rpm.espn.com: Jimmy Spencer

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Friday, January 31
Updated: February 4, 3:39 PM ET

Jimmy Spencer
By Jerry Bonkowski
ESPN.com

Team: Ultra Motorsports
Car/sponsor/make: No. 7 Sirius Radio Dodge

Jimmy Spencer
Spencer

STATS

Year
Rank
Wins
Top 5
Top 10
Best finish

2002 27 0 2 6 Second, Bristol

Career 2 27 76 First, twice

2002 recap
The good: Not much good came out of Jimmy Spencer's one-year stint at Chip Ganassi Racing. However, Spencer could have finished worse in the standings, so ending up 27th is an accomplishment in and of itself. One of the few bright spots was his qualifying from Rockingham, N.C., to Martinsville, Va. -- a seven-race stretch in the early part of the season that netted him three top-five and three other top-12 starting positions. Unfortunately, from that point on, he'd manage just one more top-five qualifying effort, starting the season finale at Homestead, Fla. -- and his swan song with Ganassi -- in third (only to finish 42nd due to a crash).

Season highlight: Finishing runner-up to Kurt Busch in the Food City 500 at Bristol, Tenn., in March. Spencer had one other top-five, a fourth-place finish in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona in July.

The bad: Spencer suffered through his second-worst season since he became a full-time driver on the circuit in 1990. While teammate Sterling Marlin was leading the standings for 25 of the first 26 weeks, Spencer just could never get a handle on things.

Season lowlight: Failing to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500. He also failed to make the show at Watkins Glen, N.Y., which ironically was a race sponsored by his new sponsor, Sirius Radio.

Jimmy Spencer

Key stat: Spencer finished 20th or lower in 24 of the 34 starts he made in 2002.

2003 outlook
What needs to be done: Spencer could be in the best place for him and his talents, an up-and-coming team that has struggled in the past with drivers such as Robby Gordon and Casey Atwood. Spencer, however, has the talent to take the Jim Smith-owned No. 7 team to its highest levels yet, provided he gets quality equipment and a talented crew. Only time will tell.

Prediction: Prior to his disappointing finish in 2002, Spencer had finished in the top-20 in five of the previous six seasons. His best season was 12th in 1993 when he drove for Bobby Allison. If Spencer can shake off last season's disappointments and drive with a more carefree attitude this season, rather than feeling constant pressure, he could potentially finish in the top-20.

Your take
Can Spencer rebound with a new team? Here are your thoughts on Spencer's prospects for the 2003 season.

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