SPEEDTV.com's Tom Jensen is the former managing editor of National Speed Sport News and earned the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award in 1997.
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Past races: Daytona | California | Las Vegas | Atlanta | Bristol | Martinsville | Texas | Phoenix | Talladega | Richmond | Darlington | All-Star Challenge
Good 'til the last drop
Q: What kind of fuel mileage do the cars get? — Travis from Casper, Wyo.
A: 4-5 mpg.
No. 48 foul?
Q: When Jimmie Johnson pitted and they dropped the jack and JJ rolled away, he stopped and they started to work on his car again. It appeared that he was over the front pit line. Is that not a penalty? — Rodney from Bentonville, Ark.
A: A NASCAR official was right there. He apparently did not violate any rules.
Nuts to you
Q: Lug nuts hard to see after dark. Is it against NASCAR rules to paint lug nuts with flourescent or glow in the dark paints? — Linda from Fond du Lac, Wis.
A: Not that I know of.
Carl's back
Q: Did Carl Edwards get his lap back? We can't tell because our station keeps fuzzing out. — Ann from Moberly, Mo.
A: Carl Edwards is on the lead lap.
Oh, what a relief
Q: In long races like this and any race, this might seem like a silly question, but if the drivers have to use the restroom, what do they do during the race? — Heather from St Petersburg, Fla.
A: There's only two choices. The drivers either hold it or they don't.
Winning move
Q: What its take to win tonghts race? Dumindu from Vista, Calif.
A: Don't make any mistakes and get the adjustments right on the last stop.
Paint job
Q: Am I color blind or did Humpy repaint the wall from the all-star race last week from yellow to white? — Chuck from Jacksonville, Fla.
A: Yes, the walls are white again.
It's Tony time
Q: Does that flag hanging off the back of the Home Depot car mean he has an "extra long" cargo? — Bee from Jacksonville
A: Stewart's had a great car tonight and his team has done an excellent job keeping him in contention after being involved in a wreck early.
Biffed
Q: Can you guys find out what happened to Greg and let us know? — Ed from Vancouver, USA
A: Biffle cut a tire and hit the wall.
Caution record
Q: What is the record for cautions for Lowe's and do you think it will be beat today?— Dave-O from Memphis, Tenn.
A: The record for cautions here is 22. It will not be broken tonight.
No limit on tires
Q: How many sets of tires are teams allowed to have at any given race? Sometimes they seem to change frequently and not worry about inventory. — Rob from Edmonton
A: There's no limit to the number of tires a Cup team can use.
First 600 winner
Q: I want to know who won the very first world 600. I really would like to know. — Travis from Hertford
A: Joe Lee Johnson won the first World 600 in 1960.
Stuck on you
Q: If the Behr Bond (200 MPH tape) is used on the car to repair damage so that it sticks at race speed, why is it that the tape is easily removed by crew members? Do they use another type of tape on the radiator and ducts and if so, why does it not come off at race speed? — Ron from Arlington, Texas
A: Yes, they use different types of tape. It doesn't come off at race speed, because it's strong tape, first of all, and where it's used, aerodynamic pressure presses it down, not lifts it up.
Safe from flames
Q: Hi Tom. My question is as I am watching the coca-cola 600 right now, I just watched Matt Kenseth make his green flag pit. During the pit I watched as the right rear tire changer changed the tire as there was fire coming from the exhaust. Does that pose any hazzard to the tire changer? — Brian from Canyon Country, Calif.
A: The crewman all wear firesuits now, which eliminates the danger of exhaust flames.
Night and day, you are the one
Q: What is the temperature of the track during the day and the night? — — Misheala from Spring Creek, Nev.
A: Early in the race, the FOX crew noted that from the start until 6:30 p.m. ET, the track temperature was 130 degrees. From 6:30 to 7:30, it's 115 degrees. From 7:30 to 8:30, it's 95 degrees, and then from 8:30 until the end of the race, it's 85 degrees. The track gets faster, and the teams need to make adjustments
Remembering reason for day
Q: I just want to thank you for supporting our troops. My son, Jon Whitney was one of the soldiers from Ft Bragg there today. — Susan from Pahrump, Nev.
A: It's an honor for me to be able to thank the troops. I appreciate the sacrifices they make. We have family in Iraq, too.
Vickers quicker
Q: What are the chances for Brian Vickers to win a race with three more pit stops? — Ben from Lancaster
A: Vickers has a fast car. He could well do it tonight, but it's a long, long race.
Gordon out early
Q: Jeff Gordon gets hit by a rookie and the rookie is smiling?! What's up with that? — Cpal
A: Gordon didn't get wrecked by a rookie, he got wrecked by Tony Raines.
Allison memorable name
Q: Why is Allison the most engraved name in the trophies at Lowe's Motor Speedway? — Mike Joy
A: Allisons have won 11 races at Lowe's — Bobby six, Donnie three and Davey two.
Beware of engine wear
Q: What is your opinion on how the Chevy R07 engines will run at the Coca-Cola 600? — Jan from Bloomington, Minn.
A: I think the Chevrolet R07 engines will run just fine in the Coca-Cola 600. It is a brutally hot and humid day here and an equally brutally long race, but I expect the Chevrolet engines will be OK.
Chevy COT dominance
Q: Next week at Dover, do you think Chevy's sweep of the COT races will continue, or are other manufacturers are going to catch up? — Darren from Dunkirk
A: Thanks for the question. The short answer is yes. The full answer is that I think the other manufacturers will begin to close the gap, but it will be a while before they catch up, simply because the top three Chevy teams - Hendrick, Gibbs and RCR - have done much more R&D work than anyone else, which is why they've had such an advantage so far. It isn't a manufacturer deal as much as it is a team one.
Scuff's enough
Q: Is it legal for teams to scuff the tires in response to comments from some drivers that the hard new tire makes it slippery on the track? — Craig from Toronto
A: Welcome to FOX. It's perfectly legal to scuff tires, which is what a lot of teams did in practice yesterday in preparation for tonight.
No. 8 to stay at DEI
Q: Why do you think DEI would not consider selling the No. 8 to whatever team gets Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Why would Teresa want to anger NASCAR, NASCAR fans, and another owner iF DEI is offered something reasonable for use of the No. 8? Don't you think NASCAR might encourage her to do so, especially since I have seen reports that Dale E. bought the rights to his father's old number so Dale Jr. could use it? — Richard from Winston-Salem, N.C.
A: Glad you could join us. Look, there are a whole lot of issues on this one. Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. don't like each other.
Period. You can tell that by what's been said by both parties. She has absolutely no reason to want to do something nice and charitable for him after he announced he was going. Teresa wouldn't let Michael Waltrip take the No. 15 when he left, so why would she let Junior take the No. 8 when he leaves? The simple act of him leaving has gutted the value of DEI and will cost the team millions of dollars in souvenir revenue and, possibly, sponsorship, too. NASCAR likely won't step in here, either.
Reutimann vs. Waltrip
Q: How can Mikey continue to struggle during race weekends (mainly not getting in the race) but David Reutimann, his rookie teammate, has made the field in a lot more races? — Andy from Warwick, United Kingdom
A: Thanks for the question. Two things here. First, all Reutimann has to do is drive. Waltrip has to drive, run three teams, manage his theme park, do TV shows, etc., etc. Second, Reutimann might simply be a better driver. From 2001-05 Waltrip raced at Dale Earnhardt, Inc. with Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
During that time, Waltrip had 4 wins, 20 top fives and 40 top 10s. In the same period, Earnhardt had 14 victories, 56 top fives and 81 top 10s.
Making a Kase
Q: Kasey Kahne won last night's Busch race. Do you think he can pull it off again tonight? — Billy Bob from Georgia
A: Kasey Kahne said yesterday that his car was better in practice than it had been at recent races, and his teammate, Elliott Sadler has been fast all weekend. My best guess is that Kasey should finish in the top 10, but winning is going to be difficult.
Long day's journey into night
Q: How do you set up your car for the three phases of this race? — Collin from Negaunee, Mich.
A: Thanks for the question. Setups are always a compromise when you race in the daylight and at night. The Coca-Cola 600 is especially challenging because it's the longest race of the year, which means the changes will be even more dramatic. Today, the weather is very, very warm, which means the track will be greasy and loose at the start of the race. As the sun goes down, it will get cooler and the track will tighten up as it gets more grip. The teams will use their normal tools — air pressure, wedge and track-bar adjustments to cope with the changes. The longer the green-flag runs are, however, the more difficult it will be to keep up with the weather changes.
No intermediate COT race
Q: Is there any chance NASCAR will run the Car of Tomorrow at a 1 1/2-mile track before the season ends? — Les from Paris, Texas
A: Happy Memorial Day weekend! I would be shocked if NASCAR runs the COT at any 1.5-mile races this year, but what they likely will do is have a sanctioned COT test at a 1.5- or 2-mile track later in the year to replace the canceled Dover test.
Long wait betwee qualifying and race
Q: Would someone please explain why the Cup cars qualified on Thursday for a race on Sunday? And they say they are trying to save money. I know the teams are based around the Charlotte area, but qualifying 72 hours before the race seems to be a bit of a waste of time. — Mike from Hooks, Texas
A: That's a good question, but there's a good answer for it. Because, as you so correctly noted, most Nextel Cup teams are based here, many use Friday as a day to host fan days at their shops, which is a big draw for the fans who come from all over the country to see this race.
Safety first to limit fast cars
Q: Why doesn't NASCAR do away with the silly pit-road speed rule. They managed for 50 years without it. I think communication and equipment is better now than it was when there was no speed limit. I know races were certainly more exciting before when pit road skills played a part. — Chuck from St. Simons Island, Ga.
A: Welcome to FOX. Pit-road speeds are there for one vital reason, the safety of crew members. By limiting speeds on pit road, NASCAR is protecting crewman in the event of pit-road collisions and accidents.
Hornish best bet for NASCAR success
Q: Which current IndyCar Series drivers do you think will win a lot of races and win a championship in NASCAR like Tony Stewart is in his NASCAR career? — Chris from Latham, N.Y.
A: Thanks for joining us. I don't see any of the current crop of IndyCar drivers winning a Nextel Cup championship in the near future. Sam Hornish Jr. would be the best bet, but Penske has yet to win a Nextel Cup championship. And I don't think Hornish will be the one to change that record.
More money, more problems
Q: I am in the process of researching the feasibility of starting a Nextel Cup racing team. On average, how much capital is needed to field a one car team? — Laconda from Phoenix, Ariz.
A: You know how to make a small fortune in racing? Start off with a large fortune. I don't mean to sound discouraging, but there are no truly successful single-car teams anymore. Figure if you want to start a team from scratch, you need a minimum first-year investment of $15-$25 million and a lot more if you want to go fast.
No No. 8 for Junior
Q: Why wouldn't Teresa Earnhardt sell the rights of the No. 8 to Dale? It's his number, and who would want to drive the 8 and have Dale's history? — Mary from Stone Creek, Ohio
A: Hello from FOX! Teresa Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. barely speak to each other. She has no incentive whatsoever to help Junior. And she won't.
Dale Jr. staying with Chevy
Q: Is there any chance Dale Jr. might go to another manufacturer besides Chevy? Why or why not? — Dylan from Malden, Mass.
A: Thanks for the question. Earnhardt will not go to another manufacturer. He has a long-time relationship with General Motors and doesn't want to change.
Picking pits
Q: Hi Tom. Love NASCAR. My question is I know when a driver gets pole position, he gets his choice of pit position, but how do all the rest of the pits get assigned? Thanks for your answer. Maggie from Washington State, who hopes we get a track in the future! — Maggie from Tacoma, Wash.
A: Great question. The teams each pick their spots based on qualifying order. Qualify first, you get first pick, qualify last, who get last pick.
Fill 'er up
Q: On SPEED, I saw the No. 5 team preparing Kyle Busch's backup car. They were adding fluid (fuel?) through the driver's window. Exactly where were they putting the fluid, and why there instead of the gas tank in the back? — Sue from Selinsgrove, Pa.
A: Welcome to FOX. I'm sure what you saw being added was oil to the dry-sump oil system the team's use. Race cars have oil tanks in the back seat area, and they are filled throw tubes that exit out the window behind the driver's head.
Biffle at DEI?
Q: Rumors are going around that Greg Biffle could be in a DEI Chevy come next year. What are the possibilities that he and Pat Tryson are reunited at DEI?
A: Welcome to FOX and one of the best racing weekends of the year. I would not be surprised to see Greg Biffle and Pat Tryson work together again, but I don't expect it to be at DEI. Biffle has another year left on his contract with Roush Fenway Racing and with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. gone from DEI, that team is less attractive to drivers than it would have been in the past.
Suspensions are a joke
Q: Do you think NASCAR will make a change the rules of a suspended person due to Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s admittance of talking with Tony Eury Jr. all qualifying day long? This tells you how all the other teams run well, like Jimmie Johnson did last year without his crew chief. — David from Hubbardston, Mass.
A: Happy Memorial Day! No, NASCAR has no plans to change the crew chief suspension-rule provisions, which are a joke, IMHO. All being suspended means is that you can't go to the track. You can still talk via phone or radio, you can still work in the shop and still draw a full paycheck. Like I said, that's a joke.
Engine room
Q: Who came up with the new Chevy R07 engines? What was wrong with the other engines that they were using that they decided to have a new one? What is the difference between the old ones and the new R07? Do you feel like there is more speed in the new engines, or is it that they are more durable? How long have they been working on this engine, and who is putting them together? Thanks and have a nice weekend. — Patti from Texas
A: Whoa, that's a lot of questions, but here goes GM began working on the R07 in 1999 as a successor to the SB2. NASCAR is in the midst of mandating new engine specs that are the motor equivalent of common templates. The R07 and Toyota engines fit in NASCAR's new specs, but Dodge and Ford will have to have new engines in 2009. There are a lot of differences between the SB2 and R07 motors, including the distributor being moved to the front of the engine in the R07. The teams tell me the biggest advantage is more consistent cooling and water circulation between cylinders. And depending on who you believe, the extra power is between 2 and 20 horsepower.
Sneaker dream team?
Q: How come Nike hasn't sponsored a car in NASCAR? It would seem that is a huge opportunity for them, and if they could hook up with Dale Jr., they could have two of the world's top draws under contract: Tiger Woods and Dale Jr. — Ken from Elkhart, Kansas
A: Thanks for the question. I'm not sure why Nike hasn't sponsored a car. They have provided apparel to some crews in the past, and I agree they'd be an excellent candidate for a driver like Earnhardt, though I haven't heard it suggested that they are interested.
Cheating reading
Q: Where can I buy a copy of your book "Cheating" and others that you may have written? — Rick from Alabaster, Ala.
A: Welcome to FOX and thanks for the question. The best place to get my book is at www.bullpublishing.com or at amazon.com.
Big role in Junior's Chase chances
Q: Do you think Tony Gibson can keep Dale Earnhardt Jr. under control if changes done to the car make it worse than it was before he pitted? I've heard Junior on the scanner if the car was worse then it was, only to find that it gets better on long runs. — Mark from Hays, Kansas
A: Welcome to FOX. Obviously, how Dale Jr. and Tony Gibson do together will play a huge role in whether or not Earnhardt makes the Chase. The big thing Gibson will have to do is build Earnhardt's trust, as well as stand up to him if Earnhardt gets excited, which happens sometimes.
Where's Junior going?
Q: I listened to Junior's press conference the other day and have been trying to read a little into it. He said he has talked to Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett for advice on his options. Both Labonte and Jarrett drove for Joe Gibbs. Junior is good friends with Stewart and Hamlin. If I was a betting man, my dough would be on Jr. in the No. 18 or the No. 80, both would allow him to keep the No. 8 in his number. Does this make sense, and where do you think he will go? — Jason from Eminence, Mo.
A: Hello there! Don't read anything into the Labonte/Jarrett comments. Last year, Earnhardt was asked who he goes to for advice and those were the two guys he mentioned — two drivers who are older, calm, knew his father well and have coped with the highs and lows of racing. It means nothing about where he'll be going. My best guess right now — based on gut feeling — is that he'll end up at RCR or Ginn.
Shorter races not an option
Q: How does the gas price increase affect NASCAR? Can NASCAR do away with some laps or something else to lead by example and show people how to use less gas? — Tom from Cincinnati, Ohio
A: Thanks for the question. The biggest way gas prices affects NASCAR is that the high prices doubtless will keep some fans from driving to races — especially in big campers. Personally, I'd love it if NASCAR would shorten most of its races by 100 miles, but it will never happen. Television networks bid on the NASCAR contract based on the amount of advertising they think they can sell to pay for it. Let's say you shorten a race by 500 miles to 400 miles, that's a race that's 20 percent shorter. The networks wouldn't tolerate 20 percent fewer commercials because the race is shorter than they contracted for, nor would fans tolerate the same number of commercials in a race that was 20 percent shorter.
Chevy difference
Q: Ryan Newman's team seems finally able to get him in the top 10. Why are Dodge and Toyota so far behind the Chevys? It seems to be deja vu from when Ford dominated and Dale Sr. asked Gordon to stick with him in the outnumbered Chevy vs. Ford. Power cannot be the only factor. — lonewulf47638 from Wadesville, Ind.
A: Glad you could join us. I could give you a lot of reasons why the Chevy teams are ahead, but the bottom line is that they have better, more experienced and deeper teams. RCR, JGR and Hendrick all have won multiple championships. The Toyota squad has two start-up teams and one, Bill Davis, that historically has been a solid top 10-15 team, but never a true championship contender. Dodge has some good teams, but not championship teams, and I think that's the difference.
On Juan Pablo Montoya
A lot of you took issue with my comment about "you can't win a race in the first lap, you can only lose it" in regards to Juan Pablo Montoya's first-lap crash in the Nextel Open, pointing out that the way you win in Formula 1 is to lead going into the first corner. Fair enough. Yes, I've watched plenty of Formula 1 races and covered a few, too, and it's a little more complicated than just leading Lap 1. You have to have excellent pit strategy and pit stops, not lose time to backmarkers, manage tire wear, etc. My bigger point was that Montoya's move in the Open was reckless and ill-conceived, and I stand by that.
R07 on Gibbs fast track
Q: Who used Chevy R07 engine at the Nextel All-Star Challenge? Who and where will it be used next, and when do think it will be rolled out for full-time use for all the Bowtie teams? — Chad from St. Louis, Mo.
A: The Chevy R07 engine was used by all of the Big 3 in the Nextel All-Star Challenge — Childress, Hendrick and Gibbs — and Gibbs is sticking with it from here on out. The other teams are going to phase it in at their discretion. There's no set timetable when every team has to adopt it so it's up to the individual teams, and they'll be phasing them in throughout the remainder of the season.
No blame for NASCAR in all-star race
Q: Why did NASCAR change the format of the Nextel All-Star Challenge? I thought the inversion made the race a little more exciting, and there seemed to be more strategy. — Nicole from Westminster, Md.
A: There's no question that there wasn't a lot of passing in this year's race, but NASCAR does not change the format of the Nextel All-Star Challenge. That's a collaboration between Lowe's Motor Speedway and the folks at Nextel so NASCAR doesn't really have a lot to do with it. It's about the only race of the season in which they do that.
No DEI conspiracy
Q: I was wondering if you think that Teresa Earnhardt is conspiring against Dale Earnhardt Jr.? She announces DEI and Childress will merge their engine programs. Then Rick Hendrick says he wouldn't hire him, which I think is really dumb. I would fire Casey Mears and hire Dale, and he would have the two most famous drivers in NASCAR. It seems like she is conspiring to keep him from going anywhere else, forcing him to build his own team. What do you think? — Vivian from Fall River, Mass.
A: There's no conspiracy. Teresa Earnhardt doesn't have the ability to conspire against Dale Jr. and keep him out of a great ride. He's going to be in a great situation. I spoke with him last weekend at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He's going to have more money than he can possibly spend in his lifetime, and he's going to be with a team that can contend for championships and will win races. Don't worry about Junior. He will be fine.
JPM's learning curve
Q: Why is NASCAR continuing to let Juan Pablo Montoya race in Nextel Cup? He has caused a lot of accidents and wrecked a lot of other cars. Are they waiting for him to injure someone? Let him run in the Busch until he gets more experience. — Mary from Peoria, Ill.
A: I would have thought with all of Juan Pablo Montoya's Formula One experience, he would have learned the most fundamental rule there is in racing. You can't win a race on the first lap; you can only lose it. He certainly did that in the Nextel Open. I think Juan Montoya is going to be a great addition to NASCAR, and I think he'll win a race before the year is over. But I've said all along the toughest thing he's going to have to get used to is the culture of how people race here. The way people race here is you pace yourself and go hard at the end because you have to be there at the end to contend for the victory. He's got a lot of learning left to do.
Tracks want Saturday races
Q: Why has NASCAR chosen so many Saturday night races? Is it to put all small hometown tracks out of business? — Jim from Fairport, Ohio
A: The main reason that NASCAR runs so many Saturday night races is the track operators want them. They think they can sell more tickets, and they think it puts on a better show. NASCAR works very closely with the tracks to try to come up with something that they think is going to be a win-win for everybody. Yes, unfortunately, one of the casualties of it might be some small hometown tracks. But, in general, there's a buzz and excitement at most Saturday night races that you don't get sometimes during the Sunday ones.
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