The 43 Days of Daytona - 30th Place in 2005
Over the 43 days leading up to the Daytona 500, I'll be doing a short review/preview of the Top 43 Drivers of 2005.
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Sterling Marlin
#14 - Waste Management / Centrix Financial
Sterling ran, all but the last race, in the Chip Ganassi-Coors Light #40 Dodge. He had 1 Top 5 and 5 Top 10's. His average start was 26.5. His average finish was 24.6. He finished 30th in points with winnings totaling $4,080,120.
His season ended in lame duck fashion with the word being out that he was losing the ride well in advance of the axe actually falling. Considering that just two seasons ago, Sterling lead the points into September before an injury sidelined him, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. But...that's racing.
The 40 team and Chip Ganassi Racing are going to be hard pressed this year with two rookies, David Stremme(#40) and Reed Sorensen(#41) running. The only experience on the team will come from Casey Mears(#42) who though he has ran well a few times hasn't exactly set the NEXTEL Cup world on fire over his too few seasons at this level. I can't believe that the plan was to lose Jamie McMurray(#26) to Roush and, then, fire Sterling. It just doesn't make sense to lose experience and quality at that kind of clip. We'll see how it turns out, but I don't believe it's going to be good.
Running with MB2 this season, Sterling has a chance to return to form. In the same equipment that powered a competitive Joe Nemechek(#01) last season, he should do fine. With Joe and Sterling working together, it could be good for both of them.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Sponsorship is solid between Waste Management and Centrix.
Do I think he could go win a championship? No...I just don't believe that MB2/MBV has the drive, personnel, or equipment necessary to win it all.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? Absolutely.
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Sterling Marlin
#14 - Waste Management / Centrix Financial
Sterling ran, all but the last race, in the Chip Ganassi-Coors Light #40 Dodge. He had 1 Top 5 and 5 Top 10's. His average start was 26.5. His average finish was 24.6. He finished 30th in points with winnings totaling $4,080,120.
His season ended in lame duck fashion with the word being out that he was losing the ride well in advance of the axe actually falling. Considering that just two seasons ago, Sterling lead the points into September before an injury sidelined him, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. But...that's racing.
The 40 team and Chip Ganassi Racing are going to be hard pressed this year with two rookies, David Stremme(#40) and Reed Sorensen(#41) running. The only experience on the team will come from Casey Mears(#42) who though he has ran well a few times hasn't exactly set the NEXTEL Cup world on fire over his too few seasons at this level. I can't believe that the plan was to lose Jamie McMurray(#26) to Roush and, then, fire Sterling. It just doesn't make sense to lose experience and quality at that kind of clip. We'll see how it turns out, but I don't believe it's going to be good.
Running with MB2 this season, Sterling has a chance to return to form. In the same equipment that powered a competitive Joe Nemechek(#01) last season, he should do fine. With Joe and Sterling working together, it could be good for both of them.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Sponsorship is solid between Waste Management and Centrix.
Do I think he could go win a championship? No...I just don't believe that MB2/MBV has the drive, personnel, or equipment necessary to win it all.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? Absolutely.
posted by Mark "Puff" Anderson | 7:25 AM
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