No. 20 Pit Crew wins 2004 challenge

Stewart's Pit Crew Edges Earnhardt Jr.'s Crew For Season Title, 200,000 Champion's Bonus
Marlin's Crew Wins at Homestead

The pit crew for Tony Stewart captured the season title in the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade.

The No. 20 Home Depot/Joe Gibbs Racing crew will collect a $200,000 champion's bonus from McDonald's/POWERade, Dec. 3 in New York City.

By winning the weekly competition three times and earning $20,000 for each victory, the total prize money earned in 2004 by Stewart's crew was $260,000.

In the 36-race competition, Stewart's crew defeated the pit crew for Dale Earnhardt Jr. by a mere four points - 1262 to 1258. Earnhardt's crew won the inaugural McDonald's/POWERade championship in 2003.

Elliott Sadler's crew, a seven-time weekly winner, finished third with 1248 points. The crew for Nextel Cup champion, Kurt Busch, was fourth (1240) and Kevin Harvick's crew rounded out the top five (1222).

"I think it's awesome that my guys won the McDonald's/POWERade pit crew championship," said Stewart. "They've worked hard all year, in the gym and at the race track. And when track position was tough to come by, they gave it to me with fast pit stops. My guys definitely earned this championship."

Stewart's over-the-wall crew consists of: Chuck White (jackman), Tom Dean (front-tire carrier), Mike Lingerfelt (front-tire changer), Jody Fortson (rear-tire carrier), Todd Foster (rear-tire changer), Jeff "Gooch" Patterson (gas man) and Brian Larson (catch can). The team's crew chief is Greg Zipadelli and the pit stop coordinator is Paul Alepa.

Sterling Marlin's pit crew took top honors in the NASCAR season finale Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was the third McDonald's/POWERade win of the season for the No. 40 crew

Marlin's Coors Light Dodge spent the least amount of time on pit road - 238.383 seconds. Bobby Labonte's Interstate Batteries Chevrolet was second at 241.073 and coming in third was Michael Waltrip's No. 15 NAPA Chevy at 258.508.

Marlin's over-the-wall crew consists of Steven Wolfe (front-tire changer), Trent Davis (front-tire carrier), Barry Boeckenstedt (rear-tire changer), Tim Shore (rear-tire carrier), Mark Jacobs (jackman), Randy Hildreth (gasman) and Mike Motil (catch can). The team's crew chief is Tony Glover and the pit crew coach is Phil Horton.

<pre> Top 10 Pit Crews in Sunday's (Nov. 21) Nextel Cup Ford 400 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Time Car# Points 1. Sterling Marlin Team 238.383 seconds 40 43 2. Bobby Labonte Team 241.073 " 18 42 3. Michael Waltrip Team 258.508 " 15 41 4. Kevin Harvick Team 262.756 " 29 40 5. Jamie McMurray Team 275.355 " 42 39 6. Greg Biffle Team 276.481 " 16 38 7. Elliott Sadler Team 279.154 " 38 37 8. Carl Edwards Team 284.784 " 99 36 9. Tony Stewart Team 289.069 " 20 35 10. John Andretti Team 343.744 " 14 34 Others: 12. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team 382.877 " 8 32

2004 Winners of The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERade: Daytona (2/15) Tony Stewart Team Rockingham (2/22) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team Las Vegas (3/7) Kurt Busch Team Atlanta (3/14) Robby Gordon Team Darlington (3/21) Greg Biffle Team Bristol (3/28) Sterling Marlin Team Texas (4/4) Michael Waltrip Team Martinsville (4/18) Kurt Busch Team Talladega (4/25) Robby Gordon Team California (5/2) Robby Gordon Team Richmond (5/15) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team Charlotte (5/30) Jamie McMurray Team Dover (6/6) Tony Stewart Team Pocono (6/13) Casey Mears Team Michigan (6/20) Elliott Sadler Team Sonoma (6/27) Elliott Sadler Team Daytona (7/3) Michael Waltrip Team Chicago (7/11) Elliott Sadler Team N. Hampshire (7/25) Kurt Busch Team Pocono (8/1) Greg Biffle Team Indianapolis (8/8) Elliott Sadler Team Watkins Glen (8/15) Tony Stewart Team Michigan (8/22) Greg Biffle Team Bristol (8/28) Robby Gordon Team California (9/5) Elliott Sadler Team Richmond (9/11) Michael Waltrip Team N. Hampshire (9/19) Sterling Marlin Team Dover (9/26) Kurt Busch Team Talladega (10/3) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team Kansas (10/10) Elliott Sadler Team Charlotte (10/16) Elliott Sadler Team Martinsville (10/24) Kevin Harvick Team Atlanta (10/31) Ricky Rudd Team Phoenix (11/7) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team Darlington (11/24) Jamie McMurray Team Homestead (11/21) Sterling Marlin Team

Final Point Standings for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Teams Competing in The McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE: Following Homestead (11/21); pit crew wins in parentheses

Pos. Car# Pit Crew of Points Prize Money 1 20 Tony Stewart Team (3) 1262 60,000 2 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Team (4) 1258 80,000 3 38 Elliott Sadler Team (7) 1248 140,000 4 97 Kurt Busch Team (4) 1240 80,000 5 29 Kevin Harvick Team (1) 1222 20,000 6 15 Michael Waltrip Team (3) 1215 60,000 7 30 Jeff Burton Team 1214 8 42 Jamie McMurray Team (2) 1206 40,000 9 18 Bobby Labonte Team 1188 10 40 Sterling Marlin Team (3) 1168 60,000 11 88 Dale Jarrett Team 1159 12 01 Joe Nemechek Team 1158 13 31 Robby Gordon Team (4) 1146 80,000 14 21 Ricky Rudd Team (1) 1123 20,000 15 99 Carl Edwards Team 1116 16 16 Greg Biffle Team (3) 1113 60,000 17 41 Casey Mears Team (1) 1083 20,000 18 49 Ken Schrader Team 1055 19 43 Jeff Green Team 1041 20 0 Mike Bliss Team 992 21 45 Kyle Petty Team 972 22 50 Todd Bodine Team 768 23 09 James Finch Team (owner) 583 24 198 William Edwards (owner) 513 25 02 Hermie Sadler Team 429 26 89 Morgan Shepherd Team 362 27 1 DEI Team 240 28 72 Kirk Shelmerdine Team 217 29 280 Stanton Hoover (owner) 206 30 251 Kevin Lepage Team 146 31 14 John Andretti Team 131 32 91 Bill Elliott Team 128 33 100 Kenny Wallace Team 106 34 36 Boris Said Team 101 35 194 Stanton Barrett Team 100 36 11 J.J.Yeley Team 78 37 133 Kerry Earnhardt Team 77

</pre> How it Works
During each 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup points event, the participating team whose car spends the least amount of aggregate time off the race track will be named the weekly winner of the McDonald's Drive-Thru Pit Championship fueled by POWERADE, provided the team's driver takes the green flag at the beginning of the event. A timing line at the entrance and exit of pit road triggers the car's transponder and records the total time spent off the race track.

The point distribution per race is: 43 for first place, descending in increments of one.

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