| Looking Ahead to 2008 | | Date Created: Dec 18, 2007, 12:39 PM |
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I'm certain many folks are like me this week: either frantically shopping for their final gifts or frantically figuring out how to ship/carry those gifts to wherever they may be traversing for the holidays. So we'll do a quick blurb about what to look forward to when it all kicks up again in 2008.
SPRINT CUP: I think Jimmie Johnson has a legit shot to match the mark Cale Yarborough set when he won three consecutive Cup titles with Junior Johnson some two decades ago. Hendrick does everything right, and I don't see how they cannot be in the hunt with JJ, Gordon and that new kid what's-his-name on the team that everyone is talking about.
JUNEBUG: My gut feeling about Junior? I think he'll do amazing things in the Hendrick equipment and win a lot of races. A championship seems reasonable - maybe not right away in '08 - but sometime in the not-so-distant future. I think Rick Hendrick's influence may be the motivating factor that he has been missing, and the equipment is second to none. If nothing else, I think working with someone like Rick will at the very least make Dale Jr. a happier person overall. I'm pleased by that thought.
It's a shame Dale Jr. will be doing all of his winning in cars that are butt ugly. No one has really stepped up to say the king has no clothes when it comes to the car design - so maybe I'll be the first to do so. I'm sure this will get me back on the shit list with many of the Junior Army, but the paint schemes just don't pass muster. And the GoDaddy look is... well... um...
It'll be interesting to see how Dale Jr. handles the demands and the load of having a much longer list of sponsors - some very legitimate and some questionable at best. Will Dale Jr's magic mean increased sales for a strugling pretender to the Red Bull crown? Let's hope the marketing is less sour than the taste of their energy drinks.
Also, recall that Junior won the first race of the Nextel Cup era - in an equally ugly paint scheme (the poorly-conceived "Born-On dating" Bud theme) - at the Daytona 500 in 2004, so maybe history repeats.
Speaking of the 500: I am already sick of the hype and hoopla for the 50th running of the Great American Race. Brace yourself for non-stop frenzy through mid-February. The way the Toyotas ran at Talladega in October, I would not be hesitant to place a few dollars in Vegas on that orange #20 car for the 500. And the #88, of course.
Bud: Will Kasey return the Bud colors to glory, or will he be distracted if he has to do community service in the frivilous lawsuit filed this week? If nothing else, it'll add a much-needed dose of 'bad boy' credentials to the baby-faced hard charger. (A little stubble would help toughen the look, but as long as he's one of the Gillette Young Guns, no way is that happening.)
Rookies: I am really anxious to see how Jacques Villeneuve, Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish and Patrick Carpentier fare in their maiden Cup seasons. I rate Jacques' team much lower than the others, but he's a hard charger - if motivated. Dario will be very popular and steady-as-she-goes. He won't be as aggressive as his teammate Montoya, but he may suprise some folks. I'm skeptical of Carpentier with a team that has under-performed in the past two years so I'm not sure what to make of that effort. Without the top-35 benefit, it may be a long year for the French-Canadian. But, like Dario, I think the fans will like him once they get to know his personality (and his wife... ahem). As for Hornish, that's a total mystery to me how much he's struggled so far. He'll benefit from the point-swap with the 2 car, but he's not shown the same feel for the bulky, heavy stock cars. I recall being impressed years ago watching Sam barrel into turn one in a Toyota Atlantic car at Gateway International outside of St. Louis, but I suspect that aggressive driving style which worked so well in the open-wheel cars may not apply here.
The YOUNG 'Uns: The list keeps growing of impressive young drivers moving up the ladder. We'll see some of them in the trucks and the Nationwide Series (how many times will we all slip and still call it the Busch Series for much of the season?!) like Joey Logano, Brad Coleman, Colin Braun and so many more. Some of these guys look like can't-miss prospects, but where-oh-where is the once-future-can't-miss-star Casey Atwood these days? It's not as easy as it looks.
CHAMP CAR/IRL: Sigh. How much more bleak can it get? The IRL loses two of their brightest to NASCAR and Champ Car loses (arguably) its only legit star to Formula One. The IRL is on top in the battle in most areas: the reigning champ of "Dancing with the Stars," some legitimate team sponsors, teammates Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti, and the Indy 500. But, it's all relative and is more a reflection of how far Champ Car has fallen.
FORMULA ONE: Can anyone stop Lewis Hamilton (other than the French police)? But, then again, Kimi Raikkonen came out of nowhere to storm to his first title at the end of 2007. Will McLaren recover from Spygate? Will Fernando Alonso's return to Renault rejuvenate that team? How cool would it be to have three or more truly competitive teams at the top? Can BMW step over the final hurdle? Will NASCAR continue to have more passing in a single event than F1 has in an entire season? Can I ask any more questions?
The off-season can be a wonderous time - similar to the one hour build-up to the green flag on race day - because everyone can be optimistic and dream of what possible glory could come their way. Then, like a weight dropped from above, the green flag falls and reality hits some much quicker than others.
Happy Happy Joy Joy for whatever holidays you celebrate. E N J O Y. |
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