 | | Joe Nemechek and teammate Scott Riggs were the fastest cars during Daytona testing on Wednesday. Credit: Turner Sports Interactive |
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
February 8, 2005
10:34 AM EST (15:34 GMT)
Joe Nemechek is 41 years old, fighting off injury and hooked up with one of the smaller multi-car teams on tour. And yet there's really no reason to believe that 2005 couldn't be a career year. He had arthroscopic knee surgery a month ago to repair a nagging injury that stemmed from a crash at Bristol last year, and his age made him the third-oldest man to win on the Nextel Cup Series in 2004. But Nemechek has already arrived in Daytona with one of the fastest cars, which is really no shocker, since it's the same Chevrolet that was on the Bud Pole last fall at Talladega. It might all be starting to come together. MB2 Motorsports has never enjoyed sustained success at NASCAR's top level -- the team has just two wins in seven seasons of operation -- but its gameplan hasn't wavered: • Dole out major cash to lease Hendrick equipment
• Retain key personnel
• Retain drivers MB2 was a tale of two teams in 2004. In the first few months of the season, Nemechek was bogged down in sea of accidents and engine failures that left him in the second tier of the standings. Despite the mediocrity, Nemechek's contract was renewed for 2005. That's when Nemechek began the hottest streak of his career, blazing through the final 10 races with six top-10 finishes (two-thirds of his yearly total). So the question for 2005 is simple. Which half was real? "The second half of the year, [it] just seemed like we didn't have any problems," Nemechek said. "The team jelled better, but we also didn't have any problems and that is a big part of keeping the team running good. "We got a little momentum going on our side." He's also got continuity. Nemechek has four career wins, but this is the first time he will be with the same team the year after scoring a victory. He also has crew chief Ryan Pemberton, who has been with the team since its inception. The team remained relatively intact over the winter, although minor changes were made to the pit crew. "We have got some great equipment, great people, and we're going to have a good year," Nemechek said. "All the speedway races, we run good at." Nemechek's weaknesses in 2004 centered on the short tracks and the road courses, where he failed to score even a top-20 finish. It was the plate tracks (three top-10s) and the 1.5-milers (three top-fives) where Nemechek excelled. The short tracks and the road courses make up a fourth of the schedule, and Nemechek will have to improve on those circuits if he has a chance of making the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Making the Chase is a long shot -- Nemechek's career-best points finish is 15th -- but he's certainly showed in the second half that he's capable of consistency. "If I can keep things going like I need to, we're going to win," he said. • Click here for 2005 Driver Previews. | 
