Has Edwards and Osborne come to that point?

I think that there just comes a time in a driver/crew chief relationship that there are problems that can’t be fixed.  

It is like a marriage that has fallen apart over time.  There are some that last a whole career, and then there are just some that just lose that click that they once had.  In my book, I think that Carl Edwards and Bob Osborne have come to that point in their relationship where something has to be done to get the 99 back on track.  Last weekend was a very disappointing weekend to see.  When a driver of Edwards caliber falls a lap down so early in an event and the crew chief can’t figure out what to do to fix an issue, that tells you there are major problems flowing through the team.

I can remember in the late 90s,  Jeff Burton and Frankie Stoddard were an amazing duo in this very same race car.  Burton and Stoddard were put together after long time veteran Buddy Parrott retired from Roush Racing.  The two won 12 races with one another.  But following the 2001 season, the two lost their click and seperated when Burton decided he wanted to have a new crew chief. 

I think that there just comes a time when these issues arise up and become a problem.  Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham were an amazing pair but they lost their click and seperated after a long term deal and three titles.  I believe that this year has come to a point where there has not been any change on the 99, and it could be at best if a new crew chief is brought into the 99 pit box.   Do I have an answer for who should replace Osborne?  No.  But there is definetly someone out there that could figure out these problems on the car and click with Carl Edwards.

I think one name that might come up if a change comes about is Todd Parrott who is over the R&D department at Roush Fenway.  Parrott is an extraordinary crew chief in the series, and has a resume that comes with several Daytona 500 wins, and a championship with Dale Jarrett in 1999.  I think that it is going to take someone with experience and determination to get the 99 car back into the form that they were in 2008.