GEM aims to shift potential into results for '08

Fourth in a series looking back on NASCAR teams' fortunes in 2007 and their prospects for 2008.

After earning three championships and 47 career wins calling the shots for Jeff Gordon, veteran crew chief Ray Evernham launched his own NASCAR team in 2001. The team became one of the anchor organizations for Dodge's return to NASCAR and earned 13 Cup Series wins through the 2006 season. Evernham sold half of his organization to Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett last season and the team became known as Gillett-Evernham Motorsports.

Season review

GEM came into last season as one of the sport's powerhouse teams in many eyes. On the strength of Kasey Kahne's series-leading six victories in 2006, the addition of former Robert Yates Racing pilot Elliott Sadler to the stable and the steady improvement by Scott Riggs in the team's third entry, GEM seemed poised to make a run for the series championship.

It was a rough 2007 for Kahne and GEM. (Getty Images)

But from the start of the year, things went off track and stayed there.

All three of the team's crew chiefs -- Kenny Francis, Rodney Childers and Josh Brown -- were suspended by NASCAR when infractions were found after qualifying for the season-opening Daytona 500. The penalties also put the team's drivers in an immediate hole with Kahne docked 50 points and Sadler and Riggs 25 each before the season had even begun.

While all three were able to make the 500, with Kahne and Sadler going on to finish sixth and seventh, the incident was a harbinger of the difficult season that lied ahead.

Kahne followed his Daytona run with a string of 17 straight finishes outside the top 10. A stretch punctuated with accidents, engine problems and other assorted mechanical troubles.

He never recovered and wound up not only missing the Chase with a 19th place finish in the standings, but being shutout of victory lane for the first time since his rookie season in 2004.

"It just seemed that we could never get things all going in the right direction," Kahne said. "When we weren't involved in accidents, we had engine trouble. When the engines were good we had bad luck hit us. For whatever reason nothing ever added up much for us."

Sadler's frustrating campaign was even worse and there were rumors at midseason the popular Virginian was looking for a way out of his contract to possibly join DEI. He ended the year with only two top 10 finishes in 36 starts and a 25th place finish in the final standings.

And Riggs only qualified for 26 races in the team's No. 10 entry before finally being let go near the end of the season in favor of open wheel driver Patrick Carpentier.

2008 outlook

The trio of Kahne, Sadler and Carpentier should have renewed optimism, thanks in no small part to the influx of capital new co-owner Gillett has given the team.

"I truly believe we are positioned now better than ever to have the resources needed to compete in this business," Evernham said.

The team will also have additional funding thanks to two new sponsorships that will for the first time replace Dodge, and its dealer network, as the primary sponsor on two of its entries.

Kahne's No. 9 will carry the Budweiser colors that had supported Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s No. 8 DEI Chevrolet since the 2000 season. And Sadler's No. 19 will sport Best Buy after the electronics retailer left Haas-CNC.

"Those two sponsors will also allow us to do some things we haven't been able to in the past in the area of research and development," Evernham said.

Canadian Carpentier, who will join former open wheel colleagues Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr. in a run for Rookie of the Year honors, will have newcomer Mike Shiplett calling the shots for the No. 10 team.

There's no reason to believe Kahne can't bounce back from his dismal 2007 to once again become a force next season. He's too good a driver and still has a solid supporting cast behind him to be written off again in 2008.

Sadler hasn't done much since moving to GEM in the middle of 2006 and the coming year will be a pivotal one in the career of the likeable driver.

And like most open wheelers, Carpentier will shine at the two road-course stops in Sonoma and Watkins Glen, but faces a difficult learning curve in his move to stock cars.

Overall GEM has the potential to compete for wins and possibly a championship in 2008 if Kahne can return to form and Sadler improves. But as was proved last season, having potential is a long way from being successful.