My dad was fond of saying, "the sun don't shine on the same dogs rear end all the time." This was a more colorful way of saying everybody gets a chance to bask in the sun and the same is true in racing.
The NASCAR season is just two races old but already there are more than a few teams and drivers enjoying some early season sunshine.
Martin Truex Jr. racing for the single car operation of Furniture Row Racing has gotten out of the box quickly with two top-10 finishes and is currently sixth in points. The No. 78 car was much improved at the end of last year and they appear to have picked up that momentum.
Casey Mears had a strong run at Daytona coming home sixth and then logged a 15th place finish at Atlanta and is currently seventh in points. As a matter of fact, the top-16 in the early season Chase standings include a lot names that are somewhat surprising such as AJ Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Sam Hornish Jr., and David Gilliland.
After two races Danica Patrick finds herself 16th in points, which isn't outstanding, but does offer hope for a turnaround season. Yes, I know that it's early but for these drivers and teams it is imperative to get off to a fast start. At the end of the day most of these teams will slide down the standings, but for now it's refreshing to see some new names grabbing a little of the early season sunshine. They need to enjoy the moment because sooner or later every dog winds up in the shade.