The 2005 preseason questions (?)

Five Questions about the almost unheard of topics for 2005

As the NASCAR season approaches ever so closer, we continue to hear about how will Kasey Kahne or Kurt Busch do in 2005. Will Rusty Wallace win the Daytona 500? However, there are still some topics left on the back burner that may need some attention.

For Example:

Is DW Done?

Sources have said that driver of the #11 Toyota Tundra, Darrell Waltrip, will call it an end to his driving career after the spring truck race in Martinsville. The part-time Craftsman Truck Series competitor supposedly has a wickedly fast truck for the April event that he did not get to show in October because weather canceled qualifying and thus he was sent home. Waltrip has collected two top tens in his last three Martinsville starts and it would be a shame if "jaws," didn't take a bite out of the competition come that Martinsville weekend.

Where is Ward?

Ever since Ward Burton was released by Haas CNC Racing and the NetZero team, there hasn't been a lot of talk about him. He has said that he could take a year off and spend time with family and work with his Wildlife Foundation, but it is too hard to believe that no one would pick up a talent such as Ward Burton. Even though, Kenny Wallace does an incredible impersonation of Ward, it's just not the same without the real one.

Will Petty Enterprises show some life from years past?

Well, why can't they? Now that the Petty teams have switched to Evernham engines, they have nothing to lose but to just go out and prove that they are better teams than the recent years have shown. Jeff Green had a best finish of 7th for 2004 while Kyle Petty was 12th back at Vegas. However, Kyle Petty has no crew chief at the moment and he already knows that this year, expectations have been risen for Petty Enterprises as a whole even without that missing link.

How successful will Robby Gordon be with his own team?

Looking back from last year, Robby Gordon owned his own Busch team and had some great runs in the #55 Fruit of the Looms Chevy, but this time the number changes to the #7 and he also transitions that operation to the Nextel Cup Series. However, this is not going to be an easy thing to do. Robby has high expectations and I don't doubt that he can make this work, but the first few events are going to be interesting to watch for that team.

Does Spencer improve Arnold Motorsports?

With Jimmy Spencer being released from Morgan McClure Racing back in October, it was unknown as to what Spencer was going to do for 2005. Well, it's a little more than a month from the Daytona 500 and Spencer has found himself driving the #50 for Arnold Motorsports. Jimmy and Morgan McClure had many differences of opinion, but he now has a fresh start with a team that did struggle in 2004. However, Derrike Cope showed us all for one weekend last year that Arnold Motorsports was a decent team at the spring Darlington race. Cope qualified the car fifth and even though the result is misleading finished 25th. Expect Spencer to collect a few top 20's and by the way, Darlington is also a good track for him.