So five races have been run and the points battle is beginning to take shape. Exiting Bristol the top four were seperated by 32 points, a spread not likely to stay that close for long. As the season enters its third month, a look at where the teams stack up -
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ROUSH PERFORMANCE RACING - #17 Matt Kenseth holds down the point lead and will likely remember the shove from Jeff Gordon after the Southeastern 500 for awhile. The thing about Kenseth is that he can be deceptive - he has that laid-back modest demeanor, but as Bristol showed he can hammer.
#6 Mark Martin is in a typical Mark Martin season - solid, with few missteps.
Rallying from big holes right now are #16 Greg Biffle and #99 Carl Edwards; Edwards' hole is the first Roush surprise, while the other is the struggle of #26 Jamie McMurray, who still has something to prove given that he is driving the cars that won the title in 2004.
RAY EVERNHAM MOTORSPORTS - The surprise here is that rejuvination of #9 Kasey Kahne didn't begin sooner. Kahne stuggled throughout 2005 after his breakthrough Richmond win but he is now hooked up following a gut-check Atlanta 500 win. Kahne appears to have finally shaken the rookie and sophmore jitters.
The non-surprise is the poor performance of #19 Jeremy Mayfield, who despite two victories with Evernham has never seemed to click. His 2006 season has begun horribly and one has to doubt if Mayfield has what it takes to salvage something.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS - A joke circulating is that Rick Hendrick will fire returning crew chief Chad Knaus because the #48 of Jimmie Johnson had so much trouble at Bristol. It won't of course happen but it is a surprise that a team that didn't miss a beat en route to two wins in the first three races stumbled as badly as it did at Bristol. Chad Knaus certainly won't stumble like that again as he gets back in the groove.
#24 Jeff Gordon has been pretty solid off the truck as well, but his Daytona troubles took more momentum than maybe they expected, and the last-lap contretemps at Bristol spoiled a momentum-building effort.
#5 Kyle Busch will continue to be a lightning rod of controversy for awhile, but his program is certainly on a solid forward path.
The black sheep of the Hendrick squadron continues to be #25 Brian Vickers, still winless in his third season with Hendrick and not showing any particular improvement anywhere.
EARNHARDT INC. - After a costly 2005 season, Dale Junior's solid beginning to 2006 is encouraging. The same can't quite be said of rookie teammate #1 Martin Truex, who got into it several times at Bristol and is enduring what was once a typical rookie season - and it says a lot about what is expected of rookies today that Truex's rough sledding is now considered abnormal.
GANASSI/SABCO RACING - No one expected #42 Casey Mears not to show marked improvement in his third year. The problem here is that it has been happening while rookies #41 Reed Sorenson and #40 David Stremme have fallen behind. Of the two, Sorenson has more potential after a solid BGN effort, while Stremme's tentative driving isn't getting him anywhere.
JOE GIBBS RACING - In a less-than-similar situation is JGR's Chevrolet squadron. #20 Tony Stewart got off to a sluggish start with his Lindsey Lohan act at Daytona but has settled down since then. His rookie teammates, meanwhile, have gotten off to a pretty good start, notably #11 Denny Hamlin after moving up several points spots; #18 J.J. Yeley has more rookie jitters to shake off after a rough Bristol.
ROBERT YATES RACING - Going in opposite directions. #88 Dale Jarrett has been largely stuck despite two top tens, and his role in the Kenseth-Busch feud at Bristol is uncharacteristic; his acknowledgement that 2008 will be his last year may take more out of him than he may realize. #38 Elliott Sadler, meanwhile, continues inching into the top ten in points but continues to be missing something that will take him to the next level with the Yates team.
PENSKE SOUTH - #12 Ryan Newman has been up-and-down so far and continues to struggle with low downforce and soft tires. #2 Kurt Busch, meanwhile, made an important breakthrough with the Bristol win, both in points and in his position within the Penske organization.
RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING - No one made more of an improvement in the shop than RCR after it hired some Cosworth engine people for their motor room. #29 Kevin Harvick has been the big beneficiary so far amid a continuing contract squabble, while #31 Jeff Burton took the biggest Bristol hit in points after four strong weeks. Also benefitting right now has been rookie Clint Bowyer.
ROBBY GORDON RACING - Is the owner-driver making a comeback? Robby Gordon's DEI-powered ex-Jim Smith/ex-Kulwicki #7 is making a case for that, even though he hasn't yet finished in the top ten.
PETTY ENTERPRISES - Bobby Labonte's tenure in the #43 has benefitted that car, but the one who benefitted more was #45 Kyle Petty, as the two drivers' styles mesh enough to make them a true two-car team and this has made Kyle's runs more of an improvement. The improvement has been so marked at points that it caught some off guard. We may finally be seeing the Petty Dodges get to victory contention now.
MB2 MOTORSPORTS - Rick Hendrick's satellite cars have struggled, none more than #14 Sterling Marlin.
BILL DAVIS RACING - Several years of struggle continue.
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So the teams continue onward entering April.
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