Team Wood Brothers Racing Car/Make No. 21/Ford Sponsor Motorcraft Quality Parts/Air Force Crew Chief Ben Leslie
STATS	2003	CAREER
Rank	23	2*
Wins	0	23
Top 5	4	191
Top 10	5	361
DNFs	9	172
Top Finish	2	1
*Indicates best career points finish

2003 recap
The good: While Rudd's team did show improvement in the latter stages of the second half of last season, his first year with the Wood Brothers team was a struggle -- though he looked like the Ricky Rudd of old when he finished runner-up at New Hampshire last September, including leading 26 laps of that race. Nearly two months later, the team "traded" crew chief Pat Tryson to Mark Martin's team with two races left in exchange for Ben Leslie. While Rudd finished 40th (crash) and 31st (engine problems) with Leslie at the helm in the final two races, there's lots of optimism that the duo will really jell in 2004. Also, the team did very well in preseason testing last month at Daytona, another good sign that things are on the way up for the No. 21 Ford Taurus.

The bad: Rudd suffered through the most DNFs (nine -- a full quarter of the campaign) that he's had in one season since he recorded an abominable 12 DNFs in the 29-race 1988 season. Five DNFs came from crashes and the other four were engine-related maladies. He also struggled in qualifying, failing to earn a pole for the first time since 1998. His best start was fifth in the season-opening Daytona 500, and managed just two other top-10 starts the remainder of the season.

Key stat: After finishing fourth at Bristol last spring, Rudd was up to ninth in the standings and appeared on the verge of winning a race with his new team. Then the bottom fell out: He went from ninth to 19th in just two races, and dropped to a season-low 27th seven races later. After 15 races, Rudd's hopes for a title, let alone a top-10 finish, were history.

2004 outlook
What needs to be done: Much like last season, Rudd has to get out of the gate quick. Even though he has a new crew chief, he still has the same notes from last year's No. 5 qualifying effort and No. 15 finish at Daytona. Rudd and Leslie have to be as aggressive as possible in the early races because it not only will likely set the tone for the rest of the season, it will go a long way toward establishing momentum and a positive direction. If the team falters like it did in the first half last season, it could become yet another l-o-n-g season for the No. 21 team.

Key change: Two key changes for 2004 are Leslie entering what will be his first full season as Rudd's crew chief, while the other is the team has moved its long-time base of operations from Stuart, Va., to Mooresville, N.C., to be closer to the headquarters of most other full-time Nextel Cup teams. And with the team's affiliation with nearby Roush Racing, the exchange of information and parts will be much easier and timely.

Guarantee: Now entering his 30th season in Cup racing and at the age of 47, Rudd is unquestionably in the twilight of his racing career. He has said he'd like to race another year or two. While he has no immediate plans to make 2004 his final season as a Cup driver, another poor season like 2003 may go a long way toward making that decision a lot easier -- and quicker -- for him.

Prediction: With Rudd suffering through his worst season since 1999 (finished 31st), he is poised for a major comeback. The addition of Ben Leslie will hopefully bring an influx of youth and a new attitude that will potentially shake up the conservative "but that's the way we've always done it" philosophy that has been a Wood Brothers trademark for so long, and has arguably also been a potential detriment to overall team success in recent years. This team needs a new attitude and new gameplan, and the youthful Leslie is just the one to instill that. And Rudd is a crafty enough veteran to know that such a major change could be good for himself and his remaining years in Cup competition, as well.

Did you know: Rudd's "Iron Man" stretch of consecutive Cup racing starts is now at a staggering 716 starts in a row. He resets NASCAR's record every time he starts a Cup race.

Your take
Is Rudd due for a major comeback year in 2004? Will the addition of new crew chief Ben Leslie dramatically alter the team's fortunes in a positive way? Or, are we seeing Rudd slowly slip into the sunset, with retirement right around the corner if he suffers through another poor season like he did in 2003? Share your thoughts on Rudd's prospects for 2004.