Kenseth, Gordo & Jr…..Trend Or Mirage???

Ladies and Gentlemen, step right up! Let’s play a little “Trend Or Mirage?” Two races do not a season make, but jeez, you’d sure think so the way some people talk. That aside, some trends seem to be taking shape…..

or are they just mirages in the Nevada desert? Let us opine.

Matt Kenseth’s Mojo….Matt the Brat (there has to be a better nickname for this guy. If you know Kenseth, this monicker just doesn’t work) has always been as solid as stone. Thinking back to 2008, he endured a crew chief that obviously didn’t work and a boatload of bad luck. You can’t win championships in February, but you can sure lose ‘em. No one gets more mileage out of his good fortune than Mr. Cheesehead.

The Verdict: TREND

Jeff Gordon’s Fire…Who was it, Woody Allen, who said 90 percent was showing up? Who knows. Gordon’s cars are much better off the hauler than they were last year. In his holiday greeting at his own website, the Rainbow Warrior promised changes that would result in a more competitive 2009. Just as important is every appearance that he’s not satisfied to mail it in. Mark my words, Gordon is good for multiple wins.

The Verdict: TREND

Junior’s Lost Groove…All you need is a little more controversy is to find out who your friends….and enemies are. The latter have been pretty loud lately and I even had one commentor compare Lil “E” to Paris Hilton. OUCH! You can be certain Mr. Hendrick is all over this, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will get his groove back, much to the chagrin of the haters. This guy can drive, and he has the wins to prove it.

The Verdict: MIRAGE

Bye, Bye Buschie….Some rumors aren’t worth the cyberspace they occupy. Yeah, yeah, I know, Shrub says he wants to climb into an F-1 ride. Right. And I want to take a season off of work, and take out a second mortgage on the house so I can see every Cup race at every track this year. This dude could re-write the record books if he sticks around, and he knows that. Driving Formula One could be fun, and God knows Kyle Busch could vault to the top of the popular driver charts in a series many motorsports fans have no awareness. Quick- name 5 current F-1 drivers….yeah, that’s what I thought. It’s an interesting idea, but no. Not now. Maybe not ever.

The Verdict: MIRAGE

Stewart- Haas Crashing The Gate…You’d think I would have learned my lesson by now. Here’s some free advice….never bet against Tony Stewart. Yeah, I thought the team would come around, but not after a steep learning curve. Smoke has two top-10s out of the chute. Yes, the Hendrick engines are nice, but you know what? He ain’t the only driver on the track with Hendrick horsepower under the hood. To do what he;s done, he’s needed good people to do all that management stuff for him so Tony can Tony. Teammate Ryan Newman has been rough, but Rocket has been know to do that. Looks like the storm hit early for the “39.”

The Verdict: TREND

Logano’s Lackluster Performance…Admit it, there’s more than a few of you out there who doubt Joey. Just remember, they doubted Jeff Gordon too. His 26th place finish at Auto Club isn’t anything to write home about, but considering his experience level, it’s an improvement over Daytona, so I’d take it. With Joe and J.D. Gibbs as owners, Greg Zipadelli as crew chief and all the other support around him, Logano couldn’t be in a better place.

The Verdict: MIRAGE

You may think I’m to lunch on some or all of this, but the point is, it’s still way early, and I think a bit foolish to read too much off of what has transpired over the first two weeks of the season.

Put simply, the season is a marathon, not a sprint. Anything can happen, and more than likely, it will. There’s some good story lines taking shape, and it will be fun to see what shakes out.

PHOTO CREDITS- Kenseth by Total Photo (Leon), Jr. Burnout by califdreama, Stewart by stewarthaasfan. More of these photographers’ work may be found at flickr.com. Check ‘em out!