S
stridsberry
Guest
This is a catalog of some of the wierd things that have happened this year, in no particular order. Feel free to add on if I missed something.
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Would you have believed prior to the start of the 2002 Winston Cup season...
...that eight drivers who won in 2001 wouldn't win a race, but Jamie McMurray, in his 2nd career start, would?
...that Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch would each surpass their 2001 top-5 total in wins alone?
...that Jeff Gordon, in the final race of the season, would use his first career provisional?
...that anyone would even think of climbing out their car under a red flag, on the backstretch, and then try to fix the car?
...that Jeff Gordon's first top-5 of the season would come at Texas, of all places?
...that Gordon would be winless in the first 23 races of the season, than win back-to-back races?
...that two rookies would combine for 10 poles, including Ryan Newman's rookie-record 6?
...or that Bill Elliott would win 4 poles?
...that NASCAR would start docking points for post-race infractions?
...that Kevin Harvick, one year removed from the ROTY Award, would get parkedEby NASCAR for one race, and not even crack the top-20 in points?
...that Ryan Newman would beat his more famous teammate in the point standings, and Jimmie Johnson would miss doing the same thing by only seven points?
...that the highest rookie in the points would finish 2nd in the ROTY standings?
...that Jeff Burton, who was the only Roush driver to win a race in 2001, would be their only driver NOT to win a race in 2002?
...that Ward Burton, of all people, would be the driver to provide a stop-gap to the DEI plate dominance?
...that Sterling Marlin would lead the points for 25 straight races?
...that Sterling would then fracture a vertebrae in his neck and miss the final 7 races? (And still finish 18th in points?)
...that Kyle Petty, one year removed from missing 12 races, would contend for the top-20 in points, despite never finishing better than 10th?
...that Johnny Benson would have as many wins as the entire RCR organization?
...that Ken Schrader would make every race, but never finish better than 13th?
...that Jeff Green would be the highest RCR driver in the final points?
...that Elliott Sadler and Ricky Rudd would make an entire soap opera out of Silly Season, and then merely switch rides?
...that Jimmie Johnson would be a title contender, but Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd would not be?
...that anyone could win the Winston Cup championship while on duel probation?
...that Rudd would only post 12 top-10 finishes Ebarely half that of 2001 Eyet lead the series in top-20s?
...that the Winston Leader Bonus would go uncollected over the final 31 races of the season?
...that the Winston Cup wins leader would be Matt Kenseth?
...that the wins leader would finish 8th in points?
...that qualifying would be rained out 3 times in 4 weeks?
...that Ryan Newman would win the Winston All-Star race before winning a points-counting event?
...that the latest trend among drivers (and crew chiefs) would be to swear on national television?
...that the points champion would do so with (by far) the lowest points average since the current system was created?
...that we'd ever go a season, or heck, nearly two seasons, without seeing Rusty Wallace in the winner's circle?
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Would you have believed prior to the start of the 2002 Winston Cup season...
...that eight drivers who won in 2001 wouldn't win a race, but Jamie McMurray, in his 2nd career start, would?
...that Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch would each surpass their 2001 top-5 total in wins alone?
...that Jeff Gordon, in the final race of the season, would use his first career provisional?
...that anyone would even think of climbing out their car under a red flag, on the backstretch, and then try to fix the car?
...that Jeff Gordon's first top-5 of the season would come at Texas, of all places?
...that Gordon would be winless in the first 23 races of the season, than win back-to-back races?
...that two rookies would combine for 10 poles, including Ryan Newman's rookie-record 6?
...or that Bill Elliott would win 4 poles?
...that NASCAR would start docking points for post-race infractions?
...that Kevin Harvick, one year removed from the ROTY Award, would get parkedEby NASCAR for one race, and not even crack the top-20 in points?
...that Ryan Newman would beat his more famous teammate in the point standings, and Jimmie Johnson would miss doing the same thing by only seven points?
...that the highest rookie in the points would finish 2nd in the ROTY standings?
...that Jeff Burton, who was the only Roush driver to win a race in 2001, would be their only driver NOT to win a race in 2002?
...that Ward Burton, of all people, would be the driver to provide a stop-gap to the DEI plate dominance?
...that Sterling Marlin would lead the points for 25 straight races?
...that Sterling would then fracture a vertebrae in his neck and miss the final 7 races? (And still finish 18th in points?)
...that Kyle Petty, one year removed from missing 12 races, would contend for the top-20 in points, despite never finishing better than 10th?
...that Johnny Benson would have as many wins as the entire RCR organization?
...that Ken Schrader would make every race, but never finish better than 13th?
...that Jeff Green would be the highest RCR driver in the final points?
...that Elliott Sadler and Ricky Rudd would make an entire soap opera out of Silly Season, and then merely switch rides?
...that Jimmie Johnson would be a title contender, but Dale Jarrett and Ricky Rudd would not be?
...that anyone could win the Winston Cup championship while on duel probation?
...that Rudd would only post 12 top-10 finishes Ebarely half that of 2001 Eyet lead the series in top-20s?
...that the Winston Leader Bonus would go uncollected over the final 31 races of the season?
...that the Winston Cup wins leader would be Matt Kenseth?
...that the wins leader would finish 8th in points?
...that qualifying would be rained out 3 times in 4 weeks?
...that Ryan Newman would win the Winston All-Star race before winning a points-counting event?
...that the latest trend among drivers (and crew chiefs) would be to swear on national television?
...that the points champion would do so with (by far) the lowest points average since the current system was created?
...that we'd ever go a season, or heck, nearly two seasons, without seeing Rusty Wallace in the winner's circle?
Or a Daytona 500 without Dale Earnhardt