Top 10 Misses of 2001

December 27, 2001
9:00 AM EST (1638 GMT)

Note: This is the sixth in NASCAR.com's year-end series at the 2001 season in NASCAR. Titled "Top 10 Misses of 2001," this offering does not delve into tragedy, but simply into what didn't work on the track for certain teams.

1. Cal Wells' No. 96 Ford. McDonald's put its high-priced stamp on Cal Wells' second car for 2001, but the high-profile relationship only lasted two-thirds of the season. Rookie Andy Houston was not able to get comfortable in Wells' cars. His best finish was 17th, and the new team failed to qualify for eight Winston Cup events.

End result: McDonald's, one of the most visible brands on the planet, is no longer a primary Winston Cup sponsor. Houston landed on his feet in the Busch Series, but many crewmen were left looking for new jobs as Wells scaled back to one car.

2. Eel River Racing. The No. 27 Pontiac, owned by Jack Birmingham, entered 2001 with high hopes and deep pockets, but no sponsorship. Those deep pockets were lightened when the team couldn't find sponsorship in the first half of the year. The team secured Duke's Mayonnaise as sponsor for the second half; but by then, the strain of not qualifying for races had taken its toll on driver Kenny Wallace. Wallace left and was picked up by DEI. The unending sponsorship woes eventually forced the team to cease operations.

End result: A small fortune was created from a large one. The team will begin auctioning off equipment in January at their modern facility in North Carolina, a sad end to this two-year-old project.

3. Morgan-McClure Motorsports. The No. 4 Chevrolet meant just that. Four. As in the number of people who drove it in 2001. Robby Gordon signed a five-year contract prior to the season, but was let go after just five races. That left Kevin Lepage, Rich Bickle and Bobby Hamilton Jr. to finish out the year. The team failed to qualify for The Brickyard, the season's second-richest race. The No. 4 finished a lowly 37th in owner's points.

End result: A lot of empty driver uniforms. Despite its woes in 2001, Morgan-McClure has veteran Mike Skinner signed on for 2002.

4. Jeremy Mayfield and Penske Racing. Mayfield, winner of three races with Penske, never got off the ground in 2001. He made a sudden departure in early October after earning seven top-10 finishes in 28 races.

End result: Penske decided to fold the No. 12 team after the 2001 season, leaving fill-in driver Mike Wallace and dozens of employees looking for work. Mayfield signed with Ray Evernham to drive the No. 19 Dodge in 2002.

5. Mike Wallace and Ultra Motorsports. Mike Wallace scored three top-10 finishes on restrictor-plate tracks with Ultra, but everything else was a struggle from the beginning. Ultra made the unusual move of removing Wallace from the car for three races only to put him back in the car for the July Daytona race. Wallace eventually left Ultra and signed with Penske for the remainder of the 2001 season.

End result: In 2002, Ultra will have its fourth driver in three seasons, as Casey Atwood will drive the No. 7 Dodge. The team looks to improve, as support from Ray Evernham should benefit this single-car operation.

6. Petty Enterprises. This three-car team managed only two top-10 finishes all season -- both by John Andretti. Strangely, the high marks came in two consecutive races (Bristol and Darlington). Kyle Petty failed to qualify for 12 events, and Buckshot Jones failed to qualify for six more. In all, Petty Enterprises failed to qualify for 19 events between the three cars.

End result: All three drivers finished 31st or lower in the points. All three drivers are back in 2002, but the team will have a new engine program.

7. Robby Gordon's telemetry box at Watkins Glen. While pulling in for his final pit stop at Watkins Glen, a battery in a telemetry box (used by television networks to track statistics) caused a fire in Gordon's cockpit and ended his shot at a victory.

End result: Adjustments were made so that the device would not malfunction again. Robby had the last laugh -- he won the season finale just three months later.

8. Hills Bros./Hut Stricklin/Donlavey Racing. Hut Stricklin announced that he would be leaving Donlavey Racing after the 2001 season and would be taking sponsor Hills Bros. Coffee with him. Team owner Junie Donlavey decided to end Stricklin's tenure with five races remaining in the season. Hills Bros. protested the move and ordered Donlavey to remove their decals from The No. 90 Ford at Phoenix.

End result: Stricklin took his Hills Bros. Coffee cash to Bill Davis Racing, and Donlavey was able to secure a sponsor for next year.

9. Michael Waltrip's final 35 races. Waltrip won the season opener at Daytona, but managed only two more top-10 finishes. Waltrip sank as low as 29th in the points, but a decent run late in the year pushed him back up to 24th. Rumors circulated about his future in the car.

End result: Waltrip will be back in the No. 15 Chevrolet in 2002.

10. Terry Labonte/Gary Dehart. Labonte and crew chief DeHart never rediscovered the success they had 1996. Labonte had only three top-10 finishes this year and finished 23rd in the standings. He was the only driver who competed in all 36 races without leading a lap all year.

End Result: DeHart moved to R&D position; Jim Long becomes crew chief for 2002.