A lifelong gearhead, Tom Jensen reports on automobiles and auto racing for SPEEDTV.com.
Jensen has been writing about both topics for more than 15 years and is the former managing editor of National Speed Sport News.
He is the recipient of the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award and numerous other journalism awards.
Jensen's latest book is "Cheating: An Inside Look At The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit Of Speed."
Click here for Tom Jensen's columns.
Past races: Daytona | California | Las Vegas
Oh say can you see...
Sharon from Port St. Lucie, Fla.: Good Afternoon Tom!! Why is it that when the cars get spread out on the track and a caution is thrown for debris, viewers don't see it? Is this NASCAR's way of bringing the field together? ...NASCAR and their competition cautions, they should just make a mandatory caution and check the tire wear. I want better race coverage!
Tom Jensen: There is a lot of skepticism about debris cautions. I agree, every time the yellow comes out, I want to see exactly what it's for.
Sponsor me
Hank from Hallowell, Maine: What is the longest running sponsor of a cup car?
Tom Jensen: Off the top of my head, the longest running sponsor his probably Miller Beer, which has been in NASCAR since the 1970s.
No news is good news?
Scott from MILWAUKEE MILE: Had to write my weekly question - this week: Is Theresa out of the country? I haven't seen any comments in the last week regarding Dale Jr's deal! Still hoping for a black bud No. 3 next year, and a John Menard purchase of DEI!
Tom Jensen: I've not heard anything on Earnhardt in a couple of weeks.
Don't need speed
Tim from Orlando, Fla.: With speeding on pit road so costly, why are are there no speedometers in the cars? Are they against the rules? If so, why?
Tom Jensen: As far as I know, speedometers aren't illegal. But they are unnecessary, which is why teams don't use them.
Not so Happy
Sue from Marysville, Kansas.: What is happening with Harvick? He started hot and is, in the last two races, running cold?
Tom Jensen: Atlanta historically has been Harvick's worst track. He was awful here last fall. He'll be fine at Bristol next week.
Moving up line
Dave from Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada: I was wondering why when Ryan Newman went to the back because of the engine change that Jimmie Johnson moved up and why Elliot Sadler would not move to the pole since he qualified second?
Tom Jensen: Because that's how NASCAR does it.
No. 8 looks great
Matt from Methuen, Mass.: Do you think Dale Jr. will finish in the top 10 today?
Tom Jensen: Matt: Yes, I think Dale Jr. will finish in the top 10 today. He looks good so far.
Get your read on
Kirk from Fayetteville, Ga.: Hey there Tom, do you know of a good book, or any other source for that matter, that explains in detail the rules pertaining to cautions and pit stops? Why sometimes after a caution, the leaders are behind 3 or 4 cars on the tail end of the lead lap, etc?
Tom Jensen: I'd recommend NASCAR For Dummies. It's not really for dummies, it's for fans and has a lot of good info.
Don't expect competition caution
Jo from Rock Hill, S.C.: Morning, Tom! Have you heard anything about NASCAR throwing a competition caution early in the Cup race to allow teams to check the tire wear? The way Jeff Burton was complaining after the Busch race yesterday, it certainly sounded like he was angling for one... And give a shout out to my Winthrop Eagles — today's the day we make it to the Sweet 16! LOL! Cheers!
Tom Jensen: Morning, to you, too! No, I haven't heard anything about a competition caution today, and I really don't expect one. Today's race will be run on a track drivers love with a tire they're comfortable with. Of course, with the cold weather, you never know what could happen.
Good luck to Winthrop, too. Everyone loves an underdog.
Chris from Latham, N.Y.: I know that we are only in the fourth race of the season, but which Nextel Cup drivers are on the hot seat?
shout out to my Winthrop Eagles — today's the day we make it to the Sweet 16! LOL! Cheers!
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. It's never too early, I suppose, to start thinking about these things. Honestly, I haven't heard any specific names yet. That said, if we get through six races and Dale Jarrett has used all his past-champion's provisionals, my guess is that Bill Elliott and maybe even Terry Labonte would start getting phone calls from teams outside the top-35 in owner points looking for a driver who can get them into the races each week. And the more races a current driver fails to qualify for, the more tenuous his position is.
But before drivers start getting sacked, I expect a wholesale run on crew chiefs, especially with the guys deep down in points. The Toyota teams all need help, and Michael Waltrip already had hired Derrick Finley, Jeremy Mayfield's ex-crew chief. Waltrip has also gone to Toyota and asked for more technical help.
Ford's future
Kenny from Yorktown, Va.: Hello Tom, Dan Davis has nine teams now, but he thinks he needs 10 to be competitive. I've heard they don't spend anywhere near enough money to compete in NASCAR, what do you think? It wasn't too many years ago that they were winning poles and almost half the races each year, and now they are lucky if they win four. They were overtaken by Chevy last year as the biggest winner, what do you think is wrong with FORD?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. I don't think Ford has a problem, per se. I think instead it has a series of cyclical team issues. Jack Roush said late last year that he was too slow to change things up in 2006 after a great 2005 season. He made wholesale crew chief changes this year. So far, Matt Kenseth has been running great, and I suspect the other Roush teams will improve as the new driver-crew chief lineups begin to gel.
Robert Yates Racing nearly got sold last year and has undergone a wholesale restructuring, while the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team is in the midst of big changes, too. As for Robby Gordon, he hopes to expand his team next year, with an eventual goal of having four cars. So don't count the Ford teams out yet. It might not happen overnight, but I think they'll be flashing their old form sooner rather than later.
Locking in top 20
Marnie from Clarkesville, Ga.: The Top 35 rule needs to go. I understand that the rule was initially implemented to protect full-time teams with full-time sponsors from not making a race. Now, with several new full-time teams with full-time sponsors and the rules governing competing companies being limited from sponsorship opportunities, we are running the risk of teams losing sponsorship. How is the top 35 rule encouraging new teams and new sponsors to come into the sport and grow the sport?
Tom Jensen: Hello and welcome. I agree with you about the top 35 rule. I think NASCAR needs to reduce it to 30 or 25 guaranteed spots. But just remember, as I said in an earlier response, whenever you have 50 to 60 cars trying for 43 spots in the field, a lot of good cars will go home. And when they do, fans, teams and sponsors will be upset, which is what's happening this year.
More cars at bigger tracks
JJ from Indianapolis, Ind.: I want to know why they continue to use the top 35 owners points? It's not right how Scott Wimmer missed the race because 15 guys were racing for 5 spots. Make it four because Dale Jarrett uses the provisional every week. Instead of the top 35, it should be the top 25 or even 30. And get rid of the champion's provisional because Dale Jarrett has not done anything at all to contend this year, and he's started last in three of his four races. Now, he got another chance at Atlanta, and Wimmer had to go home with the new Chevy engine even though he had a better time. Are they ever going to change this to make it more fair? Or is NASCAR going down the gutter? Because if this continues to happen -- where a fan's favorite driver gets screwed out of making a race-- then I, for one, will stop watching the sport.
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. Look, I sympathize with your complaint. But as I've consistently written over the last year, when you have more than 50 cars attempting to qualify every weekend — Atlanta is the first race where the field hasn't been at least 55 — you're going to have a lot of good cars missing each race. And when you have a lot of good cars missing the race week after week, you're going to have angry fans, angry sponsors and angry teams. That's a given. I really think that, at some of the bigger tracks, NASCAR needs to think about going to 45-car fields or maybe even larger.
Whacking Busch
Darlene from Fairbanks, Alaska: I counted at least 19 Cup drivers in the Busch race. I turned it off and said I can watch these guys tomorrow. Time to put a halt to all these drivers both races.
Tom Jensen: Happy race day! As I've said many times before, the Busch Series is a riddle with no easy answer right now. The promoters want Cup drivers because they sell seats. The teams want Cup drivers because they sell sponsors. The Cup drivers want to race because it helps prepare them for the Cup race the following day. How do you tell them they can't race? And yet, young talent is being choked off because few good Busch seats are available. It's a tough situation.
Gordon compromise
Laura from Murrieta, Calif.: If Motorola was on the list, yet they were allowed to be on the quarterpanels, why didn't Motorola know this so Robby Gordon would not have gone through this?
Tom Jensen: Hello and thanks for the question. I'm not privy to the specific discussions NASCAR, Motorola and Robby Gordon Motorsports had, but the good news is, a compromise has been reached for today's race. Gordon will run sponsorship from Motorola's digital audio player. NASCAR has deemed that OK, and it appears to at least be a temporary solution.
Elliott to the No. 55
Karin from Sidney, Ohio: Are Bill Elliott and his six PCP's hopping in the No. 55? If so, HOW PATHETIC!! MWR's motto should be "If you can't BEAT 'em, BUY 'em."
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. I have not so far heard any legitimate speculation that Bill Elliott might be getting behind the wheel of the No. 55. But in two weeks, if Dale Jarrett has used all his past-champion's provisionals, you can bet Elliott will be in high demand.
Recycling engines
Frank from Oklahoma City, Okla.: What is done to engines after the race? Do teams use a new engine every race or are parts just replaced?
Tom Jensen: Hello to you in Oklahoma. All the big teams run new engines every week. Some of the tail-end, marginal teams might try to get by on rebuilds, but the power teams run all-new engines at each race.
Serious sponsor issues
Steve from Toledo, Ohio: Why does NASCAR kill individual teams' sponorship opportunities with series exclusive deals. Examples such as Robby Gordon and Motorola, RCR with Shell and the AT&T issues. Shouldn't NASCAR pass on some bucks in their wallet to help teams get sponsors? What happened to a little competition?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the excellent question. Remember the Gatorade/Powerade victory lane debacle of a couple of years back, when race winners were knocking drink bottles off the tops of their cars? It's NASCAR's nature to sell every available sponsorship, exclusive, etc. that it can.
In fact, NASCAR often competes directly with teams for sponsors. That's why you'll sometimes see a company that has "official" status, but doesn't sponsor a car. In other words, a company can pay NASCAR directly to be "The Official (fill in the blank) of NASCAR" without sponsoring a team.
The Cingular/AT&T situation is especially alarming. Personally, I think it reflects badly on a sport when a sponsor spends $100 million in NASCAR, as AT&T claims it has, then essentially loses its ability to stay in the sport because someone who came in after them spends more money. AT&T has now sued NASCAR, seeking the right to change Jeff Burton's sponsorship from Cingular to AT&T because it bought Cingular and is discontinuing the Cingular name.
And all this is going as Nextel is mulling a name change from Nextel Cup to Sprint Cup, because Sprint bought Nextel and is phasing out the Nextel name.
This situation doesn't reflect well on either NASCAR or Nextel and one wonders how it will play out.
Dodge different
Blake from Salt Lake City, Utah: Dodge drivers qualified well again. Atlanta also offers the second honest test of the new nose for The Dodge Charger. What are the Dodge teams saying about the Charger in traffic?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX! The Dodge drivers have said the new Charger is a big improvement over the old one, with more "wiggle room" in the setup. That said, they are still learning the nuances of the car, and I suspect their results will improve as the season goes on.
DJ disappointment
Eric from Long Beach, N.Y.: What's with Dale Jarrett? We see more of him in the UPS commercials - then actually in the races.....
Tom Jensen: Hello, there. Clearly, all three cars at Michael Waltrip Racing have struggled this year, and Jarrett wouldn't have made a single race this season without the help of a past-champion's provisional. Until the team finds out where they are lacking and fix those problems, D.J. will be stuck in the back of the pack.
Follow the Brickyard road
Chris from Latham, N.Y.: Do you think that Sam Hornish Jr. will race in the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard on Sunday July 29?
Tom Jensen: Glad you be with us. I think Sam Hornish, Jr. will attempt to make the Brickyard 400 field, but whether he makes it in is anybody's guess.
Historically, The Brickyard draws a huge field and I would not be surprised if 55 to 60 cars try to make the race. That will make it tough for Hornish, but he's certainly with a top-notch team.
On the list
Everett from Niles, Mich.: I saw that NASCAR forced Robby Gordon to remove the Motorola sponsor decals because of them being a "competitor" of NEXTEL/Sprint... How can that be if Motorola is the maker of the Nextel phone?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Robby Gordon is wondering the same thing. NASCAR is claiming that when it signed Nextel as the title sponsor of its top series, the deal included a specific list of companies who would not be allowed to be primary sponsors in the future. Motorola was on that list, according to NASCAR.
Atlanta sets pace
Josh from Spring, Texas: Why do they say that Atlanta is the fastest 1 1/2 mile track when Brian Vickers qualified at 196 mph last November at Texas? Is TMS not getting enough credit?
Tom Jensen: Greetings to you in the great state of Texas. While it's true that Brian Vickers qualified at 196.235 miles per hour at Texas last fall, the all-time 1.5-mile qualifying record belongs to Geoffrey Bodine, who in November 1997 qualified at 197.478 mph at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Dodge vs. Chevy
Erik from Dixon, Ill.: Why is it when one of the Dodge teams spins out and taps the wall we never see the car again that race? I have seen Chevy's hit the wall and have to be towed to the garage. and 30 laps later. they are back running. Are the Chevy teams that much better at making repairs, or do the Dodge teams just not care about points as much?
Tom Jensen: That's an interesting question, and a phenomenon I've frankly never observed myself. I don't really have an answer for you, given that I've not seen it myself, but the one thing I will say is that since Dodge's return to Nextel Cup in 2001, Chevrolet teams have won four Cup championships and Dodges haven't won any.
D.J. seeks owner points
Tom from Copley, Ohio: I thought NASCAR stated that only six provisionals could be used per driver/team a year. When Dale Jarrett's provisionals run out, wouldn't that be it for his Toyota team?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX! Once D.J. uses his six past-champion's provisionals, he will have to make races on speed. Unless, of course, he stays in the top 35 in owner points. Right now, he's 32nd, so as long as he stays there, he's good.
Rain dance
John from Alabama: If we had gotten rained out, how would they have set the field? I know top 35, but what about the rest?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. I believe drivers who would have made it in had qualifying been rained out are: Brian Vickers, Dale Jarrett, Joe Nemechek, Johnny Sauter, Sterling Marlin, Paul Menard and David Reutimann. Fortunately, it's a moot point.
Back at the MWR shop
Ken from Everett, Mass.: In my opinion, you're innocent until proven guilty. So far there is no proof either way that Michael Waltrip's crew chief had anything to do with the substance found in the fuel of the confiscated engine at Daytona. Until there is proof, they should allow him to do his job. There should be no talk of him being banned for years. I hope he sues NASCAR to get his right back to do his job. I would like to know your opinion on the subject.
Tom Jensen: Great point. I want to reiterate one very important point, though: the only thing Michael Waltrip Racing crew chief David Hyder and vice president of competition Bobby Kennedy can't do right now is go to the track for a NASCAR-sanctioned event. They are still drawing paychecks, still in team meetings, still building cars, etc. They just can't go to the track.
Closing pit road
Peter from San Francisco, Calif.: Tom, after a caution flag flies, why does NASCAR close pit road? How do they decide when to open it?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for joining us. NASCAR closes pit road so it can bring the entire field around, establish the correct order of the cars and make sure the necessary safety and clean-up equipment exits the track. Once all those things happen, pit road is opened.
In an Awesome position
Walt from Longs, S.C.: What was the car number driven by Bill Elliott for Ray Evernham the first year that Elliott drove for that team? And what's behind his statement that he never agreed to drive the No. 37 car this weekend? Does he have another ride lined up?
Tom Jensen: Hey there, Walt! Elliott drove the No. 9 when he began with Ray Evernham in 2001. As far as the No. 37 car, the sponsor issued a press release saying Elliott would run three races in the car, and Elliott followed that a press release of his own saying he hadn't signed the contract. That's it. Obviously, the two have been talking, but one party thought the deal was done and one didn't. As for other rides, once Dale Jarrett uses his sixth championship provisional, Elliott will be in huge demand.
Last word on safety first
Tami from Mountain Home, Ark.: NASCAR didn't penalize the No. 48 team the second time because it was Jimmie Johnson! Anyone else would have been sent to the end of the line again! Time for NASCAR to stop protecting him and treat him like everyone else. IT MAKES NASCAR LOOK BAD! EVERYONE WILL LOSE THEIR FAITH IN THEM.
Tom Jensen: Tami: The main responsibility of a pit road official is safety. If a tire gets loose on pit road, and a car hits it, it could become a lethal projectile. The official stopped the tire for safety reasons, period, and I don't have trouble with that.
I know some people believe NASCAR plays favorites with Hendrick, but then again, some people believe any time a red Nextel Cup car with a No. 8 is about to get lapped, a caution comes out for debris on the track.
Tire whining
Danny from St. Paul, Minn.: Is there any reason Goodyear only brings one tire compound to the track? Ninety percent of other racing have at least two compound choices. It adds a new element to the car setup and gives the drivers a little control should their setup not work correctly with the given compound and/or if the track conditions are quickly changing. CART, for instance, had a red and black sidewall to visually see which compound they are running. Pretty cool idea. I'd like to see this just so the drivers can stop whining about tires every week.
Tom Jensen: Danny, glad you could join us. Two things: Drivers will never stop whining about tires, no matter what. It's their nature. Your two-compound idea, while intriguing, would cost the teams a small fortune, as it would mean lots more practice and cars subtly tailored for each compound. It would be enormously complex and expensive because as soon as they changed the rubber, they'd be changing shocks, springs, etc.
Points for Ragan
Doni from Greenville, N.C.: Why does NASCAR use owner points instead of driver points to determine the 35 "locked-in" drivers? It would seem to me that the the driver points would make more sense. It's concerning to me to have a rookie, like David Ragan, locked into a race because Mark Martin got the No. 6 car in that position last year. To me, Ragan has yet to prove anything other than a right-place, right-time top five at Daytona.
Tom Jensen: Doni, thanks for the question. To the best of my knowledge, NASCAR uses owner points because it wants to encourage the team owners to bring their cars every weekend. That's really not much of an issue these days, but it was way back when, in the days of part-time owner/driver teams.
As for your comment about Ragan, I respectfully disagree. The last time a rookie finished in the top five in the Daytona 500 was Jeff Gordon in 1993, and besides, plate tracks are the weakest part of Roush Fenway Racing's program. I don't know how he'll do for the rest of the year, but Ragan did a whale of a job at Daytona.
Last-chance qualifier
Brad from New Castle, Ind.: Why doesn't NASCAR have a last-chance race? After qualifications are over, the bottom 15 cars would have a chance race into that weekend's race. This race would be 50 to 75 miles, and it would be telecasted so that viewers could watch it. Sponsors, teams and drivers would get a chance to race their way into the race. Look at the amount of good teams going home after one or two laps of qualifications! I see this as a major issue right now in NASCAR.
Tom Jensen: Brad, welcome to FOX. There used to be a last-chance race — often called a hooligan race — at the May Charlotte Busch race. I'd love to see it, but my guess is that NASCAR's worried about cars getting torn up in such a race, which would get expensive for car owners.
Car chief vs. crew chief
Deb from Bridgeport, W.V.: Could you explain the duties and responsibilities of a crew chief and a car chief?
Tom Jensen: Deb, thanks for the question. It varies from team to team, but for the most part, the crew chief is responsible for the overall strategic and tactical direction of the team: His is the final word on setups, he makes the pit-stop calls, and he is the manager or supervisor of the team. The car chief makes sure the car is prepared exactly the way the crew chief has ordered it to be set up. He is the hands-on detail man while the crew chief is the big-picture guy.
Goodyear here to stay
Stan from Elkhart, Ind.: With the comments being made about Goodyear tires, do you feel there is any chance that we may see Hoosier Tire return to the NASCAR series?
Tom Jensen: I don't think there's any question that Goodyear is here for the long-term. One of the worst things that happened from a competition standpoint in NASCAR's mind is when we had a tire war in the early '90s between Hoosier and Goodyear. So NASCAR's going to stick with one tire supplier, which saves costs and makes it easier for everybody, and they have a long-term, exclusive deal with Goodyear. I expect Goodyear is here to stay.
Vegas looks like Atlanta
Brent from Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI: Will the track condition improve over time as more rubber is laid on it or is this one of those tracks that drivers will always complain about?
Tom Jensen: Brent, that's an excellent question. The track will unquestionably improve over time. As rubber gets put down and the asphalt cures, it'll get better, much as Atlanta did. When Atlanta was repaved in the late '90s, drivers were complaining about it in the first couple of races, and now it's one of their favorite tracks. So there's no reason to expect the same thing won't happen in Las Vegas.
Nitrogen news
Charles from Clarksville, Tenn.: Why with all the problems with tire pressure and how fast that pressure changes with temperature, don't we see the use of nitrogen to better maintain a specific pressure? Nitrogen has been used for years in aircraft tires for exact pressure, even with major changes in ambient temperature.
Tom Jensen: Teams already use nitrogen for exactly the reasons you listed. It's much easier to maintain specific air pressure and much easier to regulate using nitrogen.
Cleaning tires
Gus from Everett, Pa.: I wonder why the teams don't have brush devices installed that would let them clear off debris from the tires, it would be such a simple device to install. Some cars up North here are doing just that. It adds nothing to car except the ability to have you tires clean.
Tom Jensen: It would be a simple device to install, I suppose, but it's not allowed by the rules now, and I haven't heard anybody on the teams suggesting that they go ahead and get them so I don't think you're going to see it anytime soon.
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