Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images
There are many expecting the 2014 season as one filled with excitement, as the Sprint Cup Series enters its second year with the Gen-6 car.
Many headlines already surround the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season.
Rookie of the Year Battle
For the first time in a long time, there will be a real battle for the Rookie of the Year title in Cup. Defending Nationwide Series champ Austin Dillon moves up to drive the #3 for his pop-pop, Richard Childress. Kyle Larson will pilot the #42 for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and will drive anything that has four wheels.
Also, don’t count out Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman, who will both drive for Swan Racing. Michael Annett moves up from the Nationwide Series and will drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing. The new Phoenix Racing team owned by Harry Scott Jr., partial owner of Turner Scott Motorsports, will field the #51 car for Justin Allgaier. Alex Bowman is also expected to run for BK Racing this season.
Second-Place Hangover?
Matt Kenseth had a break-out season in his first year for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2013, collecting seven wins in the process. He just fell short winning the championship, finishing 19 points behind Jimmie Johnson. Second-place in the point standings hasn’t been the way for any driver to end their season since 2006.
Where the runner-up in points finished the year after:
2006: Greg Biffle (missed the Chase)
2007: Matt Kenseth (finished fourth in the standings with two wins)
2008: Jeff Gordon (no wins and finished seventh in points)
2009: Carl Edwards (no wins and finished 11th in points)
2010: Mark Martin (missed the chase)
2011: Denny Hamlin (one win and finished ninth in points)
2012: Carl Edwards (missed the Chase)
2013: Clint Bowyer (no wins and finished seventh in points)
Seven-Time?
Jimmie Johnson sealed the deal by winning the Cup championship for the sixth time in 2013. In 2014, he will look to tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt with a seventh championship. Also, he is looking to become the first driver since Sterling Marlin (1994-1995) to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. The six-time champ became the first driver since Bobby Allison (1982) to sweep both Daytona races in 2013.
Overcoming Controversy
Last September, Michael Waltrip Racing made the headlines after a spin by Clint Bowyer caused a late-race caution and changing the outcome of the championship. After the race, Bowyer denied he spun intentionally and his looks were deceiving. The next day, NASCAR found radio transmission between Brian Vickers, driver of the No. 55, and his spotter, Ty Norris, after he told his driver to come down pit road so his teammate, Martin Truex Jr., would have enough points to make it into the Chase.
On the Monday after the race, NASCAR handed MWR the harshest penalties the sport has ever seen in their history. All three MWR drivers received penalties docking them 50-points, essentially bumping Martin Truex Jr. out of the Chase. Ty Norris, general manager of the team and the No. 55 spotter, received an indefinite suspension and the organization had to pay a $300,000 fine.
The Richmond incident also resulted in NAPA parting ways with Michael Waltrip and landing in the Nationwide Series at JR Motorsports with rookie driver Chase Elliott. This forced MWR to scale back to two full-time teams in 2014 and left Martin Truex Jr. looking for a ride. Also after the Charlotte race, Brian Vickers sat outside his car the rest of the season due to a blood clot in his leg. He will drive the No. 55 Toyota full-time in 2014. It’s kinda ironic that Aaron’s left Chase Elliott to go to MWR full-time and after the Richmond incident NAPA leaves MWR and goes with Elliott in NNS.
New faces, new places
Silly season 2014 may have been the silliest in a long time. Before the end of the 2012 season, Kevin Harvick announced he would go to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014. He will drive the No. 4 car for SHR. The driver now in Harvick’s former ride is rookie Austin Dillon. Richard Childress brought the No. 3 back to Cup for his grandson to drive.
Dillon isn’t the only new face to RCR. Ryan Newman, who made the 2013 Chase, left Stewart-Haas Racing after the season and Childress signed him to drive the No. 31 car. Jeff Burton was able to get out of his multi-year deal with RCR a year early and will drive on a part-time basis for Michael Waltrip Racing before beginning his broadcasting career at NBC Sports in 2015.
Since MWR had to scale back to two full-time teams, it left Martin Truex Jr. without a ride. And with announcing 2004 Cup champ Kurt Busch would drive a fourth car for SHR, leaving No. 78 vacant for 2014. Truex was the best candidate for Furniture Row Racing and the team appointed him to drive the car in 2014.
Also, Juan Pablo Montoya and owner Chip Ganassi parted ways after the 2013 season, allowing rookie Kyle Larson to drive the No. 42 car this season. Montoya will drive full-time in the IndyCar Series for Roger Penske.
A.J. Allmendinger also returns to Cup competition full-time in the #47 car for JTG Daugherty Racing. Josh Wise left Front Row Motorsports and will drive for Phil Parsons Racing, as Michael McDowell will drive for Leavine Family Racing. Dave Blaney will drive the #77 Ford for owner Randy Humphrey.
The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup season looks as though it won’t disappoint.