Sunday, January 29th 'What If' Question

Think of it this way, since the season finale in Homestead the last few months could have been spent talking about Carl Edwards being the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

There would have been talk about him entering 2012 defending a title he captured after winning one race. How he brought team owner Jack Roush his third title in nine years after Roush had to wait 15 years for the first one courtesy of Matt Kenseth in 2003. Or maybe there would have been the columns about Edwards and Nationwide Series teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. giving RFR two titles in one year.

That could have happened but it didn't. Instead the talk as been primarily about Tony Stewart, who did win the championship and did so in history making fashion. Stewart was just one piece of a bigger puzzle that seemed to do Edwards in. It started by Stewart making the Chase, after running poorly through the summer months but not as poor as those trying to knock him out of the Chase.

Here are a few other pieces: Edwards would have been the champion if Stewart's gasman hadn't gotten enough fuel in the car at Chicagoland and New Hampshire, leaving him to run out and win the first two races of the Chase, earning those points. He would have been champion had Stewart not been able to pass Chevrolet teammate Jeff Burton at Phoenix, the second to last race of the year, to earn a few more points. He would have been champion had the rain in Homestead been nice enough to stick around for a while and made NASCAR call the race early.

And of course, he would have been champion had he been able to run down Stewart in the final laps at Homestead and beat him. But alas Edwards didn't and he entered the offseason looking to put a great season with a disappointing ending behind him. In 2012 he'll be again be a favorite for the title and has already started preparing to ensure he doesn't come up on the wrong end of a points tie again.

Earlier this month Edwards announced that he does not plan on running in the Nationwide Series unlike he's done ever since his NASCAR career started. Even when he moved to Cup he still kept a full NNS schedule on his docket, even winning the driver's championship in 2007 and bringing home the owner's title for RFR last season.

The decision perhaps has to do with both the fact that starting in 2011 Edwards and any Cup driver are ineligible for the NNS title and the fact that he badly wants a Cup title on his resume. With the announcement Edwards says that he hopes that not running in the NNS will help him focus more on his Cup efforts either through not having to lose practice time or spending more time with the team discussing the car, although he has learned things while racing on Saturday that helped him on Sunday.

And Edwards has also said that while right not he's not committed to running any races that doesn't mean he won't. Should he start getting an itch or have a hard time sitting still on Saturday's he says there's a possibility they would discuss letting him race.

But ...

What if Carl Edwards had won the Sprint Cup championship last season, would he still be opting to not race Nationwide this year?

@Matt_Kacar wouldnt of mattered either way. If they had nationwide sponsorship for him he would be running that series in 2012

@mbauerherzog Yes, because he'd have a taste of the championship and would want another one.

@Fishnwhistle He has nothing to prove in NNS, and everything in Cup.

@rcracer20 the way things went at the end,every driver should concentrate on primary ride,could be gone tomorrow #sponsorship$

@cruetten no. After achieving his main goal of winning a championship, he would be able to cut loose a little and have some fun in NNS!

@tvsmike Yes--he even said last season he wouldn't have run the entire 2011 NW season had he not already committed to it…after the "pick only one series" change.

@StrokerAce90 Carl had the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in the bag and lost it to Smoke worse than Denny Hamlin did to Jimmie Johnson in 2010, so i'd say yes, Carl's opting outta NNS because he feels he needs to be more focused on Cup.

Saturday, January 21st 'What If' Question

Every season a star is born in NASCAR.

From Dale Earnhardt Jr. to Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards to Denny Hamlin, or even Jamie McMurray to Brad Keselowski. One driver grabs the eye of the garage every season and in 2011 it was 20-year-old Trevor Bayne. He wasn't looking for much coming into the season, just more seat time in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing, who was sticking with the youngster and hoping to turn him into their new winner.

When it was announced that Bayne would then attempt to make the Daytona 500 with the Wood Brothers in the famous No. 21 it didn't raise that many eyebrows. It wasn't all that newsworthy but it soon became so when Bayne won the 500 in his first attempt, second career Sprint Cup Series start and a day after his birthday.

He was no longer just another young gun looking for any little headline he would get in the NNS. Now he was a celebrity, a winner, a champion in NASCAR's biggest race. Everyone knew his name and face, it was plastered all over the country and he was on many different TV shows. Even more importantly Bayne didn't have to worry about not having a girlfriend anymore, they were lining up at the track.

After his 500 win though the glass slipper quickly broke. Bayne struggled in the Cup races that he was entered in, seemingly hitting the wall week after week, looking every bit the rookie that he was. His 500 win was his only top 10 of the season, he finished no better than 15th in his 16 other races.

In the NNS for RFR it was only slightly better as Bayne grabbed a few top 10s before being sidelined with an illness for a few weeks. It kept him out of both cars and his learning process was halted. When he finally returned he went on to win his first NNS race at Texas in the second to last race of the year. Yet Bayne was overshadowed last season by another youngster, his own teammate in Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The two were supposed to rise through the ranks together and put RFR in the winners circle every week. Good friends and fierce competitors it was often Stenhouse getting the best of Bayne in many head-to-head matchups, on and off the track. Whereas Stenhouse went on to win two races and the championship with 26 top 10s and 16 top fives, Bayne with his one win managed 14 top 10s and five top fives in the 29 of 34 races that he competed in.

Through the many up and downs the Wood Brothers and Roush stayed loyal to Bayne. Others filled in for him in the NNS but the Wood Brothers would not run the 21 in the Cup Series without Bayne behind the wheel. Wanting to show that it was his car, they were thankful to the kid who had brought them back to victory lane in the NSCS for the first time since 2001. And the first time in the Daytona 500 since 1976.

In 2012 Bayne will again run for the Wood Brothers in select Cup races. His NNS plans remain up in the air with Roush saying he could run races only if sponsorship is found. It's the same thing that hurts his teammate and champion Stenhouse. He plans on running a full schedule but he too, doesn't have sponsorship set in stone.

But ...

What if Trevor Bayne hadn't won Daytona, getting much attention, would he have kept the 21 or could Ricky Stenhouse be its driver? #NASCAR

@MattEmbury They'd of kept Bayne I'm sure, Stenhouse wasn't ready at that point.

@pablao21 if Bayne hadn't won I don't think either would be in the 21 now.

@StrokerAce90 if Trevor didn't win the Daytona I don't think he'd be back in the 21.

Wednesday, October 26th 'What If' Question

A popular opinion in the NASCAR world currently is that the new style of drafting at Daytona and Talladega does more harm than good. In both racing and entertainment and now added to the list is competitiveness.

This past weekend at Talladega rumors circulated that there had been team orders in the garage that Ford drivers were only supposed to work with other Ford drivers on raceday. Roush Fenway drivers Greg BIffle and Carl Edwards teamed together while Matt Kenseth and David Ragan did as well. Even Chevy drivers and teammates like Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton stayed committed to each other all day.

Things were going smoothly and according to plan until the final two laps. Chevrolet driver Jeff Gordon was left without a partner and Ford driver Trevor Bayne said he would work with him. On the restart however, Bayne bailed on Gordon and went to work with Kenseth who also needed a partner. In another twist, Tony Stewart said that Paul Menard was told to dump him so that teammates Burton and Bowyer could go on to win the race.

Fans and drivers have been unhappy about the race all week. Team orders have no place in NASCAR they say. The problem though is not that there were drivers dumping each other at the race, the problem is that it was being categorized as team orders. See, drivers have always hung each other out to dry in plate racing. It's common knowledge that over the final few laps it is every man for himself and you go where you will be fastest and with whom you believe will give you the best shot to get to the front.

Except when fans and drivers heard that there were "team orders" of who could work with who, suddenly it became a sin to be dumped by your partner. Now going forward drivers are going to remember that day in Talladega and as long as the new stye of drafting is around, someone is going to be left without a friend.

But ...

What if there was no public knowledge of 'team orders' @ 'Dega, would fans really care as much about drivers being dumped @ the end? #NASCAR

@philenespanol I think if it hadn't been said on friday that people heard ford drivers were told to work together, no one would have found it suspicious when Bayne went with Kenseth. People get dumped all the time at superspeedways, but it's what surrounds the whole thing with sort of a black cloud.

@JoJo_6040 No. Before the tango, drivers were always movin n dumpin and prob with little orders. Let the drivers drive!

@NancyatStudioN Nope! The team orders are what makes it cheating. We might be mad at a driver for dumping our driver, but we would think they did it as "every man for himself" and we'd get over it. I agree with @TerryBlountESPN who said it has become a Jersey Shore episode on wheels.

Jose L Acero (via Facebook) Fans do not react the way we did if we have no knowledge of team orders BUT we would have had a said to the issue!

Tuesday, August 9th 'What If' Question

David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, that's the current lineup for Roush Fenway Racing. At least for the next few years.

Right now those four drivers are under the watchful eye of Jack Roush, or the Cat in the Hat as he's known. Edwards, who is currently leading the Sprint Cup Series points, is often said to be the face of the organization with Kenseth being the veteran and champion. Three of the four drivers have won races this year and all four still have a shot at making the Chase one way or another.

While Roush is still working on sponsorships for some of the teams, things are set at the Cup level with those drivers in place. On the Nationwide Series side there are two other drivers waiting in the wings, Trevor Bayne and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Bayne might for all intents and purposes be set with the Wood Brothers should he ever decide to come to Cup full-time. He won the season opening Daytona 500 with the team but he races for Roush in the NNS where he has yet to win.

Stenhouse Jr. on the other hand is having a dream season, at least so far. He's won two races and is leading the points. Coming off a year where he was taken out of the car but then came back to win Rookie of the Year, Stenhouse is making the most of every opportunity that's sent his way. This week both Bayne and Stenhouse said they are set for 2012 by most likely staying where they are.

Except, it's never too soon to start thinking about the future. Not just for Bayne and Stenhouse Jr. but for the entire RFR organization. Yes, with the four still signed for years to come it's always fun to wonder what RFR will one day become. Stenhouse and Bayne could very much move up with the company and become Cup stars or they could move to other teams and curve their own path that way.

After winning his first career race earlier this year in Daytona, the driver of the No. 6, David Ragan, is still trying to show people that he belongs in the Cup Series. When Biffle, Edwards and Kenseth move on he could become the face and future of the organization. Will he be teammates with young drivers who make their way into the series or with whoever becomes the biggest free agents in years to come?

But ...

What if Roush Fenway's lineup one day was Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Trevor Bayne, David Ragan & Ross Kenseth, top performer/driver is? #NASCAR

@HendrickGuy Ricky Stenhouse Jr. probably.

@JJohnson51Fan David ragan. He has the most expierance and would be a veteran by then

@mikegieseler Stenhouse Jr or Trevor Bayne....they're both hot new talent and getting better...edge to Stenhouse

Tim Kaufman (via Facebook) Big $$ @ Ross Kenseth! :)

Andy Marquis (via Facebook) Stenhouse.

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Hmmm, I'd say I'd give the advantage to Bayne as far as top performer. If you think about it, his toughness to come back from illness after having the biggest win of his life, coupled with Roush's constant commitment, he'd be hard not to bet against.

Andy Marquis (replying) Toughness doesn't win races. Talent does. Stenhouse has had less time in Nationwide than Bayne and has won more races. Bayne has one NASCAR win in a race that pretty much anyone in the field can win.

Tim Kaufman (replying) Bayne's pretty smart, though. He's earned the respect of Bobby Labonte, Jeff Gordon and other stars, while Stenhouse is already rattling cages w/ his teammate, Carl Edwards. I think we all know Sunday is the "BIG SHOW" and if ur not good @ give/take, you'll get taken alot more (See: Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, numerous others).

Andy Marquis (replying) I've seen lots of drivers come and go who have "earned the respect" of veteran drivers early on in their career... very rarely have those guys put up wins or championships. Drivers giving and taking and not racing hard is the reason the racing in the Sprint Cup Series generally sucks just about every race. I seem to remember veteran drivers not liking Gordon, Stewart, Kurt Busch and even Jimmie Johnson in their early careers. Those guys all have championships. How many YEARS did it take David Ragan, David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Casey Mears, Paul Menard, Jamie McMurray (excluding Charlotte 2002) and Regan Smith to win races? And how many wins to those guys have a piece?

Tim Kaufman (replying) Jamie had his first win in his 2nd start @ Charlotte, subbing for the injured Sterling Marlin.

Andy Marquis ‎(replying) "excluding Charlotte 2002". How many years did it take for him to get a win after Charlotte? Answer: Five years.

Tim Kaufman (replying) Only time will tell..

Wednesday, July 27th 'What If' Question

The NFL isn't the only place where free agent frenzy is taking place.

NASCAR has their own big names on the line this season including who has had all the buzz around him, Carl Edwards. The Roush-Fenway driver, who is currently leading the Sprint Cup Series points, has always been a championship contender and race winner. Whether he stays at RFR or moves to a new organization it'll be a benefit to all.

Edwards has won 19 career NSCS races as well as the Sprint All-Star race. While has yet to win a Cup championship, closest being second in 2008, he has won a Nationwide Series championship and 34 career wins. He's great with the fans and the sponsors and has plenty of bring to a company regardless of how he may be viewed on the track.

The question just becomes where is he going to land if he does indeed do what some are saying is the unthinkable and leave RFR. The biggest rumor for most of this season has been Edwards joining Joe Gibbs Racing. That would set up a few different scenarios, the first being the replacement of Joey Logano. The Home Depot driver hasn't been horrible but the team could be better and some are already putting Edwards in the 20 car.

Another possible scenario should Edwards join the already strong JGR team with Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, would be the addition of a fourth car. JGR has never ruled out the possibility, in fact they ran a fourth car in select races a few seasons ago. If JGR really wants to add Edwards to the fold it wouldn't be surprising if they just expanded the organization.

That's the possibilities should Edwards leave Roush, which as mentioned seem a little far off. The Missouri driver has been with the Cat in the Hat since he debuted in the sport, running Trucks, Nationwide and Cup cars for him. It's the only home he's ever known and it's been a great home for him, one that provides a good opportunity to win a championship. Not many would leave that situation.

But ...

What if Carl Edwards does leave Roush-Fenway, who should they be looking at as a replacement? Or should they bring up @StenhouseJr? #NASCAR

@jasonskow no brainer @Tbayne21

@NancyatStudioN I can't believe Ford will allow Carl 2 leave Roush. They'd B left with no *star* driving a Ford. Can U say "BIG BUCKS"?

@StrokerAce90 They should hire @JenJoCobb if Carl leaves.

@AllHorsepower I don't know if you could find a replacement. If anything, I'd possibly like to see Bayne get the ride. If Roush does in fact lose Edwards, it is going to hurt in many aspects. Right now, he is the face of that organization, and is the guy for RFR in the points. Personally, I don't think Stenhouse is ready for a Cup ride, not yet at least. I'd love to see Bayne get the ride though, it'd be a great reward for the Daytona 500 champion.

@Lady31RCR I think they would bring up @Tbayne21 and @StenhouseJr for a split ride..Part time for both, both stay full time nationwide.

Michael Hirschbein (via Facebook) Well with what Fenway paid to acquire Liverpool FC and then pay Lebron...Its no wonder why they can't afford a guy who does backflips with precision..

Tuesday, July 19th 'What If' Question

Raise your hand if this time last year you thought Ricky Stenhouse Jr. would ever win a race and compete for the Nationwide Series championship?

What a difference a year makes. After struggling early in 2010 in his No. 6 Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing with wrecks, not qualifying and not making any progress, Stenhouse Jr. was benched by team owner Jack Roush. He watched while others drove his car and he did his best to learn from the sidelines.

For Stenhouse Jr., learning by not driving paid off. When he came back a transformation was apparent, it seemed a different person was behind the wheel. Stenhouse Jr. started knocking down top 10 and top five finishes, including a third at Daytona in July. Soon he was climbing through the point standings and competing for Rookie of the Year honors.

At the conclusion of 2010 it was clear that Stenhouse Jr. did indeed have the talent and deserved to be behind the wheel of the No. 6. He finished 16th in points and won ROY and suddenly became a driver to watch. Now a year later he's a driver that continues to impress and gain supporters.

Stenhouse Jr. won his first career race at Iowa early this year and has been in contention for many other wins. After finishing second to his teammate Carl Edwards in Michigan, Stenhouse Jr. was told by his spotter "a year ago people wouldn't even put you in the same sentence as Carl Edwards. Now you're racing him for wins."

Something that many never would have thought of, maybe even Stenhouse Jr. the way things were going last year. In may he made his first Sprint Cup Series starting while filling in for the ill Trevor Bayne in the Wood Brothers No. 21. Stenhouse Jr. finished 11th in that debut in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte.

Back on the Nationwide side he sits third in points, after having lead for a few weeks, and looks toward not only winning more races but contending for the championship down the stretch.

But ...

What If Ricky @StenhouseJr wasn't taken out of the car last year then brought back, does he still make the turnaround he has? #NASCAR

@MattEmbury That stunted his growth a tiny bit, but not enough to make too great a difference. #NASCAR

@cruetten i don't think so. he saw what will happen if he doesn't perform, and i really think that his "timeout" just added to his desire to run well

@ladybug388 yes and the turnaround may have sooner because its welcome due to more experience though u could argue the other way also and say he wouldn't had b/c being out of ride made him appreciate it more

@JoJo_6040 No. Nice wake up call. I think it was good for the kid to realize the opportunity he's bn given. He has the talent

@HarpAmyStabler I think probably not. It helped him to get really focused on his ride. Just my thoughts.

Thursday, March 31st 'What If' Question

Nothing makes for better storylines in NASCAR then when it becomes time for drivers and owners to sit down and decide on a new contract.

The last few years it's become quite apparent that big name drivers are no longer off the market and will stay with their big name teams or the organization who may have brought them into the sport. It doesn't seem possible to imagine Dale Earnhardt in anything other than a black No. 3 for Richard Childress or Jeff Gordon leaving Hendrick Motorsports.

Yet, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. following the 2007 season it seemed to open the floodgates. He left DEI and then Tony Stewart left Joe Gibbs Racing, a company that he started his career with and had won two championships for. Mark Martin is no longer racing for Jack Roush in the No. 6.

As a new season has begun it means that it's never too early to talk about silly season and who could be where next year. Some big name drivers are again nearing the end of their contracts and a driver that is on the forefront of everyone's mind is Carl Edwards.

Edwards, a Roush-Feway driver in the Sprint Cup Series since 2005, has said he's not focusing on contract talks until a later time. Teammate Greg Biffle recently said he's 'close' to resigning with the organization meaning all the attention will once again be on Edwards. He's one of their most successful drivers in recent years and has been off to a hot start in 2011 and is the current point leader.

He's won a Nationwide Series championship and 29 races with RFR. He's won 19 races in the Cup Series and has a career best finish of second in points in 2008 after he gave Jimmie Johnson a run for his money in the Chase. It would be quite surprising to see Edwards leave the company, however, as previously seen anything can happen.

Biffle though, said it would be a shock if he did in fact not resign with RFR.

But ...

What if for some crazy reason Carl Edwards does not resign with Roush-Fenway Racing, where do you think he will end up? #NASCAR

@Talon64: Red Bull Racing's his only option. Wouldn't fit in at JGR in a4th car, no room at HMS or RCR. Kahne's looked good in #4.

@Matt_Kacar: Joe gibbs racing. Only place he could go and be a championship contender

@racecrazy: J G R

@smokinace88: Wouldnt it be funny if he become team mates with Brad haha

@Emily_488: I hope he ends up back in Missouri or wherever he's from.

@chuckallen2: I'd like to see MWR get a top tier driver to go with the cars. The guys they have are good, but not elite. That's my pick.

@cruetten: Red Bull. Edwards seems to fit the adventurous mold of Red Bull. If not Red Bull, I can see a third team added at SHR for him

@mlarson03: MWR.

@alex141811: I say Penske only because that's who I've heard has been pursuing him seriously.

@ladybug388: Not much out there

@BuckyButler: depends. Is he bringing a sponsor with him? Don't be so short sighted. SHR would love a 3rd team. But they need a sponsor.

@weizdawg: ya think maybe gibbs if there looking for a 4th driver maybe?

@bfellin: id say Red Bull. with Kasey leaving, I think RBR would try and keep two "name" drivers in the stable.

Rich Bohr (via Facebook) Maybe Trevor Bayne will move to either the 6 or 99 car and Carl Edwards will stay with Ford and drive the 21 car. Who knows? Maybe he will drive a 3rd Stewart-Haas Racing Chevy in 2012? Maybe he will bring Aflac and some other sponsers over from Roush Fenway.

Stroker Ace (via Facebook) I think Cousin Carl will end up teaming with fellow Ford driver Jen Jo Cobb. Reason bein... before re-signing with Roush-Fenway Racing Carl does a family tree search on facebook & learns not only is Jen a fellow Ford driver, but she is also his NASCAR cousin!