Saturday, August 19, 2006

Again, Mich Again

Just a few more observations before Sunday's race:
Elliott Sadler looks good in red--It's going to be hard getting used to Sadler in the #19 car, for the fans, not for the driver or the team. Sadler is a championship level driver, and early indications show that all he needed was good equipment. He qualified second for the race in a car that had had lackluster performence while being driven by Jeremy Mayfield. Although qualifying doesn't show how the car will do in a race, the fresh start for the team does a lot to improve attitude. Mayfield isn't a bad driver--and he will be in a car sooner than later--but he seemed to be stagnating with Everham, and perhaps he, too needs a fresh start.
The new Candyman. Don't expect immediate results from David Gilliland in the #38 car. He has proven that he can race with the big boys, but he does not have the experience in the heavier, more powerful Cup cars to produce immediate results. Gilliland is an investment in the future for Robert Yates Racing, and arguably a wise investment. The team needs to rebuild, and rebuilding from the ground up with all new assets may be all the team needs.

2 comments:

Cassandra said...

Yep, I expect it will take Gilliland a bit to get settled in. We'll see what kind of patience they have with him.
Esad did look very good!

RevJim said...

Not everyone can be a Denny Hamlin, but the guy is talented.