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Analysis

No excuses: Five NASCAR drivers who need to win now

The 2016 Monster Energy Cup rookie class was one of the most promising group of freshmen to enter the sport in a long time.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing Ford, Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Start: Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet leads
Start: Greg Biffle, Roush Fenway Racing Ford leads
Drivers go four-wide to salute the fans before the start
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Ryan Blaney, Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Ryan Blaney, Wood Brothers Racing Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Roush Fenway Racing Ford
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet
Danica Patrick, Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet

All of the drivers had ascended the NASCAR ranks and hoped to make their marks at the highest level.

But when only one driver — Front Row Motorsports' Chris Buescher — broke into Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway, it should have been a wake-up call for other team owners.

No doubt Buescher has talent. The 24-year-old Prosper, Texas native won the 2015 Xfinity Series championship before graduating to Cup. It wasn’t a sexy run to the title, just consistent in the typical understated Roush Fenway Racing style.

After Buescher aligned with Front Row, no one expected the young racer to be the only rookie to win a race. Prior to the August event at Pocono Raceway, team owner Bob Jenkins had one win in 684 attempts — David Ragan’s Talladega victory in 2013. Yet Mother Nature and crew chief Bob Osborne had a plan, one that played into Buescher’s hands when the rains came as the No. 34 Ford was leading the Pennsylvania 400. When NASCAR called the race, Buescher was a first-time Cup winner.

While there were other rookie drivers with bigger budgets and larger teams, Buescher made the most of his opportunity. At the end of the regular season, he was the only freshman who qualified for the playoffs with a win. Still on loan from Roush Fenway, which holds his contract, Buescher also parlayed his performance into a new gig with JTG Daugherty Racing for this year.

Certainly, Buescher overachieved at Front Row Motorsports. Here are five other drivers from well-heeled teams who need breakthrough wins in 2017.

Chase Elliott — Hendrick Motorsports

Elliott hit the ground running with the pole of the 2016 Daytona 500. Compared with his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, he was second only to seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson when it came to results. Johnson’s five wins were the only victories earned by a Hendrick driver last season. But when it came to top-five finishes, Johnson had just one more than his 21-year-old rookie teammate. Elliott had one more top 10 (17) than Johnson and an additional pole (two). His average qualifying effort of 11.3 was also better than Johnson’s (12.1). And finishing in the top 10 in the standings was respectable. Throughout the course of 2016, it appeared that Elliott put more pressure on himself than anyone else did. Now, with a year of Cup under his belt it’s just a matter of time before the No. 24 Chevy returns to Victory Lane

Austin Dillon — Richard Childress Racing

In his third full season on the Cup tour, this former Camping World Truck and Xfinity Series champion picked up the pace considerably over previous seasons. Dillon posted a career-high four top fives, 13 top 10s and two poles. His average qualifying effort of 14th and average finish of 15.9 were dramatic improvements. Dillon also qualified for the playoffs — the only Richard Childress Racing driver to do so. But after a full season of competition under the direction of crew chief Slugger Labbe, the No. 3 team needs to step up and once again become the flagship of RCR. Sure, Dillon has job security since his grandfather owns the team. However, it’s been three years since Kevin Harvick left — and three years since the organization won a race. In this tough sponsorship climate, winning is essential for the longevity of the company.

Ryan Blaney — Wood Brothers Racing

For Blaney, 2016 was just another unremarkable rookie season. While Blaney had Team Penske Fords and a Team Penske crew chief (Jeremy Bullins) his results — three top fives and nine top 10s — were not Penske-like. Blaney led just 11 laps last season in 36 starts. He led a total 15 laps in the two races he ran in 2014. The 23-year-old third-generation racer has shown tremendous promise in the past. He has four wins in both the Truck and Xfinity tours. Certainly, there’s a learning curve that comes with driving in the Cup Series. If there’s a positive to be gleaned from Blaney’s results, it was running at the finish in 34 of 36 races. However, he only finished on the lead lap in 23 events. Although it might be premature to expect a win out of Blaney in his second season, he definitely needs to pick up the pace when it comes to qualifying, leading laps and collecting top-five finishes in 2017.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. — Roush Fenway Racing

There was a time when pundits believed that Stenhouse was the heir apparent for the No. 14 ride at Stewart-Haas Racing. There was a time when pundits believed that Stenhouse was the future at Roush Fenway Racing. After 148 Cup starts and no wins, it’s a wonder Stenhouse still has a job. In his first three full seasons on the tour, the former two-time Xfinity champion posted three top fives, 11 top 10s and one pole. In 2016, Stenhouse earned a career-high four top fives and six top 10s but led just six laps. In four years in Cup he has yet to qualify for the playoffs. Sure, it would be easy to blame Stenhouse’s struggles on the recent performance at Roush Fenway Racing. However, when Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle were winning, Stenhouse wasn’t. Perhaps veteran crew chief Brian Pattie will be the catalyst that lights a fire under Stenhouse.

Danica Patrick — Stewart Haas Racing

After four seasons on the Cup tour, could project Danica finally be winding down? Despite racing with three Stewart-Haas Racing teammates — all who won and qualified for the 2016 playoffs — Patrick couldn’t muster a top-10 finish. Yes, Patrick led a career-high 30 laps. And yes, her average result of 22nd was also a career best. But in 36 starts, Patrick finished on the lead lap just 14 times. It’s not surprising that sponsor Nature’s Bakery is looking for a graceful exit considering last year’s performance. Certainly, Patrick could pull off a win, particularly at a restrictor plate track. But now that SHR has transitioned to Ford Performance, Patrick needs to be cognizant of the “Performance” piece of that title. So far, she hasn’t been.

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