Fourth Leg Of A Three Legged Stool?
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 9:45am CDT
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
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Was Casey Mears in a hole from the start? We’re not questioning Hendrick Motorsports’ dedication to their teams (at least not with Casey) but looking back over the past decade, the performance of the 25 has been spotty at best. With many changes taking place in that time span, in both driver and team, it’s easy to see that a possible answer is a lack of continuity. Then again, if it were that easy, Hendrick would have fixed it a long time ago.
As the 5, 24 and the 48 continue to run far above the 25 we can only wonder what is going on. Many will tell you that the 25 is flat out cursed, their luck loans from the bank rarely meeting approval. So far the 2007 season for Casey Mears is no exception. New driver, new crew chief, and several other changes bring the 25 team a fresh start but the end results have been dismal thus far. However, the dedication of Hendrick to the 25 team has never been stronger.
Continuing analysis of the past decade of the 25 team, their “best years” surprisingly came with Brian Vickers in 2005 and 2006. They finished 17th and 15th, respectively, their best showing since 2001 when they finished 18th. All the while the 5, 24, and starting with Johnson’s rookie season in 2002 the other teams have flourished.
So what’s the deal? It’s been said many a time that the 25 has been the R&D entry that feeds information up the food chain. We won’t argue that, but with Casey’s ties to Hendrick and the family that should no longer be the case. That being said, it’s a transition year for the 25 as they move into a different role/capacity in the stable.
In the big picture of things, I’d consider being in the top 25 by Homestead a success. Granted it isn’t good compared to where the other 3 will most likely finish up, but under the circumstances it isn’t a wash. There are many adjustments being made, such as Casey adjusting to the set-ups and the team adjusting to what Casey needs in a set-up, as well as the team building cohesion and trust. It’s rare these things can happen overnight, The Zippy/Stewart or Knaus/Johnson instant combinations are exceptions, and not the rule. Hendrick is willing to give that team the time it needs to come up to speed, and their luck so far in 2007 can’t go on forever, can it?
Filed Under: Casey Mears, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams
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The only organization to really get more than three teams going good has been Jack Roush’s crews. Maintaining consistently superior performance out of four or five teams has been a year to year thing even for The Cat in the Hat. That said–if any other group can pull it off, it’s likely Hendrick. And sooner than later would be my guess.
With Casey in the seat now, I’d make that wager in Vegas.
They haven’t been running bad really, but as the saying goes they just don’t have the finishes to show for it yet.