Nothing quiet about NASCAR's off week.

Just when you thought there was enough drama in NASCAR, Jack Rousch, co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing has dropped a serious accusation against Toyota. According to ESPN the Magazine's latest issue, Rousch told one of magazine's reporters that an unnamed Toyota team was found to be in possession of a proprietary Rousch-Fenway part! Over the course of the week, Toyota has claimed the part in question is a spring and was found after the Atlanta race following a post race tear down conducted by NASCAR. Toyota insists they have no idea how the part came into their possession and the infraction was completely unintentional. Toyota says they have returned the spring. Roush-Fenway maintains the part was a spring, but would not elaborate any further. Keep an eye on this one, it could get ugly. Maybe Congress will get involved, apparently they don't have anything else to do!

Early season recap

With the Sprint boys taking the week off, now seems like an appropriate time to take a step back and recap what the 2008 season has had to offer. It's the first full season with the new car, and so far I think NASCAR has to be pleased with the results. Most of the teams have had the opportunity to test and make adjustments with the COT and the proof is in the pudding! Toyota scored their first victory with Joe Gibbs Racing in Atlanta. The new design touts safety and by all accounts has passed with flying colors. Just ask Jeff Gordon! The competition is also very good, I give the new car a solid B+. I think as teams start to figure out how to get more grip out of the COT, that rating will boost to an A-. Let us shift to the "over and under achievers." Biggest disappointment has to be the tandem of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. Granted, the competition is better as teams have put more effort into testing the COT, but by their standards being out of the top 12 is nothing less than pedestrian. C+ for the Hendrick boys. The surprise of this young season has to come from the same garage. Dale Jr. has exceed most expectations thus far, currently sitting fifth in the point standings. His move from DEI to Hendrick had many wondering if there where too many superstars on that team. Well, he's answered all his critics and it's his star that is shining the brightest, A-. The season has been filled with green-white-checkered finishes and plenty of drama. It all continues this weekend in Martinsville.

Your father's NASCAR

I spent the better part of my afternoon watching a re-air of the 1988 First Union 400 at North Wilksboro Speedway. I know, I know, even a race fan such as myself really should have been watching the first round of the NCAA basketball tourney. But, there is something about watching the hot rods of the 80's and 90's. You know, when the Monte Carlos actually looked like Monte Carlos. Anyway, during the race the announcers were discussing the "Tire Wars" between Hoosier and Goodyear. Back then, some of the drivers would sign yearly contracts with the tire makers. Interestingly enough, some drivers could stay independent and run on either brand. That got me thinking; this is something NASCAR should revisit. Especially in the wake of Tony Stewart and others complaining Goodyear was failing to produce a quality tire, most recently at Atlanta. I know NASCAR has since sign an exclusive contract with Goodyear and it's binding through the next few seasons. But once the contract runs out, why not bring Hoosier or Firestone, or both for that matter, back into NASCAR? Competition and speeds would certainly increase, and yes, maybe even at the expense of safety. But it would shut up the likes of Stewart! At least for a little while. By the way, anyone remember who won the 1988 First Union 400?

Hendrick's fall from grace?

What a difference a year can make! We are five races into the 2008 Sprint Cup season and Hendrick Motorsports is still seeking its first win. Last year at this time, HMS was well on its way to complete domination, winning three of the first five races, and seven of the first 10. Although its early in the season, this winless streak is sort of a fall from grace for the organization once touted as the authority on the COT platform. So, what's really happening in the Hendrick garage? Was the torrid pace of last year just too much to maintain? Or is it the Tiger factor? Well, I like to refer to this as the Tiger factor. Tiger Wood's dominance over the years has forced more PGA golfers to hit the gym and work harder at their game. Same philosophy applies here. Last year Hendrick was so dominate, it forced other teams to buckle down over the off season, and today we are seeing the results. Toyota got it's first win at Atlanta. Last Sunday at Bristol Richard Childress Racing got it's first 1-2-3 finish. The best thing going for HMS might be the biggest surprise of all: Dale Earnhardt Jr. He had a ton of pressure coming over to Hendrick from DEI. Now, I think we all expected Junior to do well, but leading this star studded team comes as a complete surprise. If the Chase for the Cup were to begin today, Junior would be the only Hendrick teammate to make the Chase.

Goodbye to a Great!

NASCAR bids farewell to one of its greatest drivers this weekend. After nearly 24 years of racing, Dale Jarrett makes his final start this weekend in Bristol. His father Ned, a two time Sprint Cup champion, will open the Food City 500 Sunday as the honorary starter. Dale Jarrett has won 32 Sprint Cup races and a championship since his career started back in 1984. Sunday will be his last points race, returning only to participate in this summer's All-Star weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Jarrett fans can still catch him on ESPN as one of the network's NASCAR analysts. Mother nature has played a hand in the lineup for both this weekend's Nationwide and Sprint Cup races. Rain forced officials to forgo qualifying and to the rules book to determine the starting grid for both races. Under NASCAR rules and regulations, if qualifying is rained out, then the top-35 spots are determined by 2007's final owner point standings. This rule is applicable for the first 5 races of the season. The big winner: Hendrick Motorsports. The struggling duo of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon catch a big break here, as they finished the 2007 season first and second respectively in owner's points. Historically, 60% of all winners at Bristol have come out of the top 5. Watch for this to be the turning point for both teams! Look for Gordon to win the race, collecting Hendrick's first win of the season. Personally, I'll be pulling for Dale Jarrett, but starting 37th will make it rather difficult for this great to go out on top.

Toyota Milestone!

First off, congratulations to Toyota for winning its first Sprint Cup race last Sunday in Atlanta. It took them four races into their second season to find victory lane, but it seems like the off-season testing is paying off in '08. I wish I had nicer things to write about the driver who got Toyota their first victory. Kyle Busch had such a large lead heading into the last lap, he could have coasted to the win. Instead, he decided to push the envelop. In Tony Stewart fashion, Busch gets a run on fellow Toyota driver Dale Jarrett, bump drafts him through the corner getting his car out of shape and nearly into the wall. Clearly, there was no need for Busch to make that dangerous of a move with that big of a lead. It was selfish and stupid. Part of me wanted to see Busch wreck himself. But then I would have had to listen to him whine in the post-race interview about how Jarrett didn't get out of his way. Any way, at least it provided for a little excitement to an otherwise ho-hum finish. Onto this weekend's Food City 500 in Bristol! This is one of the best stops NASCAR makes all year. 160,000 fans, plenty of action, a ton of wrecks and the occasional fist fight. Not that I promote fighting, I mean, they wear helmets. How dangerous can it be? Qualifying is never more important than at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ninety four Sprint Cup races have been held at the .533 mile track, and of those 94 winners, 60% started in the top five, and 82% coming out of the top 10. Think of qualifying this week as the race before the race!

NASCAR not so nice to Edwards

The heavy hand of NASCAR has come down hard on Carl Edwards. He and car owner Jack Rousch are each fined 100 driver and owner points, respectively, for what NASCAR deems as "actions detrimental to stock car racing". Edwards's Ford Fusion failed post race inspection following Sunday's Sprint Cup UAW-Dodge 400 in Las Vegas, because the cap to the oil reserve was not fastened securely. According to NASCAR, this gives the car an aerodynamic advantage. Many experts are now speaking out saying the advantage is so minimal and the risk the to the driver so great, chances are this was unintentional. In addition to the 100 point penalty, Edwards looses the 10 bonus points he would have received for the win if he makes the Chase at the end of the season. Not to mention crew chief Bob Osborne is suspended for six races and fined $100,000. The point deduction sends Edwards from first to seventh, 79 points behind Kyle Busch. So, is NASCAR being fair when it's doling out these penalties? Five Nationwide teams were busted for the same infraction at Daytona and only penalized 25 driver points! Why is Edwards getting hit with the 100 point deduction for the same infraction? Edwards has the right to appeal, and if successful, it could prove to be his biggest win of the year.

Carl Edwards on Top, For Now . . .

For the first time in his NASCAR Sprint Cup career, Carl Edwards is sitting atop the Championship Point Standings. But don't get too excited Edward fans. This could be one of the shortest reigns, as his #99 Ford Fusion failed to pass post race inspection following last Sunday's UAW-Dodge 400. The crime, a loose fitting oil reserve cap. It may not sound like a big deal, but NASCAR handed down some stiff penalties to several Nationwide teams for similar violations after the Camping World 300 at Daytona two weeks earlier. Those penalties threatened hefty point deductions and six week suspensions for the offending crew chiefs. In Edwards's case, he will likely keep the win, but could lose 25 championship points, dropping him back to second place behind Kyle Busch. The good news, late Tuesday afternoon NASCAR amended the Nationwide penalties, reducing some of the sentences by four weeks. Can Edwards afford to lose Bob Osborne even for a week and still have a shot at the title? Can you say Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus? Finally, a very big tip of the cap to Mark Martin. No, not for extending the mark for all-time Nationwide Series wins to 48 in Las Vegas last weekend. Equally impressive was the class he exhibited in victory lane. In the final laps of the Sam's Club 300 Martin got a run on Carl Edwards on the low groove, sending Edwards up the track and into fellow JR Motorsport teammate, rookie Brad Keselowski. The crash took both Edwards and Keselowski, who was vying for his first Nationwide win, out of contention. Martin fought off Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer to take the checkered flag, but this victory wasn't as sweet. Immediately upon exiting his car, before he could celebrate, Martin said he needed to apologize for not getting out of the gas and wrecking the two front runners. The Tony Stewarts of NASCAR could certainly learn a lesson in manners from the likes of Mark Martin.