NASCAR Cup Series

Want better results? Get to work now

Published Dec. 17, 2009 5:27 p.m. ET

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Jeff Hammond

Just because the 2009 NASCAR season ended a few weeks ago, it doesn’t mean the action has stopped for teams and drivers.

This week, drivers have tested at Auto Club Speedway (Goodyear tire test), Walt Disney World (Danica Patrick) and other places that aren’t being reported.

Hopefully drivers that struggled this past season, like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, have already identified the areas where they were weakest and taking the necessary steps to fix it. It’s pretty simple, but if you haven’t made changes in personnel and changes in your approach to car setup, then you shouldn’t expect to be any better in 2010.

Just because you were good last year doesn’t mean you will be good the next. Look at powerhouses in other sports like the Indianapolis Colts and New York Yankees -- they continually make adjustments.

Race teams have to do the same.

Don’t bring back the same car to the track if you didn’t do well. Actually, unless you won the race, then you need to bring something better back to the track next time. You have to go back to the track with a car that gives the driver what he needs to improve. If you don’t, well, you are just wasting time at the track and increasing the frustration level of the driver.

All a driver cares about is seeing changes and results. With teams out there testing cars, now is a perfect time to set the tone when it comes to attitude. You want your driver’s attitude to be where he believes in the car and more importantly in the crew chief and the team before they head to Daytona in February.

Obviously that won’t be a problem for folks like Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin or Jeff Gordon. But if you go back in the field to say 15th or worse in points, well, you have to show them changes that get them excited about the coming season.

I was at Roush Fenway Racing the other day. They are building and refurbishing all their stuff. I get the sense from being over there that they are revitalizing the whole organization. That’s critical for these teams that are looking for changes and improvement.

We’ve talked a lot about how the testing ban this year was a double-edged sword and by that I mean good yet bad. Some teams really benefited from the ban, which says they can not test at tracks used by NASCAR. Then again, a lot of other teams struggled this season, so now they have to take a different approach to their preparation for 2010. They realized they weren’t good when they arrived at the track, but they couldn't fix things once they were there.

So you are seeing non-sanctioned NASCAR tracks become very busy as the teams go there and work on these cars. They all realize that they have to get it right there, so when they go to the track for the race they are competitive.

I think a lot of teams have now zeroed in on the fact that they have to be much better when they unload. They need to be able to make a few minor adjustments on the car and be in the top 10 in practice.

If there was one given in 2009, it was that Hendrick Motorsports was better off the truck when they unloaded week in and week out than anyone else – and look at their results. One of the big improvements you saw from Earnhardt-Ganassi this year was that Juan Pablo Montoya’s car was fast the minute they unloaded it most times. Their qualifying efforts were more effective. You hear us talk every week about how important qualifying is, so having your car fast when it is unloaded is critical.

It also helps so much with the driver attitude. You are ahead for once and not chasing your tail because you are behind or off the setup.

If you are going to beat Hendrick Motorsports in 2010, you have to come off the blocks fast. You have to take it to them early on. You have to send the statement that you are here and you are real. When the bell rings, well, you simply have to come out swinging.

Here’s a tall order for these teams: If you don’t want Jimmie Johnson to win his fifth consecutive championship, then don’t let him make the Chase for the Sprint Cup – and that starts by beating him from the beginning at Daytona.

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