Five who will thrive

Sporting News, The, July 19, 2004 by Lee Spencer

Midseason report. What midseason report?

With 18 races in the books, this is usually the time for a midseason review. My, how things have changed. The new Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup has redefined "midseason."

Still, 18 races remain in the 2004 season, and many drivers have not yet hit their stride. Others are running strong enough to be in contention but are using the 26-race regular season as one big test session so they can spank the field in the final 10. Then there are five drivers who have been on their games all season, despite a mechanical setback or two, and when the points differential is reset after Richmond, you can count on them battling for the championship.

Jimmie Johnson. >From the start of the season, it has been game on for Johnson's No. 48 team. Johnson had been in the top 10 since the fourth race of his rookie year, 2002, until the wreck at Rockingham this year, but it took just two races for the team to rebound.

Exceptionally well-prepared cars have been the key to making Johnson's talent sparkle. Other teams have experienced mechanical failures throughout the season; Johnson failed to finish two races this year because of wrecks that were not his fault. Although his pit crew isn't as solid as crew chief Chad Knaus would like, it continually helps its driver gain track position. Under the old points system, Johnson would have been a lock for the title.

Jeff Gordon. The teacher is the only competitor who could take Johnson to school. And it's an open-book policy at the Hendrick shop. If Gordon had finished the three races he didn't, he'd be in a dead heat with his teammate. No other driver in the series possesses the self-control and focus Gordon has--he just flips a switch to attack mode.

Without the engine failure at Michigan, Gordon and the No. 24 would have won three straight races from the pole. That's how you make a comeback. That's how you win championships. And no other active driver has the experience of four Cup titles to draw from.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. The Hendrick teams have passed Dale Earnhardt Inc. in restrictor-plate prowess, and their commanding performance in the Daytona night race was proof Earnhardt and the No. 8 must get to work. His car was inferior, and he couldn't rely on his pit crew. Changes must be made in the crew if Earnhardt is expected to flourish down the stretch. At the five tracks the series returns to before the playoffs, Earnhardt's average finish is 11.6, compared with Johnson's 5.0.

Matt Kenseth. He strong, but the bad luck he managed to elude during last season's run to the championship has caught up with him. Still, this is the closest-knit team in the garage, and that is a huge advantage. The dedication to the driver is second to none.

The other Roush Racing teams are rank-and-file parts of the organization, but crew chief Robbie Reiser keeps his men in a bubble, and doing so has paid off. Although qualifying has always been an issue for Kenseth, Ford's engine advancements should aid him when the tour races at Pocono, Indy, Michigan and California.

Tony Stewart. In five seasons, Stewart has not finished worse than seventh in points. Stewart, who hadn't won a race this season until last Sunday at Chicago, kept a spot in the top 10 because he has finished every race, not because of strong finishes.

Kudos to the No. 20 team for providing Stewart with solid cars and strong engines that have been able to go the distance. Now if crew chief Greg Zipadelli can keep Stewart in check for the final 18 races--that's a full-time job--they'll be ready for battle. And where there's Smoke ...

SPEED READS

* What's the best way to pick up points? By leading laps. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are the only Nextel Cup drivers to lead at least one lap in as many as 13 of the first 18 races. That's worth 60 points toward each driver's totals, no small amount when it comes to qualifying for the Chase.

* Terry Labonte's future in Nextel Cup should become clearer over the next few weeks. Labonte's contribution to Hendrick Motorsports has been sizable over the past decade. His HMS record of one championship, 12 victories and seven poles certainly makes a good argument for Labonte, 47, to finish his career in the No. 5 car.

* Kirk Shelmerdine continues to live out his dream of racing in Nextel Cup--if you can call what he's doing racing. He has started 10 races in the No. 72 but he hasn't finished one. The highlight has been two finishes of 39th, but the most laps he raced was 60 at Atlanta. Still, Shelmerdine, 46, has pocketed $645,009 for completing 264 laps.

Down the road

New England 300

* When: 2 p.m. ET Sunday, July 25

* Length: 300 laps/317.4 miles

* TV: TNT

Run with this:

Despite their squared-off, aerodynamically "dirty" appearance, the powerful machines that compete in the Craftsman Truck Series can really haul the mail. The pole speed of 183.643 mph for the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 was less than five seconds off the pole speed of 188.387 mph for the Daytona 500.

Specially designed for hauling and towing, Mobil 1 Truck & SUV formula helps provide superior protection under heavy engine loads/stress.