Ironing out the wrinkles: it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for a few Cup veterans who are competing in new rides this season

Sporting News, The, May 5, 2003 by Roger Kuznia

Six Winston Cup veterans are adjusting to new rides this season. Except for one, success has come in short bursts. By our grading system, only one of the moves can be counted as a big success after 10 races this season.

Jerry Nadeau GRADE C

If Nadeau's race results matched his qualifying efforts, he would be Winston Cup's biggest surprise. With Ryan Pemberton as his crew chief, Nadeau qualified in the top 15 in five straight races, including two top fives. But other than a fourth-place finish at Texas, Nadeau's best finish in those races was 22nd at Las Vegas.

Nadeau's No. 01 Pontiac team has been plagued by bad luck in the pits, wrecks and mechanical problems. He deserves better, and he could be a driver to watch as the season progresses if he doesn't get down on himself.

Ricky Rudd GRADE C

Rudd placed fourth at Bristol, but that is his only top 10 finish. In the majority of races, he and crew chief Pat Tryson have struggled to find the right setup for the No. 21 Ford, despite having access to Roush Racing's bevy of information.

Two races have hurt him in particular--a blown engine at Atlanta caused him to finish 35th, and he was 42nd at Talladega, when he got caught up in the day's biggest crash. Though Rudd hopes to have his problems fixed soon, it might be a while before it comes together.

Elliott Sadler GRADE A

If there were a record for the number of times a driver has praised his pit crew, Sadler would break it. His words of thanks have been justified, too. Sadler won his first career pole at Darlington and qualified in the top five four other times in the Last six races. In the same span, Sadler's No. 38 Ford has four top 10 finishes.

With additional experience, Sadler should keep improving, especially if he builds on the confidence he gained early on. Hiring car chief Shawn Parker away from the No. 97 team might be the biggest factor in the team's success.

Ken Schrader GRADE C-

Schrader's 10th-place finish at Martinsville was the first top 10 in BAM Racing's short history and the driver's first since the fall of 2001. Schrader also found short-track success at Bristol, where he qualified third (but finished 37th after wrecking). Those flashes of strength were predictable because experience is often prerequisite for success at Winston Cup's bullrings. Schrader's second-best finish of the season came at Darlington (17th), another track where experience is a key.

Until Schrader, a 19-year veteran, and crew chief Scott Eggleston figure out the intermediate tracks, the No. 49 Dodge will continue to be consistent.

Jimmy Spencer GRADE B-

Most Dodge teams have struggled to adjust to the new body locations of the cars, but Spencer remarkably has been ahead of the curve at some races. He had the best Dodge finish at Atlanta (seventh), and he also was best in class at Bristol, though his 12th-place finish didn't reflect that.

Crew chief Tommy Baldwin says he's tuning into what Spencer wants in his car, but eliminating pit problems should be a greater concern. Allowing Spencer's No. 7 to travel down pit road with the gas can attached--which happened at Mastinsville--shouldn't be tolerated again.

Kenny Wallace GRADE C

With consecutive solid runs at Talladega and Martinsville, Wallace and the the No. 23 Dodge team look to be building momentum. But that should be taken with a bit of skepticism--Wallace traditionally has performed well at those tracks.

Like Schrader, Wallace hasn't quite found the handle at the intermediate tracks, where aerodynamics affect handling so much, but clearly he's benefiting from the best ride he has ever had in Winston Cup. And it must be nice not to have to beg for sponsorship.

E-mail associate editor Roger Kuznia at rkuznia@ sportingnews.com.