The singles life isn't so bad

Sporting News, The, March 31, 2003 by Lee Spencer

Who says single-car operations are dead?

As controversial as the progression toward common templates has been, NASCAR deserves thanks for a move that has rescued the single-car dinosaurs from stock car racing's version of Jurassic Park.

If the race at Darlington is any indication, the common templates have resurrected the prospects of such drivers as Dave Blaney and Ricky Craven, the lone entries, respectively, of Jasper Motorsports and Cal Wells III.

It's time to take single-car teams off the endangered species list--a radical and welcome reversal of the trend that started in the mid-1990s, when such multicar operations as Roush Racing and Hendrick Motorsports began to dominate Winston Cup racing.

The natural selection within Cup racing favored the teams with abundant resources. The last time a single-car team finished in the top 10 in points was 1999, when Ward Burton, driving for Bill Davis Racing, finished ninth. For single-car shops, survival was the issue, and many fell by the wayside.

It was one thing for businessmen unfamiliar with the sport to lose their shirts, but when such racers as Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd couldn't field their own cars and remain competitive, it was obvious the system was broken.

NASCAR needed to devise a plan to control costs and even the playing field so Winston Cup didn't evolve into a series with eight owners controlling the competition.

In 2002, NASCAR mandated common templates for all cars starting in 2003. Although initially unpopular among the manufacturers because the cars lost their identities, the change has placed more emphasis on the drivers, crews and engines.

Reducing tests from seven to five a year also has taken an advantage away from the multicar teams, which could test at almost any track throughout the year.

Single-car teams have gotten a second chance, and Craven and Blaney have capitalized on it. Craven edged Kurt Busch for the victory at Darlington, and Blaney finished third, climbing for one week into the top 10 in the point standings.

The increased importance of personnel already is apparent with Jasper Motorsports and Blaney, who needed direction to get the most out of his team.

Enter Robert "Bootie" Barker, who became Blaney's crew chief at the end of last season. In two years with Scott Wimmer, Barker, 32, established himself as one of the top crew chiefs in the Busch Series.

After working on a limited basis with Barker at Bill Davis Racing and observing his progress as a crew chief with Wimmer, Blaney knew exactly whom he wanted to replace Ryan Pemberton, who left Jasper at the end of last season.

"Bootie really surprised me," Blaney says. "I watched what he was able to do with Scott Wimmer and how well he prepared the cars, and that impressed me. He's just a young, hungry guy. We needed someone who was enthusiastic, and Bootie fit the bill."

Enthusiasm should be the first thing you notice upon meeting Barker. It's not. Barker uses a wheelchair, which he has relied on since he lost the use of his legs in a car accident during his senior year in high school.

While pursuing an engineering degree at Old Dominion, Barker began working on Ashton Lewis Jr.'s race team. After graduating, Barker decided to pursue a career in motorsports. He was a shock specialist for Davis and Hendrick Motorsports before becoming a crew chief in 2001.

Barker's humility will not allow him to take credit for Blaney's outstanding start. Despite his engineering degree, he doesn't consider himself an engineer.

"Does wearing a cowboy hat make you a cowboy?" he asks, rhetorically. "I'm not a very good engineer, but I am competitive, and I've always loved sports. I get paid to play.

"I'm just an ambitious guy who has been able to address the weaknesses on this team and made it stronger."

Barker returned to basics and gave Blaney cars he can drive.

"Fast cars give you confidence," Blaney says. "... We're really close to being good."

NASCAR's move to common templates has given Blaney a competitive base. What has made him a weekly top 10 contender is the competitive nature of an uncommon man.

Make a pit stop at http://ultimate. sportingnews.com/stockcar/draftkit to order your very own copy of our Stock Car Fantasy Draft Kit and Season Guide.

Down the road

SAMSUNG/RADIO SHACK 500

Texas Motor Speedway

When: 1 p.m. (ET) Sunday

TV: Fox

Length: 334 laps, 500.5 miles

Run with this:

To help make pit road safer, NASCAR mandates speed limits. They range from 30 to 55 mph, depending on the tract.

M@IL BONDING

LEE SPENCER ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Now that NASCAR uses a common template for all vehicles and micro-mandates everything from engines to suspensions, why maintain the fiction that Dodges, Fords, Chevys and Pontiacs are racing out there? They're all the same car. When did NASCAR decide this was a good idea? Wouldn't it be more fun to see actual cars out there with their differing attributes, than a procession of clones?

John Reinan, Minneapolis

John: I couldn't agree with you more, but anyone who believes these cars still are stock is sadly mistaken. NASCAR introduced the idea of common templates several years ago and brought the concept to fruition this year.