We've wrapped the season, and so it's time to wrap up our look back. In a feature shamelessly ripped from Puck Daddy's Death Watch and Big League Stew's Walk Toward The Light, we're looking back on all the drivers. In the interest of making sure that this feature doesn't last until April, we're stepping up the pace and covering teams. And yes, I know there aren't taillights on Sprint cars. It's a metaphor. Roll with it.
Team: Roush Fenway Racing
Drivers: Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, David Ragan, Jamie McMurray
Record: Three wins, one pole, 25 top-5s, 49 top-10s
Season summary: If it weren't for Richard Childress Racing's utter flameout, there would be a lot of fingers pointed in Roush Fenway's direction. While the team managed three wins, the guy who was supposed to be the leading light -- Carl Edwards -- couldn't find Victory Lane with a map, and Matt Kenseth missed out on the Chase despite winning the first two races of the season. After that, the one guy who did win a race -- Jamie McMurray in Talladega -- was the one guy who got dumped from the team. So, in sum: a good year for almost anybody else, a bad year for one of NASCAR's superteams.
Where it went right: Kenseth began the year on an unbelievable high, taking the first two races of the year (granted, Daytona was rain-shortened, but still). From there, he began a long, slow slide that ended in him missing the Chase. McMurray put together a gem in Talladega, and Greg Biffle raced strong all year, but nobody could hold it together for any length of time.
Where it went wrong: For Edwards, everywhere. The trendy pick to unseat Jimmie Johnson wasn't even the best guy on his own team this year (that would be Biffle). And while Biffle and Kenseth had reasonable seasons, David Ragan was a disappointment, managing only two top-10s all season long.
Prospects for 2010: When you've got Kenseth, Edwards and Biffle driving for you, you're already starting out ahead of the pack. Ragan will need to step it up to justify his berth, but everybody else should return to reliable Chase form next year.
Related Roush Fenway posts from 2009:
Carl Edwards may be playing possum just a wee bit too long
Matt Kenseth will bump his own son to get to Victory Lane
Greg Biffle is really enjoying Champions Week in Vegas
Jamie McMurray is now #1 ... on his car, at least
David Ragan tries an unconventional new paint scheme
Next up: Joe Gibbs Racing
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