Driver reports: why these teams finished near the top--and where they're headed.(NASCAR)

Matt Kenseth 17

Kenseth's 2003 Cup title stems from consistency. He had five wins in 2002, but he also didn't finish three races. The crew addressed its weaknesses, mainly restrictor-plate and road races, and made improvements. By winning the third race of the year, at Las Vegas, the team gained momentum that carried throughout the season. "We put ourselves in position to win," Kenseth says. "We've been able to take days that looked like they were going to be bad days and turned them into top 10 runs." And after 28 races, Kenseth had padded his lead to 436 points. That gave the team enough cushion to handle engine problems at Talladega and a wreck at Kansas. Some teams get behind technologically during championship runs, but crew chief Robbie Reiser already has put three 2004 cars in the wind tunnel. This team should be just as potent as it was in 2003.

Jimmie Johnson 48

In the last two years, no team has been as consistent as the No. 48, which finished second this season. The team has been in the top 10 in points after the last 69 races and continues to get stronger. Johnson says Hendrick Motorsports equipment makes the difference, but it's also that Johnson is a smooth driver and his crew is solid. Preseason testing at Daytona and Las Vegas helped Johnson to an average finish of 7.3 in the first three races, so an engine failure in race No. 4 didn't bury the team. The team focused on dialing in the new Monte Carlo and building stamina. Johnson was a rookie in 2002, and he and the team didn't pace themselves. But the No. 48 won the first race of 2003's second half and finished in the top 10 13 times in the last 18 races. There were two engine failures in 2003, but expect continued improvement in horsepower. The third year will be a charm for this team.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. 8

Although Earnhardt doesn't consider 2003 a breakthrough year for him, climbing from 11th in points in 2002 to third ...