More than a few burning questions for 2009 revolve around Penske Racing. Is Penske still a viable NASCAR team? Is Penske’s manufacturer (Dodge) poised to provide their NASCAR teams what they need? Is the real Kurt Busch the one who won the 2004 championship? Or is he just another pretty good driver who will win one here and there without posing a serious threat to the likes of Johnson, Edwards and little brother Kyle? Do Penske drivers David Stremme and Sam Hornish Jr. have what it takes to succeed in Sprint Cup racing?
There’s a lot to sort out here.
I’m quite sure Kurt Busch did not enjoy being relegated to the status of being “Kyle Busch’s big brother.” Busch and Ryan Newman got Penske off to a brilliant starts with a 1-2 finish (Busch was 2nd) at Daytona and Kurt also picked up a nice mid-season win at New Hampshire- but that was pretty much the highlight reel for Penske right there. Otherwise, the 30-year old Busch looked like a poster child for Murphy’s Law. You name the way a car could have problems and he had them.
The good news for Kurt is that his fortunes improved after September with a new Dodge engine. The former champion registered two top 10s (Atlanta and Phoenix) in his last 4 races. The ride has been a bit uneven since his days at Roush- it’s safe to say he’d rather run more like he did in 2007 when he finished 7th in the points and reeled off a pair of wins than the Kurt Busch who ran 18th last year.
The odds aren’t pretty, but in racing, you never really know.
One thing we do know- translating open wheel success into NASCAR isn’t as easy as some
may have thought. Though he’s outlasted the likes of Dario Franchitti, Jacques Villenueve and Patrick Carpentier, Sam Hornish Jr. has done little to distinguish himself in Sprint Cup racing. In fact, there was a rumor circulating for a time that Penske might put Hornish in the IRL ride of the legally troubled Helio Castroneves.
There’s no question Sudden Sam was an IRL stud, but as far as NASCAR goes- he absolutely has to prove soon he belongs. Penske can’t afford to have Hornish flirting with the “go or go home” class much longer.
David Stremme gets a shot at NASCAR redemption in 2009, taking over Ryan Newman’s old #12 ride. The 2003 Busch Series Rookie Of The Year spent 2008 in the Nationwide Series quietly racing for Rusty Wallace in the #64. Like Hornish, Stremme’s resume is long on promise and short on delivery. Now, he gets another shot, but Stremme must deliver something positive quickly, because there’s just too many guys looking for a ride who have a bit more in the way of history going for them.
Penske may not have quite the same history with NASCAR that the Pettys or the Wood Brothers have had, but it’s still hard to imagine this organization fading into obscurity.
I’m for parity. There’s got to be somebody outside the “Big Four” teams of Hendrick, Gibbs, Roush and Childress that make a run at it.
Busch’s performance will hold the key. He and Kasey Kahne represent Dodge’s best shots at breaking into the Chase. The failure to do so by Busch could mean a long season for Penske and for Dodge.
PHOTO CREDITS- Kurt Busch photo by Walter G. Arce, Sam Hornish photo by AllianceToSaveEnergy, Stremme photo by purduenila. All these photos and more pictures by these photogrpaphers may be found at flickr.com.
