Is it too early to panic? Not for Gibbs, Roush teams

Sporting News, The, March 26, 2001 by Lee Spencer

Joe Gibbs once said the most difficult lesson in his transition from NFL coach to NASCAR team owner was learning how to lose. Losing is one thing. Watching your teams border on self-destruction is quite another. No Gibbs team ever stays down long, but clearly the troops must rally before it's too late.

It has been an uncharacteristically rough start for defending Winston Cup champion Bobby Labonte. The No. 18 team finished 40th after being caught up in the big wreck at Daytona and then experienced mechanical problems at Las Vegas and Atlanta. His 11th-place finish at Darlington pulled him up to, ahem, 20th in points.

Labonte's DNFs (did not finish) at Daytona and Atlanta were his first since the August 1999 race at Bristol, Tenn.

I still can see Tony Stewart, Labonte's teammate, flipping end over end in the opener at Daytona. Stewart, who won six races last year, is 15th in points and has led only four laps through five races.

Both drivers lost engines at Atlanta.

"It's just part of the sequence of racing, and what you try to do is stick with what you normally do--what worked for you before--and try not to get off path," Labonte says. "It's always a work in progress to keep making sure that you try to block out what you can't avoid and focus on the positive."

Rusty Wallace thinks many of the teams are having problems because they aren't adjusting to the new tire compounds as well as expected. Goodyear went with fewer and harder tire compounds this season to save money and to make the competition more even.

"The tires are way different," Wallace says. "Everybody's setup is different, and it's going to take a lot of getting used to. I expect the second half of the year for everyone to be back up to speed. I think when everybody has this tire figured out, the top teams will start shining again."

Wallace also points to a high number of blown engines and crashes that have eliminated regular contenders, including himself at Las Vegas. After Daytona, the caution flag flew before the third lap in each of the next three races.

If the first five races are an indication of how the rest of the year will unfold, it's time to dispose of my preseason predictions and think anew. For now, though, a quick primer on where things stand.

* Biggest disappointment: Roush Racing. It would be nice to think Jeff Burton could be in the running for the championship at the end of the season, but he will be the first to tell you that 34th in points alter five races is a formidable hole out of which to climb. Although teammate Mark Martin had six DNFs last season and finished eighth in points, can anyone remember when all of the Roush cars--Burton, Martin, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch--were 23rd or worse in the standings?

Don't expect Roush to sit idly. He claims to have spent more on engine and aerodynamic research in the last 12 months than in the history of his organization. Roush won't allow the sport to move ahead without him.

* Biggest surprise: Kevin Harvick. No one expected Casey Atwood to shut out the rookie field completely, but since Harvick's promotion, he has been in a class of his own. Harvick set a record by winning a Winston Cup race in just his third start, and despite missing Daytona, he's 13th in points. Though this Richard Childress team has a reputation for being one of the best, the talented Harvick has added an unexpected spark, and the excitement is infectious.

And, yes, it's a surprise that Johnny Benson and Sterling Marlin are tied for second in points after five races.

* Most likely to move up: Ward Burton. His was the best car not to win the Daytona 500 when he was punted from the field on lap 173 after leading 53 laps, most of any driver. The No. 22 was 33rd in points after the first race but moved up to 17th. Both Bill Davis teams (Dave Blaney is the other driver) have shown promise and have become acclimated quickly to the Dodges. With stout motors from Terry Elledge and crew chief Tommy Baldwin calling the shots, Burton has the foundation to build a winning squad.

* Most likely to fall: Michael Waltrip. He finished 25th at Darlington and dropped to eighth in points. This team has all the resources and key personnel to be successful, and now it's up to Mikey to make use of the tools. It took Waltrip 15 seasons to make it to victory lane, and it has been 304 races since he won a pole. Whether he remains a one-win wonder is up to him.

TSN's Power Poll

                                      Winston
Rank   Driver            TSN points   Cup pts.

 1.    Dale Jarrett         562       756 (1)
 2.    Jeff Gordon          474       656 (4)
 3.    Sterling Marlin      436       691 (2)
 4.    Steve Park           420       615 (5)
 5.    Johnny Benson        414       691 (2)
 6.    Kevin Harvick        390       564 (13)
 7.    Rusty Wallace        364       606 (7)
 8.    Ricky Rudd           348       609 (6)
 9.    Michael Waltrip      335       597 (8)
10.    Bill Elliott         290       589 (9)

Through race No. 5, at Darlington.