NASCAR Update: Best in the business yet underperforming
The modern day NASCAR provides us with most competitive races unlike before in the sport. Now days, drivers can only finish in the top spot if they run a mistake free race coupled with a flawless pit spot. Not only do the drivers have to be on their toes but a lot of responsibility is on the pit crew, when they see their respective cars pitting.
Even though current drivers possess the talent that is needed to record a Sprint Cup win but it is a fact that either the driver or the crew are unable to give their best when it come to them as whole. However, teams and drivers who manage to do so consistently are the ones that not only dominate but also carve their way into the history books at some part of their career.
Compared to the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series is even harder to race and win in. Added to the harder level provided in the Nationwide Series is the fact that the sponsors want big names to win and these big names then in return be the face of the sponsor. Now days, sports have been flooded with huge amounts of money, same is the case with NASCAR. It is more of a business if we compare it to the early days of the sport.
Drivers, who are unable to register victories even though they are potential race winners, include the likes of Gred Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Jaun Pablo Montoya and Dale Earnhardt Jr. These drivers have the talent and capabilities to win multiple races but the recently finishing in the top 10 for them comes as a sigh of relief.
The above group of drivers who are included in the Ford based teams have somewhat been struggling to finish at the top. Although all of the drivers of the Ford based teams are ranked in the top 12 positions in the points table, it is not that they are putting in poor performances. The reason that they are unable to come up with dominant performances might be that the team and the drivers are not putting all the pieces together as one unit, resulting in good but not excellent performances.
One of the drivers whose performances recently have not lived up to the expectations is Dale Earnhardt Jr. who hasn’t won a race since Michigan in 2008. Son of a legendary driver, who has had three changes in his chief racing engineer in Hendrick Motorsport team has managed to achieve his one and only win at Michigan with the team. Some experts say that if Dale doesn’t do well this season, than is the problem going to be with the chief again or is it Dale himself?
Another team that had struggled recently but have improved quite a lot during the current season are the Richard Childress Racing. The improved performances have enabled all their drivers maintaining positions in the top 12. They have recently monitored their flaw and still try to remove them by working day and night.
Montoya, another dominating name in NASCAR has been unable to impress this season, though he finished the last season on a high. Moreover, he grabbed a whole bunch of points but managed eighth position only. This year it has been even worse according to the standards he has set earlier. Montoya currently sits in 22nd position, which is unacceptable for a driver of his calibre.
However, it was expected that Montoya is one driver who would be challenging for the top spot in the driver standings but his position as a dominating driver seems to be slipping and he is losing ground on others. It not a result of poor management, or poor equipment provided to him, in fact it is one of the best in the business. The reason might again be that the team and the driver are not able to perform as a single unit.
Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin come out to be at the top slot of the race and it seems somehow shocking keeping in mind other high profile players and teams in the business. The question that comes across is that, is it the team? Is it the driver? Or is it that both are hindering their own way to glory.
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