MRN’s Pete Pistone looks at the top 10 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams heading into the 2018 season.
1. Furniture Row Racing - The reigning champions go into the new campaign as the team to beat. FRR is smaller than it was a year ago, with Erik Jones out of the No. 77 Toyota and headed to Joe Gibbs Racing. But that defection will not make the team less dangerous and there is a school of thought that with more resources focused on just the No. 78 Toyota, Martin Truex Jr. might be even more dominant in 2018.
2. Joe Gibbs Racing - Jones replaces Matt Kenseth in JGR's four-car stable, which now has a decidedly split look between veterans and youth. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin represent the experience side of the ledger while Jones and fellow sophomore Daniel Suarez lead the team's youth movement. Any one of the quartet can be a serious threat to win on almost any given week.
3. Team Penske - Roger Penske's organization grows by one with Ryan Blaney coming over from the Wood Brothers to drive a new No. 12 entry as a teammate to holdovers Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano. The organization has been planning for and has the infrastructure in place to field the third team and should not miss a beat with the growth. Keselowski, Logano and Blaney all took wins a year ago and should find repeat trips to Victory Lane in 2018.
4. Chip Ganassi Racing - Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray are back after both qualifying for the post-season a year ago. McMurray should be his usual consistent self and a return trip to the playoffs is very possible. After winning four times in 2017, Larson is poised to make even a bigger splash this season if CGR's equipment keeps providing opportunities to do so.
5. Hendrick Motorsports - It's a different-looking group for team owner Rick Hendrick, though still led by seven-time champion and 83-race Cup Series winner Jimmie Johnson. He's the elder statesman with youngsters Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman and rookie William Byron filling out the roster. Johnson and Elliott are determined to build off last year's success that ended in frustration while Bowman and Byron are both capable of their first career wins.
6. Stewart-Haas Racing - Kevin Harvick remains the leader and made it to The Championship 4 last season. Defending Daytona 500 winner Kurt Busch is back, albeit with new crew chief Billy Scott, while Clint Bowyer returns for Year 2 at SHR. The new face of the four belongs to Aric Almirola, who rides over from Richard Petty Motorsports to take the wheel of the No. 10 entry formerly driven by Danica Patrick.
7. Richard Childress Racing - A streamlined RCR hits the track with Austin Dillon and Ryan Newman. The team will not compete with its No. 27 entry, focusing effort on the two-car tandem of Dillon and Newman, who both made the playoffs with wins last season.
8. Roush Fenway Racing - One of 2017's surprises returns intact for the new campaign. Two-time race winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Trevor Bayne man team owner Jack Roush's pair of Ford Fusions. Restrictor-plate racing was the organization's strong suit last year and it'll need to add better performance on other track disciplines to continue the renaissance.
9. Wood Brothers Racing - The same team, and its strong alliance with Ford and Team Penske returns in 2018 with one main difference. Paul Menard is now the driver of the No. 21 ride, taking over from Blaney, who scored his first Cup Series win with the team last season. Menard will try to end his long drought by bringing the Woods' career win No. 100.
10. Germain Racing - Ty Dillon finished 24th in last year's point standings and returns with added optimism. He'll have a new crew chief in Matt Borland, who takes the role from veteran "Bootie" Barker. Bob Germain's team has worked hard in the off-season to put together what it hopes will be its best Cup Series effort to date.
http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-S ... kings.aspx
