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[/media-credit]The mystery of who will share a ride with Danica Patrick in the third car for Stewart-Haas Racing is still just that: a mystery! Here is my list of the top 5 drivers who would run the remaining 26-28 races on the 2012 schedule.
#1- Mark Martin-
Reasons why- What is not to like about Mark Martin? He has experience, he can help Danica in every way and he is one of the most talented drivers in NASCAR history. Martin’s kindness and respectfulness on the racetrack has won over fellow competitors and other drivers. Fans respect Martin as well which is a big deal for sponsorships.
Why not- Rick Hendrick suggested last week that Mark Martin is interested in running for Phoenix Racing in 2012. Hendrick also indicated that he is interested in running only 20 races next season. If he shares the ride with Patrick he will have to run 26-28 races which may be more than what Martin wants to run.
#2- Landon Cassill-
Why- The former Hendrick Motorsports development driver has had a decent year running the No. 51 Chevrolet this season for James Finch. If Martin replaces Cassill, Cassill may go to Stewart-Haas as sponsors may be attracted to the 22 year old driver from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He has run all the races this season aside from the Daytona 500 in 2011.
Why not- The 22 year old may be a little young for this ride. Stewart-Haas may prefer to go with a veteran type driver to help Danica Patrick learn the tracks and the heavier, faster Sprint Cup Series cars; Something that Landon Cassill may not be an expert in himself.
#3-Bobby Labonte-
Why- Bobby Labonte is a great friend of Tony Stewart as they were teammates from 1999-2005 at Joe Gibbs Racing. He has the past champions provisional if needed. His contract at JTG Daugherty Racing runs out at the end of 2011. He has run every race since the 1993 Daytona 500. He has the experience, the charm, and the talent sponsors are looking for. His fan base is very passionate and a competitive ride would only make them more passionate. The 2000 series champion may be a dark horse for this ride.
Why not- Many people feel he still has something left. He may resign with the No. 47 team if they feel like he can still race. This would only be a one year deal, at best, for SHR since Danica Patrick will run full-time in 2013. Unless Labonte is thinking about scaling back his schedule I doubt he would take the Stewart-Haas ride over the No. 47.
#4- Bill Elliott-
Why- If Mark Martin is out of the picture; Bill Elliott may be a good fit for Patrick’s team. No he has not run more than 20 races in a year since 2003; however, Elliott has said he would race full-time for a team that is very competitive. Elliott also is eligible for the past champions provisional, which is something that could help this team as well. His experience is just as good as Mark Martins. He is also one of the sports’ most popular drivers ever. That’s a big help for sponsorships.
Why not- For the last couple of seasons Elliott has only ran 12-15 races and only 5 in 2011. He may be a little rusty and that may be unattractive to sponsors. He hasn’t won a race since November 2003, which may be unattractive as well.
#5- Elliott Sadler-
Why- Sadler’s got the experience and personality that is attractive to sponsorships. He has had moderate success in the Sprint Cup Series and has run a Cup car as recent as 2010 season. He has had nice success in the Nationwide Series in 2011 and has a sponsor with a lot of money which could help with this ride.
Why not- Sadler’s last three seasons in Cup weren’t something to be proud about. He hasn’t been competitive in Cup in a long time, sponsors may want to put their money somewhere else than on a guy who hasn’t done much in Cup in a while. He also has a contract to run the full season with Kevin Harvick Inc. for the 2012 season in the Nationwide Series. Drivers have flown back and forth to races before however; his Nationwide team may not let him do that.
Other Drivers:
Aric Almirola- He is Danica Patrick’s teammate in the Nationwide Series and is well respected around the garage. He has made 35 Cup starts in his career and many people feel that he is the next driver in line for an opportunity in the Cup series. He has had a better second half of the 2011 season and is a Chevy driver, all of which helps Almirola. However, he is under contract to run full-time in the Nationwide Series in 2012 for JR Motorsports. Many people feel he is a legitimate championship contender for the Nationwide Series title. Having a Cup ride may affect a chance at having that happen.
Clint Bowyer- I highly doubt he won’t run full-time in 2012. It sounds like he may leave Richard Childress Racing, but rumors have it he may have a full-time ride at Richard Petty Motorsports or Roush Fenway Racing. He is a long shot at best for this ride.
David Gilliland- He has had moderate success with the No. 34 team this year and is Tony Stewart’s drafting buddy on Superspeedways. However, I doubt a man in the prime of his career will take a part time ride, even if it is a Hendrick Motorsports car.
Michael McDowell- He has start and parked at HP Racing for most of the last 3 seasons. However, he is young and has some experience in Cup which could make him a factor for the ride.
Besides these few drivers not much else is out there for Tony Stewart. It will be interesting to see what he does to fill that ride.
The problem with Cassill is that he’s a kid who has really learned alot running in lesser equipment…you put him in a SHR car and he will probably do REALLY well. He’s nearly a decade younger than Danica and already a better driver and a better natural talent anyway…Tony is a winner and wants winners…we all know Danica is just a cash grab for SHR and it’s going to be really hard for Tony to see Landon run very well in his cars and then watch Danica flop like every other IndyCar driver has done(besides himself, JPM, and Dinger)
Danica had said that Landon Cassill was one of her driving coaches at JR Motorsports – I believe because of his testing experience and understanding of the stock cars. He might not be a bad choice if Martin doesn’t want to run that many races. James Finch’s equipment is older, used equipment. Would like to see what Landon could do with newer equipment.