive for the team next season, and Stremme has not announced any future plans at this time.

The South Bend, Ind., native finished 33rd in the drivers standings and earned $4,141,677 in purses.

During the offseason, SceneDaily is taking a look at the top 35 in 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver points. Here’s how Stremme's season unfolded:

By the numbers: Stremme had a top finish of 13th in his 33 starts this season. He had four top-15 finishes combined with six DNFs. Of those, four were because of accidents and two were credited to parts failures. Stremme finished 33rd in the standings.

Season highlights: The season started with a highlight as Stremme was first announced as the team's driver and then told he would run the full season despite a lack of full sponsorship for the car. Teammates Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. talked about the impact the driver, who had two previous full seasons of Cup racing, could have on the season early in the year, sparking optimism for the group.

Key setbacks: The unfinished races doomed any chance this team had for building momentum. Stremme had a worst finish of 23rd in the opening eight races before a pair of accidents sidelined his team and broke that stretch. After that, each time they started to build toward better performances, another DNF interrupted the run.

Newsworthy moments: In September, the team announced that it would put Keselowski in the car for the 2010 season, the first for the young driver. In November, the organization opted to go ahead and close the season with Keselowski competing in the final three races.

In his words: "Every week I just give them my best, just like I have been all year,” Stremme said after the announcement that Keselowski would replace him in 2010. “We haven’t had the greatest of years. I know that. We have run very well. We don’t have results to show for it. I still have a job to do. I will give 100 percent."