Call them the most disappointing of 2006

By Mike Harper

Championship weekend has arrived, but some in the garage area are ready to put this season behind them. Today’s NASCAR off-season is more than just rest and relaxation it also brings pressures to rebuild those teams that stumbled during the previous season.

With more and more changes coming to NASCAR’s elite series and additional teams joining the mix next season, the importance of pointing a team and driver into the right direction is becoming more critical. Let’s face it, faltering teams with major sponsorship money could miss more races next season.

Looking back at the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle not making the Chase after their efforts in 2005 stands out most in my mind. Would I call not making the 2006 Chase disappointing for these drivers? In the case of Tony Stewart, yes. In my opinion, the defending champion should make the next season’s Chase.

When you look at NASCAR’s three top racing series, the most disappointing of 2006 include:

Craftsman Truck Series

At the end of the 2005 season Dennis Setzer found himself as the runner-up to series champion Ted Musgrave. Missing the championship by 56 points wasn’t his only runner-up accomplishment in 2005. He won four races, second to Todd Bodine’s five race wins.

In 2006, Setzer currently sits 12th in the standings with no wins and only one top five finish in 24 races. This makes him and his team the Craftsman Truck Series most disappointing.

Busch Series

Kenny Wallace has taken pride over the years in his ability to finish inside the Top 10 in the Busch Series standings. In 2004, Wallace finished 9th in the standings and last season with five top five finishes, he ended the season standings in 7th.

Wallace, a fan favorite with his outgoing personality hasn’t recorded any top five finishes during the 2006 season through 34 races and currently trails the 10th place points position by over 90 points. In addition, Wallace has run every event and trails three drivers who haven’t raced the entire season, including Greg Biffle who has only raced in 29 events prior to the Homestead-Miami weekend. With news that his sponsor will be leaving, Wallace announced that he’ll be moving to the Nextel Cup Series next season, but not without him and his team first being labeled the Busch Series most disappointing of the 2006.

Nextel Cup Series

The lost rookie

In the category of rookies, David Stremme gets the nod for the top disappointing rookie spot. Stremme is the only 2006 rookie who has not finished a race inside the top 10 and finds himself outside the top 30 in the standings, the only rookie to hold this honor as well. With one event left in the 2006 season, Stremme has a chance to give his team a spark going into the off-season.

Short term investment ends up a bust

The 2005 season was rocked with a few announcements regarding driver contracts. Jamie McMurray signed with Roush Racing one year before his contract was set to expire with Chip Ganassi Racing.

After finishing 11th in the standings at the end of 2004 and 12th in 2005, McMurray was primed to put Ganassi’s No. 42 in the Chase for 2006. But Jack Roush and Mark Martin from Roush Racing had other plans for young McMurray and signed him to a contract beginning in 2007. This brought tension to the Ganassi team and it trashed their 2006 plans for McMurray. They ended up cutting McMurray loose and allowed him to race for Roush this season.

Unfortunately what seemed to be a steal for Roush ended up being a bust for 2006. With only seven top 10’s recorded this season going into Homestead-Miami, McMurray is the worst of all Roush drivers. Also, one of this seasons most disappointing.

Top Dog

Known as the Rocketman, because of his ability to secure the top spot during qualifying, Ryan Newman is one of NASCAR’s top drivers. Coming off back-to-back Chase runs from 2004 and 2005, Newman was easily picked as a championship contender for 2006. In each of the last two seasons prior to the 2006 season, Newman has recorded atleast one win, 8 or more poles and multiple top 10 race finishes.

In 2006, Newman and his No. 12 Penske Dodge hit a major speed bump. With two poles, seven top 10’s and no wins, Newman sits 18th in the standings and even trails his new teammate Kurt Busch in the categories of poles, top 5’s, top 10’s and race wins.

With Newman’s crew chief leaving the team with two races to go in the 2006 season, things don’t look any better for Newman to end the season on a high note. Newman, though he remains one of NASCAR’s most talented drivers will be one of those drivers ready to get this season behind him. The 2006 season will go down in history with Ryan Newman and his No. 12 team being known as the most disappointing of the season.

Who do you consider the most disappointing?