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48 crew doesn't get the headlines -- it just gets the job done

By David Newton
ESPN.com

Thursday, October 16, 2008

CONCORD, N.C. -- They arrived at Martinsville Speedway in 2002 wearing fire suits with Velcro name tags. Nobody knew for sure if they would be there the next week, much less the next season. The pressure for Jimmie Johnson's first-year team to succeed was incredible. "If somebody wasn't performing they could rip off the name and hand it to the next guy," said Ron Malec, a mechanic and tire carrier for the No. 48. Engine tuner Danny Emerick nodded his head. "We had to succeed," he said. ...

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