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2005 Season Final Points Standing 5th After First 26 Races 4th Earnings $8,336,712 Starts 36 Poles 1 Wins 4 Top 5 13 6-10 9 Laps Led 547 Lead Lap Finishes 28 Bonus Points 95 Races Led 17

2005 Performance Below is the ranking of the team on each type of track along with the driver's best finish. Track Type Ranking Flat Tracks 5th Best Finish 1st, Las Vegas Intermediate Tracks 3rd Best Finish 1st, Dover, Lowe's (2) Plate Tracks 8th Best Finish 5th, Daytona Road Courses 16th Best Finish 5th, Watkins Glen Short Tracks 19th Best Finish 3rd, Martinsville

Which brings us to 2006. Has the bridesmaid status strengthened the team's resolve or has it hit a mental wall? Some insiders say the close-but-no-cigar results are taking their toll on the crew. Rumors even swirled around the time of the Nextel Cup banquet in December that crew chief Chad Knaus intended to leave.

The question, however, remains: Can this team win a Nextel Cup? Frankly, it is a matter of when, not if. Rick Hendrick will continue to throw whatever resources are necessary to ensure Team Lowe's stays near the sport's pinnacle. And although we do not see this as being the year that a Cup title becomes a reality, it's a solid bet that Johnson will be in the thick of the Chase hunt all season.

A mini-slump that lasted eight races, from New Hampshire in July to Richmond in September, when Johnson's average finish was 19.3, finally brought the team back to the pack.

Johnson would regain the points lead after his win at Dover in the Chase, but a Talladega wreck of his own doing dropped him to fourth. Five more top 10s kept the team in contention until Homestead, but the aforementioned tire problems ended what was otherwise a great season that included four wins and 22 top 10 finishes.

• The Good: Adjusting the car from a mid-packer to winner at both Lowe's events was the season's true highlight. This team's ability to tune the car throughout the day is its strong point.

• The Bad: The Hendrick teams ran a new shifter/transmission package at Infineon. It backfired. Both Johnson and Jeff Gordon were adversely affected, resulting in a 36th-place finish for the Lowe's crew.

• The Ugly: Johnson caused two Talladega Big Ones that wrecked two dozen cars. He blamed everyone else, but the video told the truth. A champion does not cause pileups on the plate tracks.