As the NASCAR season approaches anticipation builds for the endless possibilities that a new year can bring. Will Earnhardt Jr. contend for a title? Will Smoke rise again? Will Kyle Larson finally grab that win? Will Roush Fenway Racing regain its former glory? Please join me as I take a look ahead at the 2015 season.
1) Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. and new crew chief Greg Ives contend for the championship in 2015?
The Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte partnership will be a hard act to follow as Greg Ives takes over the crew chief responsibilities for the No. 88 team in 2015. Last year was Earnhardt’s first multiple win season since 2004. It began with the season opener when he joined an elite group of drivers to score his second Daytona 500 win, continued with a sweep at Pocono and culminated with his first victory at Martinsville. Although Earnhardt did not make it through all the championship rounds to contend for the title, 2014 saw an Earnhardt on the cusp of capturing the ultimate prize.
Will Earnhardt and Ives hit the ground running?
“I don’t know how long it will take me and him to get on the same page, it may happen overnight, it might take a month, whatever,” Earnhardt said. “We see it happen different for everybody. But I think as the season goes on, we’ll be as strong as we were this year, if not stronger.”
There will certainly be a period of transition as they develop team rapport and fine-tune the chemistry necessary to duplicate or exceed last year’s success. How quickly they accomplish this will be crucial to achieving their goals.
2) Will Tony Stewart win in 2015?
In June 2013, Tony Stewart won at Dover, continuing a 15-years-in-a-row streak of winning at least one race each season of his Sprint Cup career. It would prove to be his last win to date and the streak ended in 2014 as Stewart went winless for the first time in 16 years.
There were, however, extenuating circumstances. Stewart was sidelined for the last 15 races of the 2013 season after breaking his right leg in August during a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway. He returned full-time in 2014 but was not completely healed; scoring only three top-five finishes over the course of the season.
Later in the year, controversy surrounded Stewart when Kevin Ward Jr. was struck by a car Stewart was driving at a sprint car race on August 9 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park. Stewart was cleared by a grand jury of any charges but the ordeal took its toll on Stewart, who, out of respect for the family, sat out three races following the incident.
Stewart ended the season on a positive note, celebrating the Sprint Cup Championship of Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick.
“You know, I think more than anything, I’m happy for this organization and happy for this team. It’s not about me right now,” he said, “it’s about us as a group. It’s about everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. You know, you learn when you’re in these situations that it’s about a larger group of people and a bigger picture that’s in play. I’m grateful that I have a co-owner and co-workers and teammates that are such great people that no matter what’s been thrown at us the last year and a half that this organization was able to thrive and continue to prosper and be successful through this.
“You know, it shows the depth of this organization and what these people are capable of. Nights like tonight are when you sit back and you reflect on everything and you realize how proud you are of your entire group and everybody that you surround yourself with.”
In December Stewart underwent two more surgeries on his leg and hopes to begin the new season pain-free. With controversy behind him and no more injuries, expect to see the three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion back to his winning ways in 2015.
3) Will Kyle Larson capture his first Sprint Cup win in 2015?
Larson ended his rookie season with eight top-fives including three runner-up finishes at Fontana, New Hampshire and Kansas. That’s more top-fives than two of the final four championship contenders, Denny Hamlin (7) and Ryan Newman (5). Throw in 17 top-10s and one pole and it’s no surprise that he won the Rookie of the Year award.
In 2006 Denny Hamlin became the first rookie (and only rookie to date) to make the Chase but Larson came close. He missed making the 16 driver Chase field by only one position, ending the season in 17th place, best among the non-Chasers.
Larson summed up his season after the last race at Homestead saying, “There are a lot of moments that stand out, a lot of heartbreak moments as well. We will come back next season peel the rookie stripes off and try and go out there and win a race and get into the Chase and do what Kevin Harvick did tonight.”
If determination and focus are any indicators, you will probably see Larson in victory lane this year.
4) Will Roush Fenway Racing rebound in 2015?
The 2014 season for Roush Fenway Racing was one of the most disappointing in recent memory as the team struggled to find speed. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. combined for a grand total of two wins. The two victories were courtesy of Edwards who left RFR at the end of the year to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2015. Edwards and Biffle participated in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, finishing ninth and 14th respectively, but neither was considered a serious contender for the title.
Trevor Bayne will move up to a full-time ride for RFR in the Cup Series after Edward’s departure. Bayne has driven a partial schedule for the Wood Brothers for the past four years. His most notable accomplishment was the unforgettable 2011 Daytona 500 win, his only victory in 58 starts in the series.
In an effort to bolster their Sprint Cup and Xfinity programs, RFR has hired Mark McArdle as engineering director and Kevin Kidd as NSCS team manager.
McArdle is an experienced veteran of IndyCar and NASCAR. He has worked in NASCAR for the past 15 years with various organizations including Roush Yates Engines, Evernham Motorsports, Furniture Row Racing and Richard Childress Racing.
“I’m confident that having Mark and Kevin in these two key positions will make our organization even stronger next season,” said team co-owner Jack Roush. “Mark has a pedigree in racing that spans multiple platforms and speaks for itself in terms of results. He has a reputation not only for success, but as a great manager and motivator.
“Kevin is recognized in the garage as one of the brightest minds in our sport,” added Roush. “He has acquired invaluable experience working with both veteran and young drivers, and will be a great asset to our Sprint Cup program week in and week out at the race track. We look forward to bringing both Mark and Kevin on board and welcoming them into the fold.”
Also noteworthy, was the announcement in July 2014 that veteran Mark Martin has joined the RFR team as a driver development coach.
Roush Fenway Racing remains one of the premier teams in NASCAR and despite recent struggles, it would be premature to count them out. This may be a year of transition but look for RFR to re-emerge as a leader sooner rather than later.
