Fallout from the Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski payback incident at Atlanta led the news this week. After speculation about Edwards’ punishment, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced on Tuesday, Edwards would be placed on probation for three races. He emphasized the sanctioning body’s concern with the car getting airborne at a track like Atlanta. In other news, Sports Business Journal reported this week NASCAR and the sport’s top teams are close to finalizing a deal that would create a licensing agency. The move, prompted by the financial woes of Motorsports Authentics, is designed to centralize the sport’s fragmented licensing business. This is the NASCAR week that was March 7 to 13, 2010.

NASCAR critics need to get a clue

Wild Ride: The short and brutal life of a NASCAR engine

A day on the war wagon leaves lasting impression

NASCAR, top teams creating new licensing agency

Is it too early to ask what’s up with Stewart-Haas Racing?

Vintage Insiders

The Future of NASCAR Media

Team Radio Traffic Should Be Beyond Reproach

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

I’ve been following the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski reaction all week, because I was curious how everyone would respond to the incident.  Between Twitter, forums, blog comments, and the writers, I’ve read a lot.  Journo weighed in on the topic here on Monday.  Some folks have made some really great points, and I can understand most sides of the controversy.  What I don’t understand, is those that think this decision by NASCAR is going to somehow turn the drivers into wreck ‘em derby maniacs who now won’t fear the consequences.

This idea that somehow some horrible precedent has now been set in terms of how NASCAR will govern the on track action just isn’t true.  The sport’s leadership handles these special situations on a case-by-case basis, and will dole out penalties accordingly.  They actually handled this specific incident very similarly to how they’ve handled other recent retaliation situations.

In this country, many courts of law decide cases by precedent.  Past decisions do affect how future cases are decided.  But guess what?  NASCAR isn’t a court of law.  They don’t need to take past decisions into account when they are trying to figure out penalties for a special situation.  Why?  Because absolute consistency isn’t necessarily needed.  When Denny Hamlin wrecked Keselowski at Homestead, a one lap penalty was sufficient because Hamlin did what he came to do and NASCAR couldn’t let him get away with it.  At Atlanta, Edwards was obviously furious, and he needed to be parked for his own good. 

I understand that before the season started, they basically told the drivers to “have at it.”  And while this may have played a role in their decision making, they actually went harder on Edwards then they did on Hamlin and Juan Pablo Montoya at Homestead last season; and those wrecks happened before they changed their stance.  So trying to say that NASCAR went easy on Edwards because of this new philosophy just doesn’t hold water.

When issues like this arise, it always seems like we hear somebody say that NASCAR needs to lay out a penalty schedule so that every infraction is dealt the same penalty.  Well guess what?  Just like every other sport, NASCAR penalizes the regular infractions the same all the time.  Unapproved adjustments, engine changes, pit road speeding, and a ton of other infractions are dealt with the same way.

But in special situations, like the one we saw in Atlanta, NASCAR must decide penalties on a case-by-case basis.  Why?  Because there are too many factors that go into what went down, and there is no way for the sanctioning body to be prepared for every possible dust-up.  We’ve seen NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handle many different player incidents all separately, and I don’t see anyone calling for his job.

Moving forward, you aren’t going to see drivers wrecking each other and going crazy because Carl Edwards wasn’t suspended for life.  There will be no “vigilante justice,” as one writer suggested.  Drivers know NASCAR is in charge and that they will rule on events as they see fit.  The powers that be have shown plenty of times in the past that if they feel a situation has become out of control, they will step in with harsh penalties to send a message.

As I’ve said before, if Keselowski spins harmlessly through the tri-oval grass, we are never having these discussions.  There would be talk about how Keselowski got what was coming to him, and how Edwards overreacted to a racing incident.  Endless discussions of precedents and rules and governance would have never entered anyone’s minds.

Say what you want about Bruton Smith, you can’t accuse the guy of not speaking his mind. And you can bet when there are eager reporters around him the gospel according to Bruton is about to be preached.

Though it might have gotten lost in the noise about Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski, Smith took time this past weekend to give his take on the state of the sport, and the changes he would like to see made.

Among his comments, Smith lamented his investment in Motorsports Authentics calling it the “worst decision I have ever made in my business life.” He also said he believes he can get a Kentucky Cup race on the schedule for next season (see stories here, here and here).

Always interesting though were Smith’s suggestions on how to improve the sport. He suggested:

• NASCAR give Las Vegas a second Cup date to finish out the season and give Homestead California’s second date
• Consider changing the points system
• Make the fields smaller to eliminate start and park teams which he called a disgrace
• Alter the payout system, making wins worth more, to entice drivers to run more aggressively

I haven’t been the biggest advocate of moving the end of the year banquet to Las Vegas, but it clearly is a market that embraces the sport. Could they support two races a year? Probably. And why not finish the season in the place where you’re going to hold the banquet?

Smith said the health of the sport will be tied to the venues on NASCAR’s schedule. I think he makes an important point that the sport needs to stage events where the market is most likely to embrace the product. Unfortunately for Smith, NASCAR isn’t too likely to take dates away from the France family controlled ISC.

Another point Smith made was the need to remove the emphasis of points racing. Do you tune in every week to see your favorite driver run conservatively in order to maintain his points position? I’m guessing the answer is no. While I agree with him on that point I think altering the payout system penalizes those underfunded teams who do actually run full races (ex. Front Row Motorsports). I can’t say I have a better suggestion on how to get drivers to be more aggressive on track though.

On the topic of start and parks (though I could care less) I’m warming to the idea of making fields smaller. Maybe we need to go back to having the size of fields fluctuate depending on which track we’re at. It would redistribute the purses and give S+P’s less of an opportunity to participate.

I can’t say I agree with everything Smith said or suggested, but some of it made sense. For all his eccentricities I think he does a good job of understanding the wants and needs of fans. As one of the sport’s biggest stakeholders NASCAR ought to bring Bruton Smith to the table a little more often.

It’s the first off week of the year for NASCAR.  None of the top three series are in action this weekend, but TNI keeps trucking along with another Ask The Insiders Wednesday.  If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

1. From Ric:

It’s been said that the haulers carry enough spare parts to build another car. How close is that statement?

Pretty darn close.  Haulers carry everything from spare engines and transmissions, to sheet metal and nuts and bolts.  And if a part isn’t on the hauler, it could probably be robbed off the backup car. – T.C.

2. From Kevin:

Hey TNI, What are your feelings on the spoiler and the fairness of the mid season change. Do you think teams like RCR are tickled to have it considering they have FINALLY found speed with the winged car. Now to have to go backward essentially and retool your whole fleet of cars, that’s not totally reasonable IMO. Now RCR and other teams will have essentially wasted all that work this offseason and now have to start over.

I think the answer to your question is determinant on whether the spoiler has a big effect on set-ups and the like. We really don’t know what will happen with the change, other than the little bit of testing teams have done. I doubt RCR is thrilled by this move; and it certainly stinks if you’re a team with little or no funding. That said, in my opinion, it will change things, but I don’t think it will change things substantially, so teams like RCR will probably be OK. – Journo

3. From Kenny:

I’m now reading a terrific book, “The Physics of NASCAR.” Reading that the wheels are “toed-in” or “toed-out” makes me wonder, does this alignment (and camber) make your job harder? On a normal consumer car, the four tires are set pointing straight up and down and are set parallel to the centerline of the car.

The toe isn’t usually an issue.  Camber does affect the front tire changer and front tire carrier.  The right front doesn’t cause any problems, but the left front does.  Changers have to get low to see all the lugs, and pretty much angle their pit gun to hit the lugnuts square.  The tire carrier must also make an adjustment, so as to get the wheel on the studs squarely. – T.C.

4. From Mike:

I was wondering if you could talk about the orange/white tape or paint that’s on the sides of the Goodyear tires after a pit stop? My guess is that it has something to do with checking the wear pattern…

I wrote a post back in 2008 explaining this exact topic.  Find it here. – T.C.

5. From Scott:

Hey Guys, All this talk about ’start and park’ teams got me wondering about racing in general and more specially about cars that are not on the lead lap. I’m wondering how you, the garage, NASCAR, etc would feel about pulling cars off the track that couldn’t mathematically win the race. For example, if a car has an early problem and hits the garage. They do amazing work and repair the vehicle but end up 50 laps down. So when the lap count hits so that there are only 49 laps left that car would have to leave the track. This would lessen the number of cars on the track near the end and potentially decrease yellows or other collision concerns. Thoughts? As always, thanks for the great read! Great job guys!

I think it’s an interesting idea, the problem is, it doesn’t let guys improve their position if they’re able to continue running. Say you’re in 40th 50 laps down and the five cars in front of you are out. Shouldn’t you be able to make up those spots if you’re able? At the point when you can’t win a race, it’s about points and money. If you’re prevented from improving from going back out on track you won’t be able to do that. Plus what if the race goes longer than the prescribed number of laps (through restarts)? Lessening the number of cars won’t necessarily lessen the number of cautions. Toward the end of the race a lot of wrecks occur with lead lap teams. – Journo

6. From Barb:

Why does it appear that most of the Cup drivers are afraid to tangle with Jimmie Johnson on the racetrack? They all seem leery of getting into him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone pull a bump and run on Jimmie during a race. I know why Jeff Gordon doesn’t, (part team owner), but why the others? He needs to be challenged more often.

I think it’s a matter of perception. I can say it’s not something I’ve noticed and after thinking about it do we really see drivers get into other drivers very often? It happens, but I don’t think Jimmie receives special treatment over anyone else. – Journo

7. From Marcus:

I’ve noticed that when a crew member or shop member or driver is penalized for drug use it always says actions detrimental to stock car racing. What does this mean?

It means whatever you want it to mean. At least that’s how NASCAR uses it. Anything that can be construed as damaging to stock car racing can fall into that category. That includes crew members who fail drug tests. – Journo

8. From Lee:

I live in Central Arkansas and noticed about a dozen haulers heading east on I40 om Monday (3/1) afternoon.  Obviously, they were coming from Las Vegas.  My question is..do the teams have more than one hauler?  Were the ones I saw heading back to the shop, and they already have a new one heading to Atlanta for the race this weekend?  It seems that it would be hard to get from Las Vegas to Charlotte, unload the car/s from the previous race, load the new cars up and make it to Atlanta for practices.

It takes approximately 36 hours driving time to get from Las Vegas to Charlotte.  For west coast trips, most teams run with two truck drivers, that way the truck never stops.  So assuming the race is over on Sunday evening, the trucks could be back in Charlotte sometime on Tuesday.  Atlanta is only a four hour drive, and Cup teams didn’t park until Thursday.  That leaves about a day and a half to restock and reload the haulers.  The only time extra haulers are used, is to shuttle cars out west to the actual race haulers.  This happens for back to back west coast races, like California-Vegas. – T.C.

9. From Ross:

Wondering your take on this: I was watching Idol last week and they’re running a spot with Carl Edwards talking about Ford. Not only is he not in a race suit but there aren’t even graphics identifying who he is. Now I can see why Ford’s ad people don’t want Edwards wearing a suit with Aflac plastered all over it but is it possible that Carl Edwards is actually recognizable to the average American Idol viewer? If that’s the case, then NASCAR really has come a long way.

I haven’t seen the commercial, but obviously Ford thinks he’s recognizable enough. I’m not sure I’d agree. I can’t say what Carl’s Q-score is, but I would imagine it’s not high. You’d think they would have at least had him in a firesuit, but maybe we’re further along than I thought we were. – Journo

10. From Alex:

2010 mid season changes to the cup cars: spoiler , nose and what else. I have been out of touch for a bit . Never liked the ” WING” or the splitter. What are the proposed changes for 2010 in a nutshell?

The only proposed change right now, is that the wing is being replaced with a spoiler, most likely at Martinsville in a few weeks.  NASCAR is also making a small change to the rear quarter panels on the car to help with the new aerodynamics.  The noses and splitters will remain unchanged. – T.C.

11. From Savannah:

Hi Guys, Since Brad Keselowski has entered the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, it seems that he has made more enemies than friends. What are the thoughts of the drivers and crew members of Brad? Also, what are your opinions? I found it interesting that Carl Edwards took the action that he did in today’s Atlanta race. Brad definitely needs to learn not to be as aggressive as he has been in some of the past races. Will the Edwards/ Keselowski feud become one for the record books over the next year? Thanks for answering all of the questions. Have a great week off!

There are definitely some veteran drivers who won’t be joining the BK fan club any time soon (see Edwards and Denny Hamlin).  While I can’t speak for everyone, I think most see him for what he is.  He is a very aggressive, young driver who is looking to make a name for himself and be successful.  And en route to being successful, it would appear as though he doesn’t care who he runs over to get there.  But what I hope he is learning, is that he can’t get where he wants without at least some respect from his competitors.  I appreciate his aggression and know he has talent, but he still has some learning to do.  Something tells me that Brad and Carl will steer clear of each other from now on as well. – T.C.

12. From Jeanette:

Journo- I’ve noticed here and there that some of the photographers on pit road and in the garage wear their vests inside out. Is there a reason for this (like some inside joke) or do they just not pay attention when they put them on. Also – what are the numbers for?

If it is I’m not privy to it. I would imagine it’s guys (and gals) not noticing and throwing the vest on. The numbers are there to identify the photographers. – Journo

13. From Marc:

Do extra laps beyond the scheduled distance in green-white-checker finishes, including the yellow-flag laps count for all purposes in races? With the current rule, there can be as many as four extra green-flag laps in addition to as many yellow-flag laps as needed to clear the track. If they count for all purposes, this could change the winner of the bonus for the most laps led and could allow a car that is, for example, 25 laps down to finish ahead of a car that fell out with 20 laps scheduled to go, right?

Yeah, pretty much.  If a race goes beyond it’s scheduled distance, the number of total laps run is counted just like if the race had gone the prescribed amount of laps.  Now you know why, in many cases, teams work so hard to get their car back on the track after a crash.  You never know what might happen. – T.C.

14. From Rob:

Question about pit officials. What are the two officials in white jumpsuits looking at when you are doing your pit stop work? Why are there 2 of them per car? How mant total on pit road? Who pays them? How much do they make? Do you have any good stories about them and things they may have done or not done?

There is one official assigned to each pit.  Often times you will see two, because if they are available to do so, they will help each other out.  They are watching to make sure we don’t jump from the wall too early, that the car is in the stall correctly, that fueling is done within the rules, and that all the lugnuts are installed, among other things.  They are paid by NASCAR, and probably make a reasonable living.  And there isn’t enough room in this post to recount those stories. – T.C.

15. From Lost, Just Lost:

Well NASCAR has had their say. I found it interesting. Seems to me that the message was more for Brad than Carl. Carl got a three race probation, what ever that is. Brad got knocked out of a sixth place finish. Am I missing something or was NASCAR sending a bigger message to Brad than to Carl?

Without being a party to NASCAR’s conversations over the last couple of days it’s hard to say. I know there has been some buzz that that might have been NASCAR’s intention, but I think more than anything they’re working off their recent precedent. Consider the Denny Hamlin/Brad Keselowski and Juan Montoya/Tony Stewart incidents at the end of last season as examples of how NASCAR has recently reacted to payback. The punishments haven’t been severe and I think if Brad hadn’t gotten airborne, we probably wouldn’t even be having this conversation. – Journo

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!

Now that Danica is taking a NASCAR hiatus for a few months, can we please get back to talking about the actual competition in the Nationwide Series?

Three races into the season, the top ten in NNS points could be mistaken for the top ten in the Cup Series.  Seven of the top ten are Cup drivers, with only Justin Allgaier, Steve Wallace, and Scott Riggs representing the NNS only crowd.

Of the three, Allgaier looks to be strongest challenger to unseat a likely Cup-driving champion.  In three starts this season, he has one top five and three top ten finishes.  At Las Vegas, Allgaier looked to be a contender for the win before fading late and finishing seventh.  He certainly has the backing and the team to get it done, and the knowledge and experience from a solid rookie campaign could push him over the top.

There are also several intriguing new-comers to the series who could surprise and break through for wins.  James Buescher, Trevor Bayne, Brian Scott, Colin Braun, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. all could have a say before the season is over.  They all have the necessary talent and are all driving in equipment that has won in the recent past.  Three races in, Buescher, Bayne, and Scott are all inside the top 20 in points, while Braun and Stenhouse have struggled and will have to dig themselves out of a hole.

Of the three Nationwide only drivers in the top ten, I think the most interesting story is that of Scott Riggs.  He was tabbed to pilot the #09 Ford for RAB Racing only a few short weeks before Daytona.  Riggs filled the seat that was vacated when John Wes Townley left the team and took his family sponsor to Richard Childress Racing.  The RAB team is running without a major sponsor, yet has still found a way to be competitive against fully funded, Cup backed teams.  With a little help, this team could be a factor.

It seems unlikely that, with so many Cup drivers in every race, a young driver like Allgaier will be celebrating at Homestead.  Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, and Paul Menard are all planning on running the full slate of Nationwide Series races.  But like they say, that’s why we run the races.

NASCAR policies often ebb and flow in their enforcement. In the past we’ve seen a sanctioning body that really likes to loosen things up when people start complaining; but when that inevitable watershed event occurs enforcement gets ramped up again.

In true NASCAR form, this season brought us one of those promises of lighter enforcement. They wanted to foster an atmosphere of self-policing (within moderation of course). In response to that just more than a month ago Robin Pemberton looked at the gathered media and said, “Boys, have at it.”

Well Sunday in Atlanta, NASCAR got their wish; the boys had at it. After getting wrecked early in the race, Carl Edwards returned to the track 153 laps down and quite clearly took out the guy who helped him into the wall earlier.

That guy, Brad Keselowski, has made a name for himself in his very short career of getting involved in incidents like this one. Remember the Brad K. v. Denny Hamlin feud just a few months ago? Right or wrong, being aggressive and unapologetic about it is his style.

So with that, it was only a matter of time before an incident like this one occurred and it came as no surprise (to me at least) that Brad K. was involved.

I applauded NASCAR’s move before the season began and I still believe it was a good call. I think this incident though should be a wake up call to everyone in the garage. There’s self-policing and then there’s self-policing. Everyone needs to agree this sort of thing can’t be tolerated. Obviously Carl didn’t mean for Keselowski to get airborne, or expect that happen, but the possibility always exists at 200 mph.

That said though, I have a hard time justifying a suspension, and I’d be surprised if NASCAR issued one (famous last words). Even more, of all people to be calling for someone to get suspended for aggressive driving, it’s almost laughable that person is Brad Keselowski. By all means he deserves to be angry for what resulted from the payback; he could have been seriously injured (thankfully he wasn’t). But if ever there was a situation where that old idiom ‘the pot calling the kettle black’ applies, this is it.

No question, it’s unfortunate this happened. Frankly drivers should know better than to do things like this. While I can’t say what the proper punishment should be here, Robin Pemberton has said NASCAR will evaluate the incident further. If there are additional penalties, we’ll likely hear about them by Tuesday.

So what do you think? Was the retaliation justified? What, if any, should the punishment be for retaliating on track?

Three weeks into the season and our reigning champ has shown once again he’s the man to beat. After a dismal run at Daytona, Jimmie Johnson has now captured two of three races – he’s fifth in the points. In other news, TNT announced this week veteran NASCAR broadcaster Adam Alexander would take the reigns as their play-by-play announcer for 2010. Alexander replaces Bill Weber, who was released in the middle of TNT’s TV run last season. This is the NASCAR week that was February 28 to March 6, 2010.

Business Owner Finds Deals and Thrills in NASCAR

Hunter back on the beat

Bruton Smith outlines how he’d fix the sports

Bodine finds biggest win at a different kind of track

Being in the top 12 this early is no guarantee of making the Chase

Will NASCAR learn from US Fidelis collapse

Vintage Insiders

Fan Camping Areas: Enter If You Dare

The Most Powerful Men In NASCAR

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

Following Sunday’s race in Atlanta the Cup Series will enter its first off week of the season. While there won’t be any racing, teams will still be hard at work preparing for the impending switch over to a spoiler.

The upcoming test at the Charlotte Motor Speedway will be the first chance many of these teams have had to try out the new configuration at a track on the Cup schedule. With limited testing and existing notes and information that will soon become (at least somewhat) out of date could this spoiler become a game changer for the season?

The opinions among the drivers are mixed as we have seen over the last few months. Some say 2010 will be split down the middle, while others think the change won’t make much of a difference.

Thanks to the engineers, and NASCAR and team testing we have some idea what this move will do to the downforce of the car. The real test though will come when we have a full field at a place like Texas or Charlotte.

It’s only been since January that teams have known about this and with time ticking away until NASCAR takes the track with the new spoiler, it’s got to be an interesting time to be an engineer at one of these teams. For some organizations, like Richard Childress Racing, that are just getting back on track with their performance the overwhelming question is, ‘will this throw a wrench into our improvement.’ If you’re over at Hendrick, the question is, ‘are we going to be able to maintain our dominance.’

Despite questions they may be asking about what this means for them, they’re not alone in their uncertainty. As those in charge at NASCAR have noted it will take some time to see how this will change things. What happens if this move has no effect, or things actually gets worse? Without the benefit of a lot of on track testing this is a bit of a craps shoot.

Personally I don’t have a clue what’s going to happen. I believe there will be some effect, but given the talk from all parties involved I don’t necessarily believe the impact will be huge.

Change or no change, I can’t say I’m a fan of making a move like this several races in (though I applaud NASCAR for identifying and remedying a problem in a timely manner). However this plays out, it will no doubt be interesting to see how this testing goes and how well this change is received by drivers and fans alike.

So what do you think? Will the spoiler make a difference in the racing or is all this much ado about nothing?

Every week, teams are trying to get any little edge they can.  And one way that many teams have found they can gain a small edge with pit stops, is to add a little bit of traction to their pit stalls.  At places like Las Vegas, that little bit of traction in the stall can make a big difference on the track.

Each track has it’s own little quirks in terms of pit road.  Some have small pit stalls, others have stalls that aren’t square or level, and some places have tall or short pit walls.  At Las Vegas, everyone knows that pit road is very slick.  For whatever reason, when the concrete was poured on pit road, they didn’t do whatever technique some other tracks have used to rough up the surface.  So a smooth surface, combined with the little bit of dust that always seems to linger on the concrete, and you have a recipe for disaster (a.k.a. I just busted my ass).

In the past, teams used a chemical known as VHT to add a little traction to their stalls.  I had a conversation on Twitter recently with RacingwithRich.com’s Richard Allen (@RacingWithRich) about this very topic.  The drag racing fans out there will know that VHT is very common around their favorite strip, as tracks use it to add grip to their surfaces.  But within the last few weeks, NASCAR has decided that teams are no longer allowed to use any sort of chemicals or adhesives in their pit stalls.  The only additive we are allowed to use now is your favorite soda.

Before, and even during the race, you may have noticed teams dousing their stalls with soda from cans and bottles.  Anybody who has ever spilled a soda knows that it makes a sticky mess.  Pit crews are using that stickiness to their advantage.  Beyond that, some teams have even discovered that using just the syrup from the soda makes for even better traction.

What this added traction from chemicals or soda really means, is crew members have better traction with their shoes while running around doing pit stops, and the cars will have better grip getting into, and leaving the stalls.  And that little bit of extra traction can pay big dividends on the scoring pylon when the checkered flag drops.

The Nationwide Series gets its first off week of the year, while the Truck and Cup Series head to Atlanta this weekend.  It’s only midweek though, and that means another round of reader questions and answers.  If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here.  So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us.  On to the questions…

I missed a couple of questions last week, so we will kick this edition off with those first.  Sorry for my screw up! – T.C.

1. From Gene:

Why is wind tunnel time so expensive? On TV it looks like a car on rollers in front of a big airplane propeller. Costwise,what am I missing here?

First off, the cost to build a wind tunnel has got to be pretty high.  Besides a roller and some big propellers, it also takes some very sophisticated computers and machinery to control everything.  On top of that, the energy bill alone needed to run everything is probably astronomical, not to mention the engineers needed to run the place.  It all adds up very quickly.  If they were cheap, everyone would have one. – T.C.

2. From Christopher:

After Daytona, I looked at the NASCAR rankings page, which lists winnings in dollars. I noticed that every driver listed- including those who did not qualify for Daytona- had some winnings. First of all, how do you win money if you don’t race at all? Secondly- why do the non-qualifying drivers have slightly different amounts? Derrike Cope has some $40,000 and Jeff Fuller some $21,000. Both didn’t race- what did Cope do earn that extra money? Finally, with the racers that did compete- how come some in 20th place made more than guys who finished well ahead of them?

I believe what you are seeing for drivers like Cope and Fuller, who didn’t run, is there winnings from the Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duels.  NASCAR doesn’t pay prize money if you don’t make the race.  Teams get owners points, but no money.  And the reason some drivers make more then others depends on what contingency programs a team is involved in, and in what payout plan a team is in.  I believe NASCAR has four different plans setup, and each team fits into one of those plans.  I don’t know specific details, but the plans award prize money based on not only where you finish, but also past performance and longevity. – T.C.

3. From Eddie:

How many people involved in NASCAR are still unemployed?

I can’t give you a specific number, but the answer is a lot. There were unfortunately far more positions lost than positions available and added. Contractions like this are bad for everyone involved. – Journo

4. From Ric:

Do teams use different pit boxes at different tracks? If teams only have one pit box do they have backup pit boxes in case something happens to it?

No, teams use the same pit box at each race.  A backup pit box really isn’t necessary, because I don’t know what would happen to a box that would warrant a team needing to have it replaced.  The only exception being if the box was destroyed in transit. – T.C.

5. From Mike:

I understand when the drivers choose the ball from the fish bowl, they are choosing there starting order for qualifying. Joey Logano not being 21, his crew chief will pick for him. Is this policy in effect because of driver age and being possible gambling?

I’m not aware of a rule that says one must be 21 to select the ball for the qualifying draw.  I do know that it doesn’t need to be a driver who selects the ball, just a representative from the team. – T.C.

6. From Sue:

Was wondering whatever happened to Fatback McSwain?

Fatback is running an auto repair shop in Dallas, NC. – T.C.

7. From Michelle:

What is going on with Ryan Newman’s team and Tony Stewart being the successful team? Do you think that the #39 team will be able to rebound and battle for the championship?

The first two races were things beyond the team’s control. There isn’t much you can do about a wreck and an engine failure. I wouldn’t worry about it too much at this point. If you remember last year he wasn’t great through the first four races, and then made the Chase. Give it a few more races here. – Journo

8. From Marc:

Any ideas as to why the #26 has performed so poorly? I thought they got cars and engines and perhaps even some technical help in addition to the 2009 #26 points as part of the ?comprehensive services agreement with Roush Fenway. Based on their poor performance both qualifying and running, I really wonder if they got the worst from the Roush shop. Boris Said did a lot better with the old Mark Simo #60, which also had support from Roush.

It all comes down to funding.  Yes, the team did buy old equipment from Roush, and they do get engines from Roush Yates Engines.  But you only get what you pay for, and this team is severly underfunded.  They have very little, if any sponsorship, and they have a bare bones crew and operation.  If this team makes it past the first five races of the season, they will most likely be just a start and park entry. – T.C.

9. From Margaret:

I’ve noticed on Preliminary Entry Lists that there is a section that appears to list the vehicle manufacture date. Most list 10 as the year, but some list 09 and Brian Vickers car is listed as 08. Does this have anything to do with the date that the car itself was built or does it deal with what nose they run? What is the difference? Thanks!

I believe the model year designated refers to the body style being run, not the date the chassis was built.  I’m not sure how an ‘08 model car could be run by Vickers though, as the rulebook specifies that only 2009 and 2010 models are eligible this season. – T.C.

10. From Measure:

Start N Park cars, causing a bit of concern to NASCAR. Why doesn’t NASCAR implement a rule that says if you don’t finish 80% of a race, your team is suspended for the next race? Exceptions could be made for cars involved in wrecks and for those in the ‘top 35′.

It’s not necessarily a bad idea, and I believe a similar rule has been talked about. In lieu of suspending teams, I think a more powerful tool is to cut the purse; that is, after all, why some of the teams are there. I think NASCAR doing further inspection of the last place car is a good first step and I foresee them trying to curtail this as much as they can as the season moves along. – Journo

11. From Tim:

I literally stopped watching NASCAR because of Jimmie Johnson. Now I know how people felt about Earnhardt Sr. and Gordon. Will the spoiler make any difference in the 48 team’s dominance?

It might. There has been a lot of discussion about the effect of the spoiler on the racing. Some think it’ll make a difference, others don’t. I know Jeff Burton thinks we’re going to have a pre-spoiler/post spoiler season. Carl Edwards disagrees. We’ll definitely have to wait and see. – Journo

12. From Kevin:

What is going on with AJ and the rest of RPM

I don’t know what to tell you. It would appear to be an issue throughout the RPM camp as none of their drivers have been running particularly stellar. Paul Menard’s been the most consistent and Kasey did finish 9th last week, but it’s hard to say. It’s still early in the season and with the changes at RPM it could take some time for everything to come together. – Journo

And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close.  Thanks to everyone who sent in questions.  And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!