Ken Schrader's last win came in 1991.

Key stat: The biggest key for Schrader was the fact he was the only driver to finish in the top-20 without a top-5 finish in 2001. The primary reason was his consistency in starts (average starting position 22.8) and finishes (average finish was 22.3). Schrader is a good middle-of-the-road driver, with his front runner days seemingly long having passed him by.

2002 outlook
What needs to be done: While there was considerable speculation that Schrader would be fired at the end of the 2001 season by MB2 Motorsports, he's back, primary sponsor M&Ms is back and so, too, is crew chief Newt Moore. But mediocre performances and average finishes are not going to get Schrader much further. He and Moore have to find a way to inject a marked improvement into the team in 2002, or both men will likely not be part of the operation by 2003 -- that is, if they don't get fired sooner.

Prediction: Schrader has continued to go downhill in terms of performance in the last five seasons. He has yet to relive or repeat some of the brilliance he displayed during his seven seasons with car owner Rick Hendrick (1988-96), a campaign that included three top-5 and two other top-10 seasons. Unfortunately, don't expect much more than the same old thing from Schrader in 2002. Unless a miracle happens, Schrader will be hard-pressed to finish in the top-20 this season, let alone keep his job. It may not be too early for him to start looking at other opportunities down the road, just in case.

Your take
Can Schrader recapture some magic and compete for a top-15 or better finish this year? Or will his downward slide continue? Here are your thoughts.