2009 Cobo Cup category #3.

Well, see! I already changed something. After some thought and looking over the Classic drivers points (NASCAR’s old way, which is how our Cobo Cup points work) I have decided to move Kyle Busch from category #2 to category #1. The move drops Jeff Burton from category #1 to category #2.

Here’s a look at category #3:

(1) Finishing 13th in 2008, David Ragan showed that he was a driver to contend with. Driving the #6 Roush/Fenway Ford, David has a new sponsor in UPS, signing a multi-year deal with Roush to sponsor the #6 starting in 2009. Ragan has supposedly re-signed with Roush for at least 2009. AAA left after the 2008 season and Roush will need to trim down to four teams from five AFTER the 2009 season.

(2) Mark Martin is back full time and driving the #5 for Rick Hendrick. Martin will run all the Cup races in 2009 and 26 races in 2010, sharing the ride with an un-named driver. Mears was signed thru 2009 but he and HMS decided to part ways after 2008. Kellogg’s and Carquest will return in 2009.

(3) Tony (Smoke) Stewart in the new Chevy #14 car. Grubb will be Stewart’s crew chief in 2009, coming over from Hendrick Motorsports. Tony Stewart was released from his Joe Gibbs Racing contract after 2008 on July 9, 2008 and will run the #14 with Office Depot [60%] and Old Spice [40%] as co-primary sponsors. Stewart will run #14 in honor of his hero, AJ Foyt. The 2nd team will run the #39, with Ryan Newman as the driver. The the #14 will be the old #70 team and the #39 will be the #66. Stewart would have the use of the past champions provisional to use for the first five races. The team will be called Stewart Haas Racing. Stewart says the team will not expand to three in 2009. The team will get cars and engines from Hendrick Motorsports.

(4) Ryan Newman will pilot the new #39 Chevy car. Tony Gibson will come over from DEI and be the new crew chief, bringing along the pit crew. U.S. Army will be a co-primary sponsor in 2009 and be the full sponsor for 22 races plus the All Star race. The Army supposedly signed a 3-year deal with Stewart-Haas Racing. It was announced on Tony Stewart Live radio show that Newman would use the #39 NOT the #4. Newman was announced as the driver at Michigan on August 14th, no word how long the contract is for but it is a multi-year agreement.

(5) Clint Bowyer will drive the new #33 General Mills/Cheerios/BB&T Richard Childress racing Chevy. BB&T will be the primary sponsor for 11 races. Wilson named crew chief for 2009, Gil Martin will stay with the #07 and Mears. Childress has said, they will NOT transfer #07 owners points to the #33. Clint Bowyer will move over from RCR’s #07 with Mears going to the #07. Bowyer re-signed with RCR for another three years thru 2011. At Indy, Jamie McMurray was rumored to be coming to this ride, but it was denied. The team will move up to full time in 2009 with General Mills/Cheerios as the sponsor.

There you have it, category #3. Feel free to leave a comment to these posts as I will post the comments the next day. Tell me how you feel about the top 3 categories thus far. Remember, it’s your pool as well.

Nuff Said,

Jimbo