Several drivers and teams stepped up their game in 2010, making it one of the most interesting seasons in recent memory as the title fights in Formula One, NASCAR, IndyCar and DTM were each decided in the final race of the year. Along the way, several drivers and teams showed why they are winners.
But just as the cream rose to the top, there were also episodes and performances to forget in 2010. So, here is the list of this year's misses, low points, and underachievers:
IndyCar gets a gong for not finding a spot for Paul Tracy
Ask just about anyone what the IndyCar Series needs and inevitably the answer is a dynamic, exciting driver like the "Thrill from West Hill," Paul Tracy. No, Tracy doesn't win every time he gets in the car and he hasn't taken a chequered flag since the 2007 Champ Car race in Cleveland, but mention to fans at a race that the Canadian is in the field and smiles erupt. That's because the veteran not only brings personality off the track, but there's nobody who delivers more excitement to the mix when he's behind the wheel. It was shameful that a fourth-place finish in his IndyCar debut at Edmonton two years ago in a one-off appearance driving a car he'd never raced before didn't earn him a full-time ride for 2009. Instead, he's raced part-time for the past two seasons, putting up four top-10s in 11 starts with three different teams. Anyone who knows anything about racing understands how difficult it is to live race-to-race and Tracy still performs better than most in the IndyCar field when he's in it. He is one of the most marketable assets North American open wheel racing has and it's about time that someone in IndyCar acts like it and finds him a full-time seat.
Danica Patrick for her performances in IndyCar and NASCAR
The media darling spilt her racing focus in 2010 between her full-time job in IndyCar and dabbling in NASCAR. It seems that she might want to pick one series and stick with it. Apart from a couple of good results, Patrick had a season to forget in IndyCar, finishing behind all three of her Andretti Autosport teammates in the final points standings. In the 17-race season, Patrick managed only three top five results while also posting nine finishes outside the top 10. Meanwhile, her 13 NASCAR Nationwide starts didn't go much better as she broke into the top 20 only once and posted an average finish of 28th, while driving for one of the series' top teams, JR Motorsports. In comparison, despite only 10 stock car races to his credit in the K&N Pro Series, 19-year-old Cole Whitt not only qualified himself into the last two Nationwide races of 2010, but also put up a pair of top 20 results, finishing 15th in Phoenix and 17th in Miami-Homestead.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. for another lacklustre NASCAR Sprint Cup season
When Earnhardt Jr. joined NASCAR's top team, Hendrick Motorsports, in 2008, it was supposed to be the final piece of his championship puzzle. It hasn't exactly turned out that way. While he made the 10-race Chase for the Cup championship playoff in his first year with Hendrick, things have gone quickly downhill since. Although he gets voted most popular driver every year, it certainly can't be due to his results on track. He finished 2010, well behind his three teammates, in 21st overall in points - which was a slight improvement over 2009, where he ended the season 25th. After the 2010 campaign, Hendrick announced a team shake-up that saw all the crew chiefs swap drivers, save for the championship combination of Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson. If Earnhardt can't perform in 2011, perhaps it's time for Hendrick to give his seat to someone who can.
Michael Schumacher for his aggressive driving in Formula One
Maybe expectations were simply too high when the seven-time world champion ended a three-year retirement to join the Mercedes team. Whatever hopes fans had, Schumacher's performance can only be described as disappointing. While he couldn't keep pace with young teammate Nico Rosberg on most occasions, Schumacher gets even worse marks for his blocking and chopping on track, which had several drivers fuming. The Hungarian Grand Prix, showed Schumacher at his worst, as he tried to fend off the charging Rubens Barrichello by almost putting the Williams driver into the pit wall at 300 km/h in a battle for 10th place. The appalling move marked the lowest point of the F1 season and prompted many to suggest Schumacher should go back into retirement.
IndyCar Safety Crew for its Texas Motor Speedway debacle
When things go wrong in a motor race, drivers must know they can depend on the safety crew to get them out of danger - fast. Someone forgot to mention this to IndyCar's safety crew at the June IndyCar race in Texas, when Simona De Silvestro's car hit the wall in Turn 2 on Lap 99 of the Firestone 550 and burst into flames. Trapped in her blazing car, De Silvestro watched the IndyCar safety crew go through a Keystone Cops routine trying to get the flames extinguished after their truck's fire hose failed. As the car burned, several safety workers stood and watched as another tried to wrestle De Silvestro from the car. They finally snapped out of their daze and helped pulled the Swiss driver to safety. In all, it took almost 40 seconds to put out the fire, but thankfully De Silvestro suffered only minor injuries in an incident that could have ended in tears.