Year in Review: Chip Ganassi Racing

Chip Ganassi has taken the lead among owners in NASCAR's upper levels when it comes to discovering and developing new driving talent.

	Chip Ganassi's teams went winless in 2003. Credit: Autostock

Despite failing to achieve the stratospheric heights attained by rookies in the previous four seasons -- or to even equal his 2002 feat of winning in his second career start -- Jamie McMurray's Winston Cup Rookie of the Year crown was well earned.

McMurray wheeled Ganassi's No. 42 Dodge to the owner's best position in the standings, 13th in both the drivers' and owners' tables.

After straining to find his groove in the first half of the season, McMurray and crew chief Donnie Wingo came on in the second half.

They ended the season with five top-fives and 13 top-10s -- 10 of which came in the second half, along with McMurray's first career Bud Pole. His four DNFs were split evenly between the first and second halves of the season.

Sterling Marlin -- who led the 2002 Winston Cup standings for 25 consecutive weeks, absolutely struggled in 2003.

	Jamie McMurray took control of the Rookie of the Year chase in the second half. Credit: Autostock

Marlin lumbered into 18th in the drivers' standings -- the same position he finished in 2002 after running seven fewer events -- and ended the season with 11 top-10 finishes, but nary a top-five.

Marlin and McMurray led in the same number of races, eight, but Marlin led twice as many laps as his younger teammate, 237-120.

Marlin's season was plagued with six DNFs, including four by accidents, but he and crew chief Lee McCall ended the season with three top-10s in their last four starts, causing them to smile when contemplating 2004.

Ganassi displayed a lot more patience with his other Winston Cup rookie contender, Casey Mears, than he had just two years before when he axed Jason Leffler before the season was completed.

Mears undertook an "ABC" schedule, competing in 36 Winston Cup races, 14 Busch Series events and four ARCA Series shows.

While his Winston Cup outings in the No. 41 Dodge were erratic -- witness 10 DNFs -- Mears was competitive enough, given his general lack of stock car seat time, to lead two events with an average start of 22nd.

	Sterling Marlin (left) with crew chief Lee McCall Credit: Autostock

It was in his support divisions that Mears appropriately showed the most promise. He had a Busch Series pole at Chicagoland Speedway and totaled two top-five and four top-10 finishes.

Mears scored top-five finishes in all four ARCA events, including two victories at Pocono Raceway and another at Michigan. One of the Pocono wins and the Michigan victory were scored from the pole.

Ganassi also fielded a fourth car in the two Winston Cup road races this season for SCCA Trans-Am champion Scott Pruett. Pruett scored the team's best finish of the season when he finished second to Robby Gordon at Watkins Glen.