43:John Andretti:Chex By Petty:Richard L Petty:Greg Steadman:Dodge:After he return to Pety Enterprises with an 11th-place points finish in 1998, John Andretti continued an inexplicable slide down the standings in 2001 as he dropped to 31st in the Pettys' first year with Dodge.:Petty Enterprises
7:Casey Atwood:TBA:Ray Evernham Sr.:Sammy Johns:Dodge:Casey Atwood found his stride at the end of last season, but faces uncertainty after a highly publicized move from Evernham Motorsports to Ultra Motorsports.:Evernham Motorsports
10:Johnny Benson:Valvoline:Nelson Bowers:James Ince:Pontiac:Johnny Benson tied his career-best finish -- 11th -- in the 2001 Cup points chase. But that wasn't good enough for this feisty competitor. He continues to strive for a much better performance.:MBV Motorsports
77:Dave Blaney:Jasper Engines & Transmissions:Douglas Bawel:Ryan Pemberton:Ford:Former World of Outlaws champion Dave Blaney has struggled to build a stock car racing career, fighting bad luck and timing while having some spectacular flashes of brilliance.:Jasper Motorsports
11:Bret Bodine:Hooters Restaurants:Diane Bodine:Jon Wolfe:Ford:Brett Bodine, Winston Cup's only full-time owner-driver, has had his share of obstacles to overcome, but he met each and every one of them head-on.:Brett Bodine Racing
26:Todd Bodine:Discover Card:Travis Carter:Donnie Wingo:Ford:Todd Bodine made his return to a full-time seat in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 2001, and despite some promising runs, battled bad luck and mechanical trouble on his way to an unfulfilling 29th in the point standings.:Haas Carter Motorsports
99:Jeff Burton:CITGO Racing:Jack Roush:Paul Andrews:Ford:Jeff Burton was rated as one of the top choices for the 2001 Winston Cup championship after four straight top-five finishes in the standings. But he struggled last season.:Roush Racing
22:Ward Burton:Caterpillar:Bill Davis:Frank Stoddard:Dodge:Last year, some unfortunate accidents prevented Ward Burton from reaching his potential on the track; but this wildlife enthusiast has shown plenty of talent.:Bill Davis Racing
97:Kurt Buscb:Little Tikes/Rubbermaid:Georgetta Roush:Jimmy Fennig:Ford:Kurt Busch's Winston Cup Rookie of the Year effort took a big hit with four finishes of 30th or worse in his first six starts. But Roush Racing made several crew changes during the winter, leaving Busch with an experienced crew chief (Jimmy Fennig.):Roush Racing
32:Ricky Craven:Tide:Calvin Wells:Mike Beam:Ford:After 173 Winston Cup starts without a win, Ricky Craven proved that perseverance pays as he rejuvenated his driving career in 2001 with new owner Cal Wells. Can he do it again? Craven thinks so. After all, he's one of the fiercest competitors on the track.:PPI Motorsports
8:Dale Earnhardt, Jr.:Budweiser:Teresa Earnhardt:Tony Eury:Chevrolet:Flamboyant off the track and quite tenacious on it, there's no stopping this young man from Kannapolis, N.C. -- until he reaches his goal of winning a Winston Cup championship.:Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
9:Bill Elliott:Dodge Dealers/UAW:Ray Evernham:Mike Ford:Dodge:True to the form he exhibited in 2000, Bill Elliott continued to scratch and claw his way back toward the elite ranks in Winston Cup racing in 2001. Elliott's win at Miami was his first win since Darlington in 1994.:Evernham Motorsports
24:Jeff Gordon:DuPont:Rick Hendrick:Robbie Loomis:Chevrolet:Just two seasons after crew chief Ray Evernham left the Hendrick Motorsports operation after the pair had won three titles in just five years, Jeff Gordon wore the crown again in 2001.:Hendrick Motorsports
31:Robby Gordon:Cingular Wireless:Richard Childress:Kevin Hamlin:Chevrolet:Robby Gordon sputtered a bit in 2001, but he ended the season on a very high note with awin at New Hampshire. Now, his job will be to keep the momentum going and show that victory was no fluke.:Richard Childress Racing
30:Jeff Green:America Online:Richard Childress:Todd Berrier:Chevrolet:Jeff Green showed his potential for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 30 America Online Chevrolet when he won the Bud Pole Award for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway and started inside the top-20 five times in eight races.:Richard Childress Racing
55:Bobby Hamilton:Schneider Electric:Andy Petree:Jimmy Elledge:Chevrolet:Bobby Hamilton struggled in 2001 to find the consistency he needed to back up a strong start to the season, but he did manage to win his fourth career race when he captured the Talladega 500 at Talladega Superspeedway.:Andy Petree Racing
29:Kevin Harvick:GM Goodwrench Service:Richard Childress:Gil Martin:Chevrolet:Kevin Harvick was thrust into the national spotlight when he was named to drive Dale Earnhardt's car for Richard Childress Racing following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500.:Richard Childress Racing
88:Dale Jarrett:UPS:Robert Yates:Todd Parrott:Ford:Dale Jarrett finished fifth in the Winston Cup standings in 2001, the seventh straight season in which he's been in the top five. Like a handful of other star drivers, don't count his name out on the short list of those who might win the driving title when 2002.:Robert Yates Racing
48:Jimmie Johnson:Lowe's:Jeff Gordon:Chad Knaus:Chevrolet:Jimmie Johnson is definitely one of the rookies to keep a close eye on this season. You can bet he'll be out to impress his boss -- Jeff Gordon -- this year by challenging the four-time champ whenever he can on the track.:Hendrick Motorsports
17:Matt Kenseth:DeWalt Power Tools:Mark Martin:Robbie Reiser:Ford:After struggling through a sophomore slump in the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup season, Matt Kenseth hopes to recapture the winning form he had in 2000, when he won the Rookie of the Year Award.:Roush Racing
18:Bobby Labonte:Interstate Batteries:Joe Gibbs:Jimmy Makar:Pontiac:Bobby Labonte quickly found out last year how fleeting the near perfection of his 2000 championship season could be. But he fought back to a sixth-place finish in the points, and he's still a major threat to win each time he gets behind the wheel of his car.:Joe Gibbs Racing
5:Terry Labonte:Kellogg's:Rick Hendrick: Jim Long:Chevrolet:Terry Labonte might have banked more than $3 million in 2001, but he failed to win a race for the second straight year and logged only three top-10 finishes.:Hendrick Motorsports
40:Sterling Marlin:Coors Light:Chip Ganassi:Lee McCall:Dodge:Sterling Marlin made a pretty strong statement in 2001 that he was not content to drive in the middle of the pack - his third-place finish in the points was his first top-10 points finish in five years.:Chip Ganassi Racing
6:Mark Martin:Pfizer/Viagra:Jack Roush:Ben Leslie:Ford:At the end of the 2001 season, Mark Martin defied anyone to question his commitment to excelling in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. However, his poor showing last year knocked Martin out of the top 10 in the standings for the first time since 1989.:Roush Racing
19:Jeremy Mayfield:Dodge Dealers/UAW:Ray Evernham:Dave Skog:Dodge:After a tumultuous 2001 season in which he parted ways with Penske Racing, Winston Cup veteran Jeremy Mayfield seeks to rebound in 2002 with Evernham Motorsports behind the wheel of the No. 19 Dodge.:Evernham Motorsports
40:Jamie McMurray:Coors Light:Chip Ganassi:Lee McCall:Dodge:Jamie McMurray scored two Bud Poles in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2000, which helped lead to a full-time ride with Brewco Motorsports in 2001. He finished third in the Busch Series rookie standings.:Chip Ganassi Racing
44:Jerry Nadeau:Georgia Pacific:Kyle Petty:Gary Putnam:Dodge:After scoring a breakout victory in the 2000 season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Jerry Nadeau had a perplexing season in 2001 in which he totaled his career best statistics, but still seemed to come up short of expectations.:Petty Enterprises
25:Joe Nemechek:UAW/Delphi:Joe Hendrick:Brian Pattie:Chevrolet:A mid-season injury suffered in a crash while testing his own NASCAR Busch Series car cost Joe Nemechek the advancement he was hoping to make in his second season with owner Andy Petree, but he bounced back to win his second career race before the year was through.:Hendrick Motorsports
12:Ryan Newman:ALLTEL:Roger Penske:Matt Borland:Ford:Ryan Newman scored his first Winston Cup pole by taking the top spot for the Coca-Cola 600. His Busch campaign in 2001 was highlighted by a win at Michigan in August.:Penske Racing
1:Steve Park:Pennzoil:Teresa Earnhardt:Steve Hmiel:Chevrolet:Steve Park seemed on his way to having a banner year in 2001 when a bizarre accident at Darlington in September put him on the sidelines with a concussion.:Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
45:Kyle Petty:Sprint:Pattie Petty:Steven Lane:Dodge:Kyle Petty continued to struggle mightily with Petty Enterprises' rebuilding process in 2001. The organization's CEO and lead driver engineered a switch in the off-season to Dodge Intrepids, but all three of the Pettys' drivers struggled.:Petty Enterprises
49:Shawna Robinson:BAM Racing:Elizabeth Morgenthau:Scott Eggleston:Dodge:Talk to Shawna Robinson and she'll tell you Winston Cup racing is all about seat time. And this year, she'll get her wish. She and her BAM Racing team will attempt to run in 24 Cup events. She's such a tough competitor - you just wonder how good she might get with all this extra seat-time.:B.A.M. Racing
28:Ricky Rudd:Havoline:Robert Yates:Raymond Fox:Ford:Ricky Rudd was thrilled and disappointed at the same time in 2001, his second season with Robert Yates Racing - he scored his first win in three years, but faded in the second half.:Robert Yates Racing
21:Elliott Sadler:Motorcraft Quality Parts:Glen Wood:Pat Tryson:Ford:In 2001, Elliott Sadler achieved a career milestone with his first victory, driving for Wood Brothers Racing in his third season in NASCAR Winston Cup, but the popular Virginian lacked consistency.:Wood Brothers Racing
36:Ken Schrader:M&M's:Thomas Beard:Newt Moore:Pontiac:Ken Schrader is looking for a strong comeback this season after last year's woes. In 2001, the affable all-around driver dropped to 19th in the Winston Cup standings.:MB2 Motorsports
4:Mike Skinner:Kodak Film:Larry McClure:Scott Eggleston:Chevrolet:After a six-year relationship with Richard Childress racing, Mike Skinner faces the job of returning Morgan-McClure Motorsports to Victory Lane.:Morgan-McClure Motorsports
41:Jimmy Spencer:Target:Chip Ganassi:Doug Randolph:Dodge:After seven seasons with owner Travis Carter, veteran Jimmy Spencer left following the 2001 season, an uneven campaign in which his finishes didn't match his good qualifying efforts. Now, for 2002, he's with Chip Ganassi and the No. 41 Dodge.:Chip Ganassi Racing
20:Tony Stewart:Home Depot:Joe Gibbs:Greg Zipadelli:Pontiac:Tony Stewart marked himself in his first two Winston Cup seasons as virtually a sure thing to win a championship. In his third season, Stewart proved he needs to find out how to start the season better to make his patented strong finishes pay off. Question is, will he do it this year?:Joe Gibbs Racing
14:Mike Wallace:Conseco:N/A:Mike Hillman:Pontiac:N/A:A.J. Foyt Racing
23:Kenny Wallace:Hills Bros Coffee:Gail Davis:Philippe Lopez:Dodge:Kenny Wallace's resolve was sorely tested in 2001, but in the end he was rewarded with a solid Winston Cup Series ride with Dale Earnhardt Inc.:Bill Davis Racing
2:Rusty Wallace:Miller Lite:Roger Penske:Bill Wilburn:Ford:Wallace, of St. Louis, moved up to 54 career wins with his victory on April 29 at California. His string of 16 years in a row with a victory is the best of all active drivers.:Penske Racing
15:Michael Waltrip:NAPA Auto Parts:Teresa Earnhardt:Slugger Labbe:Chevrolet:Michael Waltrip finally got the monkey off his back in 2001 with that elusive first win in the Daytona 500. But from there, things went downhill. Question is -- can he rebound in 2002 or will he still find Victory Lane one tough road to get to?:Dale Earnhardt Incorporated
