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Eye on 2002, NASCAR puts '01 in the rearview mirror

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- An air of excitement hangs over the NASCAR garage. Maybe it comes from the bright new attitude of the young drivers. Or maybe it's just a sense of relief that a difficult year is over and a new season is about to begin.

Either way, the focus in NASCAR is back on the drivers and the competition.

"It was tough last year, but it's a new season now," NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "It's like springtime -- everything gets a fresh start. We're back into racing and it's finally a new day."

Last season was a long nightmare for everyone involved in NASCAR.

It started tragically with the death of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt in a wreck on the final lap of the Daytona 500, and the ripple effect lasted the entire year. There was a lengthy investigation into the accident, an intense focus on safety. NASCAR found its organization, history and practices under the closest scrutiny it had ever seen.

When the season finally came to a close, everyone involved was weary and eager to get away.

"We needed a break," driver Mark Martin said. "We needed to get away from this and put some closure to what was a very long, drawn out year."

A short winter break has done wonders, and everyone is back at Daytona International Speedway this week for Sunday's season-opening 500. For the first time in a long time, drivers aren't forced to discuss safety and are instead allowed to talk racing.

"It takes 36 very consistent weeks to win a championship. To say that you're going to go through 36 weeks and not have a mishap is pretty unrealistic. You just try to keep everything else in perspective each week." Tony Stewart

From the minute the cars rolled off the track last week at Daytona, the talk has focused on disparities in the rules and young drivers in the garage.

There's speculation on who will challenge series champion Jeff Gordon for his title and how the Rookie of the Year battle will shake out.

That's the way everyone wants it.

"Last year, for all the bad, a lot of good came out of it because of the progress we've made in many areas, especially safety," driver Jeff Burton said. "But there's so much more to this sport, and it's about time we focus on that."

So the hunt is on, first for this year's championship.

Gordon, who turned it up after two seasons of struggle to win his fourth Winston Cup championship, is considered the favorite again this year. But he's got a list of challengers right behind him, with Tony Stewart leading the pack.

Stewart, runner-up in the points last year, will probably be his stiffest competition. His Joe Gibbs Racing team has shown improvement in each of its first three seasons, and it feels as if it's on the verge of something big.

But the volatile driver -- he spent most of last year on probation after a series of confrontations on and off the track -- will be his own worst enemy. He's got doubters everywhere who believe he doesn't have the temperament to handle the pressures and demands of a championship chase.

Stewart, who says he's matured this winter and taken better steps to deal with distractions, is confident his results on the track will be all that matters.

"It takes 36 very consistent weeks to win a championship," he said. "To say that you're going to go through 36 weeks and not have a mishap is pretty unrealistic. You just try to keep everything else in perspective each week."

Behind Stewart are two youngsters considered to future champions, perhaps as soon as this season.

"There's no denying these kids have talent. They bring a lot of excitement into the series and they add some competition. For a long time, we've had guys out there just driving around, turning laps and not really racing. With these new guys, it's spiced it up quite a bit." Jimmy Spencer

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, the two drivers under the biggest spotlight last year, are both eager to concentrate on racing.

It was difficult to do last season for Junior, who had to mourn the loss of his father in public while trying to get on with his career.

And Harvick, who had the enormous task of taking over Earnhardt's ride, was saddled with the burden of replacing a hero while trying to adjust to the rigors of Winston Cup racing.

Harvick, 26, became the first driver in history to complete a full Winston Cup and Busch Series, winning the Busch title and Cup Rookie of the Year honors while finishing ninth in the standings.

"I think they both have the talent to do it," said Richard Childress, Earnhardt's longtime car owner. "I don't see why it can't be this year. They are both that good.

Behind the championship hunt is an infusion of young talent that has sparked new life into the sport.

The rookie of the year battle could be intense, with Jimmie Johnson, Gordon's protege at Hendrick Motorsports, expected to go door-to-door with Ryan Newman, who is learning his way from Rusty Wallace at Penske Racing South.

The two have proven they're capable of battling with the veterans -- Newman won a pole last year in one of his few Winston Cup starts and Johnson made his debut by taking the top spot in qualifying for the Daytona 500.

"There's no denying these kids have talent," veteran Jimmy Spencer said. "They bring a lot of excitement into the series and they add some competition. For a long time, we've had guys out there just driving around, turning laps and not really racing. With these new guys, it's spiced it up quite a bit."

 

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