Driver reports. (NASCAR).

NASCAR driver reports are written by Lee Spencer. They appear in the first issue of each month and provide the lowdown on the teams TSN considers the top five title contenders. For the most recent TSN Power Poll and the Winston Cup standings, go to www.sportingnews.com/nascar.

Jimmie Johnson 48

THREE FOR THE WIN: Of the three remaining tracks Johnson has participated in Winston Cup events only at Rockingham and Homestead. He didn't do well at either, but he is a quick study and has showed improvement each time he has returned to a track. A 28th-place finish in the spring race at Rockingham is one of just six finishes worse than 20th this season for the No, 48 team. At Homestead last year, Johnson qualified 30th and finished 25th. Johnson's Busch Series runs were inconsistent at Phoenix, and he admits he lacks the patience to run fast on flat tracks.

UNSUNG HERO. Johnson gives kudos to owner Rick Hendrick, whose call to not pit late at Dover Downs in June helped the No. 48 to a 0.487-second win over Bill Elliott--Johnson's second career victory. It was a stroke of Hendrick's business genius to house the team under the same roof as defending Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon's No. 24 squad, which gave Johnson's team its race-winning cars--and the accompanying notes.

Mark Martin 6

THREE FOR THE WIN: Mechanical failures plagued the No. 6 car from Kansas City to Charlotte and dropped it from the points lead, so Martin has just three races to make a charge. Though he has five poles, two wins and 17 top 10s at Rockingham, it's his least favorite of the tracks left on the schedule, possibly because of his seven DNFs in 32 starts. He enjoys big, flat tracks; his average finish at Phoenix is a solid 8.42. The team saved its last test of the season for Homestead, where Martin posted top 10s in his first two appearances but stumbled to 24th last year.

UNSUNG HERO: After a miserable 2001 season, owner Jack Roush swapped crews between two of his teams. The transformation has been miraculous. Not only has driver Kurt Busch flourished in the No. 97 car, Martin has been out of the top five in points only once since the Richmond race in May. Credit also must go to crew chief Ben Leslie, whose adjustments, more often than not, have worked in Martin's favor.