In 2009, a well-respected driver found himself in a real hole after four races and the break before Bristol. After a respectable top 20 finish at Daytona, disaster struck with consecutive 40th place finishes at Fontana and Las Vegas, compounded by a 31st place run at AMS. All of that to say, the veteran driver found himself in the gut-wrenching realm of the “go or go home” neighborhood.
It seemed like a shame. After all this top-caliber driver was in the twilight, recently signed with a new team, leaving his fans thinking he might have a shot at an elusive championship. The script wasn;t playing out.
The driver? Mark Martin. Fortunately, he got hot after a win at Phoenix and he pulled off a second-place run in the standings that found him eager to come back for more this year. Likewise, 2009 rookie Joey Logano also got off to a tenuous start, before his growth, combined with the talents of his team and the resources of Joe Gibbs Racing vaulted him in to a 20th place finish for the season.
So, out of the drivers hanging out around NASCAR’s “Mendoza Line”- 35th place- are most likely to pull out of it? Which ones are in real danger of missing races?
Let us take a look….
No Serious Worries
Thanks largely to skill, 2000 champion Bobby Labonte (30th) should largely be able to manhandle his TRG ride out of the mire and muck. The same could be said of JTG Daugherty/ MWR’s Marcos Ambrose (28th). Thanks to skill AND equipment, the force is with Ryan Newman (29th).
OK, Barring the Unforeseen
The following drivers SHOULD be o.k., that is, unless bad fortune or finances renders them stuck in the garage. Penske teammates Sam Hornish, Jr. (31st) and Brad Keselowski (33rd) had best hope no one named Jimmie Johnson or Denny Hamlin feels the need to settle old scores. They have the skill- Hornish being a former IRL champ, and Keselowski has certainly shown no fear of running with the big dogs. On the other hand, a payback or one false could really set them back.
Travis Kvapil (32nd) and Mike Bliss (34th) are NASCAR survivors. There’s some questions concerning equipment, and yo always have to wonder if there’s enough finances to weather the storm, but no question, both have done great jobs in the past of being able to wheel a clean car home.
David Gilliland (37th) and Max Papis (38th) seem to always to get their cars in the show somehow. Rookie Kevin Conway (40th) has managed not to embarrass himself, other than the fact his sponsor gets him a few snickers.
Looks Like Trouble
Robby Gordon’s (36th) 43rd place finish at AMS couldn’t have come at a worse time. The racing jack of all trades has managed to cobble together a good enough car to survive these past several seasons with spit wads and and duct tape, but a fan can’t help but be a bit concerned that the times have caught up with him.
Road racing ace Boris Said (35th) may represent Gordon’s best shot at a return to the top 35. Like “Flash,” you know the skill is there, but the “26” car has been consistently among the slowest all season long.
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