Who has thrived with the new aero package?

Rusty Wallace

The season's biggest surprise has been the resurgence of Wallace, who is on his Last Call retirement tour. Wallace had begged NASCAR to adopt softer tires for quite some time. This season, the sanctioning body reduced the size of the spoilers and softened the compound of the tires, and the new package plays right into the hands of the 1989 Winston Cup champ. "Young guys want the big spoilers, and veterans want the shorter spoilers:' says Wallace, who finished 16th in the standings last year. After running in the top 10 most of this season, he fell to 13th at Talladega. "I've been used to tire wear my whole life. I've been used to tires falling off, pitting and putting four tires on, and the car flies. You get a lot of grip, and you go." the No. 2 has gotten a handle on the new Charger faster than the other Dodge teams. Much of the credit goes to crew chief Larry Carter's constructive use of the wind tunnel and testing early and often to make sure the team has the setup right.

GREG BIFFLE He always has had the talent; now he has the cars and crew to go with it. After his win at Texas, Biffle said the current spoiler package makes the cars the most difficult he's ever driven--but being a wheelman, he's well suited for the challenge. One of the No. 16 car's secret weapons: a set of shocks crew chief Doug Richert discovered and first used last year at Michigan. Biffle says the increased grip they've provided has helped him attack the corners, and that's especially helpful with the shorter spoiler. With Richert's extensive wind tunnel time and the factory support from Ford, Biffle will contend all season. JIMMIE JOHNSON The greatest advantages Johnson and the No. 48 crew have are the ability to adapt and the resources to make changes accordingly. The most notable change has been putting the grip back into the racecar, which has been the biggest factor in Johnson's early success. Crew chief Chad Knaus believes the key to getting the right setup is through the tires. "With the loss of the rear downforce they've given us on the cars, you can still make a car balanced:' Knaus says. "You make it to where it's not as fast, but you can still make a balanced car. I think you're seeing people really having trouble handling the cars." The feedback Johnson gives Knaus during a race allows Knaus to alter tire pressures and make other adjustments to improve handling on the car. So far, so good. TONY STEWART Smoke climbed to sixth in the standings at Talladega, and he's one of the few drivers not complaining about the shorter spoiler. Considering his open-wheel background, it makes sense he would prefer a looser car. He still believes balance is the key, and for the No. 20 car that means making the loss of downforce on the back equal on the front. Crew chief Greg Zipadelli has done extensive work on the cars to mount the body in a way that creates the balance Stewart needs. The team has had issues with its engines, but Stewart says he'd prefer to know the engine shop is pushing to find horse power rather than resting on its laurels. KYLE PETTY He says the team's improvement isn't the result of just one thing. New crew chief Paul Andrews has taken strain off former chief Greg Steadman, who was overseeing both the No. 45 and No. 43 teams and now can concentrate on the No. 43. Evernham Motorsports' engines have offered more horsepower and have given Petty Enterprises a pipeline to the Dodge technology that has given the team a leg up on adjusting to the Charger's aero package.

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