The year 2009 in the Sprint Cup series was certainly almost impossible to predict. The only thing we had to predict what would happen was the way the season was the 2008 season ended. That meant that Carl Edwards was the champion in waiting unless Jimmie Johnson had another superior performance. It was also a year in which Kyle Busch was supposed to be another contender.
At Daytona, Matt Kenseth, aided by a little rain won the 500 and then followed it up in California with another win. Roush-Fenway Racing was on a roll and it seemed the promise of 2008 was shining on the 2003 champion, but what was to happen later proved that was not to be.
The next three races were won by the Busch brothers with Kurt being in a Kyle sandwich. After that, it was pretty much Hendrick City. Jimmie won Martinsville and Jeff Gordon won Texas. Mark Martin won Phoenix. Then came Talladega, and Edwards heading for a win, but a Hendrick ringer, driven by Brad Keselowski, punted Edwards nearly into the stands and took the win. No remorse from Keselowski could be found, but it set the tone for the season.
Kyle Busch won Richmond and David Reutimann, aided by rain, won Charlotte, and pretty much after that, it became a Hendrick Charity event. Johnson, Tony Stewart (essentially a Hendrick satellite team), and Martin won the next three events.
Kasey Kahne was a surprise winner at Sonoma and Joey Logano, again aided by rain, was the same at New Hampshire. After that, Hendrick Motorsports reigned again. Stewart, Martin won the next three at Daytona, Chicago, and Indianapolis. Denny Hamlin won at Pocono and Stewart won at the Glen. Vickers surprised in winning at Michigan and Kyle Busch won at Bristol. Kahne won at Atlanta and Hamlin won in his home state of Virginia at Richmond. Vickers put on a monumental effort to make the Chase at Richmond. The Chase was a different story.
Hendrick or satellite teams won the next four races at Loudon, Dover, Kansas and Charlotte. Hamlin won Martinsville and Jamie McMurray won Roush-Fenway’s third race of the season at Talladega’s twice a year crash fest, but then it was money time.
In the Chase, Hendrick teams or Hendrick farm teams (Stewart-Haas and Keselowski’s effort at Talladega won six Chase races. In fact, they won half the races on the season. On the other hand, Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, and Red Bull Racing won 11 races, but only two in the Chase. The other two races were split between McMurray and Kurt Busch. Total domination by the Hendrick gang.
What is in store for 2010? Time will tell, but it seems that Hendrick has the upper hand with drivers like Johnson, Gordon, and Martin. Roush-Fenway Racing won only three in 2009 and Richard Childress Racing won none. Though Joe Gibbs Racing won in nearly double figures, it’s obvious where the domination is. Drivers of the stature of Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, and Kevin Harvick didn’t win this year. Is it the equipment? Obviously, yes. No need to wail and gnash teeth, these things tend to even out, but for my money, it’s Hendrick again in 2010. And for you Dodge and Ford fans, you might want to temper your enthusiasm. It appears a new pecking order has been established with Hendrick and Gibbs the major players. Of course, we thought Edwards and Busch were going to be the main players, along with Johnson, in 2009.
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