Winning chemistry: one part respect, one part laughter: if you're looking for a combination as comforting as Jack and Coke, try Blaney and Lopez

Lee Spencer

The guffaws emanating from the front of the plane resemble those of a couple of kids cutting up in class while the teacher is away, destined to get thwaped on the knuckles upon her return.

A few minutes later, it's a natural laugh, the kind that's shared by long-married couples who finish each other's sentences. Then it's a hearty laugh, the kind that's contagious to all within earshot. The laughs are endless, signifying good times.

"When it stops being fun on Sundays, that's when I'll walk away," crew chief Philippe Lopez says.

Lopez isn't going anywhere any time soon. Today is all about fun. No, it's not racing; Lopez and driver Dave Blaney are jetting off to Lynchburg, Tenn., to visit the team's sponsor, Jack Daniel's. Often you can tell how good a team is or how good a team can be just by watching the relationship between the driver and crew chief. With Blaney and Lopez's No. 07, there's definite chemistry.

The two first met at Bill Davis Racing but ran just four races together before Blaney left for Jasper Motorsports for the 2002 season. They were reunited again at Bill Davis last year for a while, racing a research and development team for six races.

When it appeared Blaney would be selected for the No. 11 ride at Joe Gibbs Racing last year, Lopez left BDR to build the foundation for the new team. After that deal fell apart, and Blaney was selected as the driver of the No. 07 Chevrolet, Lopez joined Richard Childress Racing in time for the Phoenix race last November.

At the time, Blaney was not in a car, but he and Lopez tested together. The early reunion allowed Blaney and Lopez to get reacquainted and helped the team jell.

The team has shown dramatic improvement over last season. At a recent test at Texas, Lopez's home track, Blaney's speeds topped the charts. Now, some in the garage believe that Blaney has a good chance of getting that breakthrough victory this season. Team owner Richard Childress agrees.

"The communication and the respect that Dave and Philippe have for each other is strong," Childress says. "I think they have a lot of potential to come out of the box and win a race pretty quickly. We know we still have a few things to tweak, and we'll be there."

Blaney was a World of Outlaws champion but never found the comfort level be was seeking in stock cars until he worked with Lopez, whose optimism is infectious.

"We just work well together," Blaney says. "No tricks, just basic ways of doing things seemed to mesh well with what I wanted in a racecar, and you could see that this time. We've run well, and it was easy to do.

"When I say that, I mean that we didn't have to thrash and thrash on the cars to do it. We'd get close, make a couple of changes, and we'd be in the ballpark."

Or better yet, victory lane.

speed reads

Considering Robby Gordon is 3-for-5 in qualifying for Cup races, it's time for him to re-evaluate his engine program. The Menard engines clearly aren't getting the job done.

Martinsville is one track where teams won't have to worry about the new tires. Goodyear is bringing the same combination to the track that was used in 2004.

Expect teams to schedule tests on tracks where the new impound rule will be applied. It's becoming obvious that the loss of practice sessions after qualifying is not affording teams enough time to set up cars.

When NASCAR begins to develop the 2005 schedule, let's hope it takes geography into consideration. Going from Daytona to California is brutal, and scheduling Las Vegas third killed attendance figures in Fontana. TV ratings were strong for California, but that was the case when Rockingham went second, too.

INSIDE DISH

For those who wondered if conditions at Dale Earnhardt Inc. were dire enough to swap the Nos. 15 and 8 crews and cars back to the original drivers-think again. "There will never be a flip back," says a DEI source, who adds that the 15 crew, formerly the No. 8, was disappointed with Earnhardt. "I don't think they would take him back. We said we would work with Michael (Waltrip) this year for us to get a young gun for next year. What's happened is fate, and we're going to make the most of it." Earnhardt echoed similar sentiments and reiterated his confidence in crew chief Pete Rondeau. "The way Pete has hung in there further constitutes my belief in him," he says. Earnhardt and Waltrip are 17th and 27th, respectively, in points. * With the recent steroids uproar in stick-and-ball sports, will there be mandatory testing in NASCAR, especially on the heels of the decision by the FIA (which governs Formula I) to adhere to the World Anti-Doping Agency's rules for its races? "No," according to NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston. "Our policy supersedes FIA rules. NASCAR prohibits the misuse of any drug in its series and randomly tests based on reasonable suspicion. That policy has been in effect for 15 years, and we think that works really well for the sport." Offenders face suspension and must undergo rehabilitation. The competitor may be reinstated once the sanctioning body is satisfied there has been progress. * With the Dodge camp still working on aero balance for the new Intrepid, it's not surprising Jamie McMurray will test at Kentucky this week to prepare for Texas in two weeks. "I'm not a big fan of the spoiler;' McMurray says. "I would love to see them leave the tires the same and put the spoilers back because the cars aren't really fun to drive anymore. I get back in my Busch car, and it's a lot more fun to drive because it has so much more grip" Mac says the lack of downforce has made it difficult to pass and he'd like to see changes before next season. * New qualifying procedures based on 2005 points kick in at Martinsville, where the top 35 drivers in points get automatic berths. Thirty-fifth-place Jason Leffler was the last driver to be locked in, but Ricky Rudd, who currently is 37th, will have to qualify to make the race. * With back-to-back short track races, there's not a lot of time for tempers to cool before drivers are in close quarters again. Tony Stewart, whose third-place at Bristol was his best finish this season, says, "If you had a problem with somebody today, you're going to remember it next week."

With five top fives at Martinsville heading into last fall's race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on the verge of tripping the short track Trifecta--until the track went through a repaying project last summer. "When we went back there last fall, we were terrible," Junior says. The difference was dramatic enough to force the No. 8 crew to burn a two day test at Martinsville last month to prepare for this weekend's event. "We're trying to get the car to where it can turn," Earnhardt says. I wish they wouldn't have changed it. It was exciting." Earnhardt believes the tack of an outside groove has diminished the side-by-side racing that fans have come to expect at Martinsville.

Bottom-line accountability

Beyond the penalties Kevin Harvick's No. 29 team and Richard Childress Racing received after fuel cell infractions at Las Vegas, owner Richard Childress got a wakeup call when sponsor GM Goodwrench called to inquire why crew chief Todd Berrier was suspended for four races.

It's bad enough when a team loses a crew chief through NASCAR's justice system. It's worse when the company writing the check to run your race team says, "R.C., you've got some explaining to do."

Yes, the punishment levied was excessive. Considering the infractions occurred during qualifying, starting at the back of the field was fair retribution-though the $25,000 fine wasn't outlandish, especially after Berrier admitted the risk was worth the gamble, adding that he would do it again.

NASCAR made an example of the No. 29 team by taking 25 points and sending Berrier to timeout. But in the future, the consequences from the sponsors will make more of a statement.

TSN's POWER POLL

[up arrow] 1. Jimmie Johnson

2. Tony Stewart

3. Greg Biffle

4. Kevin Harvick Maybe the No. 29 team should keep a permanent seat for Richard Childress on top of the pit box. The Goodwrench Chevrolet hasn't been that stellar since its former driver was behind the wheel.

[down arrow] 5. Elliott Sadler

6. Kurt Busch

7. Rusty Wallace

8. Dale Jarrett

9. Carl Edwards

10. Travis Kvapil

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