This week, the Cup and Nationwide championship battles head to Phoenix.  The races are still tight, so expect the unexpected.  As the season ticks away, we’ve got the 151st 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 Steve:

Last weekend was yet another one that makes NASCAR look bad. It rained on Friday so they moved practice to Saturday and cancelled qualifying. I’m sorry but it was not fair to anyone, Chase or not, to not have qualifying. Carl Edwards did not earn the pole and did not deserve to be on it. I think that they should have run qualifying and if time was left then a short practice. Especially with how fast they can do that at Martinsville. Your thoughts?

You can’t just throw the cars on track for qualifying without some sort of practice session.  And with trying to get the Truck race in, there just wasn’t enough time on Saturday to get it all done.  There is nothing wrong with setting the field by points, because everyone knows in advance what the rules are if qualifying is rained out.  That’s part of the advantage of running well and being high in the points. – T.C.

2. From SteveBinColo:

First, I am a MWR fan. Now, what the heck is going on over there? I like the addition of Clint Boyer. He is arguably a step up from Truex and Reutimann. He probably did not have much of a choice as to where he would go. But why the sudden switch to Mark Martin and MW himself running the #00 next year? Did they lose sponsorship from Aarons? And I thought Reuitmann signed a 3 year deal. So much for that contract. I started following Waltrip when he drove for DEI. If Dale Sr. thought he was good enough that was a pretty good endorsement, IMHO. But MWR has never been more than an also ran team. Its been a disappointing few years. They never seem to be able to recover from mishaps. I often see the top drivers, JJ or Gordon have an issue early in the race but manage to recover over the course of the race. MWR never seems to have that skill. So really, what is the scoop with this organization? MWR seems to be on the same path as the team owner. 500+ races and 4 wins.

I can’t really give you a whole lot of insight, but I think it’s clear that MWR saw what it needed to see out of Reutimann and decided Martin, even part-time, was the better prospect. Consider too the possibility that the sponsor was ready for a change. Waltrip intimated that because of Reutimann’s less than stellar performance this season they had an out in his contract. The team isn’t running very good equipment, and their drivers are at best retreads. They knew what they were getting out of Reutimann and Truex, and they know what they’re going to get with Bowyer. The team has potential, it always did, but it seems to lack some long-term vision. – Journo

3. From Lost in Texas:

Got to wonder about MWR. The company started off with a cheating scandal for their first race at Daytona. Now the windshield caper. They are cutting loose Reutimann after years of loyal service to both DW and MW. I just don’t get it. Can you give me some “Insider” information about what is going on and why MW has let another cheating scandal hit his organization? Also, any idea where Reutimann might end up. Figured he’d be the next Aaron’s spokes person.

See question 2. I don’t know where Reutimann will end up – if he’ll end up anywhere. This is unfortunately a very bad time to be a racecar driver and out of a job. As to the winshield thing, I’ll say MWR could stand to be a little less sloppy with their cheating, but everybody does it. – Journo

4. From Steve:

I know I probably can’t get two questions in one week but here goes. What do you think of the current points system? The guy in first just runs laps and plays it safe week in week out. The guy in second has won 3 out of the 7 races. Whats wrong with this picture? The chase will be worthless until NASCAR makes winning a priority, not playing it safe. How sad that the points leader isn’t even trying to win a race.

I don’t think it’s fair to say Carl Edwards is “playing it safe.” You don’t run as well as he is by “playing it safe.” I also don’t think you can say Edwards isn’t trying to win a race. Consider Edwards is averaging a 5.6 finish through the Chase, while Stewart is averaging a 7.3. What we need to decide is what is the most important thing is – do we want the best, most consistent driver to win the championship or the driver with the most wins, who sometimes is not the driver with the best season. - Journo

5. From Jim:

Here we go again.. Nascar making rules up as they go along. And this why the mainstream media, the sports media and the general sports fan will NEVER take Nascar seriously. First they let their major league stars play in their minor leagues. Can you imagine if Derek Jeter were allowed to compete with local triple A team when he wasn’t on the field for the Yankees? Then to top if off, when the major leaguer has a run in with one of the minor leaguers he is suspended from the major league event?? Had this been Edwards or Hamlin, or god forbid ol Jr boy himself the outcome would have been totally different and everybody knows it including Mike Helton and the rest of Nascar. But because it was the guy everybody loves to hate it made it an easy call and more disturbingly, a popular call for Nascar. I have been a Nascar fan for over 40 years and will continue to be a fan but its this kind of rules making on the fly behavior that makes me keep my fandom to myself for fear of being ridiculed by others that I know and meet.

I think the issue here is not about rules making, but about what you perceive as inconsistent penalties. The thing to remember with these type of issues is that you could never write a specific rule or penalty to address every situation. It’s the same for every sport – it’s up to Roger Goodell’s discretion how players are penalized for on and off field conduct issues in the NFL (Goodell does it under the player conduct policy, NASCAR does it under rule 12-4-A) and David Stern can fine NBA owners if he doesn’t like what they tweeted (and he does). Nothing spelled out, just discretion. If Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin or Carl Edwards had the history of incidents that Kyle Busch does I don’t have a doubt you would have seen NASCAR react in a similar fashion (see Kevin Harvick suspended in 2002). I’m sorry you’re embarrassed about being a NASCAR fan, but there are limits to the omniscience of the sanctioning body. – Journo

6. From Chris:

Hey guys, I’ve noticed from a few in-car shots that some drivers wear a piece of fabric that hangs down from their helmet around the neck area (specifically, I noticed that Harvick and Keselowski have them). What is this and what is the purpose? Thanks as always!

That piece of fabric is fire resistant and protects the driver’s neck in the event of a fire.  Some guys wear full balaclavas, and others just have that extra fabric attached to their helmets. – T.C.

7. From Nolan:

Since when does NASCAR allow rookies to replace drivers that have already qualified for the race? The series rule against Kevin Conway doing it in 2010, while it allowed Josh Wise to replace Michael McDowell at Texas this past weekend?

Sorry Nolan, but I don’t recall the situation with Conway in 2010.  If I had to guess, I would imagine he wasn’t allowed to race because he wasn’t approved for the specific track.  But I don’t know for sure. – T.C.

8. From Neil:

Hi guys,love the blog! I was just wanting to ask what the rules are for entry onto pit lane during any incidents on the frontstretch or by cars involved in wrecks,cutting directly to their pit stalls and not passing the correct side of the committment cone? I ask after this weekends Texas race when the 48 car brought out the caution and spun through the infield,he then cut straight from the infield grass to his pit stall and (correct me if I’m wrong!) didnt incur any penalties? Also during wrecks at the faster tracks that dont have an infield pit wall,can and do drivers get penalised for using pit road as a wreck avoidance road while they are at speed? Or is it at “Nascars discretion”. Thanks again for your awesome insights into my favourite sport.

I believe he did receive a penalty from NASCAR.  The post race report lists the #48 as having to start at the tail end for a commitment cone violation and pitting before pit road is open.  As to your second question, NASCAR has said in the past that drivers can use pit road to avoid being involved in a wreck. – T.C.

9. From Neon:

Do you TNInsiders and us followers actually eat, or don’t eat, M&Ms because Kyle Busch is, or might not be, the driver of the JGR #18 M&Ms Toyota Camry Sprint Cup driver? Or drive, or not, a Camry for that matter?

Whether or not you buy a product because of the driver representing it isn’t really the point is it? It’s whether or not the driver is representing a brand in a manner consistent with the expectations of said brand. – Journo

10. From Chris:

Will Stewart-Haas Racing find another Sponsor & a Driver to Run Danica Patrick’s Sprint Cup Series Chevrolet for the whole entire 2012 Sprint Cup Series Season?

While Stewart-Haas has been on a bit of a roll signing up new sponsors over the last few weeks, don’t hold your breath on this one.  Anything is certainly possible, but I would expect the #10 to just run in the races its scheduled with Danica. – T.C.

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!