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The 2000 Winston Cup season has reached the halfway point. What better time to project a winner?
Below is a chart that shows how the points race would end if this year's contenders matched last year's performances over the final 17 races. Now, nobody expects that to happen, but there are some trends to watch for over the next few months when it comes to projecting the Winston Cup champion in 2000.
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Projected Final 2000 Standings
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|
Driver
|
2000
points
|
Second-half
points in '99
|
Projected
Points
|
|
Bobby Labonte
|
2,527
|
2,564
|
5,091
|
|
Dale Jarrett
|
2,451
|
2,588
|
5,039
|
|
Dale Earnhardt
|
2,475
|
2,310
|
4,785
|
|
Tony Stewart
|
2,270
|
2,513
|
4,783
|
|
Jeff Burton
|
2,314
|
2,314
|
4,628
|
Bobby Labonte
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2000 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
First Place |
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1999 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
Second Place |
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2000 POINTS vs. 1999 POINTS: |
Plus-30 |
Bobby Labonte has held the points lead after all but three races this season and has had a firm grasp on the top spot since April 30 when he finished second in California and ended Mark Martin's short reign on top. And there's no reason to expect a dropoff over the second half of the season. Labonte won three times over the second half of the 1999 season (Pocono, Michigan and Atlanta) and wasn't outside the top 10 in any of the final 10 races. A year ago, he was second in points -- 170 points behind Dale Jarrett -- at the midway point of the season. This year, he takes a 57-point lead into the second half. While he can't afford more than one hiccup this year with both Dales breathing down his neck, he'll most likely have to be caught. Those chasing him don't expect him to come back to to them.
Dale Jarrett
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2000 MIDSEASON RANKING:: |
Third Place |
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1999 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
First Place |
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2000 POINTS vs. 1999 POINTS: |
Minus-223 |
It appears DJ was just giving his competition a head start in 2000. And after the way he ran away with last year's championship, we can only say, "Thank You." After winning the Daytona 500, the defense was on solid ground. But then things got shaky, as the No. 88 team slowly slipped all the way to eighth in points after finishes of 36th in Atlanta, 21st in Bristol and 33rd in Texas. Doubts about the defending champion, however, were quickly erased with a string of six top-five finishes from Richmond to Pocono. Jarrett may be 223 points off his pace of '99, but remember he won his championship by 201 points. The next five races produced no worse than a fourth-place finish in '99. A similar performance could land the 88 back on top by the time we return to Bristol on Aug. 26.
Dale Earnhardt
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2000 MIDSEASON RANKING:: |
Second Place |
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1999 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
Seventh Place |
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2000 POINTS vs. 1999 POINTS: |
Plus-293 |
It's no secret the Intimidator is back. There's no reason to believe he won't stick around until the end. But can he pull it off? Can he win a record eighth Winston Cup championship? The numbers say, "You betcha!" No longer is Earnhardt a sentimental choice at age 49 to win the title. Give him the 100 or so points he could have earned in Bristol; another 15 for Mayfield's shove at Pocono, and an equal car for the first 500 miles this season at Daytona, and the No. 3 would be No. 1 in points already. But, that's a lot of "what if's," and every driver in the top five has his share of sob stories. The simple fact is Earnhardt has resurfaced in 2000. A year ago, he was 492 points off DJ's pace after 17 races. He proceeded to win twice over the final 17 races. His 13 top-10s in 2000 prove the second half of '99 was just a prelude to 2000's resurgence. One thing is for sure, it'll be fun to keep an eye on the Man in Black over the next 4½ months.
Tony Stewart
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2000 MIDSEASON RANKING:: |
Eighth Place |
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1999 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
Sixth Place |
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2000 POINTS vs. 1999 POINTS: |
Minus-2 |
Stewart is actually running about the same as last year, which isn't good if you consider the first 17 races of the '99 season were Stewart's first 17 races of his Winston Cup career. Maybe we expected too much out of the 20 team. But, when you win three of the final 10 races and two of three to end the season, expectations are always going to be high. Stewart is the only driver outside the top five right now to be projected in the top five by season's end. But that's based on his excellent finish to the '99 campaign. Only DJ and his teammate Labonte scored more points than Stewart over the second half of the '99 season. There's no reason to doubt Stewart will finish stronger than he started the 2000 season. He's won two of the past five races and finished among the top 10 in each. He'll be back in New York for the awards banquet, but most likely answering questions about his slow start, rather than another strong finish.
Jeff Burton
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2000 MIDSEASON RANKING:: |
Fifth Place |
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1999 MIDSEASON RANKING: |
Fourth Place |
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2000 POINTS vs. 1999 POINTS: |
Minus-105 |
The beat goes on for the 99 gang, who continue to win races, but ruin championship aspirations along the way to Victory Lane. Burton is one of only four repeat winners in 2000, yet his three DNFs already this season have left him clinging to any championship hopes. Burton won two of the final 17 races in 1999, so he could wind up with the most wins of any driver in 2000. He also could work his way to a career-high finish in points by passing his brother Ward before Atlanta. But catching Labonte, or passing either Dale, will be next to impossible in a points system that rewards consistency rather than victory. Still, Burton has proven his team is on the verge of greatness. Weren't we saying the same thing about a certain Labonte last year? | |
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