Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images |
|
| 2005 Season |
| Final Points Standing | 16th
|
| After First 26 Races | 15th
|
| Earnings | $4,828,659
|
| Starts | 36
|
| Poles | 1
|
| Wins | 0
|
| Top 5 | 2
|
| 6-10 | 7
|
| Laps Led | 147
|
| Lead Lap Finishes | 23
|
| Bonus Points | 60
|
| Races Led | 11 |
|
|
| 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 | 17th
|
| Best Finish | 3rd, Pocono
|
| Intermediate Tracks | 16th
|
| Best Finish | 4th, Lowe's
|
| Plate Tracks | 11th
|
| Best Finish | 9th, Talladega
|
| Road Courses | 12th
|
| Best Finish | 9th, Watkins Glen
|
| Short Tracks | 21st
|
| Best Finish | 10th, Martinsville |
|
|
2006 Spin
Joe Nemechek just can't catch a break. Rarely is he mentioned as a favorite to win races, but he often gives the field a run for its money only to see his shot at victory slip away due to a flat tire or some other extenuating circumstance. Nemechek and the MB2 team were fast enough to win several races in the '05 season — they even had a couple in the bag — only to have bad luck ruin the day.
Nemechek's prospects are improving for 2006. He will be reunited with Sterling Marlin, who was his teammate in 1998 and '99. Communication will now be a two-way street between the two teams. The importance of having a quality teammate like Marlin, who will be much easier on equipment, cannot be overstated. Last year, the MB2 team spent more time repairing and rebuilding cars wrecked by Scott Riggs than fine-tuning its stable.
Nemechek should perform well on the intermediate and flat tracks. His best runs came at tracks like Lowe's, Michigan and Phoenix. He also showed up in the top 10 at Watkins Glen, which was a surprise. Hendrick engines will help with the horsepower and durability of the powerplants, helping the team sleep soundly each night.
As crew chief Ryan Pemberton continues to gain experience, the team should improve. Making the Chase may be a bit of a stretch for Nemechek, but he will contend in a few races and, with a little luck, could step up his performance just enough to be in the hunt when Richmond rolls around.
2006 Recap
Joe Nemechek's 2005 season resembled that of Jeremy Mayfield's. Both drivers recorded a bundle of mid-teen finishes and showed signs of life at times.
The difference was that Nemechek's lows were lower than Mayfield's. Solid point days were offset by 30-something runs throughout the first half of the season, which kept the team's ranking in the 20s.
Improved consistency through the summer gave the team some new life. Nemechek went from a low of 31st in April to 16th by the July Pocono event. This was a trend that would continue well into the Chase.
By the time the Atlanta Chase event rolled around, Nemechek had inched within 38 points of 11th-place Jamie McMurray. However, four consecutive finishes of 17th or worse ended his season on a sour note, and in 16th place.
• The Good: After changing the battery twice without losing a lap, the U.S. Army team finished fourth in the fall Charlotte event. Nemechek also had the May race won before a blown tire ended his night.
• The Bad: Nemechek's short track program came up short in '05. He did not lead a lap on the shorts, and recorded a best finish of 10th.
• The Ugly: He led 63 laps and was in contention for a win at California before the engine let go with 70 laps remaining. This was a rare Hendrick motor issue that came at a bad time.
|
