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NASCAR Notebook The right chemistry almost as important as the right car
Updated: Saturday February 03, 2001 5:35 PM
By Mike Fish, CNNSI.com ATLANTA -- Rick Hendrick, the brains and money behind Hendrick Motorsports, says racing is all about chemistry. You can't get too far without a fast car and a talented driver. But if the driver and crew chief don't hit it off, you can forget about winning. Jeff Gordon and his old crew chief, Ray Evernham, had it. Gordon and Robbie Loomis had their moments in 2000. But as they prepare for this season, they seem to be clicking and positioned to challenge for a title -- or so Hendrick hopes. "Robbie Loomis is very open-minded and he wanted to do what Jeff wanted to do, and Jeff was open-minded, too," Hendrick said of their initial experience. "But it took them about six months to kind of jell and communicate with each other. That's why I keep saying chemistry, and part of chemistry is knowing what the guy wants, knowing how the guy thinks. And it takes time to build that. "Anytime you have a hiccup -- where you lose a guy and have to replace him -- it takes time to get them all understanding what the procedure is. That's why you see so many teams out here that you say, 'They should do well. They got a good sponsor, got a good crew chief and a good driver. But then for whatever reason, they just haven't hit it." In their first full season together, Gordon finished ninth overall in the point standings -- three wins, eight other top-5 finishes and 22 top 10s. Not a bad campaign for the No. 24 car driver, but when you burst onto the scene winning three Winston Cup championships, it's a bit deflating to the image. Any problems weren't because of the Gordon-Loomis relationship, according to Hendrick. He's lived through bad driver-crew chief relationships and knows too well what they can do to a team. This wasn't that. "It's the hardest thing in the world," he said. "Back in 1985, I had that with Geoff Bodine and Harry Hyde. They just could not get along. The chemistry wasn't there. When I put Tim Richmond and Harry together, then they clicked. Then, I put Gary Nelson and Geoff Bodine together and they clicked. "I know it sounds kind of crazy, but there is a deal we use in our business called 'Management by Strengths.' You try to find out what the strongest suit this guy has got. Maybe he's a very dominant person, or a very structured person. You try to match those guys up. But the big thing is if you can get people that are open-minded and have something to prove." That sounds like Gordon and Loomis, now.
To sponsor or notLook for R. J. Reynolds to announce by mid-season whether it'll remain as title sponsor of the Winston Cup Series. R.J. Reynolds presently enjoys sponsorship deals with the National Hot Rod Association and the Vantage senior golf tournament. Under terms of the tobacco settlement, Reynolds and the other manufacturers can have just a single brand sponsorship after 2001. The company has been in discussions with NASCAR officials. "Most people assume we would like to continue on with our NASCAR sponsorship," said Richard Sanders, head of sports marketing. "We have not made an announcement one way or the other, and we are still exploring some options." It might not be the slam dunk deal it appears. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), who has close ties to NASCAR, said racing officials have led him to believe that R. J. Reynolds probably won't return and there'll be a new sponsor for what is now the Winston Cup Series.
Looking aheadWhile veteran Rusty Wallace clearly remains its No. 1 driver, Penske Racing kept an eye on the future by extending the contract of Jeremy Mayfield, one of the top young drivers. Mayfield and the Mobil 1 Taurus team won two races and captured four poles last season. He also notched three second-place finishes. The aim this year is to make the next step to being a serious Winston Cup championship contender. "We have got to build consistency with our race team," Mayfield said. "One good thing about it is the performance side is there. There are a lot of teams where it is hard to get both of them or hard to get even one of them to run well."
Cash cowNASCAR is already fat-and-happy with a new six-year, $2.4 billion television contract -- which is expected to produce net revenue this season of $257 million. Now, it comes out that the sport can expect an additional infusion of $245 million in the next 12 years from an Ancillary Rights Package. This additional revenue is fees from NASCAR.com, the NASCAR channel, NASCAR international broadcast rights, SportsVision, Fan Scan and pay-per-view telecasts.
Extra lapsWonder if Kevin Harvick, Busch Series rookie of the year, can run a whole lot better after Lasik surgery to improve vision in both eyes? He joins a growing number of pro athletes who have had the corrective procedure, including NASCAR drivers Johnny Benson and Todd Bodine, Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux and golfer Tiger Woods. "I've always been right eye dominant," Harvick said. "I tend to focus on the racetrack more with my right eye and I was susceptible to headaches" ... Race-team owner Rick Hendrick is of the opinion only one thing can slow the growth of NASCAR -- a sluggish economy: "The sport is so solid. The fan base is so good. I just worry about the economy going down on us, and that affects everybody. We're all spoiled." Mike Fish covers NASCAR for CNNSI.com
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