Baldwin, Spencer have team turned around

Improved team chemistry helps Ultra rebound

HAMPTON, Ga. -- Atlanta Motor Speedway was the site of a watershed weekend for Ultra Motorsports and Jimmy Spencer over the last three days.

	Jimmy Spencer

It culminated Sunday in a seventh-place finish in the Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 -- Spencer's first top-10 finish in 16 races. Even more noteworthy, it was Ultra owner Jimmy Smith's first top 10 since October 2001.

Spencer, driving only his fourth race in the No. 7 Dodge, earned Smith's second career top-five starting spot on Friday, stayed in the top-10 in Saturday's practice and capped it with a competitive run Sunday.

"The guys did a great job," Spencer said. "We qualified well and ran well all day. We came home with a top-10, and that's pretty good.

	Tommy Baldwin

"Best Dodge? I like that (and) I'm really impressed with the way the team has come together."

For the first four weeks of the season, Spencer's finishes have improved in each race. At Atlanta he used the same car he'd run to 17th at Las Vegas, despite getting in a jingle while contesting for the top 10 there.

"Jimmy Smith is letting us do what we need to do," Spencer said. "Jimmy is a great car owner. He lets us go. He's the most upbeat car owner I've ever driven for (and) I love it."

	Jim Smith

Sunday was the latest affirmation of the decision by Smith to team a pair of Featherlite Modified Series graduates -- crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr. and two-time NASCAR Touring Division champion Spencer -- in an effort to rejuvenate his Winston Cup team.

"We're just steadily curving up," Smith said. "Tommy's assembled a great group of guys and we've got a great driver in Jimmy Spencer.

"We've never lacked for the equipment," Smith said. "We just needed the right guy to put the nuts and bolts together."

Spencer: Lots of confidence in Baldwin

Baldwin agreed that even though each team deals with similar steel and rubber and other parts and pieces, the importance of emotion, confidence and chemistry couldn't be overlooked.

Jimmy Spencer  Driver Page  Bio  2003 Stats  Video Highlights  Merchandise

"You missed out on the most important ingredient and that's the people," Baldwin said. "This is a people business, and we're building on it every day."

There was no mistaking that essence Sunday, as Spencer ended the day 23rd in the Winston Cup standings. It was a 12-spot improvement and was his highest standing in the last 20 races.

That becomes more important heading to Darlington this weekend. It's the first time 2003 owner points will be used to determine provisional starting positions.

On Sunday, Spencer started fifth and leapt into the top three in the opening laps.

An apparent brake problem cost him a lap and he fell as far back as 33rd, but when an opening 135-lap caution free period cycled in his favor, he quickly became one of few cars that was able to remain on the lead lap behind dominant leader and eventual race winner Bobby Labonte.

"It's a good deal," Baldwin said. "We're having fun and that's the important thing -- we're having fun and we're running up front."

And Spencer said the bottom line there was the people.

	After finishing 40th at Daytona, Spencer has improved every week. Credit: Autostock

"The guys are awesome," Spencer said. "I can't say enough about my guys. They really believe in Tommy and me (and) that's what it takes.

"Tommy and I are getting better and better all the time. Qualifying well is important. The harder we keep working, it's going to show up, and they're not going to back down on their work."

"This whole deal is confidence," Baldwin said. "If you keep the confidence in your driver and let him know we're behind him and make changes that help him he's gonna drive the heck out of it.

"If you make a change and he goes faster, when you make another change he's gonna try to go faster again because he has the confidence in us making the correct changes.

"We've got a really good bunch of guys that really work hard. We've got good people in all phases of employment at this race team and that's what's so good about this deal, right now.

"We're doing this without an engineer, without a two-car effort. We're doing this all by ourselves right now and I'm just excited about the future at Ultra Motorsports."

"We've got to make sure we don't have any problems and keep getting those top-10s," Spencer said. "That's how you keep stepping up a level. This is not a fluke -- I know it's not.

"Now we'll prove it next week again."