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2005 Season Final Points Standing 14th After First 26 Races 14th Earnings $5,630,358 Starts 36 Poles 2 Wins 1 Top 5 3 6-10 7 Laps Led 326 Lead Lap Finishes 24 Bonus Points 60 Races Led 12

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 11th Best Finish 5th, Las Vegas Intermediate Tracks 14th Best Finish 6th, California Plate Tracks 14th Best Finish 10th, Talladega Road Courses 26th Best Finish 15th, Watkins Glen Short Tracks 10th Best Finish 1st, Bristol

There are several issues facing the Goodwrench team, the most notable being questions concerning Harvick's future with Childress. He shot down rumors concerning a move to the Miller Lite Dodge, but whispers still persist that he could make a move to the Toyota camp when it hits the sport in 2007.

The expansion of Harvick's Busch and Truck teams could hinder his performance on the Cup circuit as well. Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. also own Busch teams, and they, along with Harvick, struggled last season. Is this merely coincidence, or are they being pulled in too many directions?

Harvick will have to shoot for a win at either one of the short tracks or at the big plate events if he hopes to visit Victory Lane in 2006. The Childress operation is not up to par with its intermediate program, as witnessed by Harvick's average finish of 18.1 at these tracks. If this team hopes to make the Chase, it must find some answers here.

Expect a few more top 10s than the 10 Harvick recorded last year. He has the ability to drive to the front when the car feels right. The problem up to this point has been relaying to the crew how to get it to his liking.

Inconsistent finishes, however, dropped the team back as far as 13th in the standings before an early summer run gave it hope. Five finishes of 14th or better in a six-race stretch from Talladega to Pocono had Harvick back in the Chase hunt.

The Infineon event just two weeks later would prove to be what broke the team's spirit. A disappointing 37th dropped it to 13th in the standings.

Harvick's last gasp to make the Chase at Richmond — when he was 131 points out of 10th — saw the team answer the call, winning the pole and leading 167 laps. However, Harvick faded to 10th when the handle went away late.

• The Good: Harvick's come-from-behind win at Bristol was a real achievement. Starting shotgun due to a penalty, he used pit strategy and a fast car to win his first short track race.

• The Bad: The incident at the fall Bristol event when Harvick refused to get back in the car after a lengthy stay in the garage was a slap in the face to his crewmen. He did eventually climb back in but limped home to a 37th-place finish.

• The Ugly: Two penalties for infractions in qualifying with nothing to gain aren't just ugly; they're idiotic. Todd Berrier is a creative crew chief, but his misadventures cost the team 50 hard-earned points.