W
Ward Burton
Guest
As NASCAR approaches the second half of its 2003 Winston Cup season, TV Guide hits newsstands with its July 5 special Winston Cup mid-season issue (on sale June 30th), featuring two different collector's covers. The sport's two leading pairs-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip; and Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch-will each command a cover. In addition, newsstand issues of the magazine will include two special TV Guide bonuses. The first is a pair of cut-out trading cards, depicting Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont Chevrolet and Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s #8 Budweiser Chevrolet on one side, with racing statistics and exclusive quotes from each driver on the reverse. The second bonus feature is a two-sided pullout poster with a photograph of Earnhardt Jr. on one side and Gordon on the other. Both sides of the poster also include the schedule for the remainder of the Winston Cup 2003 season. In addition to giving complete up-to-date stats on the first half of the Winston Cup season, TV Guide auto-racing expert Robert Edelstein examines the effect of stress on NASCAR's top drivers. As he reports, frustration got the better of Earnhardt Jr. last season after a vicious crash during the Winston Cup California race left him with a severe concussion and led to his drop from the top 10 in points. While his physical recovery played a role in his comeback this season, Junior's the first to admit the big reason for his success is all in his mind: "A bad attitude is like a virus, and it all starts with me," he tells TV Guide. "I felt that way at the start of this season; the results made me a believer." This special mid-season TV Guide NASCAR report also examines whether anyone has a shot at beating Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Michael Waltrip at Daytona's July 5 prime-time race. Edelstein, author of NASCAR Generations, looks at this winning team's strongest competition and analyzes the five top contenders: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ward Burton, Tony Stewart and Rusty Wallace.
