Turn 3

So much for seniority! Has NASCAR peaked?

By Mike Harper

In cycling a team finds one bicycle rider who has extraordinary talent and they build their team around that person. For example, the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team built their team around Lance Armstrong. In doing so Armstrong won seven Tour de France tours. An amazing accomplishment for any team.

What makes this concept unique is each team is made up of members who are loyal to their number one guy. When things click just right, the entire team wins.

In NASCAR we find the team concept in tact, however each driver who is associated with a multi-car organization races against his fellow teammates. He doesn’t race with a teammate like what’s found in professional cycling, in NASCAR it’s all out racing against your brother.

Currently, the younger guys are leaving their senior teammates in the dust. Just look at the points. Matt Kenseth is once again out performing Mark Martin. Kyle Busch is beating out his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin has jumped in front of his teammate, Tony Stewart.

Kasey Kahne left Jeremy Mayfield in the dust prior to Mayfield’s termination from Evernham Motorsports and first season Penske driver Kurt Busch is currently 73 points in front of Penske veteran driver Ryan Newman. Bobby Labonte is in his first season at Petty Enterprises and he’s 352 points ahead of Petty owner Kyle Petty.

So much for seniority!

50 teams next season, who’ll sit out?

It seems everyone is talking about adding another team to their stable next season. Rumors have Richard Childress, Robby Gordon, Evernham Motorsports and Morgan-McClure just to name a few, all wanting to add another team to their organization.

Red Bull Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing will be new racing organizations next season. And with Bill Davis Racing’s recent announcement of adding a second car to the 2007 roster with Jeremy Mayfield driving it, one really must wonder what seven cars will become habitual offenders on missing the show as a result of the immediate growth found next season in Cup racing.

Based on the current 2006 qualifying statistics, Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip, Travis Kvapil, Tony Raines, Scott Wimmer, David Stremme and Dave Blaney are guys who do not qualify well and could end up missing the majority of the season in 2007.

Owners and their drivers who sit outside the top 25 in Cup Series owner points this season, will find themselves under extreme pressure next season. Their goal of competing for a race win will take a back seat to the fact that these teams will need to make the race and run inside the top 25 in each event. Anything less will put them on the verge of not racing the entire season. The result will bring a much earlier beginning to what we know as Silly Season and sponsorship retention could become a major issue in NASCAR.

The times are changing and it will be an interesting show to watch.

Goodbye Bristol!

I’m disappointed in last weekend’s Cup event at Bristol. In my opinion, the Busch Series event out entertained the Cup event by leaps and bounds. And even more disappointing is the fact that Bristol will never be the same again.

With the implementation of the Car of Tomorrow, who knows what kind of an event we’ll see at Bristol next season. Just a guess, but I would think the futuristic wing on the COT and the "splitter" found on the base of the nose of the COT will change the way the drivers race at Bristol. I can’t imagine using the bumper on a competitor without damaging the "splitter" and I’d think your day would be ended if you knock the wing off the back of the car when making contact with the wall.

My guess is once everyone realizes that what we saw at Bristol last weekend from the Cup guys could become the new standard racing practice at Bristol, there will be a lot of sad, sad folks. Including me.

I hope the excitement of the beatin’ and bangin’ at Bristol won’t become a distant memory like so many tracks have in NASCAR. If it does, 2006 might go down in history as the year when NASCAR hit its peak!

All due respect, but Bristol is overrated

By DAVID GREEN

This will be considered heresy by many NASCAR fans, especially the 160,000 or so who regularly fill the massive grandstands at Bristol Motor Speedway. But lately, racing at the half-mile concrete bowl is about as bad as it gets in NASCAR.

There is no track, anywhere, oval, road course, whatever, that is more single-groove than Bristol has become. Get out of the groove, either by your own miscue or with the help of somebody else's front bumper, and you are toast. The freight train that will rumble past on your left is every bit as bad as the better-known ones at Talladega Superspeedway. You get back in line only when the caboose goes past.

The only way you pass somebody on the outside at Bristol is when you are prohibitively faster than they are.

In terms of honest, driver-versus-driver battling, the best action of the weekend was in Istanbul, not Bristol (to steal a lyrical idea from songwriter Jimmy Kennedy). Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix was a much more entertaining race than Saturday night's Sharpie 500.

If you count freight-train passes as one, rather than as individual overtakings, and adjust by numbers of cars in the field (22 F1 cars, just more than half the NASCAR-standard 43), the Formula One race probably had more changes of position on the track in 58 laps than were seen at Bristol in 500 laps.

I can hear Keith Ott doing his John McEnroe impersonation now ("You CANNOT be SERIOUS!!!"). Ah, but yes, Chief. I'm serious.

Apologies to the folks at Speedway Motorsports Inc. and especially BMS publicist Wayne Estes, a truly good guy who once gave me $20 after he and some other colleagues had enjoyed a great night of poker at the expense of yours truly. That was the one and only time I've played cards for money in the past 30 years. Wayne had the primary beneficiary of my losses, and as I was very close to broke, I accepted his rebate.

But the fact is, as speeds have increased, Bristol has changed from a track where heated competition was as good as it gets to today's low levels. Once upon a time, drivers could race three-wide in three-way fights for position, battles in which nobody had a clear advantage strictly based on how far away his car was from the outside retaining wall.

Yes, yes, I know -- everything changes. Everything, that is, except the hype about Bristol. Now, it is the track where speeds are breathtakingly fast and crashes happen in an eyeblink's time, but where actual fighting for position is all but gone. Nowhere is the "bump and run" more of an effective tool. And, even on the occasions in which a driver gets inside position cleanly, on entrance to a corner, his job is done. Unless the competitor slams the door and takes one or both of them out of the action, the pass is automatic once inside-outside position is determined.

Sure, the sparks fly. Of course, tempers flare. That's because of frustration and the kind of misbehavior it breeds. The masses eat it up. Of course, we could probably sell tickets to plane crashes, too, if we could only predict when and where they were going to occur.

In one respect, Bristol is the perfect track for many -- perhaps most -- of NASCAR's present fan base. It can be a glorified demolition derby, and that's always fun to watch if wrecks are what you want to see. And, as a Cingular poll suggested during Saturday night's broadcast, a majority of fans think the B&R is a legitimate overtaking maneuver.

Those of us with longer memories recall when the action at Bristol truly was "racing like it oughta be."

My 2007 Schedule for the Chase

By Mark Young

I read yesterday about the 2007 schedule that NASCAR released and as expected there were no surprises.  No major changes to it at all and no additions or deletions either.  I have given the schedule, the final ten races in particular, some thought and have decided that if the Chase for the cup is supposed to be so special and create so much drama that there should be some changes to the schedule.  Check out how I would run NASCAR for the last ten races and let me know what you think.

First thing I should say is that I didn't take seasonal climate or logistics into consideration here, I just think these are the tracks that should host a Chase race.  I am also limiting my schedule to tracks currently on the NEXTEL Cup schedule.  There would be others that have since gone by that I would put on but alas, money has pushed them out of the way.

1. Darlington - This track is a driver's track and deserves to be a part of the final ten races.  I would also make sure that it was held in the daytime and not at night so the track would change more with the sunlight or lack thereof.

2. Loudon - Though I personally don't care for this place very much I do think it is a challenge because it is flat.  Leave it in the Chase for sure.

3. Dover - The Monster Mile is so much different than other tracks that based on that fact alone it should be a Chase hosting venue.  Plus when wrecks happen it tends to gather other folks into it creating more drama.

4. Martinsville - Short tracks rule in my book and Martinsville is so different than other tracks this just makes sense.

5. Charlotte - Everyone else can call it Lowe's but to me it is still Charlotte.  The home track for NASCAR and the changes the track goes through during a race is a test for the teams to stay on top of it.

6. Homestead - The face lift this track has undergone make for some great racing and deserves a spot in the Chase.

7. Bristol (night race) - Now granted the night race just before the Chase starts creates drama but man think of how it could shake things up in the Chase.

8. Infineon - Reluctantly I put this one in here but if you are going to have road races on the schedule one of them should be in the Chase.

9. Atlanta - Great track, great racing, and great finishes put this one as a must in the Chase.

10. Daytona (night race) - We start the season in Daytona, we should finish the season in Daytona.  Plus there has to be a plate race in the Chase.

Well there you have it my friends, my final ten races for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup, I am sure you all have your own thoughts on how it should be, let me know what you think.

Change the names and it's still the same

EDITOR'S NOTE: Shirley Buttacavoli is back, and like a lot of us is still scratching her head over some of last weekend's activities at Michigan and the resultant response out of the big offices in Daytona Beach, Fla.

By Shirley Buttacavoli

I have to say, I am very surprised no one has posted anything regarding the "penalty" NASCAR gave Carl Edwards after Saturday's incident with Dale Jr. And I'm sure someone is already saying: But she's a Dale Jr. fan. Then you also know how I feel about Kurt Busch.

So let's substitute Kurt for Jr. and say it was Kurt Busch who spun Carl Edwards for the win. And then Carl Edwards slammed Kurt Busch on the cool down lap. I would still feel the same. What Carl did was totally uncalled for, no matter who was involved.

When I read that Carl Edwards was given a $20,000 fine and placed on probation until the end of the year, I thought to myself: "That's it?"

I don't have time to do the research and give you exact dates, track location, fines, penalties, etc. (Ron, that's what we have you for), but this is what I remember happening over the past few years.

Kevin Harvick did a cat-like leap over the rear of a Busch car, grabbed Greg Biffle's driver's suit and the two had a very "close" discussion, with Kevin doing most of the talking.

Can't remember if Kevin was warned or fined by NASCAR, but not long after he then had another "altercation" on the track during a truck race. NASCAR sat him out for a Cup race.

More recently, Jeff Gordon pushed Matt Kenseth on pit road after a race when Kenseth seemed to be walking toward Jeff to apologize. (I don't even remember what happen on the track. I just loved seeing Jeff finally having some human emotion.) I believe Jeff received a fine, but I do remember he was put on probation for a short period of time.

And who can forget Jr's post-race interview in Victory Lane when asked how he felt about winning his fifth race at Talladega, and Jr. - in his most ecstatic and thrilling tone of voice said: "that ain't sh*t – daddy did it 10 times."

Jr's use of the dreaded "s-word" cost him dearly. Not only monetarily, but with the loss of valuable points needed to be part of The Chase. Everyone knew what to expect – except Jr. – as soon as he said it. Thanks to two Busch drivers using the same word previously, although in a negative fashion, NASCAR deemed it necessary to take the same "action" against Jr.

Back to Jeff and Matt. . .there were no vehicles involved and I don't believe anyone's life was a stake, However, there WAS a vehicle involved on Sat. at MIS, and Carl basically received the same "penalty" as Jeff.

And back to Kevin Harvick sitting out a Cup race. . . I'm not saying Carl should sit out a race in any series However, the events that occurred are more closely related to those by Kevin than that of Jr. and/or Mat and Jeff.

Jr’s “incident” in Victory Lane did not involve a vehicle, another individual, or any intent on inflicting pain on anyone. He was happier than shi*t!

If you look at the fines and penalties that have been given out, it seems Jr. received the most severe of all, for being happy, not mad. So when I said: “that’s it?” I was thinking of people using words, and physical actions - anything but a vehicle - and received fines and penalties MUCH worse than Carl Edwards received.

Plus I thought Carl was already on probation for spinning Tony Stewart on pit road, when Tony inadvertently wrecked Carl. Once again a vehicle was used, and a number of individuals could have been injured.

I guess this all comes down to NASCAR and their lack of consistency throughout the sport. I understand that not all rules are suited for all individuals. But someone needs to explain to NASCAR what “detrimental to the sport” really means. (David????)

BTW, if Mark Martin hasn’t already had a talk with Carl, I hope he does, and he does it soon. I also think Kenny Schrader needs to sit Cousin Carl down and explain the facts of life –and racing – to him. Just like Tony Stewart – the kid has talent, now he needs to use it wisely.

OK, that’s my opinion. . .let me have it!

Michigan’s all you can eat buffet

By Mike Harper

Entering the gates at Michigan International Speedway this past weekend was different from other times in the past. The crowd, sites and sounds were filled with its regular excitement about the weekend’s events, but I found the atmosphere and pressure to be different in the garage and media centers.

With the implementation of the chase for the championship, combined with an earlier start to Silly Season, all parties including drivers, owners, teams and media are feeling the highest levels of pressure to perform.

The number of stories the media were watching from Michigan reminded me of an all you could eat buffet. As soon as you were done with one story, there was another scoop to be added to your plate. From ARCA to Nextel Cup, there wasn’t a shortage of stories and unfortunately no time to hit the ice cream bar.

First day on the job

Prior to Cup qualifying, the No. 38 and No. 19 teams were in line to go through inspection. The thing that stood out in my mind was the No. 19 team members had smiles on their faces, while the No. 38 team members didn’t. It was odd, but explainable. I observed both teams throughout the day and if a prize could be given to the happiest team in the garage, it would go to the new No. 19 team of Elliott Sadler.

ARCA excitement

Frank Kimmel came into Michigan with a point’s lead of 35 over Bobby Gerhart. However, after Kimmel’s incident with TJ Bell in the closing laps of the Hantz Group 200, Kimmel and Gerhart left MIS tied with the point’s lead.

TJ Bell replaced Ken Weaver in the No. 20 Eddie Sharp Racing Dodge and came very close to winning the event. Steve Wallace added some spice to the event even after he drove his RWI Dodge behind wall and into the garage.

After MIS, ARCA raced again on Sunday on the dirt track in Springfield, IL. Congratulations to Justin Allgaier for his first ARCA win. ARCA and SPEED really need to rethink their television schedule and add this one to the broadcast line-up. Cup cars on dirt sounds like good TV to me!

Junior and Cousin Carl

Carl Edwards found himself at odds with another Chevrolet driver during the Busch Series race at MIS. Dale Earnhardt Jr. punted Edwards on the last lap of the event to go on to win the Carfax 250. Much to everyone’s surprise, the MIS crowd booed Junior for his bump, spin and win on Edwards. In my opinion, it was hard-core racing and if Junior or any other driver wants to win a race that way – so be it. But if you beat someone that way, don’t complain when you get beat that way.

Regarding Edwards, during the cool down lap he drove off pit road and ran into the side of Junior. Then Edwards made his way to Victory Lane to share some heated words with Junior.

I must agree with Kenny Wallace. When the eventual winner of the race dumps a driver to win, the driver that got dumped should keep his mouth shut and move on. Don’t ever go into Victory Lane to confront the winner. Just say what you need to say on camera and move on. A time will come in the near future where payback can be delivered. Speaking of payback, Junior mentioned Atlanta 2004 (Edwards dumped Junior) after he won at MIS. So maybe this incident at MIS was an actual payback compliments of Dale Junior.

Evernham and Crocker sitting in a tree?

Is that too personal? Just asking. On pit road during Cup qualifying, Ray Evernham and Erin Crocker were standing next to each other near the No. 9 Dodge. It was humorous to watch the photographers react to this situation. With reports of their "personal relationship" making headlines, it was easy to tell which photographers struggled with the temptation of taking a shot of them together. When one got brave, they snapped the picture and moved right along rather quickly. Heck, just for fun I raised my camera and took a shot. After a good old stare down from Evernham, I nodded as a way to say thanks and went about my business.

Sponsorship hunt

Did you hear Kenny Wallace needs a sponsor for 2007? If you haven’t, you will.

What about the No. 6 AAA Ford in 2007?

During the post race news conference at MIS, Jack Roush said that Mark Martin could be back in the No. 6 next season. Reports have Roush not happy with upcoming driver Todd Kluever who is set to take over for Martin next season. Roush said Kluever could run less than 36 races next season or he could put another rookie in the car. In my opinion, this is a notice to Kluever to shape up or ship out buddy!

Thoughts from MIS

Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman seemed to be very relaxed. It was nice to see these two guys with smiles on their faces and honestly I believe it’s because they have no racing worries at this point of the season.

On Friday, Scott Wimmer looked to have the world on his shoulders. I will be up front and honest about my feelings towards Wimmer. I was very tough on Wimmer a few years back when he was busted for DUI. But since that time, the guy has impressed me. He’s worked hard, stayed clean and does all he can for his family. Wimmer has had horrible equipment since his first day at the Cup level and I personally think it’s time for a Cup owner with above average equipment to give him a shot.

Right Place, Right Time, Right Car

By Jason Jarrett

I remember back when I had my attempt at the NASCAR Busch Series. Those were a couple of the most stressful but somehow still rewarding years of my life. And, I remember how much more special my next win was once I positioned myself with the right people. I am sure Brent Sherman had some of the same feelings on Friday night as he captured his first win in the ARCA/ReMax Series. He has had a tough last couple of years with trying to find the right combination of people and equipment in the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. I remember having a feeling of accomplishment although I did not have much success as others would classify success. I guess what I am getting at is I am sure Brent has learned a lot. There were things that I remember learning that I took with me to the ARCA ReMax Series that help me when I settled in with people that wanted me around.

The race Friday at Michigan International Speedway had an exciting finish with three of ARCA’s top players in contention at the end. There were many turning points of the race but I saw the hope in everyone’s eyes light up when Burney Lamar had a tire problem late in the race. This allowed a battle between Frank Kimmel and T.J. Bell to turn into a battle for the lead with just a few laps remaining.

I am going to leave you hanging on the end of the race for now and let you know some of the other things that I thought were worth mentioning.

A.J. Hendrickson is the driver that I was spotting for in the ARCA race so I wanted to talk a little about his race. Although A.J. and his team have had fast cars in recent weeks he just can’t buy a break He started in the top 10 and made his way up to second position before having an engine malfunction. I am not sure exactly what went wrong but after losing power he had to retire his car for the day. He has run a strong race at every track that I have spotted for him and I am sure he will have some good finishes in the future.

I did not even know that T.J. Bell was driving the number 20 car in the ARCA race. T.J. has been on the verge of breaking through for his first ARCA/ReMax Series race despite not being able to compete in all of the races. If he stays in the 20 car with Jeff McClure calling the shots he will get that first win soon. They have worked together in the past and really seem to have good chemistry.

Frank Kimmel was going for the win! I know he is 7 time champion and all of that but he looked like he was going for his first win. Some people told me they thought Frank should have just settled in and come home with the points lead. My opinion is that Frank and his team know how to win the ARCA/ReMax Series championship and that is by winning races. As he entered the corner, on the inside of T.J., his car just did not get air on the rear spoiler. He lost the grip that he needed and slid up into T.J. Bell. This ruined both of their days. Frank is tied for the points lead but he has the Springfield mile on the table today and he is hard to beat on the dirt.

T.J. Bell and Frank Kimmel enter turn three side by side with just a few laps remaining. Frank gets loose inside of T.J. and they both have their day ruined. Behind them comes a ready and waiting Brent Sherman. Sherman takes the lead coming to the checkered, but wait, it is not over yet. The race will have one more restart. I know Brent did not want to restart the race again. You just never know what is going to happen on the restarts when you have everyone right up on your bumper for a one lap shootout. Luckily, the car restarting behind Brent was T.J. Bell and as soon as the green and white flew T.J. had a tire go down, stacking up other competitors and giving Brent some breathing room to make it home to the checkered flag.

I know Frank, T.J., and several others were probably upset with themselves and each other but I think the win by Sherman is a popular one with many in the ARCA/ReMax Series garage. He has been a steady competitor in that series for several years now.

We all have our own opinions about whether Brent got lucky but I remember my first ARCA win in Kansas was surrounded by the same type of thing. Frank had engine problems and Ryan Newman had tire problems but as I remember it, I got the trophy.

Brent Sherman and his team were in position to win at the end. I hope to see he and Lee Leslie, his crew chief have more success as they rekindle there race team.

Lucky Dog x 2??

By Mark Young

Yesterday's race started in a very interesting way.  Jimmie Johnson nearly hit the wall in the opening laps, a victim of a flat tire (though he said that Burton took the wind off his spoiler) and had to pit under the green flag.  Once back on the track the TV stated that he was two laps down.  Seconds later Robby Gordon spins out and brings out the caution flag.  what happened next still is not very clear to me but something fishy went on and I need your help to figure this out.

So the field is under a yellow flag situation and some, not all, of the lead lap cars pit for adjustments.  Jimmie Johnson went into the pits the following lap (because he was 2 laps down) for adjustments to his front fender.  Johnson was the only car one lap down at that point in time and was awarded the Lucky Dog award giving him one of his two laps back.  HOWEVER- When the cars were getting ready for the green flag NBC announced that Johnson was now on the lead lap.

This makes absolutely no sense to me.  Either NBC was wrong with the announcement that Johnson was two laps down or NASCAR decided to change the rules again.  Could someone out there is Turn 3 let me know what happened?

This is clearly another thing that wouldn't happen if Pope Brian I would abolish the Lucky Dog rule.  This is the third race in a row where a driver who was more than one lap down managed to get back on the lead lap when they otherwise would not have been able to and capitalize it into a top 10 finish.  I say that NASCAR should do what Bob Barker says every day on The Price is Right and get this dog spayed.

Red mist in the Irish Hills

By DAVID GREEN

Most visitors to this blog probably realize that I take a dim view of the "bump and run" as a deliberate tactic for a driver to use in trying to get past an opponent. Many of you may also know that I think there's a difference between the cold-blooded use of that maneuver and the incidental, truly accidental contact that often occurs in hard, close racing.

Let me quickly acknowledge that it is often difficult, if not impossible, for anybody other than the guy with the steering wheel in his hands and the pedals under his feet to know whether an incident was one or the other.

Which leads us to that Busch Series race at MIS today, and its wild finish. The verdict, according to demonstrative fans in the Michigan grandstands, was thumbs-down for Dale Jr.

Anybody should be able to understand how and why Carl Edwards was white-phosphorus incendiary after he was spun out of the lead by Junior. Regardless of whether it was deliberate or reckless or completely accidental, Edwards was the victim, just the same.

Some of you may think I'm splitting hairs to discern between a purposeful "dumping" and accidental contact that yields the same result. But I believe there is a difference, and I believe when you race with other guys, in a regular professional series or even in weekend-warrior conditions, you get a feel for how the other guys race you.

I've never lined up and raced with Junior or Carl, but neither of them strikes me as the kind of driver who would put your car in his sights and coldly knock you out of competition. Both would race you fiercely enough that they might put you (and themselves, as well) into the SAFER barrier or the infield from overzealousness, but not deliberately and not as a tactic that they believe is accepted as legitimate.

Carl used the bump-and-run to beat Elliott Sadler in a Busch Series race at Richmond not too long ago, and as I recall, he seemed a little more contrite than some guys -- especially the B&R king, Jeff Gordon. Maybe Carl is just a good actor; I don't know. Nobody knows but Carl, but personally, I think as a rule he remains above that sort of dirty driving.

I feel the same way about Junior. The Intimidator's son, y'all remember, is the guy who stayed out of the throttle long enough to give Ryan Newman a chance to regain control on the final lap of The Winston during Newman's rookie year. Many drivers would have taken Newman's bobble as an excuse and would have finished him off, then headed for victory lane. Junior lost the race, but earned a lot of respect that Saturday night.

Then there was that time a couple of years ago at Atlanta, when Edwards got into Earnhardt from behind and sent the Budweiser Chevy spinning wildly out of control. Carl apologized, and Junior pretty much shrugged that one off, as I recall.

It was different today at Michigan. We'll see what comes out of the day's events, but one thing is certain -- NASCAR cannot let Edwards' body-slam of the 8 car go without some serious punishment. Junior says he never saw it coming and had his hand out the window when Edwards hit him.

I was at Charlotte many years ago when, during a multicar crash at the exit of Turn 4, one driver's arm somehow snaked through the window net (they were much more primitive and less effective in those days) and hung down limply outside the sheet metal when another car slammed into him. The driver lost his arm.

Every time someone loses control and retaliates in such a manner as Edwards did today, and as he did against Tony Stewart at New Hampshire, we put our sport in jeopardy of a reprise of that grisly moment at Charlotte -- only this time, it won't be an accident. And somebody's going to lose a lot more than his left arm.

Open up those pits!

By DAVID GREEN

Kurt Busch had one of those days at Watkins Glen Sunday. When he tried to get to pit road before a full-course caution made the pits off-limits, that was the beginning of the end for his chances to win that race and to get into the Chase for the 2006 Cup.

If I ran the circus, things would have been different -- for Kurt in that particular instant, and for race fans in general in many instances to come.

Once upon a time (it's been so long, many of NASCAR's new fans may not even know it), pit road was open unless there was a good reason for it to be closed. When the yellow flag waved, drivers were free to duck onto pit road at their own discretion.

Sometimes, the open pit road was inconsequential. But sometimes, a great, spontaneous moment of chaos was created and the whole nature of an event was changed.

Consider this scenario: The leader comes off Turn 4, just past the entrance to the pits, and the yellow blinks on. The guys running fifth, sixth, seventh and on back, not yet past the pit entrance, brake hard and turn left. Their pit crews, caught unaware, have to scramble into action.

The leader and the others who missed the chance to pit early fume in their cockpits during the slow-down lap. The early birds finish their pit stops and head back toward the track, where the safety car is out and cruising, waiting for the new leader to fall in behind.

Is it a bum deal for the guy who was leading? You betcha. But it was bum luck for him and good fortune for somebody else -- real, honest excitement, not the artificially inseminated "drama" such as the Lucky Dog and the green-white-checker finish that NASCAR now feeds salivating masses.

It's great for fans, who get to see those previous front-runners battle their way back to the front, if they're fast enough. It's great for the guy who's fortunate enough to have taken advantage of the windfall -- a Lucky Dog who can hold his head high, lucky because of real luck and not just a dumb rule. Even if he doesn't maintain his advantage, at least he had the chance to fight for it.

In addition, there's a big safety benefit, too. Instead of having all the cars jammed up on pit road at one time, putting crew members in increased jeopardy, the lead-lap cars pit in random spacing, depending on the gap between them when they were under green.

That benefit was never apparent in the old days, because there was no pit-road speed limit. The speed limit has been a life-saver and obviously it needs to be retained. But, unless the reason for the caution is in some proximity to the entrance or exit of the pits, there's no good reason to bunch the field behind the safety car on the racetrack before pit road is opened.

Except, of course, for one little thing. Pit-road closure has become NASCAR's version of the time-out -- and, obviously the perfect time for "a word from our sponsors."

That means we won't be seeing any changes in the pit-road closure rule. That's too bad. Not just for Kurt Busch last Sunday, but for all of us.

ARCA drama in the Irish Hills, Crocker style

By Mike Harper

The last time the ARCA RE/MAX Series visited Michigan International Speedway, NASCAR driver David Stremme won the event and did it by lapping the entire field. Driving the No. 61 Rusty Wallace Dodge subbing for Steve Wallace, Stremme powered his way to victory in "ARCAWHACKER" fashion.

Asked about lapping the field, "I used to do that a lot," said Stremme. "But as you move up, there’s more competition. The ARCA series is tough, so this is pretty cool."

On Friday, the ARCA RE/MAX Series revisits the track that left 40 of 41 drivers a lap or more down. But this time Stremme won’t go ARCAWHACKING in Rusty Wallace’s Dodge, instead Steve Wallace will try to match what his substitute driver accomplished back in June. By the way, Wallace won this event in 2005.

Steve Wallace last faced the ARCA regulars at Gateway International Raceway. But while he finished the race in second, after post-race technical inspection the Rusty Wallace No. 61 Dodge was found in violation of the minimum roof height rules per the 2006 ARCA Rulebook. RWI was fined $1500 and team owner Rusty Wallace and driver Steve Wallace were penalized with the loss of 25 championship points.

After dominating performances by RWI at MIS and with a black cloud over the top of this team after Gateway, ARCA competitors and officials will have their eyes glued on this team. RWI is looking to 3-peat at MIS.

Evernham Motorsports development driver Erin Crocker has created a stir in the ARCA garage over the past few weeks. During the Gateway event, Crocker punted championship contender Bobby Gerhart into the outside wall with only a few laps to go in the event. According to Crocker in her weekly column on NASCAR.com, "I accidentally got into the back of him and took him out."

In a SPEED interview the next week prior to the event in Nashville, Gerhart said, "The way I look at it that particular development driver wasn’t brought here [ARCA] to race, it was brought here to learn how to wreck."

Crocker replied in a following interview, "I apologize to him if I wrecked his race car and hurt the points, but at some point I need some respect as a driver too."

The Crocker – Gerhart rivalry is based on one simple component - respect. Crocker wants it because she thinks she deserves it and Gerhart wants it because he’s running for a championship.

Crocker was called to the ARCA hauler after the event and according to her, "Getting called to the hauler isn't something you should be excited about, but it was kind of cool."

Crocker stated, "Honest to God, I didn't mean to take him out," but then she turned around and said, "I have just as much right to be on the track as he does."

I like big talkers. I liked Dale Earnhardt because he could talk the talk and walk the walk. The same is true with Kevin Harvick, Rusty Wallace, Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart to name a few. They’ll wreck you, but they will stand up for themselves and face you when needed.

When I heard Crocker stand up for herself, I was actually proud of her. It’s a tough sport and sometimes when things don’t go smoothly you’ve got to hold your ground and stand noise to noise with your rivals. But I then read, "That wasn't the first time somebody has come after me, so it wasn't intimidating," said Crocker. "With my crew around, I really feel protected, which is great. As I'm pulling off the track they're, "All right. Where are you?" And they meet me wherever I stop."

She added in her column, "not that I want to be the bad girl of stock racing."

Just an honest question – can you really consider someone to be the "bad" anything when they hide behind their crew? It’s just a question.

Crocker isn’t in Michigan this weekend for the ARCA event, but she will be in her Truck at Bristol. FYI - I hear that place is really brings out the tempers.

The ARCA RE/MAX Series race is scheduled to be aired on SPEED at 5pm on Friday. Keep your eye on the rivalry of Billy Venturini and seven-time ARCA champ Frank Kimmel. Venturini, who is currently on probation for an incident involving himself and Brent Sherman earlier in the season, punted Kimmel last week at Nashville. It could get exciting this week too.

Lastly, Kimmel leads Gerhart by 35 points in the championship chase. If you’re a fan of old time NASCAR, then you should take some time to check out ARCA racing. It’s go time for these two competitors and for the first time, in some time, the ARCA championship is up for grabs. Who wants it more?