NASCAR Landscape Changing In Advance Of 2012 Season

Every so often, throughout its six decades of its existence, NASCAR goes through some major changes that leave a lasting mark on the sport for years to come. With monumental changes taking place already since the checkered flag flew at Homestead, it appears the 2011-12 offseason is one of those times.

While last year’s changes came from the sanctioning body in the form of a point system change and the addition of the Chase wild cards, this year the teams are the ones creating the changing landscape.

Personnel moves, the closure of entire organizations and the number of quality drivers still in search for a ride will cause a ripple effect that will be felt long down the road.

Swapping crew chiefs have always been a part of the sport, but the number of high-profile changes that have already taken place this offseason show teams are willing to make increasingly difficult decisions to compete for championships.

Stewart-Haas Racing’s decision to release Darian Grubb was a bold one, but indicated Stewart and others in the organization have their eye on bigger things in the future. Grubb is a proven winner who was instrumental in the championship effort of the No. 14 team, and his move to another team as a crew chief or engineer will only benefit whatever organization he lands at.

Joe Gibbs Racing also saw the need for major changes after calls from driver Denny Hamlin. News broke earlier this week Mike Ford was out in his role as crew chief on the No. 11 team, possibly opening the door for Grubb.

Add Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer and Juan Pablo Montoya to the list of drivers that will have new crew chiefs calling the shots in 2012, and the changes have already been widespread.

According to Sirius XM’s Dave Moody, Thursday will mark the final day of operations for Red Bull Racing. At the end of the day the lights will be shut off and the doors closed for good. After five years in NASCAR, Red Bull Racing will leave the sport, taking with it over 150 jobs.

The organization’s closure means driver Brian Vickers, crew chief Ryan Pemberton and the host of employees at the shop are in search of work. It also means that two quality rides are now gone from the sport, leaving less options for drivers in search of a ride such as Kurt Busch, David Ragan and David Reutimann.

In addition to Red Bull’s closure, Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing have also eliminated one of their full-time teams for 2012, further reducing the number of quality rides available.

The lack of sponsorship dollars has forced organizations to cut back their resources, lay off workers and shut down entire race teams. This unfortunate reality leaves a gap in the sport that is difficult to fill by the smaller, under-funded organizations.

With the aforementioned loss of quality rides, drivers such as Busch, Ragan, Vickers and Reutimann and scurrying to find a team before it is too late.

Busch and Penske Racing came to a “mutual agreement” to part ways last week, leaving the former series champion searching for a team that can provide the opportunity to continue to compete for wins and championships.

His options are limited, though. There has been talk of a second car at Furniture Row Racing or a possible move to Front Row Motorsports, and even TRG Motorsports is apparently interested in Busch, according to Sports Illustrated.

Yet can any of these organizations provide Busch with the resources needed to contend for wins? Furniture Row is the only organization of the bunch to have a win to its record, while all three have fought simply to stay in the top 35 in owner points. Busch would be a strong asset to the smaller teams, but could they grow to compete with the Hendrick, Gibbs and Childress organizations? Not likely.

Various reports have Ragan linked to the ride vacated by Busch at Penske Racing. Not living up to expectations at Roush, Ragan seemed content to wait in the wings until another opportunity within the organization surfaced. That changed, however, upon news of Busch’s departure from Penske.

Ragan has one victory to his credit, but could he really replace a former series champion with 24 Sprint Cup Series wins?

Reutimann and Vickers seem to be the odd men out at this point in the season. Reutimann had little notice of his departure from Michael Waltrip Racing, while Vickers has yet to solidify a ride despite knowing for some time Red Bull Racing would close its doors at the end of the year.

Much like Busch, they will have to settle on teams not up to the standards of those they are leaving behind. With few rides open and an abundance of available drivers, owners seem to have the upper hand this offseason.

Changes are inevitable in NASCAR, and they take place each and every year. Yet it seems the changes being made this offseason may lead to a shift in NASCAR in 2012 and possibly longer. When championship crew chiefs are on the move, championship-quality drivers are in search of a good ride and solid organizations are shutting down teams, the competition on the track will feel the effect for quite some time.