Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Winston Cup veteran Spencer feels like a rookie

Monday, Jan. 27, 2003 | 10:45 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

NASCAR testing schedule at LVMS

Winston Cup

Jeff Gordon, today-Tuesday

Jimmie Johnson, today-Tuesday

Joe Nemechek, today-Tuesday

Jeremy Mayfield, today-Tuesday

Greg Biffle, today-Tuesday

Kurt Busch, today-Tuesday

Ward Burton, today-Tuesday

Ken Schrader, today-Tuesday

Steve Park, today-Tuesday

Johnny Benson, today-Tuesday

Mike Skinner, today-Tuesday

Jack Sprague, today-Tuesday

Jeff Green, today-Tuesday

John Andretti, Tuesday-Wednesday

Casey Mears, Tuesday-Wednesday

Jamie McMurray, Tuesday-Wednesday

Bobby Labonte, Tuesday-Wednesday

Tony Stewart, Tuesday-Wednesday

Tony Raines, Wednesday-Thursday

Jerry Nadeau, Wednesday-Thursday

Brandon Ash, Wednesday-Thursday

Jimmy Spencer, Wednesday-Thursday

Ted Musgrave, Wednesday-Thursday

Kenny Wallace, Wednesday-Thursday

Busch Series

Matt Kenseth, Today-Tuesday

Stanton Barrett, Today-Tuesday

Kevin Grubb, Today-Tuesday

Bobby Hamilton Jr,. Today-Tuesday

Scott Lynch, Jan. Today-Tuesday

Michael Waltrip, Tuesday-Wednesday

Jeff Burton, Tuesday-Wednesday

Scott Riggs, Tuesday-Wednesday

Kevin Harvick, Tuesday-Wednesday

Coy Gibbs, Tuesday-Wednesday

Mike Bliss, Tuesday-Wednesday

Mark Green, Tuesday-Wednesday

Scott Wimmer, Tuesday-Wednesday

Joe Nemechek, Wednesday-Thursday

Ashton Lewis, Wednesday-Thursday

Geoffrey Bodine, Wednesday-Thursday

Stacy Compton, Wednesday-Thursday

Eddie McKean, Wednesday-Thursday

Jimmy Spencer has made more than 400 NASCAR Winston Cup starts and is closing in on his 46th birthday. But the man known in racing circles as "Mr. Excitement" said he feels like a rookie as he prepares for his 15th season on the circuit.

Fired at the end of last season from his ride in the No. 41 Chip Ganassi-owned Dodge, Spencer wasn't sure if he would have a Winston Cup ride this year, because he did not learn his fate until late last season.

But almost as soon as it was announced that Spencer would not be returning this year with Ganassi, team owner Jimmy Smith placed a call to Spencer and hired him to replace Casey Atwood in the No. 7 Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge for Smith's Ultra Motorsports.

"I knew they were having problems at the seven (team); they didn't have the year they wanted by any means," said Spencer, who will be testing this week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"I think that the sponsor wasn't happy with what was going on (with the team last year) and Jimmy convinced them that he was going to make major changes. I think when Chip got rid of me, (Smith) asked me if I wanted the ride and I took it immediately. I think it's a real good situation for me to land this good a ride (with) one race to go in the season."

Smith also landed veteran crew chief Tommy Baldwin, who won last year's Daytona 500 with driver Ward Burton.

"I'm looking forward to this season because I like Tommy's attitude and, first of all, I like Jimmy's attitude," Spencer said. "I think Jimmy is a very successful businessman and I think he has been very patient with his Winston Cup team and I think he has assembled a good bunch of people.

"Tommy has proven he can win and he's also proven his ability to be a leader. You have to be a real good leader as a crew chief and Tommy has shown that and I'm excited about it."

That type of support is something Spencer said was lacking for most of his only season with Chip Ganassi Racing. After failing to qualify for last year's Daytona 500, Spencer had four top-10 qualifying efforts and three top-10 finishes in the next six races -- including a 10th-place finish in last year's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at LVMS.

But the tide quickly turned for Spencer, who managed to post only three more top-10 showings in the final 29 races.

"I don't know what happened," Spencer said. "I wish I did, but I don't know what happened. I had real high expectations at the beginning of the year and it was really a letdown for me and I think it was a letdown for a lot of people. Sometimes it just doesn't work out and the way (my release) went down, I wasn't very happy about it."

Although Smith believes his team can win races this season, Spencer is playing it more conservatively.

"I don't want to predict anything," Spencer said. "Jimmy is predicting we can possibly win some races. I think it's true, but I think we have to establish ourselves as a top-15 team every week -- whether it's Daytona or Martinsville or Las Vegas or California.

"We need to be a top 15 team first and then we can become a top-10 team and then you become a factor to finish in the top five and winning races."