If there's one thing that is an inherent hallmark of NASCAR racing, it's list making.
Teams seemingly win and lose by the number and length of those lists, checking off what works and scratching off what doesn't. The stronger the overall organization, the more lists it generates to keep things in order and running smoothly.
Why, teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, Jack Roush Racing and other of the most elite groups in Cup racing generate enough lists during the course of a year that they'd make the massive War & Peace look like a comic book by comparison.
List making in Cup racing is not all that different from little boys and girls compiling Christmas wish lists, followed by the invariable wishing, hoping and praying that someone gives them what they want so badly.
So, along those same lines, we at RPM.ESPN.com managed to get a peek at some of those lists and thought it might be fun to play Santa Claus and "give" some of NASCAR's most well-known drivers some of the gifts they're wishing and hoping for.
For John Andretti: An inspiring and surprising win in the upcoming Daytona 500 to convince DEI to keep him for the remainder of the season. Or, if he falls short in that quest, either a major sponsor stepping forward to keep him in the No. 1 Chevy for the remainder of the season, or another well-financed team coming along with a full-time ride for him in 2004.
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| | Kenseth |
For Matt Kenseth: Not only repeat as Cup champion, but also to garner several more wins in 2004 to show critics that he truly is the best driver in Cup today. For all the criticism he endured for having just one win in 2003, Kenseth needs to have the kind of season that would combine the best of both 2002 (when he led the series with five wins) and 2003 (when he was the most consistent driver on the circuit en route to the championship).
For NASCAR Chairman Brian France: A long, prosperous and less controversial run as the sport's No. 1 leader than his father. Also, a new points system -- even though there really isn't all that much wrong with the current one -- that will not only make the critics happy, but also serve to make those who are happy with the current status quo equally eager to have a new points/standings structure.
For Ryan Newman: Fewer DNFs and more overall consistent finishes in 2004. Had it not been for the seven he suffered through -- including scary barrel rolls at both Daytona and Talladega -- he could very easily have put up a more serious challenge to Kenseth's domination of the standings this past season.
For Dale Earnhardt Jr.: His first Cup championship in 2004. Earnhardt Jr. came into his own as a driver this past season, showing some of the same kind of maturity and crafty experience that his late father displayed while en route to seven Cup championships. This kid is definitely a chip off the old block, and barring any unforeseen circumstances (like the concussion controversy of 2002), he's one of the odds-on favorites to wrestle the Cup trophy away from Kenseth in 2004.
For Tony Stewart: Since he doesn't seem to need anger management classes anymore, what do you get a guy who has pretty much everything he could want as a racer, including having already won a Cup championship? Maybe it's time for Stewart to settle down, get hitched and have a little Tony of his own that he can develop into a next-generation young gun.
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| | Burton |
For Jeff Burton: This guy is too darn good to have such an uncertain gameplan for 2004, with commitments to run just 14 races. He needs a big sponsor to believe in him and his team, to get behind it with some serious big dollars, and then leave the rest to Burton, who is arguably one of the most underrated drivers in all of Cup racing today. He just needs a few breaks to get back to the kind of superiority he showed a few years back.
For Kyle Petty: Retirement. He's fought a good fight for notoriety and individual attention over the years, especially trying to succeed in the shadow of his legendary father. But for Petty Enterprises to go forward, it's time for Kyle to hang up his firesuit and concentrate on running the team full-time. Hiring a successful veteran driver like a Ward Burton or Sterling Marlin or a young gun along the lines of Kevin Harvick or Kurt Busch wouldn't hurt. The Petty name has been down for too long. It's time for Kyle to bring that name back to prominence from behind the pit road wall, because he's hasn't been doing it from behind the wheel.
For Jeff Gordon: The further development of the slightly harder edge we saw from him last season. While he may never become a true villain in the sport like the late Dale Earnhardt, it's good to see Gordon have a little roughness to his driving and a little sharpness to his tone and demeanor.
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| | Spencer |
For Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer: To kiss and make up. Or, better yet, to send Valentine's Day cards to each other. And another present to Busch: a case of fine wine, so he doesn't have to whine so much on the racetrack. Hopefully Busch learned about taking responsibility for one's actions last season, that to go along in Cup racing, you have to get along -- rather than try to tear the fenders off every car that runs side-by-side with yours -- and then blame the other guy and say it was his fault.
For the rest of the regular NASCAR drivers: a strong season under the first year of the Nextel Cup Series championship banner. May your DNFs be few, your wins be plenty, competition be close and exciting and on-track skirmishes be minimal.
For NASCAR fans everywhere in 2004: Cheaper ticket and concession prices (yeah, right, like that's going to happen), more exciting fender to fender and bumper to bumper action, safer racing for drivers and fans alike, less massive post-race traffic jams around racetracks, less consternation about in-season rules changes, a more balanced and exciting championship chase and most importantly, a season to remember.
Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com. He can be reached at Motorsportwriter@MSN.com.
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