Martin's runner-up year keyed Roush's revival

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- As champagne and ticker tape showered on a nearby big-screen television, Mark Martin faced a roomful of media following Sunday's fourth-place finish in the Ford 400 with his usual stoicism.

Yes, he laughed and joked, relieved at the end of another 36-race grind.

Yet he also appeared oblivious to Tony Stewart's 2002 Winston Cup championship celebration. No one thought to turn off the television, and as fireworks exploded on-screen and outside the Homestead-Miami Speedway interview room, Martin -- who finished second to Stewart in the points -- paid no attention to the fuss.

"I've done all I could, and I'm proud of what we accomplished," said Martin.

	Mark Martin said he's proud of what his team was able to accomplish in 2002. Credit: Autostock

He should be. After last season's 12th-place finish -- his worst since joining Roush Racing in 1988 -- Martin nearly pulled off a career-worst-to-first. He won the Coco-Cola 600 in May, surged into the championship mix in late summer and even led the point standings for two weeks in September.

After falling behind Stewart by 146 points with three races remaining, Martin had whittled the deficit to 89 points by the start of Sunday's race. His second-place finish at Rockingham, followed by a fourth-place finish last week at Phoenix, had reeled Stewart within striking distance. The margin would have been closer had it not been for Spring-Gate -- the 25-point penalty assessed after Martin's left front spring was found to be too short during the post-race inspection at Rockingham.

Roush Racing appealed the penalty Saturday morning. A three-member panel from the National Stock Car Racing Commission upheld the penalty, and owner Jack Roush hadn't abandoned his defiance as of Sunday afternoon.

"We wish we had a better justice system to adjudicate the issues as they relate to penalties and to punishments that NASCAR deals out," Roush said. "But that's the way it is. So we're in and we'll put that aside and say that if we win a championship sometime in the future with Mark, that'll be great."

There were variables to Martin's near-championship run. A crew switch between his and Kurt Busch's teams, including crew chiefs -- the younger Ben Leslie to Martin and the older Jimmy Fennig to Busch -- worked wonders for both drivers. Martin lacked only 38 points being Stewart's championship equal, while Busch, a 2001 rookie, surged from nowhere last year (27th) to third in this year's final standings.

Busch was also Sunday's race winner -- his fourth victory of the season and third in the last five races.

"I'm just so happy I'm too excited to put together the right words," Busch said. "Except for the fact that I'd like to congratulate my whole Roush Racing teammates -- from Mark Martin [to] Matt Kenseth and Jeff Burton."

While Martin didn't capture the big trophy, the Roush organization did recapture its momentum. Roush exits 2002 with three of his four drivers in the top 10 -- Martin in second, Busch in third and Kenseth in eighth. Burton finished 12th.

MARK MARTIN Martin has few regrets after his runner-up season. Play video  •  More video  •  Driver Page  •  Season Summary

More important, Roush survived to see it. Roush suffered serious left-leg injuries and a concussion after crashing his private plane prior to the April race at Talladega. Only a miraculous rescue by a former Marine, Larry Hicks, a nearby resident of the small lake community where Roush's plane crashed, ensured the owner's presence Sunday.

Burton was blunt about the 2002 Roush effect.

"We need Jack," he said. "We need him to be there more than we don't need him to be there."

Last season proved a different kind of agony for Roush. Then, Burton was the top finisher in 10th place, while Martin finished 12th, Kenseth finished 13th and Busch all but disappeared with his 27th. Burton won two races, the stable's only victories, but this year he was the only Roush driver who didn't win.

Aside from Martin's one victory and Busch's four, Kenseth took the winning checkered flag more than any other 2002 Cup driver -- five times. On Sunday, he was the only Roush driver who didn't finish. A blown engine on lap 223 doomed him to a 40th-place finish.

"I feel bad about it because we needed to get a good finish and needed to try to move up in the points," Kenseth said.

Last year, things like Goodyear's newer, harder tires, chassis advancements and engineering-driven aerodynamic issues sideswiped Roush's teams. This year, multiple changes and more aggressive problem-solving proved crucial. Roush said a 50-horsepower advancement for all engines was mandated. That meant more than a few on-track failures -- including Kenseth's on Sunday -- but pushing the envelope was unavoidable.

	Mark Martin's victory in the Coca-Cola 600 was his first win in two years. Credit: Autostock

"What happened last year was my own fault," Roush said. "If we had planned better, if we had reacted to the things that were changing beyond our expectations sooner, we would have had a better result. So we did what we did."

There was some luck involved, too.

"We were very fortunate because the changes we made fell in line with not only what we saw that were our problems last year, but for the development of the things that occurred this year," Roush said.

As for Martin, Roush says the 43-year-old driver has plenty of gas -- and seasons -- left in his tank.

"And he's the equal of the younger guys, in my opinion, in the program," Roush said. "You've got old age and experience against youth and enthusiasm. We've got questions that add up to 100 points in all the quarters as far as I'm concerned."