The winters can get pretty cold in Maine. But the chill factor in his home state is nothing compared to the downright frigid treatment Ricky Craven received from most Winston Cup team owners for nearly three years after suffering two episodes of post-concussion syndrome in 1998.

For a young man who won the Rookie of the Year award in 1995, Craven had become a leper to most teams just three short years later. Once compared to Jeff Gordon, Craven left Hendrick Motorsports both hurting and embarrassed.

	Ricky Craven's future is much brighter after suffering through injuries early in his career.

At the time, Craven felt his career was over. He managed to stay on the periphery of stock-car racing's major leagues by driving for under-financed teams, just to keep himself visible, hoping some owner would finally take a chance on a guy many considered to be damaged goods.

But there were more times than he can count that Craven wondered if he'd ever get a second chance at making his mark.

Fast-forward four years later and Craven is where he should have been all along. He comes into Sunday's UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway enjoying some of the greatest success of his roller coaster career. After winning his first race last fall at Martinsville, Va., Craven has come out of the gate strong in 2002, entering Sunday's race sixth in the points.

Not only does Craven have the type of performance and team he sought for so long after leaving Hendrick, he has job security (signed through the 2004 season, with an option for several more years) and a positive outlook on his future rather than dwelling on the gloom of his past.

"It's a sharp contrast to a few years ago when I considered selling life insurance," Craven said. "I think the big difference between today and a year ago is there was a building full of people a year ago, and today we have a very, very good race team. I say that not with the intention of offending people, but rather with complimenting what we've assembled and particularly what Cal (team owner Cal Wells) has seen through. It's a fantastic group of people."

Craven, Wells and PPI Motorsports have become such a tight fit, they could well become the surprise team of 2002. After leading a jigsaw puzzle existence from 1998 until he signed with Wells' team prior to last season, all the pieces have come into place for Craven.

Where once he may have been considered the longest of longshots, Craven comes into Sunday's race as one of the favorites after finishing 17th in the season-opening Daytona 500, and following that up last week by winning the pole and finishing fifth at Rockingham, N.C.

"There's no question that the confidence is a major contributor to your preparation," Craven said. "There's believing, and then there's knowing. And in our case, it's knowing, because we did it. There's no question, I understand that. There was life before winning and there's life after it.

"I'm not a bit different. I insist on being the same, old average guy. But personally, I'll tell you it's awesome. We need to be careful not to get ahead of ourselves, but the expectations for this season are high."

Craven admittedly had to contain his exuberance through much of 2001, knowing he was back in the major leagues with a major-league team and a major-league owner. There were times the safety issue -- which had been an anchor around his neck from 1998 until the start of last year -- became a distant memory. Craven wanted to make up for lost time, leaving Wells -- who became one of the leading proponents of motorsports safety after his own driver, Jeff Krosnoff, died in a tragic crash during a CART race in Toronto in 1996 -- to step in and take every possible precaution to protect his young, enthusiastic charge not only from the rest of the competition, but from himself, as well.

	“	I raced like I was having the time of my life, and I gave zero consideration to getting hurt. That's the only way you can race.”
		—Craven

"I raced every lap last year with authority," Craven said. "I raced like I was having the time of my life, and I gave zero consideration to getting hurt. That's the only way you can race. I don't really think of it in that respect, but I do know we are all beneficiaries of it (NASCAR's emphasis on safety this season). The drivers, I don't think, give enough consideration to it because the competitive side of it is so narrow-minded about leading laps, winning poles and winning races.

"I'm thankful that I have a car owner that's very safety conscious. Like last year, he wanted me to wear the HANS device, and I struggled with it. It wasn't an easy sell for me, but I'm sure thankful that he directed me, because now I wouldn't race without it. I'm very comfortable with it."

To give Craven added safety, Wells put his engineering background to work and designed a new carbon-fiber protective driver's seat that has found its way into numerous cars this season.

"It's truly awesome where we've been, compared to where we're going," Craven said of the level of safety. "The combination of bouncing off the walls too many times and the cumulative effect, that seat may not prevent you from getting a concussion, but it might save your life."

A reporter recently joked that Craven has smiled so much in the last year that the scribe wondered if Craven had undergone plastic surgery to make the grin permanent.

But in his private moments, Craven still remembers what he endured, literally begging owners for a chance to drive, only to be continually met with negative replies. If it hadn't been for Wells, Craven probably would, indeed, be selling life insurance in Maine.

"I think I learned a lot of things, like perspective, and I value that now," Craven said. "I also learned resilience because I hung around and hung on. But, somewhere along the line, my path crossed with Cal and I subscribe to those things having to work that way, going through what you go through. But, going back to perspective, I have a much better perspective than I had three or four years ago. As a result, I think I'll be better prepared to win more races.

"Now we're in the season and life's never been better. We've just got it going on. Everything's just great."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.