IS ROUSH ACTING RASH?
The automotive juggernaut that is Roush Racing has just gone to the shop for a little bit of tinkering.
Team owner Jack Roush announced last Thursday that Bob Osborne, who started off the year as the crew chief for Carl Edwards and his No. 99 Ford Fusion, has been transferred to Jamie McMurray?s No. 26 Ford. Lead engineer Wally Brown is taking over the reins for Edwards. It?s a bold move for Roush, one that some NASCAR observers say is borne out of desperation.
Roush Racing had a banner year in 2005, putting all five of its drivers in the Chase for the Championship. That?s a tough standard to measure up to. However, 2006 has gotten off to a slow start for Edwards by anyone?s standards. He?s 22nd in the driver?s standings after seven races; McMurray is in 21st place, while teammate Greg Biffle is 23rd. They?re staring up at Roush?s Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin, in more familiar territory near the top of the ladder in second and third, respectively.
McMurray is the new kid on the block for Roush Racing. The 2003 Rookie of the Year came over from Chip Ganassi Racing last November to take Kurt Busch?s spot on the roster. He finished in 12th place last year; Edwards, also a young up-and-comer, took third place in his first full Nextel Cup campaign. So it?s understandable if there is a sense of unease coming out of the Edwards camp now that their crew chief has been taken away from them.
Edwards told reporters last week that the move was ?frustrating,? but emphasized that it was made for McMurray?s benefit and not to correct any problems with his own situation. ?It has to do with getting Jamie going,? Edwards said. ?That's all this is. That?s something I want to make real clear because Bob is doing an unbelievable job. ... This is a compliment to Bob, if anything.? If that?s the case, what does it say about the pecking order at Roush that Edwards? successful pairing with Osborne is being sacrificed this early in the season in order to help McMurray?
There are no easy answers to be gleaned from this decision. The move may even prove to be temporary; according to Edwards, Osborne will continue to work with his team to ease Brown?s transition from engineer to crew chief. He also says Roush will revisit the transfer three months from now. One thing?s for certain: Roush is making a high-risk investment in McMurray?s future.
The slow starts by Edwards and Biffle can be attributed to bad luck. They have each been knocked out in two races; McMurray crashed late in the season-opening Dayton 500, but otherwise has made it through unscathed. His two Top-10 results (plus two more at the non-points Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel 2) point toward his potential. On the other side of the coin, McMurray has finished in 35th place or worse in three races. That leaves the Missouri native seven spots lower in the standings than he was at this time last year in the presumably inferior No. 42 Target Dodge. Casey Mears is currently in 10th place overall using McMurray?s old ride.
The intrigue surrounding Roush Racing adds a little extra spice to Saturday?s Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kurt Busch won the inaugural version of this race for Roush last year in the very same car McMurray is driving ? only then, it had the No. 97 painted on the side. Busch has since moved on to Penske, where he has enjoyed mixed success. He?s been in the Top 10 on the starting grid for each of the last six races, but his only Top 10 finish was a victory at the Food City 500, leaving Busch in 17th place in the standings.
Busch is listed at +1000 to win this weekend at PIR. Phoenix also hosts the Checker Auto Parts 500 in November, which Kyle Busch won last year. That, plus his two Top-5 finishes thus far, is enough to give the younger of the Busch brothers +1200 odds for Saturday. As for Roush Racing, the hard-luck Biffle is getting the shortest odds at +900, followed by Edwards and Kenseth at +1000. Martin is at +1800; way, way down the list is McMurray in last year?s winning vehicle at +3000.
Topping the odds list is defending NEXTEL Cup champion Tony Stewart at +700. Stewart is heating up of late; he won the DIRECTV 500 and finished third at the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 two weeks ago despite starting 40th on the grid. He last won at PIR in 1999.
---Perry
BetWWTS.com
The automotive juggernaut that is Roush Racing has just gone to the shop for a little bit of tinkering.
Team owner Jack Roush announced last Thursday that Bob Osborne, who started off the year as the crew chief for Carl Edwards and his No. 99 Ford Fusion, has been transferred to Jamie McMurray?s No. 26 Ford. Lead engineer Wally Brown is taking over the reins for Edwards. It?s a bold move for Roush, one that some NASCAR observers say is borne out of desperation.
Roush Racing had a banner year in 2005, putting all five of its drivers in the Chase for the Championship. That?s a tough standard to measure up to. However, 2006 has gotten off to a slow start for Edwards by anyone?s standards. He?s 22nd in the driver?s standings after seven races; McMurray is in 21st place, while teammate Greg Biffle is 23rd. They?re staring up at Roush?s Matt Kenseth and Mark Martin, in more familiar territory near the top of the ladder in second and third, respectively.
McMurray is the new kid on the block for Roush Racing. The 2003 Rookie of the Year came over from Chip Ganassi Racing last November to take Kurt Busch?s spot on the roster. He finished in 12th place last year; Edwards, also a young up-and-comer, took third place in his first full Nextel Cup campaign. So it?s understandable if there is a sense of unease coming out of the Edwards camp now that their crew chief has been taken away from them.
Edwards told reporters last week that the move was ?frustrating,? but emphasized that it was made for McMurray?s benefit and not to correct any problems with his own situation. ?It has to do with getting Jamie going,? Edwards said. ?That's all this is. That?s something I want to make real clear because Bob is doing an unbelievable job. ... This is a compliment to Bob, if anything.? If that?s the case, what does it say about the pecking order at Roush that Edwards? successful pairing with Osborne is being sacrificed this early in the season in order to help McMurray?
There are no easy answers to be gleaned from this decision. The move may even prove to be temporary; according to Edwards, Osborne will continue to work with his team to ease Brown?s transition from engineer to crew chief. He also says Roush will revisit the transfer three months from now. One thing?s for certain: Roush is making a high-risk investment in McMurray?s future.
The slow starts by Edwards and Biffle can be attributed to bad luck. They have each been knocked out in two races; McMurray crashed late in the season-opening Dayton 500, but otherwise has made it through unscathed. His two Top-10 results (plus two more at the non-points Budweiser Shootout and Gatorade Duel 2) point toward his potential. On the other side of the coin, McMurray has finished in 35th place or worse in three races. That leaves the Missouri native seven spots lower in the standings than he was at this time last year in the presumably inferior No. 42 Target Dodge. Casey Mears is currently in 10th place overall using McMurray?s old ride.
The intrigue surrounding Roush Racing adds a little extra spice to Saturday?s Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kurt Busch won the inaugural version of this race for Roush last year in the very same car McMurray is driving ? only then, it had the No. 97 painted on the side. Busch has since moved on to Penske, where he has enjoyed mixed success. He?s been in the Top 10 on the starting grid for each of the last six races, but his only Top 10 finish was a victory at the Food City 500, leaving Busch in 17th place in the standings.
Busch is listed at +1000 to win this weekend at PIR. Phoenix also hosts the Checker Auto Parts 500 in November, which Kyle Busch won last year. That, plus his two Top-5 finishes thus far, is enough to give the younger of the Busch brothers +1200 odds for Saturday. As for Roush Racing, the hard-luck Biffle is getting the shortest odds at +900, followed by Edwards and Kenseth at +1000. Martin is at +1800; way, way down the list is McMurray in last year?s winning vehicle at +3000.
Topping the odds list is defending NEXTEL Cup champion Tony Stewart at +700. Stewart is heating up of late; he won the DIRECTV 500 and finished third at the Samsung/Radio Shack 500 two weeks ago despite starting 40th on the grid. He last won at PIR in 1999.
---Perry
BetWWTS.com
