{"id":3299,"date":"2018-02-28T19:54:36","date_gmt":"2018-03-01T00:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=3299"},"modified":"2018-02-28T20:03:45","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T01:03:45","slug":"chevrolet-behind-field-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2018\/02\/28\/chevrolet-behind-field-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Chevrolet Behind the Field in 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"

It wasn\u2019t that long ago we were asking, \u201cWhat the heck is wrong with the Joe Gibbs Racing<\/strong> Toyotas?\u201d It was just one short season ago when the \u201cnew\u201d Toyota Camry first hit the pavement in the NASCAR<\/strong> world, and they looked every bit off as what we have seen from the new Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 thus far. No need to panic, right?<\/p>\n

Chevrolet Behind the Field in 2018<\/h1>\n

Perhaps it is too early to write off the Chevrolet like some did early last season with the new Camry. Once the engineers, Crew Chiefs, and Drivers from Joe Gibbs<\/strong>, along with a team with Martin Truex Jr.<\/strong> at the helm, figured out their new equipment, it was pretty much lights out for the rest of the NASCAR field. So those of you ready to write off the new Chevrolet, take notice of the Toyota history. A lot can change and it can change fast.<\/p>\n

The candle holder for Chevrolet these past several seasons has been the stable of cars out of Hendrick Motor Sports.<\/strong> There is little argument that Chevy hasn\u2019t got their cars figured out yet so far this season.\u00a0 Time in the wind tunnel is just not the same as time on the track, racing other cars. Surely, the fans of Chevy and their teams need to be patient. There are some real smart people in those camps and they\u2019ll figure it out.<\/p>\n

There may be more to the \u201cslump\u201d of the Chevy\u2019s though than just the car. That standard bearer, Hendrick, has essentially a rebuilt team. Gone in recent years are the veterans, Jeff Gordon<\/strong>, Kasey Kahne<\/strong> and Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/strong> Those are some awfully big shoes to fill. Factor in that 7 time NASCAR Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson<\/strong>, is now another year older, and you can understand the difficulty the Hendrick team may have being at the top of the leaderboards week after week.\u00a0 This might take some time.<\/p>\n

You lose 3\/4ths of your team and you can call it a transition period with a capital T. I can\u2019t get myself to type the word \u201cold\u201d to describe Jimmie Johnson,<\/strong> but we\u2019ve seen several drivers in the recent\u00a0 seasons, walk away from the sport at or near Jimmie\u2019s age. It\u2019s probably OK for the optimistic in us to believe that soon this team will be at the top once again but there\u2019s a lot more at play here than just the new car.<\/p>\n

Neither Chase Elliott, Alex Bowman<\/strong> or 20 year old William Byron<\/strong> have won a Monster Energy Series Cup race as yet. We\u2019ve seen glimpses of hope from Chase Elliott<\/strong>. He sure does look like a future star. And young William Byron<\/strong> won the Xfinity Championship last season as a teenager. His future looks bright as well. Alex Bowman<\/strong>? Well, if Dale Earnhardt Jr.<\/strong> recommends him, who am I to think he isn\u2019t going to take home some trophies.<\/p>\n

There certainly are some difficult challenges ahead for the Hendrick team. The newness of the equipment alone would be enough to keep teams up at night, factor in the newness of the drivers and this \u201cslump\u201d might not be as easily dissolved as what we saw the Toyota\u2019s do in 2017.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s anybody\u2019s guess at this point how long it will take Hendrick and the Chevrolets to get back on top. I\u2019d just make the argument that we might not want to use the Joe Gibbs<\/strong> 2017 turnaround as a yard stick.\u00a0 This might take some time.<\/p>\n

Thanks for reading. Listen to WTBQ Radio on Monday and Friday mornings as I join Frank, Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss the current happenings in NASCAR. 1110AM, 93.5FM, or online at WTBQ.com. Follow me on twitter @JimLaplante<\/strong><\/p>\n

MAIN PHOTO:<\/strong>
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>