January 6, 2006

By Roman Goodyear

Don’t look for that final points standing list to change much in 2006, especially at the top.

As expected, Stewart and the No.20 team made all the right moves in ‘05. This team has stayed together for a number of years and just keep digging while all around them top teams are losing people or shuffling them around left and right. That’s set up a scenario for a well-established, 2-time championship team to repeat.

Of course they aren’t the first to be doing what they’re doing -- and they won’t be the last. But right now they’ve got this NASCAR game covered hands down.

A couple of Roush Racing drivers, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, might have different feelings but they have the same problem many other drivers and team do--lack of consistency.

While it’s no doubt Jack Roush has a top notch organization, he’s done all he can do. It’s up to his teams to find consistency, something that’s becoming harder to find for many Cup teams.

The lack of consistency has become almost a plague in the sport, affecting all levels of teams in Cup racing seemingly regardless of how much money they have to spend. That’s a good indicator that Cup racing is becoming more about the people and their attitudes and less about the cars. The No. 20 team reflects that thinking.

Lack of consistency has affected the No. 20 team much less than all the other teams. They may or may not have to step it up a notch this season but if they do have to step it up they are more than capable to fend off all challengers. Question is, who will those challengers be?

Biffle and Edwards will be there as will Mark Martin.

Then there’s Matt Kenseth. Like many other drivers Kenseth can string a couple races, maybe four or five, together before he plummets with below 30th position finishes. He had about a half-dozen down there in ‘05. But he should still make the Chase this year.

The Roush boys aren’t by themselves with the consistency problem.

The lack of consistency snake bit Jimmie Johnson in ‘05 with him having a half-dozen 30th or worse finishes. Jeff Gordon rings in ‘06 with having nine finishes below 30th and a couple more on the border line.

Still, with all that Gordon and the No.24 team managed to finish in 11th place. It’s amazing what a win will and won’t do. Gordon finishing up in 11th place was mostly due to the fact that drivers from some other top organizations such as DEI, Robert Yates Racing, and Richard Childress Racing couldn’t find the needed consistency in top-10 finishes. Gordon should be in the chase for the championship in ‘06.

The Penske teams. Ryan Newman isn’t carrying much consistency forward from ‘05 and Kurt Busch who’s replacing Rusty Wallace in the No. 2 this season has nothing going for him as the season begins. Busch finished nearly 1/4th of his ‘05 races below 30th position. Newman will make the chase but Kyle Busch and the No.5 will replace his brother in the chase.

Then there’s Mayfield. Check out his race finish chart for the ‘05 season and you’ll see why he could be a big factor in the coming season.

Jeremy Mayfield has been slow at coming on in Cup racing -- but he keeps coming on. He doesn’t have a great number of wins but he’s improved over time and is on the threshold of something big.

In 2003 Mayfield finished 19th in points. That was of course before the Chase format. In 2004 he finished 10th and last year 9th in points.

Maybe the ‘05 Chase wasn’t a big improvement over the ‘04 season for Mayfield but the ‘05 Chase didn’t truly reflect the season Mayfield and the No. 19 team had as a whole. Although they didn’t get the wins during the 26-race session, they were finding the needed consistency up until the Chase and consistency put them in a place to contend for the championship. Then, for some reason, things came unglued for the No. 19 during the Chase–again.

In a way the Chase in ‘05 was a repeat of ‘04 for Mayfield so it seems Ray Evernham restructuring his organization and doing away with the crew chief position didn’t hurt or help things much. Is the Dodge Charger more of a problem than anyone wants to admit?

Mayfield and the No. 19 team finished strong at Homestead, back up in the area they had previously been before the four race slump hit. That should give them a running go for ‘06 and definitely look for them in the Chase come next fall.




Well that #19 is with Kahne so perhaps it should read...

Stewart Likely ‘06 Champion But Watch Kahne

Hmmm.. yeah I agree, watch out for Kahne :drive

I just have to say that if it is between watching Mayfield or watching Kahne......

Yeah, it would be Kasey Kahne all the way baby!!! :) :drive

this consistency they keep talking about it, its about finding it at the RIGHT TIME!

no one really had a whole consistent season, Tony just found it at the right time, unfortunately Mayfields was pre chase.

but yeah as soon as they fix that Dodge, homestead proved this point this year, dodge will be a force to mess with. Kasey leading the pack hopefully!

I was gonna say...watch his teammate! :lmbo

I agree, Kim....not everyone is consistant all year. People have forgotten that Tony didn't start out '05 all that great...he just came on when he needed to.

And I agree, watch out for Kahne!

i dont think tony will pull off the championship next year, but hey you never know (obviously)
im pulling for evernham... jeremy and OF COURSE KASEY!!!

GO :k3!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kasey's going to be a force to be reckoned with this season, everyone better watch out!

:checkered GO EMS!!!

Amen to that!!!