IN SIGHT Virgina coach Al Groh takes some laps before beating Pitt in the Continental Tire Bowl. FOCUS: RUSTY WALLACE We knew there was something missing from the NASCAR awards gig in New York. For the first time since 1992 (and just the second time since 1985), Rusty Wallace failed to finish in the top 10 of the final points standings. While his young Penske teammate Ryan Nemwan was winning races left and right and ultimately finishing sixth in points, Wallace's much-publicized winless streak continued and the veteran ended up 14th in points. During the '03 campaign, Wallace placed much of the blame for the No. 2 car's struggles on his crew and some of the decisions and mistakes it made. So it's no surprise that Bill Wilburn is out as crew chief and Larry Carter is in. Carter, Tony Raines' crew chief in 2003, led Raines and the underfunded No. 74 team to several solid runs and a respectable 33rd-place finish in points. "We're extremely excited to have Larry join us as our new crew chief," Wallace said. "Larry brings an abundance of talent and experience to our program, and he is a perfect fit to accompany the qualified staff we already have in place. We can't wait to get the ball rolling in 2004." BACE Motorsports, which campaigns Raines' No. 74 car, is an up and coming team. But a move to an organization like Penske will certainly give Carter more resources to work with. "This is a top-notch team with great people and ample resources," Carter said. "I am delighted that they have the confidence in me to lead their team, and I'm really looking forward to this new challenge." Wilburn had stepped down earlier in December after two seasons as Wallace's crew chief. "We had a lengthy discussion and the situation with Billy is as amicable as it can possibly be," Wallace said. "Billy will continue to be an active team player with us, and he will be a big asset as he has always been. "The bottom line was, after studying our team situation at great length and laying out our plans for the future, we concluded that this change was necessary," Wallace said. Wallace's best finish of 2003 was a third-place effort at the Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif. Anything short of a championship is seen by some as a disappointment. And regardless of the performance of the previous season, each new year again brings the expectation of another title. Ah, such is the life for four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon. To be clear, it's beyond a stretch to simply look at the numbers and conclude that the 2003 Winston Cup season was a disappointment for Gordon. After all, he did win three races and finish fourth in points -- not to mention finishing second to Ryan Newman in top-five finishes (17-15) and having more top-10s than all but three drivers. Further, Gordon -- along with teammate Jimmie Johnson -- was as good as anyone down the stretch. After a miserable four-race stretch in August, which saw Gordon limp to finishes of 33rd, 30th, 28th and 32nd (with two of those finishes coming after starting from the pole), Gordon notched finishes of 10th and 19th at Richmond and New Hampshire, respectively, before going on an absolute tear. Fifth at Dover, fifth at Talladega, fifth at Kansas, fifth at Charlotte. Then came the back-to-back wins at Martinsville and Atlanta, which were followed by finishes of seventh, 22nd and fifth to complete the year. Sure, every driver has a "what if" story, but Gordon's August slump destroyed his title hopes. Still, Gordon's performance in 2003 was very strong. But with Ryan Newman winning more than a fifth of the races and Matt Kenseth cruising to the points championship, it's impossible to describe Gordon's season as dominant -- especially when compared to his own past performances, namely three consecutive double-digit win seasons from 1996-98. Newman's brilliance (and fuel mileage) aside, drivers just aren't winning races in bunches like they used to. You've heard it before and you'll hear it again -- NASCAR is just more competitive than it used to be. "I definitely think it is getting more and more competitive, and how you win races today has changed a lot compared to six or eight years ago," Gordon told NASCAR's official Web site. "If you look at how difficult it is to win, you have to give them credit for what they did this year." Gordon's three wins in 2003 ranked him behind only Newman and Kurt Busch in total victories, so it's evident that Gordon still knows as well as anyone how to win a race. That combined with his consistency makes Gordon, as usual, one of the prime title favorites for next season -- though, according to Gordon, a little luck and some better pit strategy wouldn't hurt, either. So how important is the drive for No. 5 for Gordon? "To me, the day that I choose to stop driving has nothing to do with statistics or accomplishments," Gordon told NASCAR's Web site. "When the time comes that I am not enjoying it, or not as competitive, or not as healthy, I will stop. "But right now I feel fine and I just want to win more championships and that No. 5 is definitely at the top of my list." And once again, Gordon will be at the top of many preseason favorites lists for the first Nextel Cup championship. MAILBAG

I don't know why Sarah Fisher is even this series. She is out of her league. I mean, she ended Scott Goodyear's career. If you cannot learn at Indy then you are in trouble. This a MAN'S SPORT, enough said. Timmy Purdy Washington, Ind. Well, nobody can say you aren't afraid to speak your mind, Timmy. Anyone can have an opinion on a specific driver. You don't think Sarah Fisher belongs in IndyCars? That's your right to have that take -- though judging that by her performance at Indy? Not an easy track to conquer. But to say that Fisher can't drive at this level because racing is a man's sport ... well, don't tell that to Shirley Muldowney or Janet Guthrie or Angelle Savoie or Lynn St. James -- or even the Rhonda Hartman-Smiths, Deborah Renshaws and Shawna Robinsons of the world, just to name a few. And don't be surprised if a Fisher or Danica Patrick wins in a major league series. These are women who have achieved varying levels of success -- including championships -- at several different levels of racing. Sure, it's probably more difficult for women to make their way to the top of the racing world. But doesn't it seem that establishment and not lack of ability would be the primary obstacle? The NHRA ranked its top 50 drivers of all time a couple of years back. Muldowney was No. 5. A man's sport, huh? 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 Martin Brundle David Coulthard's manager: "(Coulthard) didn't get the job done in the middle of ('03) and that was when McLaren started looking around and thinking about ... Montoya." Bill Elliott On his partial '04 race schedule: "I'll be around. (Other drivers) won't even know anything's changed. They'll get sick of me just like they get sick of me now." Matt Kenseth On his year: "We were competitive in every race, even the ones where we had a problem. ... This team hardly missed a beat all year and they deserve to be champions."

RPM.ESPN.com's Gas and Go appears each and every Tuesday on ESPN.com.