Matthew's Blog

We’re getting ready for our annual trip to Daytona Beach this weekend for the kick-off of the 2010 Nascar season.

This year will be even more spectacular than previous years for the following reaons:

1)  Through a former co-worker, we now have VIP driver introductions on Saturday.  This should be awesome and will result in tons of up close driver pictures.  Stay tuned for an update after the race weekend.

2)  We have now accumulated close to 6 feet of snow here in the northeast and the bright Daytona sun will be a welcome diversion for 4 days.  I hope most of the snow melts while we are away!!!

3)  Rule changes – probably the biggest change this year is the Restrictor Plate size increase to make the cars more responsive.  I’m all in favor of creating more competition while not compromising driver safety so I hope this helps!

Will he be a 5 time champ??? Stay tuned......

4)  Jimmy Johnson – Will he be able to achieve his 5th Championship?  Are he and Chadd so dominant that nothing will stop them in 2010?  How will this help/hurt the rest of the Hendricks cars?  My prediction for Jimmy is he will have a good year but will not get his 5th this year.

Last year with Hendrick?

5)  Speaking of the rest of the Hendricks cars – I think this is the last year for Junior.  He must produce this year or I suspect his contract will be in jeopardy and more importantly, his fan base will continue to erode.  I wish   I  had more confidence in Junior however I think he will have a so-so year at best and give his fans some moments of hope along with a ton of disappointments.  I truly hope to be wrong on this.

6)  Joey Logano – will his star continue to rise or will he fall into the sophomore slump hit him?  I certainly hope its the former because he will be one of the future stars of  the series.  As long as he remains focused, I think he’ll have a great year.  With Greg Zipadelli and the rest of Joe Gibbs behind him, it’s his year to make it or break it.

7)  Tony Stewart – I think he will continue to be a threat for the championship and bring/keep some of the excitement in the series.  I predict an easy top 10 final placement and possibly a top 5 or the championship!!!

Kyle Busch - Daytona 2009 Intro

8)  Kyle Busch – I’m not sure what my prediction is for Kyle this year.  Given his disappointing season last year after coming off a rocket of a year in 2008 I just don’t know.  Did he learn from 2009 or was that the beginning of a trend?  He has the skills and equipment to do well so what held him back?  As of right now, I will predict a mid-field finish for him.  I may be wrong…..

9)  Last but not least is Danica Patrick.  There is certainly a ton of “buzz” about her entering the Nationwide Series.  Will she rise to the top and gain the respect of the established players or will she be a shooting star that flashes in front of our eyes?  I like the diversity and the additional interest that Danica brings to the series and hope she does well.  The Nationwide race this weekend will be pivotal for the tone she sets this year.

Either way, I hope with the rule changes, the new drivers and an improving economy this year recaptures some of the excitement and intensity that has been missing from the series the past few years.

Maybe it’s time to re-think the race for the chase?  Stay tuned…….

Tomorrow ends the 2009 season and the 6th year that the Race for the Chase rules have applied.

The 2009 Champion?

I still have mixed thoughts on this setup to this day.  The purpose of the Race for the Chase has been to tighten the championship point structure down so many more drivers are in the running.  I’m not sure it is working as designed because as it stands now, Jimmy Johnson is just about a shoe-in to win his 4th championship (consecutively as well).  Can it be that the combination of Jimmy Johnson and Chad Knaus is so strong that even teammates like Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin are long shots tomorrow?   Forget about Junior – his head is NOT in racing anymore and I doubt he will be back at Hendricks next year.  I am searching the web now for comparison statistics on how Jimmy would have fared without these rules and will update this post once I find them.

http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/jjohnson00/cup/index.html