The Unsung Heros
If you are a Winston Cup (WC) fan, then you are aware that there are usually forty three drivers on the track at the start of a race. When you follow the championship points standings, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that there are a handful of drivers that regularly place in the top ten, and regularly visit the winners circle after the race. Let's say that 70% of the drivers that regularly race on the WC circuit every week have never won a WC race, or haven't won one in years. Just to put a number on it. It could be a little higher, or a little lower, the actual number isn't important. What's important, is the 70%'ers that are out there every week, racing their hearts out, competing against multi-car teams with multi-bucks.
Let's not forget that the forty three seats in the WC racers every Sunday are reserved for the "Cream of the Crop" in NASCAR racing. We've all seen new-comers try their hand at WC, and fall flat on their faces. It takes a special breed of race driver to handle the Cup cars. It takes total commitment and concentration to be a successful driver on the WC circuit. The first unsung hero on this series of articles that I'm starting, is Ted Musgrave.
Ted raced the number 16 Primestar car for Roush Racing until he was replaced with Kevin Lepage last season. His last race with Roush was The Bud at the Glen, Aug. 9th, '98. That didn't daunt Ted. He drove a couple of races for Bud Moore, and drove a race for Buz McCall Jr.. Then he got hooked up with Elliott-Marino Motorsports, and drove the First Financial car seven races to help them out. He also managed to fill in for injured drivers Robert Pressley and Jimmy Spencer. During this time, working with different crew chiefs, crews, and owners, he racked up five top ten and two top five finishes.
This season, Ted is driving the number 75 Remington car owned by Butch Mock. He has had five top fifteen finishes (three 11's), and one top ten (7th) at Bristol. Ted's stats for this year are listed on a great web site designed by Karen Huseonica, Webmaster. The site is called Ted Musgrave Fan Page . Please use this link to visit the site. You can also go directly to Ted's '99 Stats. by using this link. The rest of the site can be linked from the stat page.
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