Offseason capsules: Riggs, Schrader, Marlin
Yahoo! Sports is spending the offseason breaking down the Nextel Cup field as February's season-opening Daytona 500 approaches.
In the coming weeks we'll go through the standings and count down to No. 1: 2005 Nextel Cup champion Tony Stewart.
 | Scott Riggs  | |
2005 Recap
Riggs finished fourth at the season-opening Daytona 500, and his strong performance had everyone assuming that he was a lock for at least a top-15 finish. Most felt that Riggs, the 2002 Busch Series Rookie of the Year, had found a home with a Cup team that would allow him to show off his talents. Unfortunately, judging from his MB2 team's effort the rest of the season, it turned out that Riggs never unpacked. His runner-up finish at the Michigan race in August is more a footnote than a highlight to his dismal season.
2006 Outlook
What's next
When team sponsor Valvoline announced its intentions to move to Ray Evernham's organization in '06, it was expected that despite his less-than-stellar on-track performance in a Cup car, Riggs would be part of the deal. Although he wasn't Evernham's first choice, the oil company's marketing execs liked him. Riggs now finds himself the low man on the totem pole at Evernham.
Best case scenario: A change of scenery and manufacturer (from Chevy to Dodge) may be just what the doctor ordered for the North Carolina-born Riggs. He is a good qualifier and crew chief Chris Andrews is brilliant. This combination could work well.
Likely scenario: As the No. 3 man at Evernham, Riggs will have to battle against teammates Kasey Kahne and Jeremy Mayfield (who has made the Chase the past two years) for his share of the pie – although that may not be as difficult a job as it seems.
Beware: At 34, Riggs will need to settle in quickly and score top-20s regularly to lock in his Nextel Cup future, especially with so much young(er) talent available.
 | Ken Schrader | |
2005 Recap
As the Nextel Cup Series' only full-time driver who also is an AARP card holder, Ken Schrader is NASCAR's Energizer bunny. The Missouri-born Schrader is happiest when sitting behind the steering wheel of a race car, but the three-time ('88, '89, '90) Daytona 500 pole winner is in the twilight of his career. Last year was another ho-hum season, partly because of the team he was driving for (BAM Motorsports), but mostly because he's racing against younger and more talented drivers.
2006 Outlook
What's next
Even though he's competing against a field of talented young drivers – many of them half his age – Schrader can still get the job done. His move in '06 to the No. 21 car and the Wood Brothers' throwback to the '70s-style team is a perfect fit for both – and for Schrader's new team sponsor, Little Debbie snack cakes.
Best case scenario: Despite being a single-car team, the Wood Brothers roll out a very competitive race car. This could be one of the best seasons in a decade for the soon-to-retire Schrader.
Likely scenario: With the competition at the Nextel Cup level getting more and more intense, Schrader could have a career season in '06 without anybody noticing.
Beware: Schrader's known as a courteous and thoughtful driver. He rarely finds himself in a dangerous situation. But a serious wreck for a driver Schrader's age could spell an end to a career.
 | Sterling Marlin | |
2005 Recap
As with so many drivers, Marlin's season started off with high hopes. There were several top-10 finishes (Daytona, Martinsville and Texas) but things got ugly by May. At midseason there was already talk of Marlin being replaced at Chip Ganassi Racing before the end of the year. But car sponsor Coors wasn't looking to replace the veteran driver whom it was very fond of and Marlin stayed on, finding himself driving cars that were top-20 at best.
2006 Outlook
What's next
The 48-year-old Marlin gets a new team (MB2) and a new sponsor (Waste Management) for '06. When he's in a good car, Marlin can finish in the top 10 without breaking a sweat.
Best case scenario: MB2 needs to have a good season, as it desperately wants to be considered one of the big kids along with Roush and Hendrick. Marlin delivers a heavy dose of credibility and exceptional fan recognition to an organization that already has the U.S. Army as a sponsor and another veteran driver, Joe Nemechek, on its roster. The stage is set for Marlin to have at least a top-20 season.
Likely scenario: MB2's close relationship with Hendrick Motorsports, which supplies engines and other technical feedback, could prove to be the missing link to success for Marlin. He is a rock-steady performer in a restrictor plate car and could very well find himself back in the winner's circle one more time at one of those tracks.
Beware: There may be more to MB2's lack of success with Scott Riggs than just that driver's lack of experience in a Cup car. If this team has the talent to do well, Marlin will bring it out. If that talent isn't there and this team stumbles again, 2006 could end up being the final year of the Tennessee native's long NASCAR career.
