By Staff
Jeff Findley
Franklin County Times
The guy that very well could have the biggest impact on the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is not a driver, a crew chief, or even a car owner.
In fact, there is a pretty good chance that you have never heard of this guy. Mark Cronquist is from that hotbed of racing Anchorage, Alaska, and happens to be the head engine builder for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Joe Gibbs Racing is in its first year of fielding Toyotas after moving from General Motors after many years. Cronquist is one of the big reasons why Toyota targeted JGR to expand its presence in NASCAR.
Now don't misunderstand, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch were the absolute targets of the Toyota brain trust, but Cronquist was the cherry on top. He is considered one of the top engine builders around.
And, so far in this young season, the proof is on the track. Toyota visited Victory Lane for the first time in cup racing last Thursday when Denny Hamlin won the second duel race at Daytona, edging teammate Tony Stewart. Another Toyota driver, Michael Waltrip, will start the Daytona 500 on the outside pole after suffering through a horrible 2007 season and the huge fine and points penalty at Daytona last year.
Toyota's philosophy and plan is to let the information flow among their teams. So what Cronquist learns, gets shared with Team Red Bull, Michael Waltrip Racing and Bill Davis Racing. Toyota is light years ahead of where they were last season and thinks this will be evident throughout the season. Again, it doesn't hurt having Stewart, Hamlin, and Busch, but the "guys in the shop" are giving those guys a pretty stout power train and it will trickle down to all the Toyota teams.
The starting field is set for the Daytona 500 and for the first time since 1962 does not include a Wood Brothers entry. That is an eye-opening fact. Bill Elliott didn't finish high enough in the second qualifying race Thursday to earn a starting spot in the race. Elliott's past champion's designation was no help as Kurt Busch used the provisional.
You might wonder why Kurt Busch used a provisional to get into the race. He made the Chase last season and was very much in the top 35 in the final standings. Well, Penske teammate Sam Hornish in the new No. 77 car has Busch's owners points from last season and, technically, Busch enters the season as a new team. Busch blew an engine in the first qualifying race, finished last, and then, as the most recent champion, had to use the provisional. As a result, Elliott and the Wood Brothers missed the race.
Kudos to Kenny Wallace, Joe Nemechek, John Andretti and Dale Jarrett for putting it on the line and qualifying for the race. None of these guys carried a guaranteed spot going into the qualifying process. Joining Elliott on the sidelines are such notables as Ken Schrader, Sterling Marlin, Boris Said, and Jacques Villeneuve.
If the duel qualifying races are any indication, we are in for a good show Sunday afternoon. The Chevys will be tough, but my pick to win the race is Tony Stewart.
Jeff Findley is a guest columnist for the Franklin County Times. Findley is the publisher of the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald.