With Christmas now behind us and the New Year coming fast ahead, the tradition is not only to reflect one last time on another year that has quickly passed, but also look ahead.
Looking back upon the 2010 season fans and drivers have already given thanks for another great season. A few different drivers made history and the competition was at an all time high.
They gave and received new gifts and gadgets to help them survive the rest of the offseason and head into a new calendar year. Leaving just one thing to do before the curtain on the 2010 season and year officially drops.
Many around the globe are preparing their resolutions for 2011, something they vow to do in the New Year they haven’t done in the past. Most resolutions made before Friday night will be broken before the first week of the New Year is complete.
Resolutions though, are meant to be broken. The fun comes from even coming up with a resolution to eventually toss by the wayside. Will any of our favorite drivers come up with their own resolutions this year?
Here are a few that might not be bad ideas …
NASCAR: Force all drivers to ride in same safety ambulance and install cameras
With a full year of “boys, have at it” under their belts, the drivers will be ready for a fresh slate to do it even bigger in 2011. For NASCAR that’s great news because as was shown in 2010, it puts on great racing.
At Texas in November when Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton got into a tussle on the track they both had to go to the infield care center … in the same ambulance. Viewers were eager to be a fly on that wall in hopes the two drivers went at it again.
As long as boys have at it is going to be around, NASCAR needs to make sure there are cameras everywhere, ready to catch all the action.
Jimmie Johnson: To make a final decision
Hard to image that the now five-time defending Sprint Cup Series champion would have anything he needs to change but there’s one thing. The last year in a half Johnson has flirted with having a beard, shaving it and then bringing it back. It really wasn’t a big deal being that it’s his facial hair and he can do as he pleases.
That changed, however, when it became its own news story. It was brought up during championship weekend as “the beard won a championship,” and there’s repeated stories devoted to how Johnson likes to annoy crew chief Chad Knaus.
No need for so much publicity over a beard. Meaning that Johnson has to help out by choosing to keep it or shave it for good.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Find a new vocabulary
Working with a new team and crew chief will be among a few changes in 2011 for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The one he personally needs to make comes from within and how communication with Steve Letarte could take a turn.
Never one to back down and hide how he’s feeling or how he expresses himself, Earnhardt Jr.’s radio is more suited for Comedy Central then Nickelodeon. The problem is that Letarte lets his family at home listen to the team communication through a home stereo system.
While it’s been said time and time again that those who are offended by the radio communications shouldn’t listen, in this case it might not be good for team chemistry if the driver begins giving the crew chief’s children an English lesson.
Denny Hamlin: To never, ever think about the last two races of the 2010 season
It can be argued, but for 34 races of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series season Denny Hamlin was the guy to watch. After declaring in the season finale of 2009 that his team was going to be champions in the near future, Hamlin walked the walk this past season.
In fact, Hamlin may have been 15 laps away from clinching his first title at Phoenix after dominating the day. Until a little thing called strategy came into play. Then came the equally bad day in Homestead-Miami a week later.
As Hamlin enters the 2011 season he needs to wash his brain of those two races and instead burn into his memory how his team performed in the first 34 races. Put them on a tape that replays in every room of his house, listen to old radio broadcasts of his eight wins, just burn it in his mind what his team accomplished. Should he do that and his team come out in 2011 as they did in 2010, they’ll again be in the thick of the title hunt.
Juan Pablo Montoya: Become the team leader
Like most drivers in the garage, Montoya possesses an intense fire that drives him every weekend. But that fire has gotten him in trouble sometimes, especially when it comes to losing races that he’s dominated.
For the second year in row Montoya should have been the man in victory lane at the Brickyard 400, but instead was left heartbroken. His crew chief took the blame as Montoya exploded over the radio after their pit stop.
The reason that his resolution is to become the team leader is that Montoya needs to step up and not let everything fall on his crew chief’s shoulders. In 2009 it was Montoya, not his crew chief that was speeding on pit road. And in 2010 it was Montoya, not his crew chief that drove too hard trying to get back to the front and wrecked.
Yet it was Brian Pattie in tears talking about costing Montoya wins. This is a team that can win on the oval tracks, but if the team is going to be at odds, it’s not going to help. It also doesn’t help when you’re insulting you’re teammate either such as what happened in Las Vegas.
Carl Edwards: Go back to being Cousin Carl instead of Crazy Carl
The driver of the Aflac Ford is one of the easiest drivers for fans to cheer for. This past year however, he changed some of their minds when he engaged in a season-long rivalry with Brad Keselowski.
Having a little bit of competition and being the villain every once in a while can be a good thing. But when Edwards sent Keselowski airborne in Atlanta and then spinning in front of the field at Gateway, things got a little out of control.
That’s not the driver that Edwards wants to be, especially when he respects the sport and the fans as much as he does. He even celebrates with them in the stands. Edwards will always have fans, but avoiding dangerous incidents he had in 2010 might bring him more and it’ll also help the image of the sport to have one of their friendliest drivers back.
Mark Martin: Not to pull a Brett Favre
The 2011 season will be the last for Martin behind the wheel of the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. Martin says he expects to drive either part-time or full-time in 2012 for another team.
Whatever he chooses to do, Martin should make sure the ink is dry on the deal before announcing anything. Martin had already announced in 2005 that he was going to retire at the end of the season, and then came back for another full year in 2006, which was then expected to be his last.
In 2007 he moved to what was still Dale Earnhardt Inc., to share time with Aric Almirola. He did the same in 2008 as he said he was working toward retirement. But then he announced he was going to HMS for the 2009-2010 season, again expected to be his last. Then came a contract extension.
All the moving around and mixed signals about whether he wanted to race full-time, part-time or retire is beginning to become all too familiar.
Kasey Kahne: Don’t walk out on his team
Whether or not Kahne was actually sick can still be up for debate, but what’s not is the fact that he left his team in the middle of a race. It was much like Kyle Busch did back in 2007 when he wrecked at Texas, said his back hurt and left the track while his team repaired the car.
Following a wreck at Charlotte, Kahne refused to get back in his No. 9 Ford and said he was sick and left. The following week he was released from Richard Petty Motorsports.
His reasoning was that the team hadn’t been putting unsafe cars underneath him and he was sick of it. Many argued that Kahne was being reduced to a lame duck because he had announced he was leaving at the end of the season anyway.
In 2011 he’ll find himself in that same spot with Red Bull Racing as he prepares for 2012 with Hendrick Motorsports. Should Kahne again feel let down by a team he should revert to this resolution and be the bigger man.
Steve Wallace: Don’t be Steve Wallace
Sounds harsh but the reality is that Wallace needs to step up in the Nationwide Series. It’s unrealistic that he’ll lose his ride seeing that he drives for his father, but that doesn’t mean the criticism will go away.
The potential is there as he finished 10th in points this season. However, he only had one top five. Time to make a change for 2011 that will get the Wallace name back in NASCAR’s victory lane.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.: Don’t fall into a sense of déjà vu
Much like Denny Hamlin, Stenhouse Jr. is another driver that needs to forget some races. For him, it’s almost the first half of the 2010 season, which saw him nearly lose his ride.
After starting the season in the No. 6 for Roush-Fenway, Stenhouse was benched by owner Jack Roush. The time out of the car did the rookie some good as he came back stronger than ever.
He ended the season with five top 10s in the final 10 races and captured Rookie of the Year honors. He’ll be back in 2011 for a sophomore season and Stenhouse desperately needs to pick up where he left off.
Justin Allgaier: Embrace his “Little Gator” nickname
Nice guys do finish last and in 2010 that was Justin Allgaier. The former Penske driver did win his first race at Bristol in March, but a few slipped through his fingers and Allgaier wishes he had them back.
Near the end of the season Allgaier traded paint with Aric Almirola, whom he’ll be racing full-time with in 2011. But Allgaier said he didn’t mean to go up there and get into Almirola, he was just trying to slow down. That’s nice to say but Allgaier shouldn’t have to, it’s OK to show some aggression.
In 2011 lets see Allgaier go up and show drivers that while he can be the nice guy, he’s not going to be taken lightly. In 2010 he was the highest finishing NNS regular driver and he’ll be one to contend with in 2011, but he’s got to take a bite out of the competition to take home some checkered flags.
Austin Dillon: Remain Austin Dillon
His rookie season was a success, as was the fans taking to the young kid and his driving of the black No. 3. But now comes the hard part because as a rookie there aren’t that many expectations and as Dillon heads for another season after which he won two races, seven poles and the ROY, the expectations will rise.
As they do Dillon needs to not get caught up in them or who the fans may want him to become. With any driver that climbs aboard the No. 3 there comes the added pressure of doing the Earnhardt name justice and hopefully Dillon doesn’t crack under that pressure. He did a great job in 2010 but he’s not out of the woods yet.
There you have it, just a few of NASCAR’s top drivers from 2010 with resolutions for 2011. Happy New Year NASCAR fans.
I have read that JG regularly turned to ‘blue’ language talking to Letarte.