NASCAR Sprint Cup: A Team Effort Resulting In An Individual Prize

Its time. Time for the "Chase". NASCAR's version of overtime.

Eleven drivers have been given a second chance, a mulligan, a do-over.

Yes, you read it right, I said eleven. The twelfth driver (Kyle Busch), was already points leader, he didn't need a mulligan.

NASCAR and media outlet's have circulated pictures of these twelve men to anyone who will take them. We have all seen them by now.

What we don't see is what bothers me.

On race day, the "core" of a race team, excluding driver, is on average eleven individual's. For the sake of this article, let's just say they are all men.

Six guys over the wall, two behind the wall, one crew chief, one spotter and usually at least one engineer. Some team's have more, sadly, some have less.

At time's each week we see one or all of them on TV. They have names printed on the back of their uniforms, but for the most part, they are faceless entity's.

Lord Stanley's cup has the name of every player from the championship team inscribed on it.

We remember the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins as Stanley Cup Champions.

The New York Yankee's have won more baseball world championships than any other team.

Last years Super Bowl champions were the New York Giant's.

Almost every sport identify's a team as being the champion. Individuals are given championship rings, but future mentions always cite a team.

Not NASCAR. 

Jimmie Johnson is the two time reigning champion. At times, it's reported as Jimmie Johnson and the Lowe's Chevrolet.

Every Grand National Trophy, Winston Cup, Nextel Cup has one name on it, as will the new Sprint Cup.

The drivers name.

Hardly a week goes by that you don't hear a driver mention his "team". 

Tony Stewart drove his heart out at Richmond Sunday, but in the end, according to Stewart's comments, it was his team that lost the race.  

When Jeff Gordon won his fourth championship, each member of his "team" was given a ten thousand dollar bonus. A pittance to the $30 million he claimed that year.

Tony Stewart bought his crew chief a brand new Chevrolet Corvette when he won his second championship.

Do you know who the rest of his team was?

I am sure owners, and probably some drivers, reward their teams for weekly wins and championships.

I am also sure it pales in comparison to the magnitude of riches a driver makes for being a Sprint Cup Champion.

Souvenir trailer's do not sell t-shirts with team members on them. Ever see a die-cast of the team?

So technically, we have 144 men "chasing" for NASCAR's top prize.

Sadly, 143 will fail.

There is no "I" in team, but there is a "Me".

Yes, that's right, there will be only one winner.

Everyone rewards the champion, no one remembers the rest.

That's how it works in this sport.