News for February 23rd 2010
Johnson has also struggled at Talladega
For the past three years, south in Homestead, Johnson has been presented with the NASCAR Sprint Cup after finishes of 5th and 15th, the former of which is just one spot away from his career average finish in the Ford 400. However, four hours up the I-95 in Daytona Beach, the story is completely different. Last week, while running 5th, like something out of a GEICO commercial, Johnson hit a pothole, blew a right rear tire and damaged a rear axle. He was forced to retire with 23 to go. Johnson wound up placed 35th, marking his third straight DNF in the Daytona 500 and the fourth straight time he’s finished 23rd or worse at the World Center of Racing. What’s worse is that its not just Daytona. Johnson has also struggled at Talladega recently, wrecking out twice in his last three races there. You’d never know it but all-in-all, Johnson has seven DNFs in his last 10 super-speedway events. The news gets worse for Hendrick Motorsports. It has not been only Johnson struggling at restrictor plate tracks.
| YEAR | AVG START | AVG FINISH |
| 2007 | 22 | 23 |
| 2008 | 10 | 28 |
| 2009 | 8 | 22 |
| 2010 | 14 | 19 |
| YEAR | AVG START | AVG FINISH |
| 2007 | 18 | 13 |
| 2008 | 19 | 24 |
| 2009 | 9 | 27 |
| YEAR | AVG START | AVG FINISH |
| 2007 | 7 | 20 |
| 2008 | 19 | 12 |
| 2009 | 17 | 28 |
| YEAR | AVG START | AVG FINISH |
| 2007 | 24 | 21 |
| 2008 | 16 | 22 |
| 2009 | 8 | 16 |
| YEAR | AVG START | AVG FINISH |
| — | 15 | 20 |
With 20+ years still ahead of him, simply put, by the time his career is said and done (and, if he keeps this up, perhaps even before), Johnson will go down in history next to Dale Earnhardt amongst the best the sport has ever seen.
For the last three years, it’s been checkers or wreckers for Hendrick Motorsports at super-speedways. While they have collected 18 top 10s (including two wins, both of which came in 2007), they’ve finished 25th or worse 21 times, including 18 DNFs. So unfortunately, its safe to say they’ve done more of the latter. For the normal driver, like Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Gordon, a 30 something-th place finish in the season opener would and has foreshadowed bad luck and another in a chase race would and has ended their championship hopes. In their eyes, Hendrick’s super-speedway program and the luck that goes along with it must improve. However, Johnson could care less. In both instances, Johnson’s fate was exactly the opposite. After DNFing in the 500 in 2007, Johnson went on to win three of the next five races. The following year, he proved it wasn’t a fluke by finishing 27th in NASCAR’s Super Bowl before going on to win four chase races. Last year, Johnson placed 31st in the 500 and DNFed in the pre-chase Talladega race but used an average chase race finish of 7th to propel him to a third straight title. Johnson is right back at it again this year: after the aforementioned hard luck DNF in the 500 this year, he evened his luck meter back out by getting the timeliest of all cautions which he used to win at Fontana. Surely Johnson will take the Sprint Cup every year if it means he is to wreck out of a few super-speedway races (even if one of them is the Daytona 500) but it is pretty scary to think that he could be even better than he is right now and even better than he was in 2006 when he posted a 9.6 average finishing position, the best in NASCAR history since his Hendrick teammate, Gordon posted a 7.4 average finish in 2001.
Edited: February 23rd, 2010
Questions at Barber Motorsports
The IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights teams will take to the track for the only preseason test of the 2010 season from February 24th to February 26th. IndyCar Garage asks five questions heading into the upcoming test.
1. Who is going to show?
The 2010 lineup for the IZOD IndyCar series is starting to take shape as is Firestone Indy Lights, but there are still several unknowns going into Brazil on March 14th. The Barber test should give the fans an idea of who is going to be on the grid this season and what team will they will be driving for. Look for J.R. Hildebrand to testing with Dale Coyne Racing, and Milka Duno in the second DCR car. Takuma Sato, a former F1 driver will be on the grid with KV Racing and there second driver is still unannounced. Will Power will give Penske his first three car lineup since the mid 1990’s. Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti will be looking to continuing the Ganassi Dominance. Hopefully we’ll have more answers for the car/driver lineups at the end of the week. Scary thing about 2010, as of right now, TWO American’s have full time rides in the IZOD IndyCar Series.
2. How will the teams take to Barber?
3. Graham Rahal’s Status?
The IZOD IndyCar Series youngest and most marketable driver is currently ride less heading into the 2010 Season. Graham Rahall’s former team, Newman/Haas/Langin is currently reducing its program to just one car this year, possibly two if Alex Lloyd’s sponsorship gets resolved. Rahal ultimately lost his ride when Paul Newman lost his life and in turn lost the sponsorship package through the salad dressing he helped create for McDonald’s. Bottom line with Rahal, the IRL needs to find him a ride and he can’t be lost to NASCAR. The latest rumor anyone is hearing is a one off with Ganassi for the Indy 500 and a full time ride in 2011.
4. How will Randy land?
Randy Bernard the new CEO of the Indy Racing League officially starts on Monday March 1st. Look for Randy to come in swinging, his background is marketing and everyone knows what he did with the Professional Bull Riding circuit. Randy’s real challenge is to active the IZOD IndyCar Series to a level that is outside the bubble of 16th street and Georgetown.
5. 2012 Car Drama
Until a decision is made on the four current proposals for the 2012 car, the topic will be the hotbed for discussion among fans. The IndyCar nation needs a jolt to recapture fans they lost in the split years, as the wounds are just now starting to heal. The car owners have proposed a radical concept in the Delta Wing Project, they claim it’s the only road left to go down before IndyCar dies a slow death. However the 2012 car decision plays out, lets hope it’s made with the best intentions for everyone involved!
Edited: February 23rd, 2010
Mutoh, Viso land IndyCar rides
Two teams have announced their drivers for the upcoming Izod IndyCar Series season, and neither one is a surprise.
Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing confirmed that Japanese driver Hideki Mutoh will join the team. Mutoh will drive the No. 06 car with sponsorship from Honda’s Formula Dream and from Panasonic. This season will be Mutoh’s third full year in the series, after he competed previously for Super Aguri Panther Racing and Andretti Green Racing.
The No. 06 car was driven previously by Graham Rahal, who as of right now is without a ride after McDonald’s–which sponsored the car last year–elected not to return to the team. Rahal is known to have several potential deals in the works, including one with championship-winning team owner Chip Ganassi, but each one depends on a sponsor stepping forward to fund the effort. With each passing day, the youngest winner in Indy-car history appears less and less likely to make the season-opening race in Brazil on March 14.
It is unclear whether N/H/L/R will field a second car in 2010. Alex Lloyd, the 2007 Indy Lights champion who drove for the team in the 2009 season finale, was at one point expected to run the full season but has run into sponsor trouble (with HER Energy Drink).
Meanwhile, KV Racing Technology confirmed that it has signed E. J. Viso to team with former Formula One driver Takuma Sato. Team co-owner Jimmy Vasser has said that the team will also field veteran Paul Tracy in at least three races this season (Indianapolis, Toronto and Edmonton). Viso moves to KV after spending the past two seasons with HVM Racing.
The look of the 2010 IndyCar field should become somewhat clearer this week, when the series kicks off its first two-day preseason group test at Alabama’s Barber Motorsports Park on Wednesday.
Edited: February 23rd, 2010