Offseason capsules: Waltrip, B.Labonte, Kahne
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.
 | Michael Waltrip  | |
2005 Recap
While he had some impressive finishes in the first half of the season, the floor basically fell out from under Michael Waltrip in the second half of the year. First he lost crew chief Tony Eury Jr., who became Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew chief in early September, and then Waltrip decided to leave the team when team owner Teresa Earnhardt could not make a firm commitment on her plans for 2006 for either the No. 15 car or Waltrip.
2006 Outlook
What's next
Waltrip moves to Bill Davis Racing, where he'll have a new number (55 instead of 15) and will drive a new make of car (Dodge instead of Chevrolet). Waltrip may actually wind up driving better because he'll have less pressure on him than he had at DEI. Part of the lure that brought Waltrip to BDR is how he reportedly figures so highly in the organization's plans to help bring Toyota to Nextel Cup in 2007. Reports of Waltrip being Toyota's lead driver when the move occurs certainly would seem to explain why he was so anxious to join the BDR stable.
Best case scenario: Without the pressure juggernaut that was DEI, Waltrip can potentially drive with a more relaxed attitude. While wins and good finishes still are important, he won't be under the microscope anywhere near as much as he was at DEI. In a surprising move, primary sponsor NAPA followed Waltrip to BDR rather than staying with DEI, speaking volumes about how much faith the company has in Waltrip. If things fall into place, Waltrip potentially could have a career year. It might be a stretch to say he'll make the top 10 or even top 15, but a top-20 finish definitely is doable.
Likely scenario: BDR has nowhere near the kind of funding DEI has and can't buy the best engineers and crew members. Plus, it does not have factory support from Dodge. Those all could be hindrances to Waltrip. Making the top 25 is about the best he can expect, given the circumstances.
Beware: Waltrip has to let DEI go. He can't hold any grudges, particularly on the race track. This is a new chapter in his life; heck, it's practically a new book with an entirely different cast of characters. Waltrip will never win three Cup championships like older brother Darrell, but with maybe another five or six years of racing left, he certainly can make his career end on an upswing – if he can race within himself, avoid distractions and not try to overdo things.
 | Bobby Labonte | |
2005 Recap
Labonte suffered through his worst season ever in Nextel Cup racing. With little promise of better results on the horizon, the veteran Texas-born driver decided to opt out of his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of the season – even though he still had four years left on the deal – and now moves to a less pressure-packed environment at Petty Enterprises. How bad was 2005? A career high 10 DNFs, no wins for the second consecutive year and his fewest number of top-fives in a season since 1994.
2006 Outlook
What's next
While critics can't understand why Labonte would leave an organization that just won its third Cup title in the last six seasons, it actually may wind up making a lot of sense in the long run. Labonte will drive the legendary No. 43 Dodge made famous by Richard Petty. He'll also have significantly less pressure at Petty Enterprises, which should allow him to be smarter in how he approaches races. Too many times in 2005 it appeared Labonte forced issues at the wrong time, inevitably getting him into trouble.
Best case scenario: The importation of Labonte, new crew chief Todd Parrott and Robbie Loomis as the organization's director of operations has the potential to give Petty Enterprises a revitalizing shot in the arm, something it has needed since 1984 when Richard scored his last Cup win. If the technical know-how of both Parrott and Loomis can help the team find a way to do a lot with much less money than Labonte was used to at Joe Gibbs Racing, Labonte could pull a few surprises and potentially be a top-15 contender.
Likely scenario: This is Petty Enterprises, after all. The organization has gone through a phone book of drivers over the years and few made any significant achievements. Even with all the talent that Labonte, Parrott and Loomis bring to the table, if they don't have equally talented support staff both over the wall and back at the shop, Labonte could wind up being lucky if he finishes in the top 30.
Beware: You can either undersell or oversell Labonte's chances this year, depending on your perspective. How many times did members of Tony Stewart's team help Labonte out when he had those rare good races in 2005? He won't have that in 2006. He's given up a lot, and '06 could be the longest season ever in Labonte's career.
 | Kasey Kahne | |
2005 Recap
It was a melancholy year for Kahne. He was victimized by NASCAR's notorious sophomore jinx, falling from 13th in his rookie season to 23rd in '05. He failed miserably in his effort to qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup and managed just five top-five finishes after collecting 13 as a rookie. But there was at least one bright spot that finally knocked a huge monkey off his back: Kahne earned his first career Nextel Cup win at Richmond last April, leading 242 of the event's 400 laps en route to a dominant victory.
2006 Outlook
What's next
Increasing discord between Kahne and crew chief Tommy Baldwin led to Baldwin's eventual departure from the team, and Kenny Francis becomes Kahne's team director (Evernham Motorsports' new name for the crew chief position). In fact, Kahne's entire team from 2005 is gone, dispersed elsewhere within the company (primarily to the No. 10 Dodge of new teammate Scott Riggs) and replaced by Jeremy Mayfield's old team members. Because Francis was deeply involved in Mayfield's team, there should be minimal transition there. But only time will tell how quickly the new team members and Francis gel with Kahne.
Best case scenario: Kahne has an incredible amount of talent. He's learned countless lessons in his first two seasons in the Cup ranks and his junior year could very well be when he takes advantage of what he has learned. If Francis and Kahne can communicate better than Baldwin did with the young Washington state native, there's no reason not to expect Kahne to make the Chase for the Nextel Cup. While being a competitor for the championship still is probably at least another year or two away, Kahne could very easily finish as high as sixth or seventh at season's end if he makes the Chase.
Likely scenario: There's no question that Kahne will be better this season than he was last year. How far he improves is the true question. If he can win at least a couple of races, it would go a long way toward making for a successful and productive comeback from last season's debacle. Realistically, Kahne is a top-15 finisher, maybe even knocking on the door of the top 10.
Beware: Kahne still has a tendency to get into too many crashes, most of his own making. It's no wonder he's developed a new nickname: Krash Kahne. Francis will have to learn to rein in his young charge if the team is to make significant progress in 2006.
Kahne needs to pace himself better. Far too often he makes risky moves either too early or too late in a race. He needs to come in with a more structured game plan and not try to race solely by the seat of his pants. Francis should be helpful in that area. However, Kahne also had problems adhering to Baldwin's orders at times, particularly in the latter half of last season. Kahne has to understand that while he may be the driver who gets all the glory and notoriety, Francis still is the boss on the race track. And given how much more experience Francis has than Kahne, the young driver would do well to listen to his elder – as it could mean the difference between a good year and another mediocre campaign.
