Sprint Cup Update
Nascar Fans Buckle-Up for the Chase for the Sprint Cup
A review of completed Sprint Cup races and a preview of what's to come as the field tightens and the competition heats up
Through the opening weeks of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series, few things are distinct. There is not a clear-cut ace, but a couple young stand-outs to this point are outgunning the much ballyhooed Hendrick Team. While Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are sitting pretty at 3 and 4 in the standings, Hendrick Motor Sports lacked a 2008 Sprint Cup victory until last weekend when Jimmie cruised to a victory in Arizona. Earnhardt has yet to win a race, but has six top-10 performances, which is first among drivers.
Ahead of veterans Earnhardt Jr. and Johnson is a pair of hungry young lions, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch. Busch and Edwards have been battling all year, both in the Sprint Series as well as the Nationwide Truck Series. Busch has won his last two truck races, and sits in second in the Sprint Cup Series, trailing only Edwards who already has 3 victories on the young season. The 22 year-old Busch has an incredible 4 top 5 finishes in 8 races. Hendrick is not in a bad position, but an unusual one. Hendrick Motorsports has captured the title fairly easily each of the past two seasons, and now find themselves looking up, 8 races in.
Although the Hendrick team has ran pretty well overall, they will need to grab more laps around victory lane to catch Busch and Edwards. Johnson is attempting to be the first driver to win the series 3 consecutive years, while Earnhardt Jr. is trying to prove he is still a top player in the race game. Johnson looks to be heating up, and seems ready to make a run at that unprecedented 3rd straight crown. After a disappointing operation at Bristol, Johnson has reeled off a 4th, 2nd, and 1st place finish. Jr. appears much happier with his team's and car's performance, but it is also obvious he is far from content, and is frustrated his team has not been able to seal the deal.
After finishing 16th in the standings last year, Earnhardt should be pretty satisfied at where he sits. Both Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. have done well early while their high-profile teammate, Jeff Gordon has struggled at times. The last few races, Gordon has driven well, but seemed to have mechanical difficulties that have hampered his perfomance. His team will need to get his car in better condition for Gordon to have an opportunity to get to the top of the pack.
