This mac is big at Ganassi.(NASCAR)

No one said it was going to be easy, even for motorsports mogul Chip Ganassi.

But if a psychic would have predicted that Ganassi's start-up team with Jamie McMurray would be the organization's headliner in 2003, people would have called the forecast ridiculous. Boy, would they have been wrong.

Midway through the 2000 season, Ganassi bought the Nos. 40 and 41 squads from Felix Sabates, acquiring what really amounted to a team and a half, if performance is considered. Over the previous decade, a revolving door of managers spent a lot of money on racing with those teams, getting minimal results in return.

Last year, Sterling Marlin, in the No. 40, was a title contender. Marlin, now 46, finished third in points in 2001 and 1995, but be never was a serious threat for the championship. After Marlin was injured in the second Richmond race and again at Kansas, the No. 40 crew's title hopes were over. This year, Marlin can't find a break. He has suffered through three accidents and three mechanical failures, and the team ran out of gas and finished four laps down, in 34th, at Kansas City. It has not been fun for Marlin, who's 19th in points. The No. 41, driven by rookie Casey Mears, is 34th in points and never has been a serious contender. Crew chief Jimmy Elledge has savvy skills, but he inherited a dog. It has been a struggle with Mears, who had limited experience in stock cars before graduating to Winston Cup.

When Ganassi added a third team, the No. 42, many thought he was just adding to his headaches. Ask any general manager who has built an expansion team. First you have to find the talent. Then you have to sign the talent. And finally, you pray that once the talent is assembled, a winning chemistry develops.

The drill is a bit different in racing. The personnel has to mesh, but it also must mesh with machine. You find the people and hope those people find a feel for the driver.

Although three cars are more cost efficient, the productivity levels often plummet because the strain of adding the third team is felt throughout the organization. Adding a third car at Richard Childress Racing in 2002 sent the entire company into a spiral, and bouncing back wasn't easy.