Previously: I made my pre-Chase predictions.

And that means - time to check out how badly I did! What fun is predicting, after all, if one doesn't then see how luck screws it all up.

Group 10-12

I predicted: Harvick, Burton and Truex

Actual: Harvick, Truex and Hamlin

You have to admit, two out of three ain't bad. Especially considering how no one would have expected Hamlin to tank like that.

Group 7-9

I predicted: Bowyer, Edwards, Kurt Busch

Actual: Kurt Busch, Burton, Carl Edwards

Again, two out of three. Granted,  I was WAY off on Bowyer, but I was also way off on Hamlin. Just in different directions.

Group 4-6

I predicted: Kenseth, Hamlin, Kyle Busch

Actual: Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Stewart

I have to admit, up until a couple of weeks ago I was sure my standings were blown to hell and back because of the abysmal season Kenseth was having. But he proved his crazy ability to make the most of mediocre cars and improved his luck (and his finishes) to get a 4th place position in the standings. But again, two out of three!

Group 1-3

I predicted: Gordon, Johnson, Stewart

Actual: Johnson, Gordon, Bowyer

And the last group was again a two out of three. Although I have to say, I got the winner wrong. And I'm bummed about that. How often does a guy break a top ten record by getting the most in a year and not win the title? Oh, just once!

Overall, only two Chasers really stood out as having great or unfortunate luck, or coming on at the right time - Bowyer and Hamlin. The other two that I got wrong were only one group away from where I predicted they'd be.

Break out the boxing gloves! It's teammate on teammate violence in the Roush camp!

Makes you wonder what was said. Any "your mama" comments thrown at Carl? Did Carl insult Kenseth's cat?

And I'm impressed that Kenseth didn't run for it when Carl threw that faked-out punch. The thing about Carl being the only really, really fit one in the garage (other than Mark Martin and his scary 12 pack), there's no one he can fight without hurting them badly.

(Next time teammates want to get into it, I recommend it be pay per view and involve g-strings and chocolate pudding. And we'll let Harvick or Stewart (assuming they're not involved) do the play by play.)

Bruton Smith threw down the gauntlet on October 1st - if the city of Concord wouldn't approve his drag strip, then he'd take his toy (Lowes Motor Speedway) and play elsewhere. 

The city of Concord cited concerns over noise pollution when changing the zoning. The mayor spoke out on behalf of the hundred or so families that bought homes near the Speedway since it was built. Bruton merely said he wishes to grow his business.

So who's right? In this case, Bruton gets the thumbs up.

Unfortunately for Concord, in this David versus Goliath fight, they forgot to bring their sling. Now, I would like to preface the following with this: I fully support the people of New York City who opposed the planned track there, as it was being planned for a highly populated area. The residents had a right to the lifestyle they'd already established. Quite frankly, they were there first. 

In this case, Concord's defense of 100 new residents was baseless, as these people moved to the area knowing what they were getting into. A dragway is a different beast from a speedway (louder sound for a shorter duration), but the number of events is going to probably be comparable to Nextel Cup events (3 Cup races, 2 Busch races,  a Truck race, qualifying for each event, test sessions for each series) and other lower levels (Legends, etc.). Even assuming that Bruton (who goes for the best) gets an NHRA affiliation, that's still not as many events as one might think.

Also, the zoning was changed after the project had already started. Which meant at some point the city had approved the project and didn't consider it a problem. I do think the residents who were going to be affected should have their voices heard - after all, they need to know what kind of traffic to expect with a drag event, they need to know what measure the Speedway will be taking to dampen the sound (natural barriers like trees - something that takes time to build up?), they even need to know what kind of effect it might have on their property taxes. The city needed to be asking hard questions about what they'd have to do with regards to roads to ease the burden on local residents. But all of those things needed to be hammered out between the Speedway and the citizens first, not necessarily by the city. (I'll put the blame for that one on Bruton - first order of business when messing with people's land is to tell them up front and face to face what's going on, so as to avoid misunderstandings.)

Most notably, though, is the fact that this is Bruton Smith.

Speedway Motorsports Inc. has six tracks that are on the Nextel Cup circuit. The man is one of the most influential people in North Carolina, because he is one of the richest. The man did not get to where he is by idly sitting by and letting his businesses do what they will - like other rich men, he grew his businesses and developed areas that show promise. Drag racing has seen some growth in popularity and is a logical partnership with a speedway. If it makes more money for his stockholders, why not go for it?

Plus he's got the state and the city of Concord firmly in his grasp. NASCAR put the Hall of Fame here because of the roots of the sport and because of the location of LMS and many of the race teams. Bruton doesn't have to argue with Concord over the drag strip - NASCAR and North Carolina will make sure he keeps any relocation within the state. It's too big of a cash cow to let get away.

Which means that the drag strip will happen, because Bruton wants it, and Bruton will get what he wants. Whether it's in Concord (where the residents willingly built near a Speedway) or somewhere else around Charlotte (where people undoubtedly would be pissed to have to deal with the noise and traffic), it's going to stay. The city of Concord made an attempt - an ill-fated one - to get the upper hand, but they never stood a chance. Inevitably, they'll have to bend to Bruton's will (and already are) because higher powers than them will point out that the state's economy is very dependent on the industry and that it's better that a few hundred people who have already been inconvenienced be inconvenienced more, versus inconveniencing a whole new batch of people.

Game, set, match for Bruton. And he didn't even have to lift a finger.

First and foremost, prayers go out to CCR and his family. 

On to the Dover action - and let's ignore the joy that is six cars on the lead lap or the fun of Biffle almost running down the leader. No need to worry about all the Chasers taken out in wrecks or the MWR gas man who got hit by a tire flying through the air (he was released from the hospital yesterday).

No, the definitely most important part of yesterday's race? When Kyle Petty went off on Denny Hamlin's ####. *g*

I know there are people who cheered Kyle on. I know there are folks that think that Kyle was in the wrong for reaching into Denny's car and smacking his helmet. I know there are those that think Kyle shouldn't be racing and whatever happens to him happens.

But let's put this all in perspective.

1. Kyle Petty doesn't go off on someone for no reason.

See: Carl Edwards and Kyle Petty

Carl flat out punted Kyle in that race. Hence Kyle going all daddy on Carl and teaching him to respect his elders (by coming close to making Carl cry).

2. Kyle knows how to race at the back of the pack.

Now, don't go telling me that Kyle doesn't know how to race lead lap cars. He could probably give lessons. Hell, he came up in racing with the Intimidator. Kyle is well aware of what hotheads and great drivers can do. And he knows how to stay out of their way and even win against them (when he has the equipment - I'm not delusional here). So Denny saying that Kyle didn't know what he was doing is kind of ludicrous. If anyone knows how to dodge (hee) lead lap cars, it's Kyle.

3. Rules of the road - if you follow too close, you're at fault in the accident.

Sometimes those basic driving rules that apply to traffic accidents are appropriate for NASCAR as well. If you follow too close, don't get your panties in a bunch if the guy in front has to slam on brakes and you nail his bumper. Race by the sword, die by the sword.

4. Kyle slamming down that visor wasn't so smart. But even dumber is thinking  you can fight Kyle Petty and come out smelling like a rose.

Kyle let his temper get him on that visor thing. Was it smart? No. Did it keep him looking like the victim? It took a little of the shine off. But it made for GREAT TV. Admit it. You were cheering for the impending smackdown too.

But don't be fooled for a minute that Denny was really going to fight Kyle. He took his own sweet time getting out of the car, which left plenty of opportunity for his guys to keep them separated. (Plus you knew there wasn't going to be a fight because the helmet came off.) Let's face it. Denny's just nice enough that he doesn't throw fists first. He's not squeaky clean, but he doesn't have a Tony Stewart temper.

More importantly, anyone who kicks Kyle's #### (I'm giving youth the edge here) is going to end up looking like a donkey's hind end to fans. It's Kyle Petty. Junior has the fanbase, but Kyle has pretty much solidified his place as the heart of the sport.

5. Who's got the best quote? Why...Kyle!

The winner of any kind of skirmish on the track is going to be the guy with the best quote who actually has a leg to stand on with why the wreck happened. That's why the guys who actually take responsibility for wrecking someone  come out looking good. It's called maturity. (And good PR.) You gain respect by taking responsibility. Kyle got the cameras first, had the most awesome quote (sarcasm makes the fans happy), and had the better opportunity to look good because he's the one that got wrecked. If Denny had finished the race and given an "I'm so sorry, it was an accident and then we got heated in the garage and I didn't get a chance to apologize", then he would have come out better. Laying blame doesn't improve the situation, though. Laying blame and expecting Kyle to then apologize for getting pissed over getting wrecked? Only makes it worse. It makes Denny look childish, when he could have taken the high road. (See: Kenseth and Gordon and the Bristol shove.)

Then again, the young often forget that they are young in the sport, no matter their success. Just because the rookie stripe came off last year doesn't mean they still don't have something to learn. The veterans are still going to school them. And in this case, the vet gets the nod and the victory in the battle.

(First lesson of blogging - do not post when you'll not be at your computer for a few days, especially on a blogging site that doesn't email you when someone responds to your comments. I should know this. Hence the fact that I'm revising my posting to always doing so Sunday through Thursday. I like interacting with you guys.)

So you know that song, "The Race Is On"? Of course you do. After all, the title has been altered for the Chase for four years now. Well, the lyrics really hold true when applied to NASCAR. Dale Jr. officially gets the label of Heartache, watching his last remaining hope die with that engine. (Even if at that point Harvick was clinched for the Chase, the hope of going out giving it all you had...it's pride, man.)

But I'm not getting into conspiracies (although I think it's indicative of DEI's overall engine problems when all the drivers on a team have blown engines in one year). What I'm ready to do is talk Chasers. Who stands a chance? Who has the momentum? Who has the total package at the right time?

Back Of The Pack

The guys that don't have the momentum and will probably end up in positions 10-12: Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Burton.

As much as I love the RCR guys, right now they're just not performing up to snuff. They know it, too. Truex has the problem that, for all his drive, DEI isn't giving their drivers as much to work with as the other teams in the Chase are. So these guys will struggle to just maintain the last 10 races. None of them will have a win.

On The Fence

The guys that will finish 7-9 are the guys who've had some momentum but not the consistency. Or, they've had all the consistency but just not the right spark or enough power to make it totally to the front. My picks for 7-9: Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch.

While I like the momentum on Kurt's side, I'm not sure that Penske is completely out of the woods yet. Clint has been driving his #### off and posting really solid finishes, but his inexperience and RCR's woes will combine to keeping him from cracking the top 6. Carl's in almost the same boat as Kurt, especially going into the Chase with a blown engine. But given the right turn of events, they can capitalize and make a run for the top three.

Strong And Steady

Consistency beats momentum in my book, so 4-6 will be: Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch.

Kenseth and Hamlin have been scarily consistent this season. They're top tier drivers that can find a way to make the most out of a crappy day. They have solid runs going that should easily propel them close to contending. Kyle Busch has the desire to prove a point on his side (plus great talent). Provided he doesn't race foolishly (which is pretty much a 70/30 chance), he'll threaten to be in the top 3. Or, should he fall prey to his own foolishness, he could swap spots with his brother.

The Top Tier

Positions 1-3 come down to momentum, talent, equipment, and whoever has just the right amount of luck: Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson.

Stewart is in the midst of his late season swing. Johnson has six wins going in to the Chase. Gordon is the points leader and was locked in to the Chase so far in advance that he could afford to play around with setups and engine packages.

The Champion

Jeff Gordon will win the Championship.

Tony is on an upswing, but he's not swinging as fiercely as he did in 2005. It's a return to form, but by no means will he win the Championship. Jimmie Johnson has six wins, but lady luck has not been on his side. After all, with six wins, if things were solidly going his way, he'd be leading the standings, not Jeff.

Jeff has had a charmed year. Luck has been on his side, he's run well even when he hasn't won, and there's a relaxed and focussed sense about the team that makes up the championship package. They've had the chance to test the waters more than others. Plus, the way LeTarte and Gordon have gelled, it's only been a matter of time until they went to the top and stayed there. Gordon has been at the top of the standings most of the season. I don't see Jimmie staying there for long in the Chase. Gordon is who I predicted back in May and I haven't wavered since.

 

So all that good will that RYR was garnering over offering the 38 to Junior?

Throw it out the window.

Seems maybe someone jumped the gun a little (or communication between Robert and Doug sucks donkey balls) when reporting that the 38 had been offered up. ESPN (via Jayski) has a quote from Doug Yates:

"Dale Jr., since he can't have what he wants, he might want the 38," said Yates, president Yates/Newman/Haas/Lanigan Racing. "They're asking for the 38, and the 38 and 88 are our numbers. It's almost a little strange. It's like somebody asking if they can take your girlfriend or your wife out. We feel we're going to have the 38 and 88 [next year]."

Now, maybe it's just me, but this came out today. Bob Dillner reported the news about the 38 being offered up on Sunday. The internet and various news sources (all of them venerable and established) have been reporting this story all week long. Hendrick representatives commented on it earlier in the week. NASCAR officials said that they had not been contacted about a swap. There are three parties in this (despite what Doug says, it's RYR, Hendrick and NASCAR - not Junior - who would be the involved parties). Why would the party that has the most stake in it take all week to comment on a hot news item?

I'll admit, this one has me befuddled. Yes, sometimes the news just gets reported wrong. But another quote in the same article has Doug saying that the numbers are his dad's territory. And Doug chose Friday (or late Thursday, depending on when the reporter spoke to him) to say anything about the whole situation. And quite frankly, he's talking about it like he never watches the news and never had a clue what was going on. Let's face it. That's a bunch of ####. Or his PR department sucks at relaying important information.

Or Robert is keeping him out of the loop on really important business information.

Interestingly, Hendrick has, over the course of a couple of weeks (July 25th - Aug. 9th) applied for the trademark/patent for five numbers (#38, #51, #58, #81, #82). This isn't petitioning NASCAR - it's protecting their rights as an owner should someone try to patent a number and font and claim infringement because Junior used something similar, even though the person using said number had nothing to do with racing. (Given Junior's stature, a highly possible situation.)

The #38 was petitioned on Aug. 9th. That was before Dillner's report, so it's possible that Hendrick contacted Yates before the news went public and Dillner was misled as to who initiated contact with regards to the number. I'd even dare say probable, given Doug Yates' response to all the talk. But it still begs the question...why, when it's your number, wait so long to say anything?

(And on an only slightly related note, looking at that list of numbers, I have a certain fondness for the idea of the 58. It keeps the identity of the two car numbers together.)

So Bob Dillner is reporting that Robert Yates Racing has asked NASCAR to transfer the 38 number to Dale Jr. come next year, so that Junior can continue a family legacy. 

I admit, it makes me weepy and girly (dang hormones) when someone does something like that. As much as NASCAR is and always has been a business, there are certain things steeped in tradition. Family ties are big. Yes, most drivers end up with several numbers over their careers, but few are third generation drivers with so much history before them.

Do I think the number is that big of a deal? No. (Unless it's the 25, which is cursed and needs to go away so that someone, anyone, can have a decent run in that car.)

But the fact is, racing families do tend to use numbers over and over during their career. And it does have significant meaning. The 38 would be one of those wonderful compromises that keeps the legacy going while still being slightly individual to Junior.

Something else that makes the number that much more meaningful is that the 38 has family history of its own. I have a picture at home (which I need to double check for accuracy, but I'm 99.99% sure) of Junior, Kelley and Kerry when they were racing in a lower series. They're standing around their cars - the 3, 8 and 38. I think it was Kelley who had the 38. How fitting would it be for Junior to drive a number that had ties to his sister?

Any way it goes, whether Junior takes the number or not, it's nice to see the gesture by RYR. It proves that not everyone in NASCAR is so concerned about merchandising and the bottom dollar.

(This definitely falls into the category of things that it's nice to come back from a vacation and see.)

Patience is a virtue.

Even in NASCAR.

But trying to teach patience to anyone just walking in the door at the Cup level is hard. Really hard. Stupendously hard. It's harder to teach than driving smart. (Not that the two are mutually exclusive - if you learn one, you're much more likely to learn the other.)

Different tracks require different approaches to counting down the laps. At restrictor plate tracks, you either get out front or go to the back. It's all about avoiding the Big One. At short tracks you're racing hard the entire time because of how easy it is to race a beaten up car (just like it's easy to get lapped). At Darlington you hang on and just fight to stay out of the wall or anyone else's way. And at a road course, you try to get to the front as quickly as possible. Get out front and get away.

The thing is, whereas in other series it's about getting to the front fast fast fast because you have a limited amount of time to do so, in NASCAR you have to play it like a chess game. Equipment is certainly a factor in how quickly you can make moves, as is driver talent, but even more important is being aware of the guys around you and waiting them out. Because if you're better, you can make a move eventually, given time.

This leads me to Harvick vs. Montoya in the fight of the...well, not century, but certainly the last few months. Harvick has been openly critical of Montoya's aggressive driving style when he's still learning the ropes. Montoya has stated repeatedly and emphatically that he's not paid to run in the back - he's paid to go for the win every time.

They're both right in their estimations. Talent is innate, but experience leads to knowing what to do with that talent. Montoya has plenty of experience behind the wheel and tons of innate talent, but as he himself has put it, driving a Cup car is very different from even the Busch level. Experience in a Cup car is the only way to really improve in a Cup car. With the newer car model and the older model both being used this year, that's twice the learning curve.

But before I get too far off track, let's address why Montoya needs to learn patience. He's in a Gannasi car. The fact is, they're not a Hendrick. They're not a Gibbs. They're not a Childress. They're not even a Roush or a DEI or a Penske. His equipment is only going to give him so much. As much as he may wish it, in some races he's only going to get so far toward the front.

And as much as he may wish otherwise, certain laws of physics are going to apply no matter how much Montoya wishes they didn't.

At Watkins Glen, Montoya felt (and still feels) that he didn't wreck Harvick, that Truex wrecked him and caused him to wreck Harvick. Therefore Harvick shouldn't have been mad.

Harvick felt (and still feels) that Montoya's driving over his head is what caused the wreck, not getting run over by Truex, and that it's a continual problem that he needed to address (by kicking his ####).

The truth is simple science.

1. Any turn at a high rate of speed requires a certain angle of entry in order to maintain the maximum rate of speed possible for acceleration to the next turn.  

2. Entering a turn at a less than desirable angle is going to cause a car to have to slow down even more in order to avoid wrecking.

3. Two cars reaching the same turn from two different angles at the same rate of speed are going to wreck.

4. Trying to slow down in anticipation of a turn while being pushed by another car that is out of control is impossible, especially late in a race when brakes are worn.

Truex went to jump around Montoya on the restart. Montoya moved to block so he wouldn't lose a spot. Truex and Montoya went into turn one at an angle that wasn't desirable at a high rate of speed. Truex's car fishtailed before making contact with Montoya's (maybe his brakes were going?). Montoya claims that had he not been hit by Truex, he wouldn't have hit Harvick. But had he not tried to block Truex, he wouldn't have been hit. And the fact is, he was trying to prevent losing one spot with several laps to go (with Montoya being a road racer, this actually makes it far less likely that he couldn't have gotten that lap back or passed others - but no way was he going to keep all the cars behind him) and instead ended up losing a ton of laps and getting a worse finish for not having patience.

A lot of wrecks can be classified as "hindsight is 20/20", meaning, the drivers can look back and see what they should have done. In the moment it's hard to see the possible consequences. But some consequences are more obvious than others...and in this case, it was pretty damn obvious. I saw it on Sunday. On Monday I got confirmation from Michael Waltrip, Kenny Schrader and Greg Biffle. Montoya has more talent than Mikey or Kenny (I love the guys, but I'm calling it) and maybe more than Biffle (damn Jack and his inferior technology the last two years), but they have the experience to know what the consquences of their actions are by having learned those things.

Now the question becomes this - will someone talk nicely to Montoya and explain that really, Harvick wasn't wrong (because lord knows two hot-headed guys aren't going to believe one another in the heat of the moment)? Or will everyone continue to bow to his innate talent and hope that the lessons are absorbed eventually? That, for me, is the bigger question. I keep hoping that someone takes Montoya aside (Mark Martin maybe) and points out that he has more to gain by practicing patience rather than risking all for a temporary gain.

In the meantime, I'm excited for what could be a great rivalry. Two tempermental guys at each other's throats every week? Heck yeah!

 

A great race is now behind us and I have to say, the Glen just delivered one of the best races of the year (and that's saying a lot considering both Daytona races). 

The highlights are many: seasoned vets giving up their rides to nice guys they deem better, the leaders at various points spinning out in turn 1, trips through the kitty litter, wild attempts at blocking that lead to really great confrontations, last laps that are just full of madness...

But quite frankly, the best moment for me was the incident under the red flag - the Kenseth Autograph Seeker.*

It takes a lot of alcohol to climb a fence, jump a guardrail and actually venture out on track (knowing you'll get arrested) to get a driver autograph. The fact that Kenseth put his foot down, said "I'm kind of busy right now" and refused to sign set a good precedent for any other drunken fools down the road.

But most importantly, I would like to point out that with all the drivers sitting there, this guy chose Kenseth. Yes, Kenseth was probably in line of sight. Yes, Junior was out of the race. Yes, the guy probably wasn't quite drunk enough to risk angering Tony Stewart. But he chose Kenseth. Kenseth!

SPEED was right when they labeled that the Lowe's Move Of The Race. A stumbling, weaving move for sure. But definitely the move that made me laugh the hardest. (Which was hard considering someone messed up cleaning Montoya's uniform and stretched it about a foot more, leaving the #### on it hanging about a foot below his actual ####.)

* If you have a link to better video, let me know. Four seconds of this #### just isn't enough.


 

There have been a few headlines of late that really made me think about women and NASCAR (namely, women in the driver's seat):

1. Evernham suggest Crocker needs new team
2. Diversity Stalled: The push by NASCAR to have competitive women drivers appears to have fallen by the wayside

In a way, it would seem that they're related - the stalling of an initiative in the wake of a scandal where a team owner leaves his wife for a much younger woman who drives for him.

The thing is, I'm not sure that they are related in quite the same way.

Yes, what Evernham and Crocker have done (together, as they're both complicit) has set back female drivers within the sport a good deal. But they're not the only ones who have blurred the lines - when members of the NASCAR media or NASCAR officials use their position to score with a driver, that does just as much damage as the Crocker debacle. Why? Because it makes it look like the women are pit lizards, no matter what their skill or intelligence.

Is it necessarily fair? No. It takes two to tango. But should women hold themselves more accountable because of the acknowledged disparity? Hell yeah.

What Will It Take To Fix Things?

Considering the current landscape, I've been wondering what it would take to "fix" things for female drivers. Would rules help? Should a woman coming in be older and married? Would a pretty open wheel driver (Danica Patrick, Milka Duno) transferring over smooth the way?

My conclusions:

1. Pretty isn't going to cut it - what NASCAR needs is a Janet Guthrie. It's all about personality. Any woman coming in has to be tougher than the guys and willing to take them on no matter what.

2. Flat out, all institutions related to NASCAR need to establish a fraternization policy. I don't care how professional they are - employees shouldn't date bosses and governing bodies shouldn't allow their representatives to be involved with the competitors (and the media need to keep a professional distance to preserve some integrity). (I actually have no problems with the PR girls dating drivers because PR is a different profession.)

3. Anyone currently in another form of racing (namely, open wheel) isn't going to transfer in and be successful enough to pave the way. Sarah Fisher is the most respected of the bunch, but she hasn't had consistent rides and her forays into NASCAR haven't gone further than NASCAR West. Danica Patrick has the name and the fame, but she's controversial enough that she'd have to succeed pretty quickly in order to keep her ride. (Let it be noted, however, that she is only 25 years old, which is younger than many of the NASCAR young guns of today, so she still has time to grow as a driver.) Milka Duno by far is the most impressive to me (I admit to being a fan of anyone with four master's degrees), as she's brilliant and has drive (she didn't start racing until age 24 and has gone to great lengths to improve her driving), but at age 35 it's a little late to be entering the NASCAR game and truly be competitive.

4. It will take a NASCAR family relationship to eclipse the stigma that women can't be competitive with the men. Let's all admit it - there's no doubt that should she desire to, Baby Gordon will have a ride when she's old enough. Prior to Baby Gordon, though, other women will make their way in and be successful. Families drive the sport. Parents invest in their kids at a very early age. The difference now lies in the current crop of second and third generation drivers who are coming up through the ranks, the kids that have family support regardless of gender. The closest hope at the moment lies with Chrissy Wallace. If she's half as hard-headed as her dad and her uncle Rusty then she can handle all the tough guys in the sport. There are times when hard-headed is good and times when it's bad. It could go either way, but part of the struggle with being female in a male dominated field is strength of self. From what I've seen of her, she doesn't lack that. Other NASCAR drivers have daughters who are racing as well - Dave Blaney for one. Because they have the name, they do stand a better chance. If they're good, all the better for the women that will follow them.

5. Women drivers won't appear overnight - they come from years of hard work, just like the guys do. Look at the ages the guys racing right now started. They were young. Really young. Now look at the number of females who race. The number of females is well lower than the number of males. Now do the math on what percentage of male racers from all forms of racing make it to the elite levels. Use that same percentage on the females. It's damn hard to break through the pack no matter of gender. When more females want to race at a young age, then they'll increase their percentages in comparison to males and down the road they'll improve their odds as a whole of making it to the elite level.

6. Attitudes have to change. There are still guys in positions of power (Richard Petty, I'm looking at you) who think poorly of any woman trying to hang with the big boys. It's old school thinking, but it's thinking that can be changed. The change has been largely made by the fact that many guys under 30 haven't been raised in the sport to think the women can't muscle a car just as well as them, be just as competitive. They don't think twice about it. Heck, David Stremme's mother was the racer in his family, not his dad. When drivers regard each others purely based upon driving ability (okay, and some by personality), then it makes transition easier.

So what are your thoughts? What else could be done to improve the lot of women drivers in NASCAR? Can anything be done in the short term?

It's with much interest (and a good dose of ire) that I've been reading reactions to Greg Biffle's statements regarding Michael Vick. There seem to be several mindsets, all of which lead to "Greg Biffle needs to keep his mouth shut". Frankly, I think all of those that think that need to keep their mouths shut.

Why?

1. Greg Biffle has the Greg Biffle Foundation, an organization that specifically deals with animal welfare. He is an athlete who is educated on the subject of dog fighting. His opinion is just as relevant as anyone who has actual knowledge - from the Humane Society to PETA.

2. Greg Biffle was asked by a reporter at an appearance (that had nothing to do with Vick) about the case. He didn't make an unsolicited statement. He was asked about the case because of his vested interest in animal welfare. (And when the media asks such a question, they want the reaction to dog fighting, not as to whether Vick is innocent or guilty.)

3. Everyone is so quick to offer their opinions, in blogs and on message boards, but no one else is who's even remotely famous?

4. People keep saying that there are other greater issues in the world today. There are many horrible things going on that you haven't heard Greg Biffle make a comment on. Why? Because he has no foundation that specifically targets those things. That makes his opinion not newsworthy. He may have donated thousands of dollars to causes such as aiding Iraqi vets with healthcare, supporting Right To Play, or feeding the homeless, but we all do not know about it. Each person can do their best in some small way to make the world a better place. Biffle does so through animal advocacy. Other NASCAR drivers have other charities that cover other causes. Children's hospitals. Camps for children with disabilities. If Vick had beaten up children with Down's Syndrome regularly, Kyle Petty would have been the quote du jour.

5. Quite frankly, I've been appalled by the number of NFL players who have come out in support of Vick, not because they maintain that he's innocent, but because they see nothing wrong with dog fighting. It's about time someone in the sport world took a stand against it.

6. For those that think because they don't know who Greg Biffle is, he shouldn't have an opinion - oh come on. NASCAR is the number two sport in the country. Get over yourselves and accept that it's popular. Not everyone knows who the big, respected football players are, but if they have knowledge of dog fighting and speak out against it, they'd get praise.

7. Regardless of guilt or innocence, dog fighting happened on that property. This situation should be used to discuss the crime and how we can do away with it. Let the court decide his guilt or innocence, sure. But we as people can be above going after someone for being mad about dog fighting and instead being glad that there are people that find it heinous.

All in all, quit pointing fingers at a guy for having an opinion unless you're willing to sacrifice yours.

The Bash Kyle Busch Bandwagon has been a popular one to get on of late - and not without reason. Kyle has a singular ability to draw the ire of nearly everyone, just by opening his mouth. He has managed to find a way to alienate more people than his brother ever has. And if there's one thing in NASCAR that you can't succeed without, it's people and the relationships that are a part of each team.

The thing is, after the recent fiasco at Daytona, in which Busch blamed his defeat, in part, on a lack of teammate help...was he entirely wrong? Or did the media and fans (and NASCAR insiders) too quickly jump on the Bash Kyle Busch Bandwagon because he's said one too many unfriendly, me-first things in the past, and surely this was just another?

At Daytona, you run where you can. The best line is whereever your car handles the best. If a teammate is in the same line, all the better, but every man has to go for their preferred line or risk getting shuffled to the back. Jeff Gordon emphasized several times post-race that he could run down low a few laps, but the high line was the only line that he could run consistently.

In the course of watching that race, however, I noted something interesting, before any post-race brouhaha, before any inkling that Kyle felt slighted - that Jeff Gordon didn't run behind anyone well. He was always aiming to get to the front, even when Kyle had the better car. He wasn't big on falling in line with his teammate, unless it was to fall in line in front.

You see, when Jeff would pass for the lead, he did, at points, go to the bottom - to block Kyle.

Forgive me if you will for appearing to slight a guy for wanting to win. That's not the purpose. He wouldn't be Jeff Gordon if he didn't fight for the win, no matter how bad his car was or how good another's car was. We all know that the best car doesn't always win.

The point is to point out that while there may not have been an openly stated conspiracy on the part of the 24, 48 and 25, internal feelings on whether they truly have ever considered Kyle a teammate and the personalities of the drivers who are champions and very much about going for the win, do indicate that maybe Kyle wasn't entirely off base.

The irony here is that Kyle is just as much "go for the win" as Jeff and Jimmie. None of the three have ever been very content to sit back and let the others beat them. (In what could have been one of the best finishes ever at Martinsville, a post-race interview by Gordon showed that he couldn't just appreciate good racing because he felt his teammate should have played nicer. So internal sniping is not just limited to Kyle.)

All in all, Kyle is immature and needs to learn some lessons his brother learned the hard way. And maybe he's finally going to. But maybe there's a lesson for everyone else to learn as well - that if an owner truly wants a team to function as one off the track, he/she needs to keep in mind that too many of one personality type will inevitably lead to conflict, even if they fit the formula for greatness.

After all, it's about making friends and influencing people. Especially at a plate track. You can't win without help. Which was all Kyle was looking for.

NASCAR is a sport. As such, NASCAR has to face up to some basic sport facts. The cosmetic things – drivers with media potential, slicker promotion – won’t fix everything. In order to really make NASCAR appealing, it has to be held to the same standards as all sports – it has to be just as fair to the little guy as to the big guy.

How? Abolish the Top 35 Rule.

It sufficed when it was instituted. But the sport is in a growth period internally. The current growth in the number of teams is all because NASCAR did such a great job growing the sport with fans over the past few years.

Which is why NASCAR needs to abolish the rule. Give everyone an equal shot of getting into the show. If one of the big dogs misses the race based on time, they don’t deserve to be in the race. Stronger cars should be in the show.

If every team came out with qualifying setup and truly went for it each week, that's a better indicator of competition than 35 teams being setup in race trim and the rest having to bust their butts to qualify on time. In fact, the balance of having every car at the same stage (changing setups in practices after qualifying) would improve competition across the board. That provides a better playing field than we have now.

So you heard me NASCAR - celebrate your success by getting rid of the Top 35 Rule.