NSC 2008 Year in Preview: Casey Mears and Mark Martin
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008Are you getting excited yet? It’s only six weeks until DAYTONA BABY!!!
For our fourth YIP, we’re going to take a look at Casey Mears and Mark Martin - young buck and old uh, nevermind.
Casey Mears
Top 15 finish in 2007…heading into his sixth season in NASCAR Sprint Cup…only one win but 36 top tens…what does all of this say about how Casey Mears will perform in 2008?
I think it says good things! Mears is about to jump into the #5 ride previously driven by Kyle Busch…and part of the Hendrick stable of drivers. Come on now…we all know the Hendrick Motorsports theory of racing - they won’t invest in a driver who isn’t worth his weight in scrap metal! Jimmie Johnson…Jeff Gordon…Dale Earnhardt, Jr…and now Casey Mears.
I think this will be an exciting year for the young driver from Bakersfield, CA…I’m going to predict a top-12 finish, good enough to get him into the Chase!
Mark Martin
It must be the Viagra, man. I don’t know how else Mark Martin keeps going and going and going in the world of NASCAR. His next challenge isn’t going to be to keep it up, however…his driving, that is. His next challenge is going to be “the driver who stepped into the number 8 after Dale Earnhardt, Jr. left DEI.”
Now…there’s no comparison. Martin was winning races when Jr. was still in diapers. And they couldn’t be more different in their approaches to life and racing. But hopping in the number 8 that had become so ubiquitous with Jr. is going to be hard! It was announced yesterday that Martin would participate in 25 races in the 2008 season…and this season will include his SEVEN HUNDREDTH CAREER START. Can you even imagine? I’m in awe of Martin…and I hope that he has the stamina to squeak out a few more victories in the 2008 season. (Yes, I like Viagra jokes…they just fit so well with racing!)
Hurry back to see the next set of 2008 Year in Preview Predictions! Next up: Juan Montoya and Michael Waltrip!
Note: I’ll be on a trip tomorrow so won’t be back to posting for a day or so!
Until then, drive fast and turn left!
