by Steve Byrnes

Since the 37 car wasn't among the top 35 teams in points at the end of 2004, they have to go to California and Las Vegas with no guarantee that they will make either race. Lepage is in Huntersville, N.C., and they're going to go cross-country twice.

The driver-owner said his team has enough money to start the season, and they're going to see what happens. He would like to run the full Nextel Cup schedule, and fortunately his phone rang a lot after he made the Daytona 500.

It's amazing what Lepage accomplished during Speedweeks by racing his way into the Great American Race in his Gatorade Duel 150 last Thursday and then finishing ninth in last Sunday's race.

He's got six full-time guys and nine altogether that help him. They are competing against Evernham Motorsports's 240 employees/20 engineers and Robert Yates Racing, which has 100 guys in the engine shop alone. I'm just so impressed with Lepage's grit and determination.

Speed Mail Steve
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Lepage came down from Vermont, where he was a successful short track racer, with Vermont Teddy Bear sponsoring his Busch team. I don't think people understand how hard he has had to struggle. He drove the team truck all the way to Homestead for that first Busch race, and the truck broke down on the way. Between fixing that truck and driving it, he was awake for 25 consecutive hours. That's part of the effort and the sacrifice that a lot of people don't see.

He also told me that he and his wife were struggling so hard just to get by that they pulled their couch from the floor one night to see if they had any change down there. They scraped together enough change to buy a pizza that night. He's a smart race car driver and a smart guy. Nothing has been handed to him. He's appreciative of the two-plus Cup seasons (1998-2000) that he spent at Roush Racing. While his career has been up and down, he just won't give up.