CUP: Head To Head – Which Of These Drivers Will Do Better?

Sprint Cup

CUP: Head To Head – Which Of These Drivers Will Do Better?

In a sport that pits 43 drivers competing against other, there are always odd scenarios that link some of them together...

Jeff Owens | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted February 04, 2012 Charlotte, NC

Denny Hamlin (Left) and Tony Stewart (Right) are former teammates. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

It’s always difficult to compare NASCAR drivers and their performances because there are so many variables to consider.

Team, crew chief, resources, teammates, sponsorship, etc.

But in a sport that pits 43 drivers competing against each other every single week, there are always odd scenarios that link some of them together.

Some are teammates. Some are rivals. Some drive for another driver’s former team. Some have a rival’s former crew chief. Some have had intense battles in the past.

Here’s a look at the some head-to-head match-ups that should be interesting to follow in 2012, and which drivers have the edge:

Tony Stewart vs. Denny Hamlin

Stewart won last year’s Sprint Cup championship while Hamlin nearly won it 2010.

The common theme is crew chief Darian Grubb, who led Stewart to the 2011 title and then was released by the team.

Grubb is now Hamlin’s crew chief and would like nothing more than to win a second straight title. And, deep down, there is probably no one he would rather beat than the driver/team owner who essentially fired him despite winning a championship together.

Stewart, a three-time champion, also used to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing, which would like to prove that it can win a championship without the driver, who left the organization to run his own team.

The edge: Last year, it was clearly Stewart, though not until the Chase began. He, too, has a new crew chief and must essentially start over instead of building on the momentum of last season. Hamlin likely will return to championship contention and benefit from the presence of Grubb, giving him the edge going into the season.

Kevin Harvick vs. Kyle Busch

This one is irresistible since the two hot-headed drivers are such heated rivals. The two can’t stand each other and have made no secret about it, getting into it on and off the track last season.

They also happen to be consistent winners and championship contenders. Whether they can behave and stay out of each other’s way will determine how far they go.

The edge: Harvick. Busch likely will win more races, but Harvick gets the edge in the Chase. He’s finished third in the standings the past two seasons while Busch always seems to fade in the Chase.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Kasey Kahne

These two aren’t rivals, they’re teammates. But it will be interesting to see which one has the best season at Hendrick Motorsports.

Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are the top dogs at Hendrick and both should be serious contenders for the championship. Kahne and Earnhardt Jr. will be hoping to challenge them and establish themselves in the Hendrick stable.

Before Kahne, who joins the organization this year, Earnhardt Jr. was the team’s last big free agent signing. That hasn’t gone quite as planned. He has made the Chase twice, but has won just one race in four seasons at Hendrick.

Will Kahne, who has 12 career victories, fare better?

There always seems to be one team at Hendrick that struggles. For two straight years, it was Earnhardt Jr.’s No. 88. Last year, it was the No. 5 team that Kahne takes over.

Which will it be this year?

The edge: Kahne. Though Earnhardt Jr. returned to the Chase last year, he hasn’t won a race since 2008 and still struggled at times last season.

Kahne won with Red Bull Racing last year and is considered one of the top talents in the sport. Look for him to have a monster year.

Jimmie Johnson vs. Jeff Gordon

Gordon says there’s a “good and friendly rivalry” between the four Hendrick drivers, but the one between he and Johnson has gotten intense and heated at times.

Gordon is a four-time champion and the third-winningest driver of all-time. But he hasn’t won a championship since 2001, and Johnson has won five of the last six.

That doesn’t sit well with Gordon, so it’s understandable if their rivalry sometimes goes a bit beyond friendly. Gordon desperately wants a fifth championship and there’s no one he would rather beat to get it than his own teammate, old “five-time.”

The edge: Johnson. Though Gordon appears poised to be a serious contender again, Johnson likely will bounce back to championship form, making life difficult for everyone.

Carl Edwards vs. Matt Kenseth vs. Greg Biffle

Roush Fenway Racing will once again field the cars of Matt Kenseth (17) and Carl Edwards (99) this season. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

The Roushkateers have no big rivals these days, but will be competing among themselves for race wins and possibly the championship.

Edwards nearly won the championship last year, finishing in a points tie with Stewart, but Kenseth won more races (three to one). Biffle had an off year and will be looking to bounce back.

All three are capable of winning races and contending for the championship, but there always seems to be one Roush driver who is a little ahead of the others. Which one will it be this year?

The edge: Edwards. It’s hard not to give the nod to the guy who had the best average finish in Chase history last year and nearly won the title. But Kenseth will be strong again and should continue to contend. Biffle should return to victory lane but has been plagued by inconsistency in recent years.

Kurt Busch vs. AJ Allmendinger

Busch was released by Penske Racing after a series of controversial incidents and emotional outbursts. With few options, he is now driving for Phoenix Racing, an underfunded, single-car team with Hendrick support.

Though he could surprise, Busch likely won’t have the type of success he is used to.

Allmendinger, meanwhile, gets the best opportunity of his career by replacing Busch at Penske Racing. He finished a career-best 15th in points at Richard Petty Motorsports last year but has yet to win a race.

The edge: Allmendinger. While Busch might win a couple of races, Allmendinger should be more consistent and contend for a spot in the Chase. Busch can’t expect to be that consistent with Phoenix Racing.

Clint Bowyer vs. Jeff Burton, RCR

Bowyer won five races and made the Chase three times at Richard Childress Racing. Will he be as successful at Michael Waltrip Racing?

Comparing him to Harvick probably isn’t fair since Harvick is a legitimate championship contender. But a good gauge might be Burton, who has made the Chase four times at RCR and is looking to bounce back this season.

The edge: Bowyer. He will be the lead driver at MWR and the organization will do everything it can to get him to victory lane and into the Chase. Burton could benefit from RCR’s reduction to three Cup teams and could bounce back, but he’s got a long way to go after last year’s struggles.

Juan Pablo Montoya vs. Marcos Ambrose

These two aren’t teammates, aren’t bitter rivals and really don’t have much of a NASCAR connection.

But they do have two things in common: They are NASCAR’s top foreign-born drivers, and they both excel on road courses.

They both have won their only Sprint Cup races on road courses and will be two of the heavy favorites on the winding circuits again.

The edge: Ambrose. While Montoya has the better record and a bigger and better funded team, Earnhardt Ganassi Racing really struggled last year and could get off to a slow start again this year after massive changes. Ambrose had his best season last year at RPM and is making steady progress.

Mark Martin vs. David Reutimann

Reutimann scored the only two victories so far for MWR, but was released after struggling last season.

His replacement is Martin, the 53-year-old veteran who will run just a partial schedule for the organization.

Reutimann landed a ride with Tommy Baldwin Racing and it looks like it will be a bit more lucrative than expected. Reutimann was expected to run only a partial schedule, but the team struck a deal with Stewart-Haas Racing in which Reutimann will split a ride with Danica Patrick, possibly giving him as many as 26 races.

While he won’t be driving SHR cars, the team will get some support from the multicar organization, which could help Reutimann’s chances.

The edge: Martin. Reutimann will still be driving for a small, underfunded team still trying to establish itself. Martin, who has 40 career victories, could win a race or two for MWR – even in a part-time role.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Owens

SceneDaily.com

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