NASCAR 2008 Sprint Cup Team Preview- Penske Racing
Solid performances by Kurt Busch helped solidify Penske Racing as Dodge’s top team in 2007. Not only did Busch pick up wins and run well in the Chase, Ryan Newman continued to fortify his reputation as the “King of Qualifying”- picking up poles like track officials pick up debris. Though Newman’s victory drought continued, he narrowly lost his bid to make the Chase, edged out by the promising Clint Bowyer. For all that noise, the biggest has been made by a driver who has yet to run a full Cup schedule, former Indy champ Sam Hornish. The Ohio native will climb into the #77 for a full-time run in 2008, part of a wave of former open wheel studs (Jacques Villenueve and Dario Franchitti as well) to abandon Indy cars for the Car of Tomorrow.
Hornish struggled to make the field race after race, but seemed to pull it together by Homestead. In watching his qualifying efforts, you could see that little by little, Hornish began to master the turns. Team owner Roger Penske has successfully lobbied for a little insurance: Kurt Busch’s driver points have been transferred to Hornish, guaranteeing him a spot in the field while Hornish continues to learn. It’s a clever maneuver (though I hate it personally) as Busch will have a past champions provisional (Busch won the Cup title in 2004- the first year of the Chase) that guarantees him 6 starts. Still, I doubt Kyle Busch’s big brother will need it much- he proved he had a fast car all throughout 2007.
Busch’s performance helped keep Dodge from completely fading into obscurity in 2007 as other Dodge teams (Petty Enterprise, Gillett Evernham, and Chip Ganassi) all struggled. The Las Vegas native continues to rehabilitate a tarnished image cultivated by aggressive driving and a police incident in Arizona in 2005- a mishap that ultimately spelled the end of Kurt’s run with Roush Racing. Busch’s image took a hit with a collision he had with his brother Kyle during the all-star weekend, and a pit road melee with Tony Stewart’s team in mid-summer. Still, you can tell that Busch regrets some of the brash moves of his youth and he’s earnestly trying to earn the affection of more NASCAR fans. At 29 years old, the driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge has plenty of career left, and his 17 wins puts him on a path to build a strong legacy if he can keep it up. Winning also has a way of making fan forget prior indiscretions if he can avoid further on-track rumbles.
Hoosier Ryan Newman is a driver with a lot to prove in 2008. If qualifying equaled greatness, Newman would already be a legend. He has over 40 for his career- one of the best totals you’ll ever see. Unfortunately, “Rocket” hasn’t won since 2005, leaving him stuck on a career total of 12 trips to victory lane, not bad, but by no means immortal. These frustrations aside, Newman was in a position to win in numerous races, and he is one of my picks to make the top 12 in 2008. He’s too good to go winless this long.
By virtue of Busch’s success, one can’t help but think Penske Racing will be heard from in 2008. It’s not really a stretch to think Busch, Newman and Hornish all three are capable of being among the best. The question remains as to how well this team has mastered the Car of Tomorrow.
If this team has any sense of teamwork (and they seem to), they’ll figure it out.
