| Written by Eric Allen |
|
Posted on 2/12/2008 9:28:10 PM |
#18 - Kyle Busch
Make: Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Sponsor(s): M&M’s
Experience: 4 years
Crew Chief: Steve Addington
Best Track(s): Bristol, Las Vegas
Worst Track(s): Atlanta
2007 Notable Performance(s): Food City 500 (1st), Crown Royal Presents The Jim Stewart 400 (2nd), Pepsi 400 (2nd)
2007 Points Finish: 5th
2008 Outlook: Kyle Bush is another young driver with tremendous upside. It is hard to determine if his performance will fall off since leaving Hendricks, but Gibbs has a solid team and Busch should perform well again in ’08. It will be interesting to see Busch teamed up with NASCAR hothead Tony Stewart, especially since Stewart’s battle with Kyle’s brother is now hitting the news.
#19 - Elliot Sadler
Make: Dodge
Team: Gillett Evernham Motorsports
Owner: Ray Evernham
Sponsor(s): Best Buy
Experience: 10 years
Crew Chief: Rodney Childers
Best Track(s): Bristol, Darlington
Worst Track(s): Indianaplis, Pheonix
2007 Notable Performance(s): Daytona 500 (6th), LifeLock 400 (8th)
2007 Points Finish: 25th
2008 Outlook: Sadler is a decent intermediate track racer, but he is statistically on a downward slope as far as average performances over the past few years. Nothing stops me from believing that he will continue to worsen in ’08.
#20 - Tony Stewart
Make: Toyota
Team: Joe Gibbs Racing
Owner: Joe Gibbs
Sponsor(s): Home Depot
Experience: 9 years
Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli
Best Track(s): Watkins Glenn, Richmond
Worst Track(s): California and Bristol
2007 Notable Performance(s): Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (1st), USG Sheetrock 400 (1st), Centurion Boats at The Glen (1st)
2007 Points Finish: 6th
2008 Outlook: Stewart will be a top contender again in ’08, but it will be interesting to see what effect driving in a Toyota will have on his performance.
#22 - David Blaney
Make: Toyota
Team: Bill Davis Racing
Owner: Bill Davis
Sponsor(s): Caterpillar
Experience: 10 years
Crew Chief: Tommy Baldwin Jr.
Best Track(s): Homestead, Loudon, Richmond
Worst Track(s): Sonoma
2007 Notable Performance(s): UAW-Ford 500 (3rd), Bank of America 500 (6th), 3M Performance 400 (6th)
2007 Points Finish: 31st
2008 Outlook: Blaney has continuously put up the same statistics year in and year out. What you see is what you get, and for fantasy purposes, you should look elsewhere.
#24 - Jeff Gordon
Make: Chevy
Team: Hendricks Motorsports
Owner: Rick Hendricks
Sponsor(s): DuPont
Experience: 16 years
Crew Chief: Steve Letarte
Best Track(s): Bristol and Martinsville among many others
Worst Track(s): Texas and Homestead
2007 Notable Performance(s): Subway Fresh Fit 500 (1st), Aaron's 499 (1st), Dodge Avenger 500 (1st), Pocono 500 (1st), UAW-Ford 500 (1st), Bank of America 500 (1st)
2007 Points Finish: 2nd
2008 Outlook: Gordon is one of, if not the best, drivers in NASCAR. There is no reason for him to not perform this way in ’08.
#26 - Jamie McMurray
Make: Ford
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Owner: Geoff Smith
Sponsor(s): Crown Royal Cask No. 16
Experience: 6 years
Crew Chief: Larry Carter
Best Track(s): Charlotte
Worst Track(s): Short Tracks
2007 Notable Performance(s): Pepsi 400 (1st), Samsung 500 (5th), Aaron's 499 (5th)
2007 Points Finish: 17th
2008 Outlook: McMurray will improve upon his ’07 numbers, but I think he is still a far way from his 2004 numbers.
#27 - Jacques Villeneuve
Make: Toyota
Team: Bill Davis Racing
Owner: Bill Davis
Sponsor(s): Bill Davis Racing
Experience: 1 year
Crew Chief: Slugger Labbe
Best Track(s): Talladega
Worst Track(s): Pheonix
2007 Notable Performance(s): UAW-Ford 500 (21st)
2007 Points Finish: 60th
2008 Outlook: Villeneueve appears to be the type of driver you would want to stay away from in the fantasy world.
#28 - Travis Kvapil
Make: Ford
Team: Yates Racing
Owner: Doug Yates
Sponsor(s): K&N Filters
Experience: 3 years
Crew Chief: Todd Parrott
Best Track(s): Superspeedways
Worst Track(s): Road Courses
2007 Notable Performance(s): N/A
2007 Points Finish: N/A
2008 Outlook: Kvapil may be useful as a C-level driver on Superspeedways. |
