Spring Break
Childress Racing Surprises Leaders
Nascar
Greg Sjovall
Issue date: 3/18/08 Section: Sports
Five races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, the top performing team is probably not who you thought it would have been coming into the year. With three drivers in the top nine of the standings, Richard Childress Racing has been this season's most dominant team. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Clint Bowyer sit among the top of the points standings in third, fourth, and ninth respectively.
After an offseason that saw Hendrick Motorsports add Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joe Gibbs Racing adding Kyle Busch, the safe bet for the top team would have been either of the aforementioned two, or possibly even Roush Racing. There probably were not many out there who would have though that Richard Childress Racing - while holding onto the status quo - would have been in the position to be among NASCAR's best, yet once again.
So while other teams may have gone the route of having flashy off season acquisitions, Childress stood firm with Harvick, Burton and Bowyer - who all finished in the top 10 in last years standings. While these three drivers may not have the appeal of Jeff Gordon or Earnhardt, you can't argue with their results on the track. The Childress drivers have a combined nine top 10 finishes out of a possible fifteen finishes. That kind of consistency will undoubtedly propel you to the top of standings.
Could this be a return to glory for Richard Childress Racing? The late Dale Earnhardt won multiple championships for Childress Racing during his tenure on the team. However, since his untimely death in 2001, there has not been a Childress driver crowned champion at the end of the season. While there have been some highlights - like Harvick's big wins at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 - ultimately success is measured by championships won.
After last season's success of placing all team drivers into the top 10 of the final standings, Childress is potentially primed for having one of the three drivers actually win the whole thing.
Of the three Childress drivers, Harvick probably has the best shot out of them all to end up bringing home the cup. Harvick has shown in the past that he cannot be intimated by any driver on the circuit, and he is not the type of driver that will wilt under the intense pressure that comes with being in a close fight for the Chase for the Cup.
Before the season, I predicted Earnhardt would breakthrough and finally win his first championship - and I still stick to that prediction. However, it's hard to ignore the noise that the drivers of Childress have made through the first five races. It is obviously very early in the season, but seeing Earnhardt as the only Hendrick representative in the top 10, makes as case for Childress catching up to Hendrick - the reigning top team.
It is still wa long season of racing ahead of us, but from early indications, Richard Childress Racing is back in its spot as one of NASCAR elite teams.
Greg Sjovall's NASCAR column runs every Tuesday. He can be reached at Gregory.Sjovall@UConn.edu.
After an offseason that saw Hendrick Motorsports add Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Joe Gibbs Racing adding Kyle Busch, the safe bet for the top team would have been either of the aforementioned two, or possibly even Roush Racing. There probably were not many out there who would have though that Richard Childress Racing - while holding onto the status quo - would have been in the position to be among NASCAR's best, yet once again.
So while other teams may have gone the route of having flashy off season acquisitions, Childress stood firm with Harvick, Burton and Bowyer - who all finished in the top 10 in last years standings. While these three drivers may not have the appeal of Jeff Gordon or Earnhardt, you can't argue with their results on the track. The Childress drivers have a combined nine top 10 finishes out of a possible fifteen finishes. That kind of consistency will undoubtedly propel you to the top of standings.
Could this be a return to glory for Richard Childress Racing? The late Dale Earnhardt won multiple championships for Childress Racing during his tenure on the team. However, since his untimely death in 2001, there has not been a Childress driver crowned champion at the end of the season. While there have been some highlights - like Harvick's big wins at the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 - ultimately success is measured by championships won.
After last season's success of placing all team drivers into the top 10 of the final standings, Childress is potentially primed for having one of the three drivers actually win the whole thing.
Of the three Childress drivers, Harvick probably has the best shot out of them all to end up bringing home the cup. Harvick has shown in the past that he cannot be intimated by any driver on the circuit, and he is not the type of driver that will wilt under the intense pressure that comes with being in a close fight for the Chase for the Cup.
Before the season, I predicted Earnhardt would breakthrough and finally win his first championship - and I still stick to that prediction. However, it's hard to ignore the noise that the drivers of Childress have made through the first five races. It is obviously very early in the season, but seeing Earnhardt as the only Hendrick representative in the top 10, makes as case for Childress catching up to Hendrick - the reigning top team.
It is still wa long season of racing ahead of us, but from early indications, Richard Childress Racing is back in its spot as one of NASCAR elite teams.
Greg Sjovall's NASCAR column runs every Tuesday. He can be reached at Gregory.Sjovall@UConn.edu.
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