Title run highlight of Ganassi Racing in 2002

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Chip Ganassi Racing's 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup season had some long, swooping crescendos of exhilaration -- but in the end the season had to be a disappointing dose of "what ifs" for the organization.

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Ganassi's two veteran full-time drivers, Sterling Marlin and Jimmy Spencer, the latter of whom was in his first season in Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 41 Target Dodge, visited different fortunes throughout the season.

Marlin was a factor from the outset, challenging to win his third Daytona 500 and providing one of the most humorous memories of the season when he exited his No. 40 Dodge on the backstretch under a red flag to tug out a bent fender.

The old-school Tennessee driver won twice in the first five races and reeled off a remarkable string of consistency that enabled him to lead the standings for 25 straight weeks, from the season's second race through its visit to New Hampshire in September.

	Marlin's car sits in the infield at Kansas on Sept. 29.

Marlin's season began to come apart when he crashed heavily at Richmond in the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400, ironically in a wreck that also took out Spencer. Three races later, Marlin's season ended after he fractured his C2 vertebra in a vicious crash at Kansas Speedway.

Marlin was such a factor in the championship race that despite missing the last seven races of the season, he only fell from fifth in the championship to 18th at the end, on the strength of two wins, eight top-fives and 14 top-10s in 29 starts.

McMurray's win among surprises of 2002

The strength of Marlin's team, led by crew chief Lee McCall was pointed out when winless NASCAR Busch Series driver Jamie McMurray stepped into the car to replace Marlin.

McMurray, who Ganassi named in September to drive his No. 42 Havoline Dodge in 2003, won in only his second start, defending Marlin's 2001 victory at the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. McMurray also maintained the team's top-10 standing in the owner points, as his six races only allowed it to slip to eighth.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Mike Bliss also did his part, driving the car at Martinsville when McMurray was unavailable and finishing 14th.

Spencer a disappointment in only season with Ganassi

In the end, it seemed Spencer never recovered from a stunning failure to make the Daytona 500. Although his team's qualifying made an abrupt turnaround -- with Spencer failing to start in the top-12 only once in the next seven races -- their race performances never achieved a level even remotely approaching Marlin's.

	Jimmy Spencer's season was damaged when he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500. Credit: Autostock

While it's impossible to say for sure how much of an effect it had, the spring race at Bristol was an immense disappointment for Spencer, who had the race in his pocket before ebullient sophomore Kurt Busch paid him back for an earlier fender tattoo and knocked Spencer out of the way to take the win, with Spencer second.

For the second straight season, the driver of Ganassi's second car was told well before the schedule was finished that he would be out the door at the end of the season. Spencer's commitment never wavered, but he never meshed with the entire organization and changes he requested were never made.

Before Spencer qualified 10th at Phoenix, it had been 27 races since he scored a top-10 start. Finishes of fourth at Daytona, eighth at Bristol and 11th in July at New Hampshire were his only results better than 15th in the second half.

The lack of commitment to Spencer was also shown when Scott Pruett replaced him for the road course race at Watkins Glen. Spencer subsequently did not qualify for the second time in the season and ended up 27th in the standings, with two top-five and six top-10 finishes -- a mediocre season for the veteran with two career victories.