Top Row Seat - Brian Whitesell
Dateline: 10/12/99Brian Whitesell has spent the last two weeks proving to the world that he can fill Ray Evernham's shoes. Jeff Gordon fans are thrilled that the #24 is two-for-two since Ray Evernham stepped aside. Things are all sunshine-and-roses at Hendrick Motorsports... for now.
Brian made a great call last weekend in Martinsville to win the race. This weekend Lowes Motor Speedway tripped up some of the finest crew chiefs in the business as the weekend's worth of rain and the partly cloudy conditions made finding the right set-up a tricky proposition at best.
However, as impressive as Brian's record is now, Gordon fans should not get too excited. There is still a great deal of leftover Ray Evernham influence driving this team. A race car is not prepared in a week, so Gordon's last two victories were still largely engineered by Ray Evernham even though they were executed by someone else.
The true test of Brian Whitesell's ability will come during the off-season when Brian's influence will finally be felt. Next season, beginning with Daytona in February, we will begin the Brian Whitesell era. Only then can we honestly judge whether or not Ray Evernham's shoes have been adequately filled.
Brian's current halo was largely built with Ray Evernham's sunshine. We should wait until next season before we crown the new king.
Do you think Brian Whitesell is the next legend? How do you think it will play out next season? Will Jeff win the championship again? Tell the world what you think on the bulletin board. Or you can talk about all things NASCAR in the chat room Wednesday nights from 8-9pm EST.
