One for all or all for one? In Winston Cup, there is parity on the track but, according to some, a monopoly in the boardroom - Winston Cup

Auto Racing Digest, Feb-March, 2003 by Ken Willis

IN A SPORT POWERED BY V-8 engines that generate more than 700 horsepower, one should never expect a slow, quiet season. So it should come as no surprise that the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup campaign featured spirited races, spirited drivers, a crowded championship field, safety concerns, and even a little courtroom action for good measure.

Two years into its position as a network property, NASCAR has more onlookers than ever before. Perhaps the increased focus is what makes it seem as if there is more news now than in previous years. Whatever the reason, when something happens these days, it doesn't lack for attention--regardless of whether it happens between the walls, along pit road, or in the boardroom. Here's a recap of all things Winston Cup in 2002:

On the track ...

Unless someone hits a Jeff Gordon-style groove in the coming years--and that doesn't appear likely--this will be remembered as the season parity came to Winston Cup. With Gordon's dominance a thing of the past, the points race featured roughly 10 drivers in the championship hunt as late as October. In the end--to the chagrin of some--the victor was the mercurial Tony Stewart.

This wasn't Stewart's top performance in his four-year Winston Cup career, but with so much competitive balance, he didn't need to be at his best to add more hardware to his trophy case. After this title, Stewart is among the most decorated American racers of all time, having earned championships in Midgets, Silver Crown, Sprints, the IRL and now Winston Cup.

The Winston Cup points system is designed to reward consistency--and Stewart did rely on a certain level of it--but the road to the title was hardly smooth sailing for the Indiana native. Stewart's flare-ups included a physical confrontation with a photographer following the Brickyard 400, accusations of shoving a female fan in the garage area after the August race at Bristol, numerous quick getaways following poor finishes, and the seemingly annual extension of his NASCAR-issued "probation."

It will be interesting to see how Stewart handles the increased obligations a Winston Cup champ must take on. Stewart makes no secret of his dislike for the sport's promotional duties, and that disdain might be the only thing standing between the uniquely skilled driver and multiple championships. The volatile, easily distracted Stewart can't afford another reason to not focus solely on his on-track performance.

Stewart's roller-coaster season was often overshadowed by the unlikely brilliance of not one but two rookies: Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. It's one thing for a rookie to sneak in and win a pole or two, another thing to actually win a race, and something else entirely to contend for the championship for an entire season. Johnson (age 27) and Newman (24) did all three.

And they weren't the only young drivers to leave a mark. Kurt Busch (24), in just his second full season, helped Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth return Roush Racing to its spot near the top of NASCAR's food chain. The biggest shock of all, however, came from Jamie McMurray, who stunned observers by winning the October event at Charlotte. McMurray had recently been named to drive a third Chip Ganassi-owned Dodge for the 2003 season when his future teammate, Sterling Marlin, was sidelined by a neck injury. Ganassi put McMurray in Marlin's seat for the remainder of the season, and the youngster won in just his second Cup outing.

For each success story, however, there is a driver who slips down the ladder. Jeff Burton, Dale Jarrett, and Bobby Labonte were among the notables who either never entered the championship picture or didn't stay in it for long.

Many observers also expected a better showing from 2001 rookie sensation Kevin Harvick. Instead, Harvick was part of an underachieving Richard Childress camp, which also includes Robby Gordon and Jeff Green.

And few would've thought Jeff Gordon's best chance at a championship would come as a car owner. (He, along with Rick Hendrick, controls Johnson's team.) Many wondered whether Gordon's on-track woes were tied to his protracted divorce proceedings, although the driver denies a link.

In the garage ...

Additional riches have come with NASCAR's increased drawing power. And with a larger pie at stake, teams and their big-money sponsors place more emphasis on success (and the exposure that comes with it), increasing the pressure to perform.

That played a role in much of the vigorous swapping of personnel in 2002. No one was immune--neither owners, drivers, sponsors, nor crew chiefs. Epitomizing that was the drama surrounding Ricky Rudd,which included all of the above players.

Racings "silly season--the time of year when rumors hit full steam--used to begin around Labor Day. This past season, the hottest gossip began in mid-summer and it involved Rudd, his team owner (Robert Yates), his sponsor (ChevronTexaco), and his crew chief (Michael McSwain). Alter several weeks of accusations, counter claims, and backroom negotiations, it was announced that Rudd is heading to Wood Brothers Racing in a swap that brings Elliott Sadler and a new sponsor to Yates. By season's end, McSwain had left Yates Racing to take over crew chief duties for Bobby Labonte.