Every year in NASCAR, there are winners and there are losers.
Often the losers will be the drivers we all expected to do well, because it’s inevitable that someone is going to step up their game each year, leaving a usual competitor on the sidelines.

In 2009, there were several drivers who failed to live up to their potential, and are hoping for major improvements in 2010.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
The stat line isn’t pretty here, and there’s no sugarcoating how badly this season went for the sport’s biggest star. 25th in points, 2 top-5s and 5 top-10s. He is racing on the best team in NASCAR and his three teammates finished 1,2,3 in the points. There is no conceivable reason that Jr. should have such a bad season, and I hope for both his sake and NASCAR’s sake that he snaps out of it and he doesn’t have a repeat performance in 2010. Dale Jr. winning and competing for wins is good for the sport, but he hasn’t done much of it in the past few years.

Whether it was getting caught in wrecks, his car being ill-prepared, or the driver making the mistakes on the track, the #88 team did not come close to meeting expectations this year. They’ve already switched the crew chief, so now it’s all on the driver. No buts about it, Dale Jr. is going to have to perform in 2010, as he has no excuse left for doing poorly.

David Ragan
I had high hopes for David Ragan this year, after he made a strong run last year and almost made the Chase. This year, he was just plain dreadful, finishing 27th in points with 0 top-5s and just 2 top-10s. This was the biggest one-season dropoff I’ve seen in a long time, as a young driver on his way up in the sport seems to have taken a step back. I am at a loss when trying to explain this massive slip. Clearly, Ragan has some talent, which he showed last year, but something just isn’t right at the #6 team. You almost forgot Ragan was on the track most weeks, he was running so badly. Jack Roush had better hope this team improves in 2010, because Roush needs a solid young rising star like Ragan on his team and doing well.

Kevin Harvick/RCR
All 3 or Richard Childress Racing’s drivers made the Chase in 2008. In 2009, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears AND Jeff Burton all missed. Some of the teams, particularly Burton, looked better at year’s end, but it didn’t matter by that point. With a great history full of championships, this team should be doing better than it is. It’s clear the 4th car was too much to handle, and the team wasn’t anywhere near competing with the Hendrick standard. The team members’ points finishes (15th, 17th, 19th and 21st) show that. Childress needs to make whatever adjustments are necessary this offseason to get back on track.

Roush Fenway Racing
David Ragan wasn’t alone in his struggles at Roush. Matt Kenseth won the first two races, then fell off the map. Greg Biffle didn’t win all year, and neither did Edwards, who won 9 times in 2008. While Rick Hendrick’s team took a step forward in 2009, Jack Roush’s team took a big step back. The Roushketeers need to figure out what is ailing their teams (the drivers are pretty solid, so maybe some crew/garage staff shuffling might help), and get their cars up to snuff so they can get going in the right direction in 2010.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

Yes, there was a race Sunday. But since all that happened was the never-ending Jimmie Johnson / Rick Hendrick title reign being extended, there really isn’t much for me to talk about that everyone doesn’t already know.

So instead, I’ll take the advice of our mothers, and only say nice things today, looking back at the more positive developments of the 2009 NASCAR year.

The emergence of Juan Pablo Montoya
When he came over from Formula 1, JPM was known as a racing talent, but it took him a while to learn NASCAR and become a competitive driver. This year, he should have won at Indianapolis, and will win on an oval soon. Driving for a brand new Earnhardt Ganassi Racing team, he did more than impress … he was simply awesome.

Also, he has a great, honest personality and NASCAR needs that right now. I hope he is even more competitive in 2010.

The return of Mark Martin to contention
While Johnson took home the trophy, everyone was hoping Martin could pull off a miracle and take home the title. Why so much love for Mark? That’s easy … he’s a great representative of the sport, and should have won a title by now. Not having one doesn’t make him less of a driver, but it sure would have been nice to see him do it this year. He’s the most respected guy in the garage, for good reason.

If there’s anyone who doesn’t like the guy and pull for him to do well, I’ve never met them. It was great to see him winning again, and here’s hoping he can be back in the hunt again in 2010. I’d love for the Hendrick dominance to end, but I wouldn’t mind if they got another one if Martin was the driver.

Drivers expressing themselves on Twitter
I love the fact that drivers can go online and argue with each other on Twitter, or just talk trash online about their competition. Take this little gem from today for example, as Montoya went on Twitter after the race and shared his thoughts about his on-track battle with Tony Stewart, writing: “I always said pay back its a bitch”

Twitter is great for NASCAR fans, because it lets drivers vent in an atmosphere that’s not controlled by the France family, and honest drivers like JPM can really let loose. (The only downside is the occasional too-much-information moments from Michael Waltrip, Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace, but I’ll accept the bad with the good.)

The improvement of Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose
Ambrose is similar to Montoya, as he is regarding as a great talent due to how he ran in previous racing series, but had to prove himself in NASCAR. This year, he showed he could compete with the big boys, finishing 18th in points and letting everyone know he is more than just a road course specialist.

Brian Vickers has stumbled since leaving Hendrick Motorsports, but the Red Bull team stepped up and he put on some great drives to make it to the Chase (where he ultimately stunk it up bad, but we’re thinking positive today so I won’t focus on that). Vickers is another young driver who has a bright future and it was nice to see him do well in his post-Hendrick ride. Hopefully, this was just the first of many good years for Vickers, as we need some new blood near the top of the standings.

Michael Waltrip’s retirement from full-time driving
This may sound negative, but it really isn’t. Waltrip was smart enough to realize he was mostly just riding around each week, and putting Martin Truex in his car will only improve the performance of that team in 2010. In the end, Michael Waltrip’s team will benefit from this switch.

Joey Logano’s arrival in Cup
“Sliced bread” didn’t put on as impressive a rookie show as Tony Stewart did in that #20 car a decade ago, but he did pretty well for a teenager, taking his first checkered flag. Believe the hype, he is for real and will be a regular visitor to Victory Lane very soon.

When I look back to 2009, I’ll try to forget about the overall result and focus on these elements.

And I’ll continue be here all winter, in the brief offseason, dissecting all the moves that will be made as teams try to catch up to the #48 and Hendrick Motorsports.


https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

I’ve said this a hundred times, and will say it a hundred more: Enough with the Cup drivers winning Nationwide trophies.

We now have had four straight Cup drivers win Nationwide titles (Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch), and it’s getting ridiculous. I don’t care if they race and get paid, but don’t give them full points and allow them to compete for the championship. Let the young up-and-coming stars battle for titles. Brad Keselowski should have been a 2-time champ in 2008 and 2009, like Martin Truex Jr. was in 2004 and 2005, but instead was moved out of the way by Cup drivers both years.

I don’t see how any fan can be excited that a strong Cup driver like Busch won the Nationwide title. It’s completely ridiculous to me and I’m amazed that he thinks it’s a great accomplishment. As one non-NASCAR fan once asked me: “How can they let the major leaguers race for titles in the minors?” To be honest, there is no good answer to that question.

Volkswagen on the way?
It’s been confirmed that Volkswagen officials are meeting with NASCAR to discuss possible entry into the sport. With VW about to start building sedans in Tennessee in 2011, their entry would be allowed by NASCAR. We’ll see what comes of this, and it may not pan out, but in the meantime I have this great image in my head of a vintage VW bus trying to make a 200 mph lap at Texas or Talladega.


https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

The way Denny Hamlin is acting, you would think Brad Keselowski slapped his mother in the face or killed his kittens.

Hamlin, who for some reason has a giant concrete block on his shoulder when it comes to Brad, made good on his promise to turn Keselowski in Saturday’s Nationwide race at Homestead, and after the race he seemed happier than if he had won the race.

While I think Denny Hamlin is continuing to act like a child and holding onto a completely uncalled-for amount of animosity (more on that further down), there’s one other thing that’s come out of all this: NASCAR finally has a legitimate rivalry, something that is pretty much nonexistent in the “kumbaya” atmosphere of today’s NASCAR garage

Based on the comments to media after the race, it’s obvious these two guys think very little of each other. That makes for great drama and great competition, something sorely missing from NASCAR lately.

Every time Hamlin got close to Keselowski early in the race, it added needed drama to the race. Fans were on the edge of their seat, wondering what was going to happen. It was like the old days when Ernie Irvan made a long list of enemies and fans wondered what they would do to him on the track on raceday.

Without the rivalry, this would have been a decent season finale for the Nationwide series. With the rivalry, it was awesome. Honestly, I hope they never kiss and make up, as they’ll be racing each other at least once each weekend for many years to come. (Including today in the Cup race.)

The irony of it all: Hamlin was driving Saturday for CJM Racing in a car sponsored by the Web site GodSpeaks.com … I thought wrath was a sin, Denny.

Different attitudes

This is a great rivalry for the sport, but I am also interested in the whole thing from a psychological perspective. When looking at how both sides are reacting to this rivalry and the incidents it has created, it is clear that one side is enjoying the fun involved with it, while the other is losing sleep.

The driver enjoying this battle of wits and racecars is Keselowski. Take, for example, this radio exchange between him and crew chief Tony Eury Sr. immediately after he was spun by Hamlin.
Pops: “That boy will never learn. He didn’t do it good enough.”
Brad K: “That was fun”
(FYI: Brad not only saved his car after being hit by Hamlin; he also drove on to a 12th place finish despite the incident. Not too shabby.)

Then there were Brad’s comments after the race, in which he not-so-subtly hinted that Hamlin needed to get over it and stop whining so much.
“I kind of laughed in the car. I though it was a little funny. I don’t really hold any grudges and I’m ready to move on. Hell, I’ve already moved on. Hopefully, he feels the same way. I have a feeling when he wakes up in the morning he’s not going to feel any better about himself. He’s got a lot of problems, on and off the racetrack, and I don’t think spinning me is going to make him happy.”

That’s the best way to deal with this type of situation. Brad even went the gentleman route and said he has moved on and wouldn’t plan on any future retaliation against Hamlin in reaction to Saturday’s spinout. It’s like when there is a big fight, and you start to speak in a calm manner, the person yelling at you will become more mad because you’re not yelling back.

In this battle, Hamlin is the yeller. He is the one whining and crying every week about how terrible Keselowski has treated him. Riddle me this then, Denny. If he’s so bad, how come he’s never wrecked when you hit him, but you always wreck when he hits you?

In stark contrast to Brad’s comments, here’s what Denny had to say after the race, in which he finished 5th.
“I feel great right now. It was all worth it,” he said, simply giddy about the spinout. “The fact is I wasn’t going to give him an inch … We’ll never be even.”

Hamlin went on to talk about how he believes he is inside Keselowski’s head now.
“It’s going to be other times when we’ll be racing. He’s still going to think about it when I’m in his rearview mirror,” Hamlin said, before once again going on a rant about how Brad has wrecked him so much that he will always be owed payback.

Earth to Denny Hamlin: Get over yourself. Keselowski is not afraid of you. In fact, he’s laughing at you, and that’s making you more and more mad.

And while Hamlin keeps referring to this laundry list of teams that were happy when he wrecked Keselowski, I’m having a hard time coming up with many teams who would be on that list. Brad hadn’t been known as an overly aggressive driver or disliked around the garage, so I’m not sure where Hamlin’s getting his members of this alleged anti-Keselowski club.

Regardless of what Hamlin might think, he’s the one who is letting this rivalry drive him nuts, while Keselowski is just enjoying the ride and laughing at how this allegedly veteran driver can’t handle a little competition. It’s truly bizarre to watch Hamlin’s obsession with Keselowski grow.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

Earlier this week, I wrote about how the other teams are going to have to step up next year and beyond if they want to end Hendrick Motorsports’ stranglehold on the title.

Their job didn’t get any easier with the announcement Friday that Johnson has signed on to stay at the #48 team through 2015. While nobody is surprised, this officially means the Hendrick team is holding on to all the key players it needs to maintain its dominance of the sport. A lifetime deal to keep crew chief Chad Knaus is in the works (Hendrick said it was too pricey to lock Johnson into a lifetime deal, so JJ’s obviously getting paid pretty well).

Looking at the Hendrick lineup that’s now solidify for several years, it’s pretty intimidating:
-- They have Jimmie Johnson. Enough said.
-- A rejuvenated Mark Martin is signed through 2011. He will continue to compete for titles, even at age 51 and 52.
-- Jeff Gordon will continue driving the #24 until about 2013, when he’ll likely retire after a 20-plus year career. He’s not as great as he once was, but will continue to win races and finish well in the points.
-- Then there’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. He’s the weakest link on the team and has struggled lately, but won’t be going anywhere. He’ll stick around because he’s a cash cow and Rick Hendrick sees him like his own son. Despite his struggles, those who dislike him shouldn’t get used to him finishing 24th in points. It’s not likely to be a common occurrence.

Just like Gordon, who is co-owner of the #48 car, Johnson will be the rare driver who spends his entire Cup career in one car and with one sponsor. And he will continue to be good. After this four-year stretch of absolute success, you know Hendrick couldn’t wait to lock Johnson down for the long-term future.

Now that it’s done, the target is on his back. I hope, as a fan of NASCAR, that someone has good enough aim to hit that target and reach the level of the #48 team next year. If not, NASCAR might as well rename the championship trophy the Hendrick Trophy.

Kahne looking to move
Reports swirled Friday that Kasey Kahne may be looking to leave Richard Petty Motorsports after the 2010 season. This is something I and other media members suggested months ago, as it was painfully obvious. It doesn’t take a psychic to recognize this, as it’s just common sense that because the team is struggling, Kahne might want to go somewhere where he might have a chance to compete for a championship.

The bottom line: Unless RPM drastically steps up its game in 2010, it’s probably going to be the last season there for Kahne.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

Going into this season, one thing was for sure in the minds of fans and the media: Coming off 9 wins in 2008, Carl Edwards would compete for the title in 2009. He had momentum and would carry it over to the new season.

One thing was not so certain, and that was the fate of Tony Stewart, who was starting his first season as a team co-owner. He had taken over a team whose two cars, the #66 and #70, were bottom of the barrel and struggled to stay in the top-35 in 2008. Despite new drivers, new crew chiefs and a lot of help from Hendrick Motorsports, it seemed a tall task for the new Stewart-Haas Racing to have one or both of its drivers make the Chase.

So what happened?
The sure thing was a flop, and the big question mark turned into a resounding success. Funny how things work sometimes.

First, let’s look at the Edwards situation, which is indicative of a hugely disappointing year as a whole for the Roush operation. Matt Kenseth won the first two races, then struggled all year and missed the Chase. Jamie McMurray, with one foot out the door, has just one highlight when he won at Talladega. Greg Biffle made the Chase, but didn’t win all year and had no impact in the Chase. David Ragan, last year’s amazing success story when he surged and almost made the Chase, came back to reality hard in 2009, with only 2 top-10s all year.

Edwards has been the best of the bunch, and almost won at Talladega before he went flying, but 7 top-5s and 13 top-10s is pretty bad for a guy who won nine races last year. Point blank: The Roush cars, when compared the Hendrick cars, were just off. I’m not sure if the Roush cars went backward or the Hendrick cars went forward, but either way Jack needs his drivers and car and engine builders to step up big time in 2010. Whatever they did in 2009, they need to do the opposite because it just didn’t work.

Now on to Stewart, who I and many others in the media doubted could compete for wins and make the Chase. No way could a team as garbage as Haas-CNC transform in one year to a competitor.

I was wrong. By putting the right people in place and changing the whole atmosphere at the team, Stewart has a bang-up start with 4 wins, after just 1 win in 2008 with Joe Gibbs Racing. He actually improved his performance despite the switch, which is just amazing. Crew chief Darian Grubb, nabbed from Hendrick, is a big part of the successful transition, as well as the driver of course.

I recognize the importance of the Hendrick help, but that didn;t mean the SHR team would be an automatic success. Not every satellite team is a winner (the Yates cars have Roush help, but don’t do great; Gibbs’ support of Hall of Fame racing didn’t do much to help, etc.)

Having help from the best team in NASCAR is a factor, but solid performances by Stewart, Ryan Newman and both of their crews have turned a zero team into a contender, surprising many doubtful NASCAR fans in 2009.

I can't wait until 2010, when we'll see once again who surprises and who disappoints.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu

As much as I dislike Darrell Waltrip as a live race broadcaster (I’m not a fan of the “boogity boogity” atmosphere on that network), the man is pretty insightful if you’ve ever heard him talk about NASCAR and its drivers in a different setting. His knowledge, gained from decades of history in the sport, give him insight into NASCAR most commentators don’t have.

For example, prior to this season he predicted Juan Pablo Montoya would make the Chase this year … despite the fact Montoya was racing for a brand new EGR team with so many unknowns. DW may be annoying at times, but he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to the drivers in this sport.

As I watched DW appear on a SPEED program Sunday night, he made an interesting point about how to stop Jimmie Johnson’s dominance in the sport. To paraphrase, he said that you don’t drag down the quality of Jimmie Johnson’s team, you bring the level of the competition up to the level of the #48 team.

And he is right. Jimmie and the #48 team are not going to get any worse. So now we are presented with a critical question: How can this raising of the bar for the other teams be accomplished?

What can be done by Jack Roush, Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs, and even the other Hendrick teams, to get them up to a level that would allow them to derail the Johnson championship train, which appears to have no end in sight.

Here is my game plan for the competition.

Get their crew chief/driver relationships to a new level
One of the major reasons that Johnson wins so much is that Chad Knaus and him are so well in tune with each other. Knaus knows how to set the car up so Jimmie will be comfortable, and the communication from Jimmie to Knaus about how the car is running is detailed enough for Knaus to make the proper adjustments to improve the car and improve their position during races. The other teams need to reach this level of understanding between their two main players if they hope to compete with Johnson.

Start up front, out of harm’s way, and stay there
One reason Johnson wins titles is that he doesn’t wreck much. That’s why the Texas wreck was such a shock to see. So how does he do this? Easy – he starts up front and stays ahead of most of the wrecks, which rarely occur among the leaders. The only reason he got in the Texas wreck was because he didn’t qualify well, and that only happens a handful of times each year. Most weeks, he’s in the top-5 or top-10 to start the race. For anyone to take his crown in 2010, they’ll need to do well on Fridays and Sundays.

Pray that the law of averages eventually applies to Johnson
No matter how much the other teams step up, there still isn’t a guarantee anyone will topple Johnson. His 4-year run goes against all the odds, even beyond what the last wonderboy Jeff Gordon did in the late 1990s. Gordon at least had his title runs interrupted by Terry Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Bobby Labonte. Johnson isn’t letting anyone crash his party. I would say it’s unlikely anyone will take 5 in a row, but I’d be lying. Last year, I was optimistic and said Carl Edwards, coming off 9 wins and a second-place points run in 2008, would claim the 2009 title and end JJ’s run. I guess that didn’t work out.

No. This year, I am not going to make a prediction based on hope, and will look at the facts. Until someone shows they can beat Jimmie Johnson, he will be the title favorite, in 2010 and beyond.

But I wish the other teams good luck. All the fans are rooting for them to catch up, to save us from the Johnson bore machine.

https://twitter.com/MattMyftiu