When the heat of battle goes from a flame to a raging wildfire on tracks across the country, it's fairly common for one driver to give a one-finger salute to a fellow competitor who won't get out of his way. Or maybe to the guy who is three laps down but won't let anyone else pass. And, of course, to the guy who just sent you crashing into the wall.

That's racin', NASCAR style, otherwise known as "acceptable" road rage.

But for all the heated verbal exchanges, there's one four-letter word that at one time in their career has struck fear into the heart of every driver: J-I-N-X.

More specifically, the "sophomore jinx," where last year's promising rookies turn into this year's second-season has-beens. What was once considered an outstanding first season may then be referred to as a fluke. The struggles a driver experiences in his second season might provide a more accurate gauge of the type of driver he is.

We most recently saw the sophomore jinx last season with Kevin Harvick. After nothing short of an outstanding season in 2001, stepping in to what may have been the hardest set of circumstances in NASCAR history, Harvick went from Rookie of the Year to Sad Sack of the Year.

No matter how hard Harvick tried to shake the curse, the more it held him in its grip. Even after he won at Chicago in July, defending his win there from the year before and partly erasing memory of a one-race suspension, the sophomore jinx played with Harvick. It gave him optimism that the curse was broken, only to quickly return for more frustration, as Harvick struggled down the stretch.

That's why Harvick went from finishing ninth in 2001 to finishing 21st -- last among the three drivers in the Richard Childress Racing stable -- in 2002. Even journeymen like Harvick's teammates -- Jeff Green and Robby Gordon -- finished higher than Harvick last season.

	Will Newman struggle in '03 after claiming the 2002 Rookie of the Year award?

But, if there's one consolation for Harvick, it's that many drivers who fall prey to the sophomore jinx rebound in spectacular fashion. So, don't be surprised to see Harvick's No. 29 Chevrolet return to form.

As for the next crop of sophomore jinx victims? At the head of the class are last season's wunderkinds, a pair of youngsters who not only made serious runs for the championship, but proved they will be hard-driving, fierce competitors for the next 20 years or so.

That is, if they can get through the season that's set to begin in less than five weeks. We're talking, of course, about Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman, who were at the head of the class of NASCAR's "young guns." Between them, Johnson and Newman won four races, notched 20 top-fives and 43 top-10s.

But ask both of last year's super rookies about being "jinxed" in 2003 and they respond not with youthful defiance, but with respect.

"We can only control what we can control," Johnson said. "We're not going to consciously worry about (the upcoming) season. We're just going to go out and try to do as well, or even better, than we did this (past) season. With all the resources we have on this team, the crew, the sponsor, the owner, and hopefully with what I've learned as a driver, we'll be even better next season than we were in 2002."

Newman agrees.

"Overly worrying too much about next season, or about it being our second year in Winston Cup, is something that we have to forget about," he said. "You can't let yourself dwell or get too caught up in that stuff. We just have to go out, do our job and try to perform the same way we did in our rookie season. And if we're fortunate enough, maybe perform even better."

Harvick is the most recent example of a driver afflicted by the sophomore jinx, but he's certainly not the only one: