IN SIGHT Newly-named Driver of the Year Ryan Newman. FOCUS: JOE NEMECHEK 'Front Row' Joe Nemechek will continue to have a front row seat in NASCAR next year. It was announced a couple months back that Nemechek would pilot the No. 01 car in 2004. What wasn't certain, however, is how long those duties would last. Driver Jerry Nadeau continues to recover from injuries suffered at Richmond in May, but he likely won't be ready to return to Cup racing until 2005. That leaves the experienced Nemechek at the helm for the entire '04 campaign. "Joe will be a great addition to our team," said MB2 Motorsports GM Jay Frye when Nemechek's move to the team was announced. "He is a proven veteran who always gives 100 percent both on and off the track." Nemechek, 40, has three career Winston Cup victories, including a win this past season at Richmond during the same weekend Nadeau was injured. Nemechek also has six career Cup poles along with 15 Busch wins and 16 Busch poles. He drove 25 races for Rick Hendrick in 2002 and ran the first 32 for Hendrick this year before finishing the season with MB2 in strong fashion, qualifying in the top-10 for all four races and finishing in the top-20 twice. "In four short weeks, we've come a long way in getting ready for 2004," Nemechek said after the season finale at Homestead. "We've established a good line of communications and that is so important in the development of a winning race team. I've said it many times and I will say it again – there's a lot of potential on this team and I am excited to be a part of it." As for Nadeau, who like Nemechek used to drive Hendrick's No. 25 Chevy, there are no hard feelings surrounding another driver taking his ride. "The goal right now is to make sure the U.S. Army car is going to be fast for Joe next year," said Nadeau, who tested recently at Concord, N.C. "I am proud that Joe will be driving the Army car -- he's a great guy." PIT PASS Ecclestone Oh, what some money and a race will do. Formula One is headed to Bahrain, which is currently building a circuit that has already been described as "one of the best in the world." The person offering that high praise? Why, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone, of course. Ecclestone made his first visit to the Bahrain circuit this week and did his best to sing the track's praises. "The standard is so high its raised the bar so much. I'm very impressed and I'm very happy with (the circuit)," said Ecclestone. And as for the actual race? "It will be a great event. If I wasn't directly involved in Formula One myself I'd be buying a ticket before they sell out!" The Bahrain Grand Prix won't be held until April 4, 2004, but Ecclestone is already being rewarded for sending a race to the Middle East nation. Ecclestone was awarded the Bahrain Medal of the First Degree, an honor "usually reserved for Heads of State and people who perform outstanding services and achievements to the Kingdom of Bahrain," according to a Bahrain International Circuit news release. The medal is awarded at the sole discretion of King Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and was presented by the Crown Prince HH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. Heads of state, outstanding services and achievements to the Kingdom ... and race car driving. Wacky world. At Gas and Go, we are pondering driver popularity and what it means this holiday season. Or, possibly, what it doesn't mean. NASCAR had one of the most popular drivers of all time in Dale Earnhardt, and that legacy seems to be continuing on in Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was the fans' pick for most popular driver this year since the all-time popularity king -- Bill Elliott -- took himself out of the running. Formula One's top attraction for some time has been Michael Schumacher, who reportedly rakes in $50 million a year and is one of sport's biggest stars worldwide -- just not in America, of course. NHRA has a sure-fire fan favorite in John Force, one of the most quotable and likeable characters in any sport. The favorite in Champ Cars would have to be Paul Tracy, who despite his fiery demeanor and up-and-down career, is the face of the series right now. In all of the above cases, the drivers are popular but also have proven themselves with on-track success (in some cases, the success is so great it's at historic levels). Which brings us to our great dilemma -- and judging by reader response of late, it's a dilemma for fans, too. Sarah Fisher is the most popular driver in the Indy Racing League. But she has zero career victories and had only one top-10 finish last season. Now, Fisher is struggling to find a major sponsor and secure full-time ride for next season. The thought of any series' most popular driver being unable to secure a big-time deal is hard to fathom. Fisher's case obviously is unique -- her popularity hasn't been dependent upon or driven by on-track success. It's driven more by personality and charm -- which, unlike some readers suggest, probably has more to do with it than her being a woman. Being the only woman currently active in the series does give Fisher a novelty edge, but that alone would wear off (by now) if she were not charismatic, well-spoken and accessible to the fans. At 23, it's hard to say if Fisher has the skills to one day match her popularity level. She's been with a solid team -- and has enjoyed moments of success -- but clearly not the best; if Fisher were magically given the best setup next year, would she win accordingly? The only fair answer is that we don't know for sure. But the issue is certainly a big one for the IRL this season. It's not good to have your most popular driver sitting out or floundering in bad equipment. If either of those scenarios unfold, Fisher will be the biggest conundrum in auto racing. Here's to hoping a sponsor steps up. Fans deserve to see their favorite driver, and that driver deserves a true shot to see where she stacks up against the competition. EXHAUST FUMES Ryan Newman was named the Driver of the Year this week. In winning, Newman beat out several series champions -- including Matt Kenseth. Oh yeah -- Newman also beat out Matt Kenseth. Quite easily. We won't argue with the selection of Newman. While Kenseth was our consensus pick as top Winston Cup driver in '03, Newman's just as viable. Why? Because of the wins, of course. Yes, Kenseth led Cup drivers in top-10 finishes, but Newman had more wins and top-fives. Newman, however, had seven DNFs. Kenseth? Just two. But in taking a closer look at those numbers, we find that Newman had just two mechanical DNFs as compared to five crash-related knockouts. Obviously, a blown engine and the like can't usually be blamed on a driver. A crash, on the other hand, may or may not be the fault of that particular driver. And how many crash-related DNFs did Kenseth have? Zip. Zero. None. And that's part of why he won the Winston Cup title this year. Still, if you had to pick one driver to win you one race on any given race day -- OK, any race day that's not in Daytona, Talladega, Sonoma or Watkins Glen -- Newman's an easy choice over Kenseth. Point system controversy aside, Newman had eight-times more great days than Kenseth. But Kenseth was better over the long haul. Either deserved to be considered the best driver this year, but Newman would probably trade that distinction for a championship. MAILBAG

Heck, why don't they use the BCS computers for a Nextel Cup playoff lineup? Fast-Annie Proffit Indianapolis Good call, Fast-Annie. Based on the BCS' recent performance, we're guessing drivers from the SoCal area wouldn't be too pleased about being left out in the -- well -- warm, sunny weather. We here at G&G were split on the new system. But regardless of one's take on the specifics of the playoff proposal, NASCAR's brass should probably be given credit for scrutinizing the current setup and seeking better alternatives. Maybe the 26/10 is a good idea and maybe it's not. But at least NASCAR's got the proverbial ball rolling around the oval. Got your own questions about what's happening in the pits? Ask away, and we'll answer a question or two in the next Gas&Go. Name: E-mail address: City, state: Your comment: OVERHEARD Rubens Barrichello On driving for Ferrari: "I have created for myself a situation everyone thought was impossible to have at Ferrari alongside Michael Schumacher. ... I have the same status as Michael and I am very happy here." Z. Baumgartner On signing with Minardi: "For me, Christmas has definitely come early this year. The two races I did this past season made me more determined than ever that I wanted to be in Formula One. I have now realized that dream." '03 Busch Series champ Brian Vickers On his 2003 season: "From the beginning, our goals were simple -- finish every lap and try to stay out of trouble. If we did those things, we knew everything else would take care of itself."

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