BYE WEEK – ANALYSIS OF THE FIRST EIGHT
With Martinsville in the books until
October, the Winston Cup season enters its first bye week. And a lot has
happened to a lot of teams.
A look back:
RAD RACING – CHEVROLET
Earnhardt Inc. – #1 Steve Park; #8 Dale
Earnhardt Jr.; #15 Michael Waltrip
RCR Enterprises – #29 Kevin Harvick; #30
Jeff Green; #31 Mike Skinner
Andy Petree Racing – #33 Joe Nemechek; #55
Bobby Hamilton
The two teams most rocked by the tragedy
at Daytona, Earnhardt Inc. and RCR rebounded and won two of the next three
events. Steve Park became Earnhardt Inc’s point man, winning at Rockingham and
dominating Darlington. He’s notched the Rockingham win, seconds at Darlington
and Texas, and is solidly in the top five in points despite a frustrating day at
Martinsville and last place at Atlanta.
Park’s teammates have had rougher goings.
Michael Waltrip’s Daytona victory has largely disappeared from consciousness
amid the death of Dale Earnhardt and Michael’s own abysmal driving since. Dale
Junior has run well at times but was victimized by a blown tire at Atlanta and a
late caution at Texas.
Replacing Dale Earnhardt – only in the
lineup card – was Kevin Harvick, and the rookie exploded to a victory, at
Atlanta, that has forever erased Alan Kulwicki’s championship win at that same
track as NASCAR’s most emotional moment. He led the most laps at Bristol but cut
a tire, and finished seventh at Texas. He’s also provided some great soundbites
after his black-flag deal at Bristol and the crash at Martinsville.
Harvick will get a new teammate for
several races this year as Jeff Green will drive the #30 originally slated for
Harvick.
And once again left out in the cold has
been Mike Skinner, who now looks destined never to win a points race in Winston
Cup.
At the team owned by the crew chief who
gave Earnhardt his last two titles, Bobby Hamilton has experienced a resurgence,
with three top tens and fourth at Martinsville to explode to the top ten in
points. But is success has left teammate Joe Nemechek behind.
PENSKE RACING SOUTH – FORD
#2 Rusty Wallace; #12 Jeremy Mayfield
It took until Martinsville before Rusty
Wallace led a lap, and overall the horsepower edge he had in 2000 is gone.
Though solidly in the top ten in points, he’s gotten there more through
consistency – i.e. mediocre finishes – than through any genuine strength. His
third at Daytona was matched by Jeremy Mayfield at Bristol.
MORGAN-McCLURE MOTORSPORTS – CHEVROLET
#4 Kevin Lepage
After wasting five races with the
unworkable Robby Gordon, Morgan-McClure hired Kevin Lepage and Lepage promptly
showed his stuff with three solid outings. A long-term deal is in the works
between him and the team.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS – CHEVROLET
#5 Terry Labonte; #24 Jeff Gordon; #25
Jerry Nadeau
Terry Labonte had a fifth at Atlanta and
sixth at Bristol. Jerry Nadeau had third at Atlanta and tenth at Martinsville.
And once again both are lost amid the win and four other top fives of Jeff
Gordon, who is stringing together another title run after a subpar 2000.
ROUSH RACING – FORD
#6 Mark Martin; #17 Matt Kenseth; #97 Kurt
Busch; #99 Jeff Burton
One of the two big collapses of 2001. Jeff
Burton had it the worst until his solid Martinsville effort. Kurt Busch notched
tenth at Atlanta and fourth at Texas. Overall, though, the Roush organization
has struggled greatly with the new Goodyear tires being used, and and admitted
horsepower gaffe has also hurt.
ULTRA MOTORSPORTS – FORD
#7 Mike Wallace
A sixth at Daytona has been this team’s
lone highlight.
MORTON-BOWERS-VALVOLINE MOTORSPORTS –
PONTIAC
#10 Johnny Benson; #36 Ken Schrader
Johnny Benson is having a career season so
far with solid efforts almost everywhere translating to a solid points effort.
His efforts have left teammate Ken Schrader in the dust in the ex-Ernie Irvan
#36.
BRETT BODINE RACING – Ford
#11 Brett Bodine
No resources to work with, no shot.
FOYT ENTERPRISES – PONTIAC
#14 Ron Hornaday
If driving spirit means anything, then
Foyt Enterprises and Ron Hornaday are an outfit with huge potential. Certainly
in terms of competiveness Hornaday has shown up-front moxie, at Daytona, Vegas,
and Martinsville.
JOE GIBBS RACING – PONTIAC
#18 Bobby Labonte; #20 Tony Stewart
The other big collapse of 2001. Stewart’s
twelfth place in points helps cushion the blow, but Bobby’s 21st in points
hurts. Each has a top five and another top ten – ironically, both came at the
same tracks, Rockingham (both top fives) and Martinsville.
WOOD BROTHERS RACING – FORD
#21 Elliott Sadler
The phoenix of 2001. At Bristol the sport
took a long-overdue trip down 1970s memory lane as the #21 battled the #43 for
the win. Elliott admitted doubting himself as a Winston Cup driver, but those
doubts were erased with the Bristol win and a solid Texas effort a week later.
TRAVIS CARTER MOTORSPORTS – FORD
#26 Jimmy Spencer; #66 Todd Bodine
Vegas was the team’s strongest day so far
as Todd Bodine notched his only top five of the year while Spencer nabbed the
first of three top tens. Spencer has followed up with fourth at Darlington and
ninth at Martinsville. Todd’s presence has definately lifted the team to a
stronger level of competitiveness.
EEL RIVER RACING – PONTIAC
#27 Kenny Wallace
NASCAR vetoed two sponsors – one Penthouse
Magazine – for Jack Birmingham’s outfit, and the team continues to struggle.
ROBERT YATES RACING – FORD
#28 Ricky Rudd; #88 Dale Jarrett
The new dominator. Dale Jarrett now has
three wins and handily leads the points, while Ricky Rudd continues searching
for another win, one it appeared he’d get at Martinsville.
PPI – FORD
#32 Ricky Craven; #96 Andy Houston
Signed just before the start of 2001,
Ricky Craven has made a major difference for Cal Wells’ Tide ride with stellar
efforts at Daytona, Rockingham, and Martinsville. The only impressive finish,
though, came at The Rock, but the overall effort has been impressive. Rookie
Andy Houston has struggled more with several DNQs.
JASPER MOTORSPORTS – Ford
#77 Robert Pressley
No longer can this team be considered just
fodder; nonetheless, it isn’t up to winning level yet.
As they are still a story onto themselves,
the Dodge Motorsports contingent requires a separate entry:
DODGE MOTORSPORTS –
Evernham Motorsports – #9 Bill Elliott;
#19 Casey Atwood
Bill Davis Racing – #22 Ward Burton; #93
Dave Blaney
Ganassi Racing – #40 Sterling Marlin; #01
Jason Leffler
Petty Enterprises – #43 John Andretti; #44
Buckshot Jones; #45 Kyle Petty
Melling Racing – #92 Stacy Compton
The stat that stands out is that Dodge has
not won yet. It turned out that hoping for wins in the first third of the season
was not so unrealistic after all. And that has helped hide that Dodge still has
a long way to go to get to a truly competitive level.
This has shown with the three workhorse
teams in building the Dodge program. Ray Evernham has found being a car owner to
be a lot harder than being a crew chief, and perhaps he’s found it substantially
harder than he expected. Casey Atwood missed Atlanta and has not yet shown the
top-ten moxie he had at Homestead in 2000. Bill Elliott finished fifth at
Daytona more on attrition than anything and has not had a top ten finish since.
Bill Davis’ team showed great muscle at
Daytona with both teams and with Ward Burton at Bristol and Dave Blaney at
Atlanta and Texas. Ward’s point position is reasonably good with several top
fifteen finishes atop his fifth at Bristol.
Petty Enterprises has had an up-and-down
season as well, hitting the down cycle with the Martinsville mess. Kyle failed
to qualify at three races and only at Bristol did he show genuine moxie.
Buckshot Jones, thought to be too aggressive in Grand National, has turned out
to be too timid so far in Winston Cup, despite reasonable efforts at Atlanta and
Bristol. John Andretti has posted the team’s best moments so far with a stellar
sixth at Darlington and second at Bristol.
The Dodge team that has taken the lead has
been Sterling Marlin’s #40 Ganassi effort. From the 125 mile win at Daytona,
Marlin has assembled enough top fives and tens to make a genuine title run. Less
fortunate has been his teammate, rookie Jason Leffler, who failed to qualify for
the two short track events run in the first third of the season.
Quietest of all has been Stacy Compton,
tenth at Daytona and fifteenth at Martinsville.
So has wrapped up the first third of the
season.