Joe Nemechek swept the Kansas weekend in October, winning both the Busch and Nextel Cup events. Credit: Autostock

In Review: Nemechek

MB2 showed second-half strength after difficult spring

This is the second of our driver reviews for 2004. This month, NASCAR.COM will review the top 20 drivers.

Monday: Jeff Burton.

Among all the usual contenders for the 2005 Nextel Cup championship, like Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., is another candidate.

Joe Nemechek Driver Page 2004 Stats Article Archive Merchandise

He might seem an unlikely choice, but based on his performance in the latter stages of the 2004 season - yes, during the Chase for the Nextel Cup - Joe Nemechek should be considered a contender, too.

Nemechek ended up 19th in the Nextel Cup points standings, rallying from 28th earlier in the year. His season was highlighted by a victory in the Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway, making Nemechek one of three non-Chase drivers to win in 2004.

Nemechek spins at Dover in September Credit: Autostock

Nemechek and his MB2 Motorsports team ended the year with three top-fives, nine top-10s and two poles. The season ended on a down note, as a broken swaybar dropped Nemechek to 27th at Homestead, but that was one of only a few things that went wrong late in 2004.

"I'm not going to let what happened (at Homestead) spoil my off-season," Nemechek said. "The positives far outweigh the negatives. We proved that this Army team has talent and that we can be contenders at any given race. I truly believe that we laid a strong foundation for the 2005 season."

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That's for sure. After struggling early in the season, Nemechek and crew chief Ryan Pemberton were hit with five DNFs in a seven-race stretch. But a pair of top-10 finishes to close out the first half of the season was a sign of better things to come.

Nemechek pulled up to 25th in the points as the Chase for the Nextel Cup began. With so much of the focus on Chase drivers, Nemechek and Pemberton quietly made a move.

He was sixth at New Hampshire before overheating problems forced the No. 01 Chevrolet to the sidelines at Dover.

Nemechek bounced back with back-to-back poles at Talladega and Kansas, and then stormed to victory at Kansas Speedway.

"Teamwork is very important," Nemechek said. "We had great pit stops today. I communicated with Ryan Pemberton very good and we made some good adjustments on the car. We were off at the beginning of the day and we got better at the end of the day.

Even though Nemechek was struggling, MB2 renewed Nemechek's contract in July. Credit: Autostock

"We were right when it counted. That's all I can ask my guys. Give me something good to drive and if it drives good at the end of the race, we'll have a shot at winning. And I'll be darned if it didn't come our way."

Nemechek was hardly done, however, finishing fifth at Charlotte, fourth at Atlanta, 12th at Phoenix and eighth at Darlington.

Yes, the team slipped at Martinsville (30th) and Homestead (27th), but Nemechek's six top-10s in the Chase were bettered by only four drivers: Busch, Johnson, Gordon and Earnhardt Jr.

We're not the big powerhouse out there, but the people we have are quality people that are there to get the job done," Nemechek said. "It's neat. It's neat when you outrun the big three or the big four, you know?

"But it gets back to people. You've got to have the right people, have the right communication, and you've got to have the right equipment.

"If I can tell them how to make my car better, we're going to go faster, and that's what it's all about."

Sure, Nemechek is probably a longshot to win the 2005 championship. But if some of the inconsistency and bad luck is eliminated, the longshot could pay off big.

"I feel I've got the best crew chief in the garage, and I've got the best team in the garage," Nemechek said. "If it wasn't for a lot of the bad luck we've had this year, man, we'd be up there in the top 10 in points.

"We just keep doing the best we can do every week. We're learning a lot for next year. It's kind of like a building year, but we want to win now."