Who Can Compete with Roush-Hendricks-Gibbs?

THIS POST BY: Old Stud

With all the NASCAR Team realignments, is anybody ready to compete more consistently with Rousch-Hendrick-Gibbs? Before we consider that, let's make sure everyone is updated on those teams. Most of the drivers who won races with these three powerhouses are back with the same car and crew, so you can expect similar results.

Jimmy Johnson, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin will be there. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth will probably rebound and improve a little, so with all that power it will depend on luck to determine who has the best performance. Add in Mark Martin with Hendrick Motorsports and that makes a pretty formidable bunch to compete for most wins. I can't see any of them having a bad year.

David Ragan may be able to join the elite group and Jamie McMurray finished last season strong. The wildcard would appear to be rookie Joey Logano replacing the departed Tony Stewart. In most Fantasy Leagues Logano is a low price and his odds are long if you are a betting man. Can he do it in his first year?

Give me 9 Chase spots for these teams.

Who will account for the other spots or possibly upset the apple cart?

I would eliminate Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull. David Reutimann and Brian Vickers are drivers who improved last year, but the teams just don't seem to have what it takes. I think the equipment and set-ups will keep anyone from theses teams cracking The Chase lineup. Toward the middle of the season a couple of these guys may be worth adding to your team or betting on, but they are overpriced for now.

The first place to look for those other guys would be Childress Racing, who added a team and combined engine operations with Dale Earnhardt Inc. Earnhardt added some depth of knowledge by combining with Chip Ganassi Racing. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer may be the other three drivers in the chase. I don't know if Casey Mears can drive at this level.

Will any be a dominant team? Don't bet on it in your Fantasy League. The prices on them are high for their chances, but if I were really gambling, I might jump for the right price.

Another good place to look is Yates Racing with that Hall of Fame Racing satellite operation. Crew Chief Larry Carter takes some Roush culture over and Bobby LaBonte is teaming up with Todd Parrott. Travis Kvapil proved he could drive last year starting out with an unsponsored car. Nobody on this team is overpriced, but I don’t expect much out of Paul Menard. So pick up one of theses guys.

The next candidate would be Richard Petty Motorsports. Gillette-Evernham Motorsports, which was one half of this merger, was right there in a lot of races and got some wins with Kasey Kahne. A. J. Allmendinger and Reed Sorensen seem to be up and coming, but I'm not sure Elliott Sadler will ever make it. They have good equipment, but again the numbers seem to be a little high on these guys.

Penske Championship Racing, now with partner Bill Davis is interesting, but only Kurt Busch can be considered a factor now that Ryan Newman joined Tony Stewart. I don't think they made enough improvements. The new nose on the Charger might help. I'm just watching these guys.

Earnhardt-Ganassi seems to be the merger that makes the least sense and has the worst chance of any. It seems to be a dysfunctional outfit. Martin Truex is the real deal, but how does he overcome was has happened? Plus now he has to put up with a prima-donna like Juan Montoya. I can see a place where I might add Truex to my list but, it's doubtful.

That leaves Stewart, Haas CNC and a handfull of miscellaneous teams that might or might not last. Tony Stewart is definitely a driver, he'll have Hendrick horsepower, but can he be the first driver in a long time to own a team and drive for it successfully? I expect a result a little better than Waltrip but don't consider him a factor.

My best pick for great return for the price is Bobby LaBonte.

Drop the rag, boys!