Racin' With Russ
By Russell Schmidt

2008 Sprint Cup Team Lineups (Part 3)
Friday, December 28, 2007

Here is Round 3 of a multi-part series to describe the 2008 Sprint Cup team lineups for next season. There are lots of wholesale changes between drivers, sponsors and car makes, so take notes and enjoy some of my predictions:

No. 17
Matt Kenseth returns behind the wheel of this Roush-Fenway Ford Fusion with most parts and personnel in place with one big exception. His long-time crew chief Robbie Reiser has been named General Manager of Team Operations and will no longer call the shots atop the pitbox. Chip Bolin takes over and time will tell if they can continue with the kind of impressive results exhibited over the final weeks of 2007.

No. 18
Kyle Busch will slide in behind the wheel of this M & M's Toyota for Gibbs Racing with much anticipation to land that first win for the Japanese manufacturer. Interstate Batteries will be the primary sponsor for six shows with the candy maker backing the remainder of the season. I look for this team to be among the top ten by season's end….IF they can come out of the box fairly quick.

No. 19
Virginia driver Elliott Sadler returns to action in the Gillett Evernham Dodge ride, yet with a totally new paint scheme showcasing Best Buys as bill payer for 15 shows. The remaining backing has yet to be determined. Elliott remained among the top 35 last year with some signs of brilliance, but needs to step up their level of performance to be among the Chasers.

No. 20
Even though the team won races and made the Chase, their overall performance came up short to win a third title.
Driver Tony Stewart returns to a new item under the hood…Toyota. I predict the Japanese maker will wind up in victory lane for the first time in '08 with a Gibbs driver behind the wheel. Stewart needs to stop running into other cars and pointing the blame at the other guy. DNF's don't win titles. Home Depot remains the primary sponsor with a rather plain orange paint scheme.

No. 21
The Wood Brothers Ford will have several drivers behind the wheel of the Little Debbie racer, including veteran Bill Elliott, Aussie Marcos Ambrose and a few others yet to be named. The snack cake backer has signed on for 18 races while the team looks for additional funding. Making the shows is the major mission here until landing among the top 35.

No. 22
Dave Blaney is set to wheel this CAT Toyota, showing strong moves in the late stages of 2007. The veteran racer can usually get in the show, is a good spokesperson and is easy on equipment. A top 20 in points is realistic especially if Tommy Baldwin Jr. is in charge.

No. 24
Jeff Gordon returns behind the wheel of the Dupont Chevy for the 16th year. The four-time champion has it all in place and despite averaging 5.1 finishes in the Chase, he came up oh so close to a fifth title behind 'bud' Jimmie Johnson. The 48 team has to be his main target for 2008 in order to land that next title.

No. 26
Larry Carter returns as crew chief for this Jamie McMurray Roush Fenway Ford. The multi-sponsored racer is headed up by Crown Royal, Irwin Tools and so on. Once again, even a top shelf team needs multi-sponsor deals to pay the bills. It used to run $10 million to operate a Cup team. Now budgets are exceeding $20 million to fund a top team. That's usually, eight mil from this backer, four mil from another and so on….until you come to the $15 to $25 million rumored to back the 'big timers'.

No. 28
This famous Yates Ford number returns with Travis Kvapil as their new driver. More details such as color scheme and major sponsor have yet to be determined. Kvapil deserves this second shot at the 'bigs' with good performances in the trucks. Making all the shows and a top 25 in points would not be unrealistic.

No. 29
Kevin Harvick struggled in the Chase to be among the top ten let alone a top three possibility. The bright yellow Shell is back on the quarters with all of the other Childress Race Team ingredients in place. All three Childress Chevy's made the Chase, yet sophomore Clint Bowyer topped his teammates.

From Rumorville

Kasey Kahne will face charges of misdemeanor battery against a 62-year-old security guard at the last race at Homestead, Florida. Seems the guard wouldn't allow Kahne access to his motor home while in full driver garb without credentials. The guard was presumably pushed aside and fell. The Dodge driver will appear in court on Jan. 8, 2008. The guard is looking for a $15,000 settlement for pain and suffering and medical bills. I can't wait to hear the rest of this nonsense.

Did you know?

What is the winningest car number among the NASCAR Cup ranks? If you guessed the famed Richard Petty No. 43, you'd be correct. For some 198 trips to the winner's circle, a No. 43 car took the top spot. Second on the charts (180) is the No. 11 with drivers such as Ned Jarrett, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip behind the wheel.

That's it for this week. Next week's RWR will continue with Part 4 of the 2008 Cup lineup and more racing news from around the globe.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Questions? Comments? Contact Russ