2013 Team Power Rankings
By: Pete Pistone
Racingone.com
Talk is over and it’s time to get down to business for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
The offseason saw its share of team personnel and sponsor changes, as well some drivers moving to new rides. Last year's champs at Penske Racing made a manufacturer move from Dodge to Ford.
Toss in the development of the Gen-6 Sprint Cup Series car and the new campaign brings with it a hint of intrigue and mystery as teams try to figure out the new machine.
There are 16 organizations set to do battle for the full 2013 season, and here's how they shape up in our preseason MotorRacingNetwork.com Team Power Rankings:
Hendrick Motorsports
The perennial powerhouse put all four of its drivers in last year's Chase but still came up short of Rick Hendrick's 11th Sprint Cup title. The quartet is back intact with Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. the cream of the crop heading into the new season. Look for all four back in the Chase again this year and a familiar face on top of the standings when Johnson returns to championship form.
Michael Waltrip Racing
Last year's surprise story is back for another run to build on its impressive foundation laid in 2012. Series runner-up Clint Bowyer will have to overcome the next year jinx of finishing second in the standings but along with teammate Martin Truex Jr. will be back in the thick of the championship fight. The rotation of Mark Martin and Brian Vickers in the team’s third entry is also not too shabby.
Penske Racing
The defending series champions will have much different look in 2013. Joey Logano comes over to team with reigning Sprint Cup titlist Brad Keselowski. And Penske joins the Ford stable after taking Dodge to last year's title. There will be some challenges ahead in the organization's quest to repeat not in the least of which will be the change to Fusions. It’s difficult to repeat as champ in any sport and Sprint Cup Series racing is no different.
Joe Gibbs Racing
Roush Fenway's loss is JGR's gain as Matt Kenseth joins the Toyota organization in 2013. He'll take the wheel of the No. 20 Camry and join Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin in what on paper looks like one of the most potent lineups in the series. How fast Kenseth adjusts to his new surroundings will be important to the team's overall fortunes. Make no mistake JGR has a “Murderer’s Row” driver line-up but engine issues will need to be eliminated.
Roush Fenway Racing
There's also a different look at Roush Fenway Racing for the coming year. Gone is former champion and 2012 Daytona 500 winner Kenseth with back-to-back Nationwide Series champ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. sliding into the iconic No. 17 Ford. Carl Edwards looks to rebound from a dismal season and Greg Biffle hopes to extend what he did in last year's regular season into the Chase. So far in testing and Speedweeks the Ford group overall looks down in the power department so there will be some early catching up to do.
Stewart-Haas Racing
Tony Stewart wasn't able to follow his 2011 title-winning performance with another championship last season. Although he and new crew chief Steve Addington did win races, consistency was an issue for Stewart as well as teammate Ryan Newman. Daytona 500 pole sitter Danica Patrick joins the fold in her Rookie of the Year Sprint Cup Series run on what will certainly be a team that will generate a lot of attention. But how that translates on the track over the course of a 36-race season is very much a question.
Richard Childress Racing
Kevin Harvick will spend his last campaign at RCR before heading to join SHR in 2014. Team owner Richard Childress vowed to make some major changes to his underperforming race team, and Dr. Eric Warren was brought in as the new competition director. He'll have his work cut out for him to get Harvick, Jeff Burton and Paul Menard competitive once again. Harvick won’t phone in his last season at RCR before leaving for Stewart-Haas in 2014, but he’ll be at the mercy of the organization fielding competitive cars.
Richard Petty Motorsports
The Petty team made some strides last season with Marcos Ambrose bringing “the King” to Victory Lane at Watkins Glen. Drew Blickensderfer comes from RCR to crew chief for Ambrose with Aric Almirola returning to drive the No. 43 Ford. Having some stability after three rocky seasons will benefit the Petty organization.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing
It wasn't quite as bad as the year before, but 2012 was nothing to write home about for EGR. Team owner Chip Ganassi's frustration level will be off the charts if Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray aren't running better early this new season. Talk is cheap and now it’s time for the Ganassi squad to finally get back to being a competitive operation.
Furniture Row Racing
The single-car team headquartered in Denver inked Kurt Busch as its driver late last season. He replaced Regan Smith, who drove the No. 78 Chevy to a Darlington victory the year before. Busch ended the 2012 season with three straight top 10 finishes to give the organization optimism for this season, which will rely greatly on Busch finally keeping his emotions in check. So far the team has been hard on equipment with two wrecked cars in Daytona, not a good omen.
JTG Daugherty Racing
Another one-car effort comes off a disappointing year with driver Bobby Labonte, who returns in 2013. Team management would like to grow and add another entry to its stable but won't be able to until they get a better performance from the flagship No. 47 Toyota. Not a make or break year for JTG but definitely one that will shape the team’s future path.
Front Row Motorsports
David Ragan and David Gilliland are back for the Ford team that will also field an entry for Josh Wise on a limited basis. Still a David vs. Goliath story that would consider inside the first twenty in the Sprint Cup Series standings a success.
Germain Racing
Casey Mears returns to drive the No. 13 Ford Fusion for the former Camping World Truck Series organization. The team is still looking for sponsorship to run the entire season.
BK Racing
Travis Kvapil returns to team with David Reutimann, who slides into a full-time role to replace Landon Cassill. A year under its belt will be beneficial but the season will again be an uphill battle.
Tommy Baldwin Racing
Veteran Dave Blaney will make a full-time attempt for the former “Start and Park” team that hopes to add JJ Yeley as a full-time teammate.
Swan Racing
The former Inception Racing team returns for a full-time effort that will see David Stremme driving a car crew chiefed by Tony Eury Jr.