They may make millions driving fast cars, but NASCAR's top drivers have wishes and dreams just like the rest of us.
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| Kevin Harvick needs to learn how to keep his cool on the track and in the pits.(AP) |
They live their lives on the edge, their competitive spirits overriding the fear of driving race cars at breakneck speeds, giving them the courage it takes to risk their lives every time they strap themselves into their dangerous machines.
It's that competitive spirit that drives nearly everything they do, even at Christmas, the season for giving.
Ask any NASCAR star what they would like for Christmas, and it will almost always have something to do with racing, the upcoming season and their opportunity for success.
After all, what can you give a millionaire athlete that they don't already have? What most really want is one more trophy for the mantel, a shot at the elusive championship or just the opportunity to be competitive and reach their full potential.
With that in mind, and Christmas fast approaching, here's a few holiday wishes some of NASCAR's top stars will have on their minds this week.
- For new Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth, a Nextel Cup championship, but with a twist. Now that he has won his first title, what Kenseth would like most is to win another one, but this time by winning more than one race and by running consistently well all season, erasing all doubts that he is anything but a legitimate champion.
- For Jimmie Johnson, one more victory, one more top-five finish and just 90 more points, which is how close he came to taking the title from Kenseth last season. Johnson was NASCAR's hottest driver at the end, nearly catching Kenseth with a series of impressive runs. He needs just a few more top finishes and a bit more luck to capture his first title in just his third season on the circuit.
- For Ryan Newman, a few fewer flips, a few fewer slips and just a little more consistency. Newman won twice as many races (eight) as his closest competitor but couldn't contend for the title because of horrible luck at the beginning of the season, including spectacular, end-over-end crashes at Daytona and Talladega. All he needs is a little luck to truly become NASCAR's next dominant driver.
- For Jeff Gordon, a summer without discontent. Two years in a row, Gordon's quest for a fifth championship has been derailed by a terrible summer, both featuring every kind of setback imaginable. Gordon's midseason swoon was so bad last year that he got wrecked twice and ran out of gas -- all in the same August race at Watkins Glen. If he can avoid such catastrophe next year, Gordon might finally win that fifth title, closing within two of the record held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.
- For Kurt Busch, patience, composure and maturity, all traits he has lacked so far during his rapid rise to stardom. Busch can win almost anywhere. But he needs those gifts to keep himself out of NASCAR's doghouse and to earn the respect of his peers. Without those two things, Busch is destined to continue as NASCAR's bad guy and suffer the consequences that go with it.
- For Kevin Harvick, just one trouble-free year without going on probation. Harvick has been under NASCAR's watchful eye for two years after losing his cool on the track and pit road. The popular Harvick is one of NASCAR's fieriest competitors, a trait his teammates and fans hope he never loses. But like Busch, he needs to stay away from NASCAR's wrath if he hopes to reach the next level.
- For Dale Earnhardt Jr., fewer commercials, fewer magazine covers, fewer TV appearances and a bit more focus on the ultimate prize. Earnhardt Jr. and his Dale Earnhardt Inc. team proved last year they have what it takes to win a championship. But sometimes Junior's popularity off the track seems to diminish his performance on it. If his team can improve on pit road and avoid stupid mistakes, and Junior can avoid the distractions that often come with his mass appeal, he might soon follow in his father's footsteps.
- For Rusty Wallace, a merciful end to that embarrassing 96-race winless streak. Wallace is one of NASCAR's all-time greats. He doesn't deserve to end his career on such a sour note. Wallace can still drive with the best of them. A break here or there and he will return to where he has spent much of his career -- in victory lane.
- A sponsor and resurgence by Jeff Burton. One of the nicest guys and most intense competitors in the sport, Burton amazingly has no sponsor entering 2004. Though he has struggled the past two years, he is still a top-15 driver capable of bouncing back in a big way. Burton has demonstrated tremendous loyalty by sticking with Roush Racing despite his team's inability to land a sponsor. Now Burton deserves to reap the rewards of his noble decision.
- For Mark Martin, one more run at the title. No one in the sport today deserves to win a championship more than Martin. As gracious as any competitor in sports, Martin has come close many times, only to fall just short. Last year, he suffered through a disappointing season as he watched Kenseth, his protégé, win the title in just his fourth year in the sport. Martin deserves to win one before his career is through.
- A return to glory by Dale Jarrett, Sterling Marlin, Ricky Rudd and the other over-40 stars who slipped last season. Guys like Jarrett, Marlin, Rudd, Terry Labonte and others helped make NASCAR what it is today. Without it, Young Guns like Earnhardt Jr., Harvick, Johnson, Newman and Busch wouldn't be millionaire stars in their 20s. They all deserve one more shot at glory before riding off into the sunset.
- For new chairman and CEO Brian France, the courage to move forward with his plan for a 10-race playoff at the end of each season. France's plan to guarantee a little drama and excitement in the points race each season is brilliant and could only make the sport an even bigger player on the national sports landscape. France and NASCAR couldn't ask for a bigger Christmas present than a dramatic, 10-team race to the title next season, the type of intense sprint every other popular sport features.
- For all of NASCAR's drivers and competitors, another safe and exciting season to help continue stock car racing's surge in popularity.
