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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPENCER: Eyes On 2010
I think the Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing camps currently are under the most pressure of any organization in NASCAR...
Jimmy Spencer  |  Posted November 10, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
Never mind that Jimmie Johnson had all but locked up the championship heading into last Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway before his team was forced to practically rebuild their car after a lap-three wreck.

A pressure-packed day for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team? Sure, but there are a couple of other squads under even more stress as they put the 2009 season behind them and set their sights on the year to come.

I think the Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing camps currently are under the most pressure of any organization in NASCAR, including Johnson’s group. Roush Fenway placed only two of five teams in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup this year after claiming more wins as a team in 2008 than any other Cup team. But in 2009, the team only has Matt Kenseth’s two season-opening victories and Jamie McMurray’s recent Talladega win. And let’s face it - although McMurray had a strong car and led laps, Talladega is a bit of a crapshoot. Roush Fenway just hasn’t posted the weekly top-five and top-10 performances they were knocking off last year.

Jack Roush and his staff have a tall order ahead of them with trying to turn around their lackluster program. While he’s focusing on improvement, Roush also needs to evaluate David Ragan and the No. 6 team – they almost made the Chase last year but were a huge disappointment this season, failing even to lead laps.

Roush always has been very skilled at pairing the right drivers and crew chiefs together to develop optimal chemistry and he’s not afraid to make changes when necessary. So, I don’t think these integral relationships are their problem. However, I do suspect the testing ban has hurt them more than any other team because their engineering staff hasn’t been able to collect enough vital data about these cars to override the absence of test dates they so desperately needed.

Richard Childress Racing finds itself in a similar, albeit worse, boat this year. After placing all three teams in the Chase last year and then adding a fourth this season, RCR absolutely fell off the radar in 2009 and hasn’t won a points race. Surprisingly, Casey Mears and the No. 07 team, the one possibly expected to shut down next season, has been the strongest link in that chain lately.

I can’t pinpoint exactly what the root of RCR’s struggles is and why the team has been so hot and cold this year, but I’m sure Kevin Harvick’s dissatisfaction with his team hasn’t helped matters. Harvick’s unhappiness with his situation, and his likely departure in 2011, has to be a distraction for the organization as a whole. RCR has performed quite inconsistently and failed to dominate at any point, but they are doing the right thing by getting a head start on wholesale crew chief and team changes now to better prepare for the off-season and new year. If there is any consolation in failing to make the Chase, it’s that they can begin these shake-ups a couple of months earlier than some other teams and figure out what is wrong with the company.

But I put part of the blame on NASCAR because this new car provides such a narrow opportunity to succeed, such a small window of adjustability, that if teams don’t find that sweet spot, they struggle mightily. I’d love to see NASCAR explore options to make the car more driver-friendly and more adjustable for the crew chiefs in an effort to make our sport stronger. Everyone has to work together to improve the competition and it starts at the top with NASCAR.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it as an analyst on NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. He retired from driving with two NASCAR Sprint Cup, 12 NASCAR Nationwide and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, putting him in an elite group of drivers who have logged wins in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Spencer amassed 28 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. He won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 1986 and 1987 on the heels of 15 victories, becoming the first driver ever to earn consecutive titles in the series. He earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his flamboyant and aggressive driving style early in his racing career.
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