Of course, nearly any performance would be an improvement
over last season, when it took Roush until the 29th race of
the season before one of his four cars, the one driven by
Jeff Burton, broke into the top 10 in points.Sure, other teams struggled throughout the year with the new tire compounds and spring rules, but this was Roush Racing -- a leader among NASCAR organizations. At the end of the season the four Roush squads had just two wins, three poles and 18 top fives.
But this is the start of a new season, and things are looking up at Roush Racing. Matt Kenseth won the Subway 400 last Sunday at Rockingham, and three of Roush's cars, the ones driven by Kurt Busch, Mark and Burton, finished in the top 11 a week earlier at Daytona. That was a departure from the last season's 500, in which the organization's top-finishing car was 19th. In addition, Elliott Sadler, whose Wood Brothers team receives engines and chassis from Roush, finished second at Daytona, and Burton was sixth at Rockingham.
"Last year was the hardest year that I've ever had," Roush says. "But in this business you have to endure years like that. I hope the monkey is on someone else's back this year."
Roush, who holds degrees in mathematics and physics, went to work in the offseason. His engine program was a problem in 2001, but Roush says that other than a piston malfunction early in the year and the difficulties with valve springs, the problems involved performance, not durability.
"We weren't at the level we wanted to be," Roush says. "What we're trying to do now is to optimize our engine program under the new weight requirements."
Roush's engine department has thoroughly dissected the engines, and Roush thinks his team is more than prepared to handle the single engine rule and the minimum weight requirements that NASCAR put on motor parts this year. The teams also have tested three times at the Arizona proving grounds, where the cars run flat out on long, straight stretches, and they spent at least two days per team in the wind tunnel, where aerodynamic data is produced.
Besides turning the technical wheels, Roush made some personnel moves.
He was satisfied with the relationship between Burton and crew chief Frankie Stoddard and the one between Kenseth and crew chief Rob Reiser. But Roush announced right after last season that he would have Mark and Busch swap crews. Mark's new crew chief is Ben Leslie, and Busch's is Jimmy Fennig.
"The chemistry is wonderful (now)," Roush says. "Young Ben Leslie is challenging Mark in ways that Jimmy Fennig, who had a long history with Mark, wasn't. And Jimmy has taken Kurt under his wing and is being more instructive and having a greater impact on his program than he was on Mark's. All the people who are standing behind them are fired up equally with both programs."
Despite a 21st-place finish at Rockingham, Mark is fired up as well. He feels better about his equipment, and he sounded truly optimistic when he said, "Maybe this is the start of good things to come."
He realizes that racing is cyclical.
"You can't be at the top all of the time, but hopefully we were at the lowest last year that we will ever be in the cycle, and '98 might have been the highest," he says, referring to a second-place finish in the points standing. "Maybe other teams were better prepared last year, but there's no doubt that these guys were working their guts out every week.
"I'm incredibly happy with Ben Leslie and (head fabricator) Bruce Hayes and the guys that are working on the No. 6 car. I definitely feel like we'll build momentum as the season rolls on."
The timing is perfect for building momentum because the tour rolls into Las Vegas, Busch's hometown, this weekend. Roush Racing cars have dominated the track; Mark won the inaugural event in 1998, and Burton won the next two races there. Could it be time for Mark's 33rd career victory? Or the first for Busch, who enters the race third in the Winston Cup point standings?
"The track suits my driving style," Mark says. "It's really oriented toward handling and car setup, and in the past we have excelled in those areas more than on racetracks where handling is not a factor."
Improving at tracks where the team has been weak is where Roush comes in. He is a master at identifying weaknesses, even if it takes time to execute changes. For instance, Roush has been focusing on big, flat tracks.
"Traditionally, we haven't been where we'd like to be at Pocono or Indianapolis," Roush says. "I think we're going to have something at those racetracks this year that we've never had before."
Roush doesn't want to jinx himself, but he feels that this could be his year. Busch, a Cup sophomore, is surging and Roush thought he had a shot at winning Daytona. Kenseth "likes his cars," and Burton continues to build on a strong foundation. Mark, who has been with Roush from the beginning, is happier than he has been in a long time.
"There have been times when NASCAR's actions have taken us out of contention," Roush says. "All I can do is prepare our cars and prepare our teams to the best of our ability."
The Roush drivers are all in the top 11 in the standings now, and Roush wouldn't be surprised if all four drivers finish in the top 10. If they do, this happy new year will grow into one to remember.
