Opposites attract? Sterling Marlin and his teammate Jimmy Spencer have fire-and-ice personalities and dueling accents, but NASCAR's version of the "Odd Couple" share a common bond: the intense desire to win - stock car racers

Auto Racing Digest, June-July, 2002 by Larry Woody

STERLING MARLIN IS A MAN who measures his words the way a miser measures his gold. He doles them out sparingly, almost grudgingly. "Yep" and "nope" and "maybe" tends to be the extent of Marlin's contribution to a conversation, with an occasional "aw, shoot" or "dag-gone" tossed in if he feels especially expressive.

Jimmy Spencer, on the other hand, gives speeches. He's the Patrick Henry of NASCAR. Ask him about the weather or the federal budget or the price of kumquats, and 15 minutes later he'll still be rattling on and on and on.

The media loves Spencer's gift for gab. He is a quote machine. With Marlin, the press has to pry comments out with a crowbar. Marlin is laid back and easy-going; Spencer is volatile and fiery. Sterling drawls; Jimmy jackhammers. They come from different worlds: Marlin, the down-home Tennessee farm boy and Spencer, the Northeasterner whose penchant for on-and-off-track entanglements earned him the nickname, "Mr. Excitement."

What was team owner Chip Ganassi thinking when he paired these two most unlikely partners at the end of last season? "They are both great race drivers, they are both competitive, and I they can bring out the best in each other," said Ganassi.

"I'm not so sure that Sterling and Jimmy are really different in every way," says Ganassi. "Sterling is quiet while Jimmy is more outspoken, but they each have a good sense of humor and they know racing. They may speak with different accents, but they know how to communicate, and that's the important thing. What drew me to each of them was their intense desire to win. It's my job to give them the resources and the support they need to succeed."

Spencer and Marlin, both 45, have bonded well. "I've liked Jimmy for years, ever since I got to know him around the tracks," says Marlin. "He's a real card, a lot of fun to be around. He keeps everybody loose and relaxed."

That sentiment is rare. "Sterling is the first guy I've known to say he loves to have Spencer on the team," says Ganassi.

Spencer realizes how special Marlin is, too. "I think the biggest asset I have is Sterling," says Spencer. "He wanted me to be his partner, and that goes a long way. I've always had a great relationship with Sterling. I'm pleased to be working with him and helping him win the championship."

Spencer was impressed and flattered by the enthusiastic welcome he received from Ganassi. "Chip told me, `Spencer, you excite me'" he says. "To me that was pretty cool to have a team owner like Chip Ganassi tell me that. There was no question that I wanted to drive for him. It was a no-brainer. I admire Chip's competitiveness. That's something we have in common. He wants to win and I want to win.

"Also, Chip is so positive--Sterling will tell you that, too. I think Chip is the most positive person I've ever met. That attitude rubs off on the team and I think that's one of the things that has made him such a successful owner in so many types of racing."

Entering the season, Spencer had made 370 Winston Cup but won only two races. Last year he finished 16th in the standings with three top-5s and eight top-10s in 36 starts. While nobody questions Spencer's determination and dedication, the results simply were not there. "I think my problem over the years has been that at times I've been too loyal to people at times," he says. "I probably stayed with some teams longer than I should have--even when things weren't working out. My former teammate Darrell Wal-trip once told me to be careful not to accept mediocrity. I think that was good advice.

"I still consider the guys on my old team, Hass/Carter, to be my good friends and I wish them the best, but when the opportunity came to drive for Chip there was just no way I could turn it down. I feel as if this is the best chance I've had to succeed. Just look at what Chip has been able to do for Sterling in a short period of time. He's made Sterling a winner again and I think he can do the same for me."

"The thing that Chip brings to the table is that he's a racer," says Marlin. "I thought the world of my former owner, Felix Sabates, but he just wasn't a racer. He admitted it. If somebody had told Felix that the car would go faster with three wheels, Felix would have believed them. Chip, on the other hand, has raced and been around motor sports all of his life. He was successful in open-wheel racing for the same reasons that he will is successful in NASCAR: He gets the right people in the right positions, gives them the resources they need, and lets them do their jobs."

While Spencer was struggling last year, Marlin was streaking. He finished a solid third in the standings, winning two races--the first of which gave Dodge its inaugural victory in its Winston Cup return season. Marlin has continued that momentum this season and is among the serious challengers to four-time champion Jeff Gordon's crown. An early opportunity to get a jump in the standings was missed when a mental error while leading the Daytona 500--exiting his automobile under a red-flag caution--sent Marlin from 1st to 12th place. He ended up finishing eighth. Marlin made amends, of sorts, a few weeks later with a win at Las Vegas.