The question occasionally is asked about race car drivers: Are they athletes?
NASCAR drivers steer a 3,400-pound vehicle at speeds exceeding 200 m.p.h. bumper to bumper with competitors for up to four hours at a time. They have to make instant decisions as far as slowing down, speeding up or getting around another car. They often do it in conditions that would make a blast furnace seem like an air-conditioned room. They do it virtually every week from February through November. After they do it, they’re more than exhausted
Yes, they’re athletes.
One of the joys of being a Winston Cup fan is the knowledge that if you see a race, you’ll see your favorite driver. Dale Earnhardt, for example, was revered in part because every regular NASCAR fan had seem him race numerous times. You don’t have to consult a schedule to see when a star is going to come to town; if there’s a Winston Cup race scheduled, he’ll be in it.
Because the Winston Cup schedule is so jammed, it has been suggested that the circuit split into an A series and a B series, half of the drivers at one track on a Sunday; half at another.
Pray it doesn’t happen.
The drivers profiled here will be on the Chicagoland Speedway track Sunday for the second Tropicana 400.
John Andretti
Age: 39.
Home: Indianapolis.
Car: No. 43 Cheerios Dodge.
Crew chief: Brandon Thomas.
Career: 279 Winston Cup starts, 2 career victories, 35 top 10s, 2 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 0 poles; 29th in points standings, 959 behind leader.
Profile: Jockey-sized driver has regressed in standings for four straight years, from 11th to 17th to 23rd to 31st last year, fueling rumors that car owner Richard Petty would dump him. Some improvement this season. Drives the No. 43 car once worn by the King himself. Nephew of the great Mario.
Casey Atwood
Age: 21.
Home: Antioch, Tenn.
Car: No. 7 Sirius Dodge.
Crew chief: Buddy Barnes.
Career: 55 starts, 0 victories, 4 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 31st in points standings, 983 behind leader.
Profile: Rookie-of-the-year favorite last year didn’t live up to his potential. Third-place finish in Miami last November is reason for hope, however. Circuit’s youngest driver; he won two Busch Series races at 18.
Dave Blaney
Age: 39.
Home: Sharon, Pa.
Car: No. 77 Jasper Ford.
Crew chief: Ryan Pemberton.
Career: 92 starts, 0 victories, 10 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 2 top 10s, 0 poles; 19th in points standings, 617 behind leader.
Profile: Good trend: He’s improved from 31st in 2000, his first full season, to 22nd last year to 19th.
Part of Dodge’s comeback last season, he has switched to a Ford team. Owns a World of Outlaws sprint-car team.
Brett Bodine
Age: 43.
Home: Chemung, N.Y.
Car: No. 11 Hooters Ford.
Crew chief: Mike Cisco.
Career: 459 starts, 1 victory, 61 top 10s, 5 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 34th in points standings, 1,066 behind leader.
Profile: A Winston Cup rarity, the owner of the car he drives. He’s well aware he can’t compete regularly with top teams, yet pushes on. Ended last season with an eighth-place finish, his first top 10 since 1997. Wife Diane knows what he goes through: she was “sore but OK” after flipping her car this week.
Todd Bodine
Age: 38.
Home: Chemung, N.Y.
Car: No. 26 Discover Ford.
Crew chief: Donnie Wingo.
Career: 152 starts, 0 victories, 17 top 10s, 5 poles.
2002: 7 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 1 pole; 40th in points standings, 1,696 behind leader.
Profile: Call him Front-Row Todd for finishing last year with three poles, behind only superstars Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett. Had the front-row spot at Chicagoland. But more telling is that the poles became finishes of 14th, 43rd and 14th. Youngest of the three Bodine brothers (veteran Geoffrey runs a limited schedule).
Jeff Burton
Age: 35.
Home: South Boston, Va.
Car: No. 99 Citgo Ford.
Crew chief: Frank Stoddard.
Career: 276 starts, 17 victories, 117 top 10s, 2 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 7 top 10s, 0 poles; 13th in points standings, 414 behind leader.
Profile: Never quite overcame a horrendous start in 2001 in which he finished 30th or worse in four of the first six races. Qualifying was a big problem: He had only six top-10 starting positions last year. Victory total has gone from six to four to two last year to none so far. Comes to Joliet with three straight finishes of 20th or worse.
Ward Burton
Age: 40.
Home: South Boston, Va.
Car: No. 22 Caterpillar Dodge.
Crew chief: Tom Baldwin.
Career: 267 starts, 4 victories, 70 top 10s, 7 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 3 top 10s, 1 pole; 24th in points standings, 799 behind leader.
Profile: Won last February’s Daytona 500 but has only two other top 10s this year. Did well at Daytona again last week: started 41st but was ninth at the end.
Two of his victories have come at Darlington. Attended college for two years, then lived the next two in a log cabin.
Kurt Busch
Age: 23.
Home: Las Vegas.
Car: No. 97 Rubbermaid Ford.
Crew chief: Jimmy Fennig.
Career: 59 starts, 1 victory, 13 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory 7 top 10s, 0 poles; 10th in points standings, 295 behind leader.
Profile: At 23, he’s the youngest of the circuit’s young guns. Began racing at 14. Scored breakthrough victory at Bristol in March. Was held in the pits for four laps as punishment for cursing NASCAR officials over the radio during last Saturday’s Pepsi 400. He has apologized.
Stacy Compton
Age: 34.
Home: Hurt, Va.
Car: No. 14 Conseco Pontiac.
Crew chief: Mike Hillman.
Career: 64 starts, 0 victories, 3 top 10s, 2 poles.
2002: 16 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 36th in points standings, 1,184 behind leader.
Profile: Plans to run a full season in both Winston Cup and Busch, racing both for A.J. Foyt. He’s 10th in Busch standings.
Ricky Craven
Age: 36.
Home: Newport, Maine.
Car: No. 32 Tide Ford.
Crew chief: Mike Beam.
Career: 197 starts, 1 victory, 29 top 10s, 6 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 5 top 10s, 2 poles; 14th in points standings, 439 behind leader.
Profile: 1995 rookie of the year finally won a race last year (Martinsville), and even the competition cheered. Popular driver has battled injuries and funding problems but finds himself in a formidable 13th place in the points chase this year. Usually helps himself by qualifying well.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Age: 27.
Home: Kannapolis, N.C.
Car: No. 8 Budweiser Chevy.
Crew chief: Tony Eury.
Career: 92 starts, 6 victories, 21 top 10s, 4 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 6 top 10s, 0 poles; 15th in points standings, 487 behind leader.
Profile: Dad never held back and rarely expressed self-doubt. But Junior has questioned his decision not to attempt a pass on teammate Michael Waltrip late in last week’s Pepsi 400. It has been an up-and-down 2002, but he’s still destined for greatness–he already has stardom. The No. 8 is in honor of grandfather Ralph Earnhardt, a NASCAR pioneer driver.
Bill Elliott
Age: 46.
Home: Dawsonville, Ga.
Car: No. 9 Dodge Dealers Dodge.
Crew chief: Mike Ford.
Career: 676 starts, 41 victories, 301 top 10s, 53 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 7 top 10s, 2 poles; 9th in points standings, 284 behind leader.
Profile: Resurgent veteran has adapted beautifully to the new Dodge. Returned to Victory Lane last year, at Homestead, for the first time in seven years. Has earned more than $20 million in Winston Cup purses. Series champ in `88 saw 10-year streak of winning Most Popular Driver Award ended last year by Dale Earnhardt.
Jeff Gordon
Age: 30.
Home: Pittsboro, Ind.
Car: No. 24 DuPont Chevy.
Crew chief: Robbie Loomis.
Career: 310 starts, 58 victories, 200 top 10s, 42 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 10 top 10s, 2 poles; 5th in points standings, 150 behind leader.
Profile: The four-time series champion insists his marital troubles haven’t affected his driving. Well, something sure has. He’s winless this year and for 25 straight races. Has a tough climb to catch Marlin in points race. Many still think he’s the best ever, and he’s just 30 in a sport where many drivers have excelled into their 40s.
Robby Gordon
Age: 33.
Home: Cerritos, Calif.
Car: No. 31 Cingular Chevy.
Crew chief: Gil Martin.
Career: 79 starts, 1 victory, 4 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 0 poles; 26th in points standings, 851 behind leader.
Profile: The circuit wondered whether last year’s season-ending victory at New Hampshire was a sign that he’s finally living up to his potential, or another tease. This year’s dismal showing looks like the answer. Switched to a car owned by the savvy Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt’s car owner when he died. But he has switched teams before.
Jeff Green
Age: 39.
Home: Owensboro, Ky.
Car: No. 30 AOL Chevy.
Crew chief: Todd Berrier.
Career: 75 starts, 0 victories, 4 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 0 poles; 23rd in points standings, 708 behind leader.
Profile: Second last season in the Busch series, in which he has won 14 races, two. His 2000 Busch season was a monster: he had 25 top-five finishes and won the title by 616 points. Childress owns his Winston Cup car and sponsorship is solid. Hasn’t run more than 22 Winston Cup races in a season.
Bobby Hamilton
Age: 45.
Home: Nashville.
Car: No. 55 Schneider Chevy.
Crew chief: Jimmy Elledge.
Career: 354 starts, 4 victories, 66 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 2 top 10s, 0 poles; 27th in points standings, 855 behind leader.
Profile: Victory at Talladega last year seemed to say this veteran wasn’t through, but it has been a rough 2002, with six finishes of 30th or worse. Has a new crew chief.
Rookie of the year in 1991. Son Bobby Jr. making steady progress on Busch circuit.
Kevin Harvick
Age: 26.
Home: Bakersfield, Calif.
Car: No. 29 Goodwrench Chevy.
Crew chief: Kevin Hamlin.
Career: 51 starts, 2 victories, 18 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 16 starts, 0 victories, 2 top 10s, 1 pole; 30th in points standings, 972 behind leader.
Profile: This hasn’t been sophomore jinx; it’s been sophomore catastrophe. Chicagoland’s inaugural winner had a memorable first season after taking over Dale Earnhardt’s ride: two victories, the rookie-of-the-year award plus the Busch Series championship. This year, ouch! Winning pole for last week’s Pepsi 400 was a good sign.
Dale Jarrett
Age: 45.
Home: Newton, N.C.
Car: No. 88 UPS Ford.
Crew chief: Todd Parrott.
Career: 475 starts, 29 victories, 217 top 10s, 16 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 7 top 10s, 1 pole; 11th in points standings, 389 behind leader.
Profile: Qualifying has been a problem this year for the 1999 series champ: Average starting spot has been 20th. Four victories translated into only a fifth-place series finish last year because of inconsistency: He was 30th or worse a crippling five times. Father Ned won 50 races and is now a broadcaster.
Jimmie Johnson
Age: 26.
Home: El Cajon, Calif.
Car: No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy.
Crew chief: Chad Knaus.
Career: 20 starts, 2 victories, 11 top 10s, 3 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 2 victories, 11 top 10s, 3 poles; 3rd in points standings, 114 behind leader.
Profile: A rookie never has won the Winston Cup points title, and Johnson probably won’t either. But he has had a spectacular season, in a car with solid connections: it’s owned by Jeff Gordon and by Gordon’s car owner, Rick Hendrick. Johnson is the only driver in the top five who’s younger than 30. It took him just 13 races to win one.
Matt Kenseth
Age: 30.
Home: Cambridge, Wis.
Car: No. 17 DeWalt Ford.
Crew chief: Robbie Reiser.
Career: 93 starts, 4 victories, 31 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 17 starts, 3 victories, 9 top 10s, 1 pole; 8th in points standings, 275 behind leader.
Profile: Rookie of the year in 2000 slipped last year but is back in gear. His three victories lead the circuit, although inconsistency has him in just eighth place. These days he’s the lone driver from Wisconsin, which has given NASCAR some good ones, including Dave Marcis, Alan Kulwicki and Dick Trickle.
Bobby Labonte
Age: 38.
Home: Corpus Christi, Texas.
Car: No. 18 Interstate Pontiac.
Crew chief: Jimmy Makar.
Career: 311 starts, 19 victories, 145 top 10s, 21 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 3 top 10s, 0 poles. 22nd in points standings, 671 behind leader.
Profile: Says this year has been a “major disappointment” and last year wasn’t so hot either as the 2000 champion dipped to sixth. Team owner Joe Gibbs coached three Super Bowl winners and has a shot at as many Winston Cup titles with Tony Stewart also in the stable.
Terry Labonte
Age: 45.
Home: Corpus Christi, Texas.
Car: No. 5 Kellogg’s Chevy.
Crew chief: Jim Long.
Career: 726 starts, 21 victories, 343 top 10s, 26 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 3 top 10s, 0 poles; 17th in points standings, 565 behind leader.
Profile: Third-place finish last month at Sonoma was his first top five in 73 races. Still, he has avoided disastrous finishes and is in 17th place, better than he has finished the last two years. Two-time series champion (’84 and `96) brushes off talk of retirement.
Sterling Marlin
Age: 45.
Home: Columbia, Tenn.
Car: No. 40 Coors Light Dodge.
Crew chief: Lee McCall.
Career: 556 starts, 10 victories, 188 top 10s, 12 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 2 victories, 10 top 10s, 1 pole; first in standings by 77 points.
Profile: A great story. Just turned 45 and is driving better than ever, leading in the points chase since the second race of the season. The last five champions have led the standings after the Pepsi 400. His move to Dodge has worked, to say the least. He’s a throwback to a time when drivers were a bit less polished than they are today.
Mark Martin
Age: 43.
Home: Batesville, Ark.
Car: No. 6 Viagra Ford.
Crew chief: Ben Leslie.
Career: 492 starts, 33 victories, 305 top 10s, 41 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 12 top 10s, 0 poles; second in points standings, 114 behind leader.
Profile: After a winless 2001 when he finished out of the top 10 for the first time in 12 years, he’s back in a big way. Needed a good finish at Daytona last week and got it: fifth. He’s by far the career victory leader (45) in the Busch Series, but he has given that up. His son, Matt, 11, apparently will join the family business: He’s racing quarter-midgets now.
Rick Mast
Age: 45.
Home: Rockbridge Baths, Va.
Car: No. 90 Duke’s Ford.
Crew chief: Craig Huartson.
Career: 364 starts, 0 victories, 36 top 10s, 4 poles.
2002: 9 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 43rd in points standings, 1,792 behind leader.
Profile: The worst three letters in the English language for a driver are DNQ, and Mast led the league by not qualifying 15 times last year. Has made only nine races this year, six by using provisionals. Legend has it he traded a cow for his first race car.
Jeremy Mayfield
Age: 33.
Home: Owensboro, Ky.
Car: No. 19 Dodge Dealers Dodge.
Crew chief: Sammy Johns.
Career: 255 starts, 3 victories, 60 top 10s, 6 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 2 top 10s, 0 poles; 25th in points standings, 821 behind leader.
Profile: Hasn’t lived up to early career promise. Most recent finish of 20th or better was on May 18. Missed the last eight races last year and finished 27th. Has switched from Ford to Dodge, a car owned by the incomparable Ray Evernham.
Jerry Nadeau
Age: 31.
Home: Danbury, Conn.
Car: No. 00 Aaron’s Chevy.
Career: 153 starts, 1 victory, 11 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 14 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 0 poles; 37th in points standings, 1,217 behind leader.
Profile: NASCAR’s 2000 season finale at Atlanta was his first victory. Had Sears Point road race won last month before a late gear problem did him in. Had a promising 2001 (17th place), but he’s only 37th this season. Once competed in a go-kart race on ice in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Joe Nemechek
Age: 39.
Home: Lakeland, Fla.
Car: No. 25 UAW Chevy.
Crew chief: Ken Howes.
Career: 267 starts, 2 victories, 32 top 10s, 6 poles.
2002: 14 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 38th in points standings, 1,319 behind leader.
Profile: Used to be called Front-Row Joe, somewhat derisively, because he had a knack for winning poles but not races. Finally broke through in ’99 and got back to Victory Lane at Rockingham last year. Part of the formidable Hendrick Motorsports outfit. Missed five races to injury last year. Was 36th last week at Daytona.
Ryan Newman
Age: 24.
Home: South Bend, Ind.
Car: No. 12 Alltel Ford.
Crew chief: Matt Borland.
Career: 25 starts, 0 wins, 10 top 10s, 2 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 8 top 10s, 1 pole; 16th in points standings, 500 behind leader.
Profile: Won non-points Winston all-star race in May. First opened some eyes by winning the pole at Charlotte last May and finishing second in Kansas City last September. Has a structural engineering degree from Purdue.
Steve Park
Age: 34.
Home: East Northport, N.Y.
Car: No. 1 Pennzoil Chevy.
Crew chief: Paul Andrews.
Career: 127 starts, 2 victories, 30 top 10s, 2 poles.
2002: 13 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 39th in points standings, 1,402 behind leader.
Profile: Opened season on the sidelines, recovering from head injuries sustained in a Busch series race last August. He has made 12 races this year, with 20th being his best finish. Drives for Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.
Kyle Petty
Age: 42.
Home: Randleman, N.C.
Car: No. 45 Sprint Dodge.
Crew chief: Steven Lane.
Career: 626 starts, 8 victories, 168 top 10s, 8 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 0 poles; 18th in points standings, 588 behind leader.
Profile: Like Earnhardt Jr., not intimidated by a famous father, but unlike Jr., didn’t seem to inherit the consuming desire to win. His position in the standings last year matched the number of the car the legendary Richard drove–43. But if he keeps his current position, it would be his best season finish since 1997.
Shawna Robinson
Age: 28.
Home: Des Moines.
Car: No. 49 Dakota Dodge.
Crew chief: Teddy Brown.
Career: 8 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 7 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 47th in points standings, 2,007 behind leader.
Profile: Became first female to qualify for a Winston Cup event in June 2001 at Michigan, where she finished 34th. Car owner is also a woman, Beth Ann Morgenthau. They planned 24 starts this season but have made just seven, with 24th being the best finish.
Ricky Rudd
Age: 45.
Home: Chesapeake, Va.
Car: No. 28 Havoline Ford.
Crew chief: Michael McSwain.
Career: 747 starts, 23 victories, 351 top 10s, 27 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 7 top 10s, 0 poles; 6th in points standings, 200 behind leader.
Profile: Tide pulled sponsorship in 2000 from the team Rudd owned for a decade, so he hastily joined Robert Yates’ team. The pairing has worked, but his future with Yates is up in the air these days and he even has uttered the word “retirement.” Won Sears Point road race in June. Has made a Winston Cup-record 662 straight starts.
Elliott Sadler
Age: 27.
Home: Emporia, Va.
Car: No. 21 MotorCraft Ford.
Crew chief: Pat Tryson.
Career: 122 starts, 1 victory, 8 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 4 top 10s, 0 poles; 20th in points standings, 655 behind leader.
Profile: Victory at Bristol in March 2001 is his only one in the big time. The 28th driver for the fabled Wood Brothers pioneer NASCAR team. Brother Hermie a Busch Series veteran who occasionally races Winston Cup.
Ken Schrader
Age: 47.
Home: Fenton, Mo.
Car: No. 36 M&M’s Pontiac.
Crew chief: Newt Moore.
Career: 545 starts, 4 victories, 176 top 10s, 23 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 33rd in points standings, 1,026 behind leader.
Profile: Oldest Winston Cup regular. He has raced almost every conceivable kind of vehicle. Hasn’t won a Winston Cup race since 1991 and went from 10th place in ’97 to 12th, 15th, 18th, 19th and 33rd this year in the Winston Cup standings. Was in the middle of the crash that killed Dale Earnhardt.
Mike Skinner
Age: 45.
Home: Susanville, Calif.
Car: No. 4 Kodak Chevy.
Crew chief: Chris Carrier.
Career: 180 starts, 0 victories, 1 top 10, 5 poles.
2002: 14 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 28th in points standings, 927 behind leader.
Profile: Former Truck Series champ (1995) seemed on verge of first Winston Cup victory in 1999 and 2000–and did win an exhibition race in Japan–but that was when his crew chief was the savvy Larry McReynolds, now in the Fox TV booth. Missed 13 races with a knee injury in 2001. He has run regularly in 2002 without a top-10 finish.
Jimmy Spencer
Age: 45.
Home: Berwick, Pa.
Car: No. 41 Target Dodge.
Crew chief: Doug Randolph.
Career: 386 starts, 2 victories, 75 top 10s, 4 poles.
2002: 16 starts, 0 victories, 5 top 10s, 0 poles; 21st in points standings, 663 behind leader.
Profile: Looks more like a nose tackle than a race car driver. Nicknamed “Mr. Excitement” for aggressive racing style. Both victories came in 1994. Moved from Ford to a Dodge team co-owned by Chip Ganassi.
Finished fourth at Daytona last week after not making the Daytona 500.
Tony Stewart
Age: 31.
Home: Rushville, Ind.
Car: No. 20 Home Depot Pontiac.
Crew chief: Greg Zipadelli.
Career: 121 starts, 14 victories, 75 top 10s, 5 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 2 victories, 9 top 10s, 1 pole; 7th in points standings, 212 behind leader.
Profile: Two miserable finishes this year at Daytona–43rd in the 500 and 39th last week–likely have killed his title hopes. Led influx from open-wheel racing to NASCAR when, after being IRL rookie of the year in 1998, he switched to Winston Cup. No one has gone the other way since. Second in 2001 points to Jeff Gordon.
Hut Stricklin
Age: 41.
Home: Calera, Ala.
Car: No. 23 Hills Brothers Ford.
Crew chief: Philippe Lopez.
Career: 322 starts, 0 victories, 29 top 10s, 1 pole.
2002: 16 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 32nd in points standings, 998 behind leader.
Profile: Journeyman has seen many sides of racing in the last few years. After starting 21 races in 2001 for Junie Donlavey Racing, he’s driving for Bill Davis Racing. Won a career-high $1,006,021 last year despite short campaign and is above $1 million this year. He and Steve Grissom carry on the “Alabama Gang” tradition.
Mike Wallace
Age: 42.
Home: St. Louis.
Car: No. 10 Valvoline Pontiac.
Crew chief: James Ince.
Career: 111 starts, 0 victories, 7 top 10s, 0 poles.
2002: 4 starts, 0 victories, 0 top 10s, 0 poles; 49th in points standings, 2,412 behind leader.
Profile: Filling in for Johnny Benson, who broke three ribs in last week’s Daytona race, in which Wallace finished 41st. It’s not clear when Benson will be able to race again. He missed three races earlier this season because of rib injuries suffered in a Busch series accident in May. Jerry Nadeau filled in then.
Rusty Wallace
Age: 45.
Home: St. Louis.
Car: No. 2 Miller Lite Ford.
Crew chief: Bill Wilburn.
Career: 579 starts, 54 victories, 302 top 10s, 36 poles.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victories, 10 top 10s; 4th in points standings, 144 behind leader.
Profile: Was ecstatic after last week’s second at Daytona, his only top-five finish of the year. It would be dangerous to write him off considering how well some members of the over-40 crowd are doing these days. He would equal Rudd’s 16-year victory of 1983-98 streak if he wins one this year. Many Cup drivers own jets, but Wallace has a license to pilot them.
Michael Waltrip
Age: 38.
Home: Owensboro, Ky.
Car: No. 15 NAPA Chevy.
Crew chief: Slugger Labbe.
Career: 462 starts, 2 victories; 36 starts, 1 victory, 2 top 10s in 2001.
2002: 17 starts, 1 victory, 7 top 10s, 0 poles; 12th in points standings, 390 behind leader.
Profile: If you’re going to win at one track, there’s no better place than Daytona, where both of his victories have come. But he insists he can drive on a non-restrictor-plate track like Chicagoland. Both victories have been bittersweet: First came as Dale Earnhardt was killed. Pepsi 400 triumph last week under caution had fans livid that the race wasn’t red-flagged, then restarted.
Track schedule
Friday
1:30 p.m.
Busch Series Tropicana Twister 300 qualifying.
3:05 p.m.
Winston Cup Tropicana 400 qualifying.
Saturday
12:45 p.m. IROC 100-mile race.
2:30 p.m. Tropicana Twister 300.
Sunday
1:30 p.m. Tropicana 400.
TV
Tropicana Twister 300: 2:30 p.m. Saturday,
WMAQ-Ch. 5;
Tropicana 400: 1:30 p.m. Sunday, WMAQ-Ch. 5
Other information
Where: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet.
Information: 815-722-5500.
Gates times:
Open 8 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
