Join the Discussion "Gordon's angry about the jeers his crewchief and team have gotten and he's on the warpath. He got the poll at the Rock and finished 3rd. Then came roaring from behind to take Vegas by storm. The racing godz are with him this year. " HAWK

Related Resources • Power Rankings • 2001 Predictions

Dateline: March 5, 2001

So far, the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season has been one of the most unpredictable in recent memory. The big wreck at Daytona, the tragic loss of Dale Earnhardt, rain at The Rock and trouble for some big names in Vegas has left the top of the points standings in shambles.

In the preseason I had predicted Jeff Burton as the 2001 Winston Cup Champ however, Jeff has yet to bring his car home in one piece this season and is buried in 33rd place in the points. After just three races Jeff is a seemingly-insurmountable 264 points behind first place.

Last year Champion Bobby Labonte ran every race without recording a single DNF. So far in the 2001 campaign Bobby is 19th in points after a disastrous 40th place finish in Daytona and a 29th place finish in Vegas.

In the ultra-competitive NASCAR points system where consistency is valued over winning, having more than one bad finish this early in the season can be devastating for a team. Jeff and Bobby are not out of the hunt yet, but they can't afford any more bad finishes if they want a chance at the title.

Flip Side

On the other hand there are some teams who have avoided problems and managed an early season surprise.

The current point leader Sterling Marlin wasn't on anybody's list of potential champions in January. But three solid consistent finishes have him leading the way at this early point in the season.

I really don't think Sterling can hang on for the title but after a 19th place finish last season if he can hang on for a top ten spot he will have had a successful campaign.

Robert Pressley has had some fast cars and has avoided the big messes and finds himself riding along eighth in the points. Pressley finished up 25th last yearl and really didn't make any real changes to his program for 2001. Apparently that team has had their heads down getting the work done and they've got the early season success to show for it. Maybe this team has more surprises in store?

Who Looks Good Early

Clearly two names pop to the top of the list as the real title contenders at this early stage of the season. Jeff Gordon and Dale Jarrett have both avoided the early season disasters and have held on for strong finishes. Gordon is currently second in the points and Jarrett fourth overall. Given the strength of these teams in the past they will both be tough to catch if they can continue to avoid problems.

The 2001 Winston Cup season is still very young and anything can happen. However, extreme bad luck early is tough to overcome and extreme good luck early is a nice platform to build on as we get into the meat of the schedule.

It's still far, far from over but there are some clear signs of strength from the contenders.

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