Yates, Kyle Petty Look To Improve
2008 NASCAR Preview- Driver Rankings (35th to 31st)
2008 NASCAR Preview- Driver Rankings Countdown (35th to 31st)
35. 28-Travis Kvapil, Yates Racing Ford Fusion
Team- Yates Racing
The good news is that Yates Racing has brought back the proverbial number ‘28’ for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. The bad news is that they have yet to secure a primary sponsor. Yates Racing selected Travis Kvapil as the replacement for the retiring Ricky Rudd following a four-win season in the Craftsman Truck Series for Roush Fenway Racing. The 2007 season was a breath of fresh air for Kvapil following two fruitless seasons in the Sprint Cup series with Penske Racing and PPI Motorsports. Yates Racing has a strong alliance with Roush Fenway Racing, and once they secure sponsorship, this team may launch into a long-awaited resurgence. However, until a logo is placed on the hood of the ‘28’ Ford, it is difficult to place high expectations on Kvapil and Yates.
34. 84-A.J. Allmendinger, Red Bull Toyota Camry
Team- Red Bull Racing
The old adage ‘the only way to go is up’ may be of comfort to A.J. Allmendinger following his agonizing rookie season. The cards were completely stacked against him. A rookie driver with a rookie team fielded by a brand new manufacturer, he was destined to flop. Allmendinger only competed in 17 of the 36 races he qualified for, which is less than half of the races on the Sprint Cup schedule. Allmendinger’s teammate, Brian Vickers, also encountered similar difficulties, which confirms that the driver is not fully to blame. Allmendinger began to display some flashes of speed, especially after Chip Ganassi hired him to drive some Nationwide Series events. The second year driver will continue to improve, and possibly score his first career top ten. Improvement notwithstanding, he is still in the foundational stages of his development, which means that he is a considerable underdog.
2007 prediction- 44th
2007 result- 43rd
33. 45-Kyle Petty, Wells Fargo/Marathon American Spirit Oil Dodge Charger
Team- Petty Enterprises
The highlight of Kyle Petty’s season was his perspicacious commentary on TNT last summer. At a time when NASCAR fans tenaciously criticize the television coverage, Petty was a throwback to Ned Jarrett and Buddy Baker. Consequently, Petty’s on-track performance has not improved. Other than his third-place finish at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last May, which was his first top five finish since 1997, he was a mainstay in the back of the pack. Unfortunately, there are minimal expectations out of the Petty camp in 2008. However, Petty showed that he still has that competitive fire when he smacked Denny Hamlin’s visor following an incident at Dover in September.
2007 prediction- 38th
2007 result- 35th
32. 70-Jeremy Mayfield, Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala
Team- Haas/CNC Racing
Jeremy Mayfield has accomplished something that few drivers have, two Chase for the Championship appearances. That is more than Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. Nevertheless, an acrimonious feud with former boss Ray Evernham in the summer of 2006 has tarnished Mayfield’s reputation in the garage. When he became a free agent last fall, several team owners steered clear of the outspoken veteran despite his respectable accomplishments. Mayfield will start the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season with his third team in as many years. The one upside to his new ride is the fact that he has a guaranteed starting spot in the field, at least for the first five races. Additionally, Haas/CNC Racing utilizes Hendrick Motorsports engines. This team had several decent showings with Johnny Sauter in 2007, for instance, a 5th place finish at Richmond last September. It is plausible to believe that Mayfield can post multiple top tens, but a win may be asking too much.
2007 prediction- 30th
2007 result- 45th
31. 38-David Gilliland, Yates Racing Ford Fusion
Team- Yates Racing
Like his teammate Travis Kvapil, David Gilliland enters the 2008 Sprint Cup season with an abundance of uncertainty as far as sponsorship is concerned. As of the publishing of this article, Yates Racing has yet to sign a sponsor for the two-car outfit.
The California native started the 2007 season off with a bang by qualifying on the pole for the Daytona 500, and then followed that up with an 8th place finish. Unfortunately, a fourth place finish at Talladega two months later would be his only top five finish of the season. Obviously, Gilliland is a talented driver, but even the most talented drivers need adequate resources. With any luck, Yates Racing can obtain sponsorship and benefit from the close affiliation with Roush Fenway Racing. If not, this is going to be an onerous season for Gilliland and Yates.
2007 prediction- 26th
2007 result- 28th
NASCAR Driver Rankings Countdown (43rd to 36th)
