Pontiac hopes quality counts in 2001.

It has been eight long years since any car other than a Ford, Chevrolet or Pontiac has entered a NASCAR Winston Cup event but with Dodge re-entering the fray for the first time in 17 years next season the battle between manufacturers is already hotting up.

Dodge's presence next year will make Pontiac's job of holding onto the Winston Cup title, which it won for the first time since 1989 with Joe Gibbs Racing and Bobby Labonte, all the more harder especially as the incoming marque have tempted away two of Pontiac's top teams.

Both Bill Davis Racing and Petty Enterprises, who run five NWC cars between them, have moved over to the new Intrepid bodyshell leaving Gibbs as the only true front running effort for the GM marque next year. However neither Gibbs' team nor Pontiac bosses believe that their lack of strength in numbers will hamper them next year.

" From our perspective, having less Pontiac's in the field isn't going to affect our race-team," said Labonte's crew chief Jimmy Makar who also indicated that fewer cars might be a bonus to those left. "With fewer mouths to feed there should be more resources to go around for the teams that are involved with Pontiac, and that's positive for sure."

However it will take a dramatic improvement from one of the other Pontiac squads if Labonte and team-mate Tony Stewart are to be challenged for the honour of the marque's top team. Ward Burton was a consistent top ten contender for Bill Davis in 2000 as was team-mate Dave Blaney towards the end of the year while the three car Petty Enterprises outfit was understandably off the pace considering their traumatic year. However on paper they were Gibbs' nearest rivals and their defection now leaves the door open for someone else to step into the gap.

Johnny Benson looks ready to make that step after a storming year with MBV nee MB2 nee Tyler Jet and with Valvoline taking a stake in the team, Benson will be looking to improve on his 13th spot this year and take his first NWC victory in the very near future.

Benson's stablemate Ken Schrader also showed on occasion that he still has what it takes to run at the front and a move towards the head of the Pontiac pecking order could rekindle his speed, and consistency, that made him a real force during the early 1990's.

The remaining two teams on the Pontiac roster, Eel River and AJ Foyt Racing, will both have a tough task on their hands if they are to move up the Winston Cup grid after a disappointing 2000 campaign.

Eel River parted company with Jeff Fuller, Mike Bliss and main sponsor Pfizer/Viagra in their first Winston Cup season and although the rapid Kenny Wallace has been snapped up for next year, a replacement backer is still to be found. Foyt also endured a tough debut season with the #14 Conseco machine and the tough talking Texan legend also disposed of his fair share of drivers before settling on Rick Mast for the majority of the year. Ron Hornaday waits in the wings for next year and if the team can work in harmony then they have the potential to spring a few surprises.

Whether 2001 will be a case of quality winning over quantity remains to be seen and Pontiac's six full-time entries will be out to prove the theory correct, but with 11 confirmed Dodge's, 14 Chevrolet's and 18 Ford's already waiting on the track, they are going to have their work cut out.