NASCAR: 5 most disappointing teams so far in 2020

Disappointing teams: #2 – Roush Fenway Racing

Jack Roush’s NASCAR Cup Series operation has floundered ever since Ryan Newman suffered a terrifying wreck on the final lap of this year’s season-opening Daytona 500. Not even Newman’s return when the 10-week hiatus ended could rejuvenate the team’s depressing state.

Chris Buescher was re-signed by Roush Fenway Racing to drive the #17 Ford ahead of the 2020 season, taking over for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. While Buescher has been acclimating to his new ride, he has shown no flashes of pace to contend for regular top 10 finishes.

As for Newman, he has struggled mightily since returning to action at Darlington Raceway. Repeating his playoff berth from last year seems like a far-fetched dream at this point. He sports a poor average finish of 18.9 and no top 10 finishes aside from his nasty ninth place finish in the season opener.

Overall, the team’s driver duo have led just 44 laps and combined for four top 10 finishes and zero top five finishes. When Ross Chastain replaced Newman in the #6 Ford with Newman out for three races, no signs of speed in their equipment were displayed.

It simply seems as if the team have backtracked on their improvements in 2019, and they lack the pace to escape the midfield. For a team with a large following and rising expectations after Newman’s 2019 season, the past 19 races have been disappointing and unacceptable.