John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Dover wasn’t the best of days for Team Hendrick after six-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson was knocked out of the Chase. Johnson entered Sunday in the best position of the three HMS cars, having a 27-point cushion. However an equipment failure early in the race doomed his day and his bid for a championship in 2015.
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With Johnson and the No. 48 team now out of the Chase, questions have begun to fly about the pit crew on the No. 48 team. The crew for Johnson has been the most consistent this season while the crews of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon have struggled. You might recall a few years ago when Gordon exited the Chase early and the No. 24 crew was shifted to the No. 48 team to replace their struggling unit.
Will we see the reverse this season with the No. 48 crew coming over to the No. 24 team?
Although there have been rumblings, HMS has not made any official moves or any comments that would suggest any moves would be coming. Gordon fans might be all for the move but it is something that I would caution against. When the No. 24 crew was moved to the No. 48 team a few years ago, it happened at a time when the No. 24 was arguably the best crew in NASCAR. While the current No. 48 crew is good, they are not one of the top teams in NASCAR; JGR and Harvick have those teams currently.
The switch back then also made sense because it seemed at the time as though Johnson’s crew might cost him races whereas in 2015 Gordon’s crew seems to be turning the corner.
Through three Chase races Gordon has finishes of 14th, 7th and 12th. While these finishes are not going to make anyone stand up and clap, they are solid and the team has been solid. Changing that dynamic now with only seven races to go in the season and three races in the next round could bring more trouble than success. The last thing that the No. 24 team wants is for their to be a chemistry issue during the next round of the Chase that could potentially have a negative impact on where the No. 24 machine finishes.
Also, the No. 24 team has already tweaked their crew in preparations for what they hope is a run for the championship. HMS signed a former JGR crew member last week and he joined the No. 24 team for Dover and will be with them the remainder of the season.
For Gordon fans I know that the grass might seem greener on the other side and that the idea of plugging in the No. 48 crew and winning a title seems like a no-brainer. However, it’s not that easy and for Gordon there is more negatives that could come out of such a move than there are positives.