The View From The Driver's Seat
SI posed five questions to three dozen Nextel Cup drivers, who were promised anonymity. What we got were straight--and often surprising--answers from NASCAR's leading men
Which driver do you least like to have on your bumper?
40% Robby Gordon
THE WORD: "Robby sometimes forgets to use his head. He makes more stupid mistakes than anyone."
THE DEAL: Robby Gordon (close behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., above) finished 23rd in the point standings last year, but he did win a title of sorts: NASCAR's most accident-prone driver of 2004. Though he has a reputation as one of the most skilled drivers on the circuit, Gordon is overly aggressive and fearless and was involved in a series-high 17 accidents and spins. He's also known for his short fuse. At the Sylvania 300 in Loudon, N.H., in September, he intentionally wrecked Greg Biffle after Biffle had bumped Gordon from behind. "Robby's a wild card out there," says one driver. "You really never know what he's going to do, which is why I don't like seeing him coming up behind me."
Which track is your least favorite on the Nextel Cup circuit?
23% Martinsville
13% Darlington • 10% Watkins Glen
THE WORD: "I can't stand Martinsville. It's too small, too narrow and too flat. Other than that, I guess it's perfect."
THE DEAL: The only track that remains on the Cup schedule from NASCAR's inaugural season in 1949, Martinsville is the Wrigley Field of motor sports. Despite its rich history, however, most drivers would prefer to put the track in their rearview mirrors. Located in rural Virginia, the nearly flat, .526-mile paper-clip-shaped track is the shortest and slowest on the circuit. Drivers consistently complain about Martinsville's rough, flaky surface--last April a chunk of concrete came loose and hit Jeff Gordon's Chevy, causing the race to be delayed for 77 minutes while workers patched the track--and about the boring, fender-banging racing (above) that it produces.
Which is your favorite track?
27% Atlanta
20% Daytona • 17% Bristol
THE WORD: "It takes guts to win at Atlanta. You've got to be brave--or a little nuts--to go into Turns 1 and 3 at 200 miles per hour."
THE DEAL: Drivers love Atlanta for one reason: speed. The 1.54-mile oval is the fastest track on the circuit, and its long, wide straightaways create plenty of side-by-side racing. Atlanta also boasts several so-called grooves in the track that enable drivers to pass each other easily and often. Though it's not a superspeedway, Atlanta produces higher lap speeds than Daytona and Talladega because the cars aren't saddled with the restrictor plates required at those two tracks. Add it all up, and Atlanta usually produces heart-pounding, outrageously fast races, which is why most drivers (and fans) relish a trip to the Capital of the South.
Which driver--other than yourself--do you think will win the 2005 Nextel Cup?
53% Jimmie Johnson
27% Jeff Gordon
13% Mark Martin
THE WORD:"Jimmie Johnson seems to be at a different level right now than everyone else. It's his championship to lose."
THE DEAL: In each of the past two seasons Johnson finished second in the points standings, and last year he had a series-high eight wins--including four in the final six races--among 20 top five finishes. Yet perhaps the biggest factor the three-year Cup veteran has going for him this season is history. The last three Cup champions (Tony Stewart in 2002, followed by Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch) all won their titles in their fourth season on the circuit. "I really think Jimmie has a chance to blow away the field," says one driver. Despite Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s breakout six-victory season last year, only one respondent said Little E would win the 2005 championship.
If you were head of NASCAR for one day, what one change would you make?
37% Shorter schedule
17% Return to the old title format
10% Add a midweek race
THE WORD: "I know one thing for sure: If you cut back the schedule, there would be a lot of happy wives out there--including mine."
THE DEAL: With a mid-February start and a late-November wrap-up, the Nextel Cup schedule is one of the longest and most brutal in sports. (Just ask Jeff Gordon, right.) Drivers say that the 36-race schedule--plus two all-star events--is so long and the travel so daunting that it causes burnout. But don't expect the calendar to be cut; in fact, Brian France, who is the head of NASCAR, has hinted that a 40-race schedule featuring midweek events could be on the horizon. "The season is such a grind that you feel like you don't have a life away from racing," says one driver. "We should be running closer to 30 races than 40. If you did that, you'd lengthen the careers of a lot of drivers."
NEXTEL CUP SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
FEB. 20
DAYTONA 500
Daytona International Speedway
FOX/1 p.m.
FEB. 27
AUTO CLUB 500
California Speedway
FOX/2 p.m.
MARCH 13
UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER
400
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
FOX/2 p.m.
MARCH 20
GOLDEN CORRAL 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
APRIL 3
FOOD CITY 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
APRIL 10
ADVANCE AUTO PARTS 500
Martinsville Speedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
APRIL 17
SAMSUNG/RADIO SHACK 500
Texas Motor Speedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
APRIL 23
SUBWAY FRESH 500
Phoenix International
Raceway
FOX/7:30 p.m.
MAY 1
AARON'S 499
Talladega Superspeedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
MAY 7
DODGE CHARGER 500
Darlington Raceway
FOX/7 p.m.
MAY 14
CHEVY AMERICAN REVOLUTION 400
Richmond International Raceway
FOX/7 p.m.
MAY 29
COCA-COLA 600
Lowe's Motor Speedway
FOX/5 p.m.
JUNE 5
MBNA 500
Dover International Speedway
FOX/12:30 p.m.
JUNE 12
POCONO 500
Pocono Raceway
FOX/1 p.m.
JUNE 19
MICHIGAN 400
Michigan International Speedway
FOX/1:30 p.m.
JUNE 26
DODGE/SAVE MART 350
Infineon Raceway
FOX/2:30 p.m.
JULY 2
PEPSI 400
Daytona International Speedway
NBC/7 p.m.
JULY 10
CHICAGOLAND 400
Chicagoland Speedway
NBC/3 p.m.
JULY 17
NEW ENGLAND 300
New Hampshire International Speedway
TNT/1:30 p.m.
JULY 24
PENNSYLVANIA 500
Pocono Raceway
FOX/1 p.m.
AUG. 7
BRICKYARD 400
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
NBC/2:30 p.m.
AUG. 14
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO AT THE GLEN
Watkins Glen International
NBC/1 p.m.
AUG. 21
GFS MARKETPLACE 400
Michigan International Speedway
TNT/1:30 p.m.
AUG. 27
SHARPIE 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
TNT/7 p.m.
SEPT. 4
CALIFORNIA 500
California Speedway
NBC/Time TBA
SEPT. 10
CHEVY ROCK & ROLL 400
Richmond International Raceway
TNT/7 p.m.
THE CHASE BEGINS
SEPT. 18
SYLVANIA 300
New Hampshire International Speedway
TNT/12:30 p.m.
SEPT. 25
MBNA 400
Dover International Speedway
TNT/12:30 p.m.
OCT. 2
TALLADEGA 500
Talladega Superspeedway
NBC/1:30 p.m.
OCT. 9
BANQUET 400
Kansas Speedway
NBC/1:30 p.m.
OCT. 15
UAW-GM QUALITY 500
Lowe's Motor Speedway
NBC/7 p.m.
OCT. 23
SUBWAY 500
Martinsville Speedway
NBC/12:30 p.m.
OCT. 30
BASS PRO SHOPS MBNA 500
Atlanta Motor Speedway
NBC/12 p.m.
NOV. 6
DICKIES 500
Texas Motor Speedway
NBC/3 p.m.
NOV. 13
CHECKER AUTO PARTS 500
Phoenix International Raceway
NBC/3 p.m.
NOV. 20
FORD 400
Homestead-Miami Speedway
NBC/Time TBA
COLOR PHOTO
DAVE SMITH/ICON SMI (ROBBY GORDON)
COLOR PHOTO
ASP, INC. (WRECK)
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DAVID J. GRIFFIN (MARTINSVILLE)
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RICHARD SCHULTZ/WIREIMAGE.COM (TWO CARS)
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DARRELL INGHAM/GETTY IMAGES (ATLANTA)
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DONALD MIRALLE/GETTY IMAGES (JOHNSON)
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DON LOGAN/WIREIMAGE.COM (JEFF GORDON)