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 | Atlanta | Bristol
Rubber hits the road
Paul from San Diego, Calif.: OK, why not build a "Zamboni" type giant vacuum to run in the corners during caution laps? Solve the problem and increase safety.
Tom Jensen: That would be a neat idea. My guess is it's easier said than done.
Grading the COT
Chris from Conroe, Texas: My grade of the COT is a B. Sure, there is room to improve. What is your grade and why?
Tom Jensen: I'd give the COT a B, too. It has not been the disaster some of us worried it might be, but it's clearly a work in progress.
Against Gordon
Vicki from Lizella, Ga.: Why is Jeff Gordon hated by so many fans? Last week at Bristol, I was shocked at the collective "boos" he received. Seemed to be 2nd to Montoya.
Tom Jensen: Good question. Some people don't like Gordon because he isn't Southern and hardcore blue collar. Others don't like him because he won so much earlier in his career. And face it, part of the appeal of racing is to have a favorite driver and guys you can root against, and for a lot of fans, Gordon is someone they can root against.
Transparent wing
Brian from Fort Pierce, Fla.: With the comment that the drivers have a harder time seeing out the back window of their car with the new rear wing, would it help if the wing was transparent (clear)?
Tom Jensen: That's an interesting idea, but I think you'd have issues with optical distortion as the wing is set at different angles.
Dry guys
Tom from Cincinnati, Ohio: How long will it take to dry the track?
Tom Jensen: The track drying should take half an hour or so.
Rain tires
Moog Man from Henderson, Ky.: Why does NASCAR not race with rain tries?
Tom Jensen: NASCAR doesn't race in the rain for a lot of reasons. The cars are too big and heavy to race safely in the rain at high-speed ovals, and I don't think NASCAR wants its fans sitting in the rain either.
Parking lot
Larry from Anchorage, Alaska: At small tracks like Martinsville and Bristol with limited garage/hauler parking, how does NASCAR manage the assignment of parking spaces and garage areas when more then one series competes on the same weekend?
Tom Jensen: NASCAR has race weekend management down to a science and they have precise space assignments for every team and piece of equipment.
Pause for cause
Mike from Toledo, Ohio: Why is it when a caution comes out for whatever reason, there's always a minimum 3 laps yellow? If there's debris on the track, pick it up and go green next time by. If you're caught on pit road, that's the chance you take. That would make it a little more exciting.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question, NASCAR takes the time to make sure each of the 43 cars is in the proper position on the track and that the safety crew has the time to get out of the pits and back in safely. They don't always get it right, but more often than not, they do.
Weather report
Ken from Pulaski, Va.: I'm about 55 miles southeast of the speedway, and it is raining here...not hard, but steady drizzle.......I hope it misses you guys.
Wind and rain on COT
Aaron from Marysville, Ohio: Can wind or rain during a race affect the Car of Tomorrow's handling and stability on Turns 1-4 or on the straightaways?
Tom Jensen: Greetings. Sure, wind can affect handling, but rain won't because the cars don't race in the rain.
Can't change catch can
Travis from Grundy, Va.: As everyone saw last week with all the crews bringing out the big guys to reach over the wing, could the teams move the catch can over so the crew could make the adjustments easier?
Tom Jensen: Good question. Unfortunately for the crews, the location of the fuel vent is dictated by NASCAR rules and can't be changed.
Thanks a million
Jim from Clearwater, Fla.: You use to hear about the Triple Crown if a driver won all 3 races, they won a million dollars. I believe the last driver to win was Bill Elliott. Does NASCAR still have the Triple Crown?
Tom Jensen: What you are referring to is the Winston Million, which paid $1 million to a driver who won three of four big races. I think Jeff Gordon was the last to win it.
Wingin' it
Shawn from Florence, Ontario, Canada: If the air foil makes the car go straight and pushes in the corners, do the rules state that it must be attached to the car that way? Would there be any advantages of maybe slightly angling it and adjusting the height as well? If the texture was rough on top — not smooth — would there be any downforce advantages?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. The air foil has to be attached at specific mounting points and is adjustable from 0 to 16 degrees downward tilt. Teams aren't allowed to angle it, nor are they allowed to put a rough texture on the top, so those questions aren't really applicable.
Coil binding 101
Jeff from Glenwood Springs, Colo.: Can you define coil binding?
Tom Jensen: Happy to help. Coil binding occurs when the front springs are completely compressed so there is no suspension travel in the front end.
Nextel to Nashville?
Chris from Latham, N.Y.: Will there ever be a Nextel Cup Series race at the Nashville Superspeedway, site of next week's Busch race?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. I don't think there will be a Cup race at Nashville Superspeedway any time soon, as NASCAR already has plenty of Cup races in the Southeast.
Dale Jr. disappoints?
Denise from Oswego, N.Y.: Do you think that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will do better this year than last year? Yes or no. And do you think this year is going well so far?
Tom Jensen: So far, Earnhardt is behind where he was last year. I think he'll improve as the season goes on, but I don't expect him to have a better season this year than he did last year.
Break the Martinsville bank?
Dave from Tucson, Ariz.: Can you imagine a high-banked Martinsville? You'd swoosh through the turns and probably smash the Turn 2 and Turn 4 walls right back into richmond. One could only imagine... hmmmm.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the comment. A high-banked Martinsville? I think that's pretty much what Bristol is. That said, I'd happily trade one of the cookie-cutter 1.5- or 2-mile tracks for another short track race or two on the schedule.
COT created equal?
Don from Rapid City, S.D.: I am a huge NASCAR fan of over 25 years. So on this website, the authors of some stories say expect the same cars up front this weekend as last week. I agree but with some reservations. It is always the same cars up front every week. How can NASCAR turn it around so teams who never ever win can have a better chance? If I was a sponsor, I would expect the same bang for the buck. How many wins have been by Hendrick, Roush, Childress, Gibbs, etc? In addition, only one manufacturer is really winning a large percentage of the races, and that's not good for the sport or fans. It is about time for the other teams to come to the front like Petty, Ganassi, Ginn. My question is why can't they win ever?
Tom Jensen: Great observations. Equalizing competition is one of the three prime objectives of the Car of Tomorrow, along with safety and cost-cutting. NASCAR desperately wants other guys to win besides Hendrick, Roush, Childress and Gibbs. Since 1993, those teams collectively have won all but one championship, and last year, they combined to win 28 of 36 points races. I really believe that the single biggest reason for the COT is NASCAR believes it will help smaller teams win. So far, the small teams can't win because the big teams have more money and more and better people.
Teams going public?
Lester from Minneapolis, Minn.: Roush-Fenway, Evernham-Canadiens? Why doesn't a team go public? Too much accountability, i.e. where all the money really goes? Who wouldn't buy DEI or RCR stock? They really wouldn't lose any control (Bruton didn't call me before he decided to jackhammer up Bristol; I can't even get tickets) Proud owner of SMI, ISC and DVD. (I buy them for my boys.)
Tom Jensen: Welcome to Fox. Over the years, there have been a couple of attempts — all failed — by small, start-up teams to sell shares. I think there are three issues with going public:
- Accountability. No one, not the teams or NASCAR, wants the public to know how much money they have and how they spend it.
- The business model. Shareholders want large profit margins and high return on investment, neither of which a race team really offers. Race teams burn through cash at an unholy rate.
- Value. There is no inherent value in a race team beyond whatever real estate and equipment they own. Lose a sponsor, and your team is pretty much worthless. That's not an attractive state of affairs for investors.
Will COT lose plate?
Brian from Eagle River, Alaska: It's obvious that aerodynamically the COT's are slower than the old ones. With that said, when they debut at Talladega in the fall, is NASCAR still going to mandate restrictor plates? If so, what size? Thanks.
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. To the best of my knowledge, NASCAR has not finalized specs for COT superspeedway races yet.
Paint it black?
Rich from Oklahoma City, Okla.: Sir, why aren't teams painting the wing of the COT to match their paint job?
Tom Jensen:Great question. It's because the teams don't own the wings. NASCAR does. As a result, the teams can't paint them.
Maximum brake ducting
Manse: What has been done between last week and this week to get more air to the brakes so they don't bead the tires? We all know the temp in Martinsville is a lot more intense than Bristol. After seeing some problems last week, do you believe it will be worse?
Tom Jensen: Great question. At Martinsville, teams always run maximum brake ducting, and I'm sure they will here this weekend, too.
Split tires
Michael from Cumming, Ga.: Last week, we saw a couple of tires cut by the new front end of these COT cars. Will this become an issue at Martinsville, and has NASCAR looked into this situation?
Tom Jensen: Yes, it absolutely could be an issue. NASCAR's Robin Pemberton and John Darby said Friday they are both watching the splitter and carefully listening to driver feedback about it.
Hot seat
Hazel from Greensboro, N.C.: Tom, I have a question concerning Brian Vickers' injuries, burns and inhalation of carbon monoxide. It wasn't even mentioned after the race. We had to go online two days later to find out about it. Isn't this dangerous to the drivers?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX, Hazel. Heck, yes, burns and carbon monoxide are most definitely dangerous to drivers. There are 43 drivers in each race, and sometimes it's difficult, if not impossible, to keep track of everyone at all times. For instance, if a driver gets out of his car and goes straight into his hauler for an hour after the race, we (the reporters) might not ever see him again for the rest of the day.
DEI's third team
Saif Aman from Orlando: Any ideas on why Paul Menard is off the pace by that much on Fridays? For example, if we leave Jr. out of this, there is still a difference of about 3/10 of a second between Truex Jr's speed and Menard's speed. Why is he that much off the pace, especially when he needs to time his way into the race? Thanks. BIG DEI Fan.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Generally speaking, the third car on a three-car team generally doesn't get the very best cars, personnel and crew that the first car on the team does, or even the second. Plus Menard is a rookie, albeit a very talented one. He's trying to learn lots of stuff that Earnhardt and Truex already know. Long-term, he'll probably be fine.
Slow down
Justin from Watkins Glen, N.Y.: Why are the diferences in qualifying time between individual cars this week so much greater than at Bristol?
Tom Jensen: The field at Bristol was spread out by 0.308 seconds; at Martinsville, it's 0.455 seconds. I really don't feel that to be much of an extra variance, especially when laps at Martinsville take around 20 seconds, instead of mid 15-seconds at Bristol.
Going right
John from New York: After seeing Jeff Burton backing up and heading the wrong way to take the green for his first qualifying lap at Martinsville, it got me thinking. How come we never run a race turning right?
Tom Jensen:Thanks for the question. It would be a huge expense for teams to create cars that turn right. You'd have to change the fuel-filler neck to the other side of the car, totally redo the setups, finesse the bodies for downforce in different areas, etc. It would be a ton of money and time for what would mostly be a novelty.
Patient with Waltrip
Jim from Atlanta, Ga.: What are Michael Waltrip's plans for the the rest of the year? To date, he has made only one race. As a retired marketing director for one of his large corporate sponsor, I would have to be looking for a replacement driver if I were NAPA.
Tom Jensen: You raise a great point. Michael Waltrip is in a world of hurt right now. He asked Toyota to send engineers to his shop for help, and Toyota has taken one of his cars to have its engineers dismantle it and go over it. NASCAR has even sent officials over to his shop to help him understand why he's having template issues. Waltrip may have bitten off more than he could chew when he tried to launch a three-car team and still be an owner/driver.
Toyota's Lee White told me at Bristol that Toyota was patient with Waltrip, and he prayed Waltrip's sponsors would be, too.
Min and max heights
Richard from Winston-Salem, N.C.: Tom, why does NASCAR provide minimum and maximum ride heights for cars? It would seem just as well for NASCAR to require that the body of the car fit within a certain envelope within which the body of the car (top to bottom) must fit and let the teams determine how high or low it rides to the track, which should then be easier to police.
Tom Jensen: That's an excellent question. I think the reason NASCAR specifies minimum and maximum heights is so teams won't running radical setups that are fast, but potentially dangerous. As it is, teams have been using coil-bind setups with almost no suspension travel.
IndyCar to stock car
Chris from Latham, N.Y.: Which IndyCar Series drivers do you think will compete in the IndyCar Series full-time and race in select Nextel Cup Series races in 2008?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX! I think you'll see Sam Hornish come over to Nextel Cup full-time next season, and there's a strong chance Dan Wheldon will, too. Beyond that, a lot might depend on how Juan Pablo Montoya does this season. If he has a great season, it could result in more guys moving over.
Rudd-Fatback reunion
Keith from Amherst, Ohio: With Ricky Rudd struggling with Robert Yates Racing so far this year, how long before we see another reunion with Michael "Fatback" McSwain?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. I haven't heard anything about Ricky and Fatback getting back together, but this is the time of year when teams that are struggling start thinking about personnel changes. And the deeper a team is in points, the more likely it is to make a change.
Crash into me
Nick from South Florida: How can we have all this talk about the damage on the COT? I cannot believe NASCAR wouldn't have taken these cars through the bumps and the bangs of normal racing to find out how they would hold up, like the Bristol bang in the rear for J.J. Yeley. And also simulate a crash to the front and rear of the car, with a actual driver inside. I'm not talking about a 200mph crash, just a simple turn the car around at a track like Martinsville, sort of like what happened to Ward Burton had in Friday's first practice.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. NASCAR spent six years on the COT, and it appears to be pretty good right out of the box. Not perfect, but pretty good, for sure. Unfortunately, unless and until you run full race distance with a full field of 43 cars and then do it again and again, you won't really know every nuance of these cars. I can tell you, NASCAR did do an awful lot of crash testing.
Splitting hairs
James from Abilene, Texas: What exactly is the purpose of the splitter?
Tom Jensen: Hey, there! The splitter, which is movable back and forth, is used to adjust aerodynamic downforce on the front end of the cars.
Burnin' for you
Scott from Pinconning, Mich.: As strict as NASCAR is on the rules and post-race inspection, why do they let the winner go out and burn the heck out of their cars? How do they check tires or some of the heights of these cars? I remember Biffle sliding up into the wall, smashing the spoiler at Dover.
Tom Jensen: It's called showmanship! Ninety-nine times out of 100, a post-race burnout isn't going to hurt any critical measurement on the car. NASCAR wants the race to end on a high note and for fans to feel good when they leave. I don't have a problem with that.
The Man at Martinsville
Tom from Richmond, Va.: Lest we forget "The Man at Martinsville" was and still is Ray Hendrick of Richmond, Va. (passed in 1990) with 20 victories at this grand racetrack. On the same day he won an LMS and a Modified race. Several of the record wins were 500-lap races, driven in a t-shirt and jeans. Who's "The Man" indeed.
Driver health
Roger from Pittsburgh, Pa.: After reading about Brian Vickers suffering burns and being exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide in the car at Bristol, it makes me wonder when NASCAR should intervene. Should a driver really be allowed to continue to race while inhaling carbon monoxide? Imagine that happening at Talladega and resulting in a blackout at 200 mph.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Here's the deal: You raise a great point, but most times, any given driver's injury or sickness usually isn't disclosed — or at least not fully disclosed — until after the race is over. I have no qualms about being critical of NASCAR when it's deserved, but trying to keep track of the health of 43 drivers while the race is going on is almost impossible.
Low doesn't go
J.W. from N.J.: I vaguely remember DW saying that the rear wing sorta steered the car last week during the broadcast. It kept the car going in a straight line. In other words, it made the car push in the corner. With the rear wing (quarterpanels) on Greg Biffle's car below minimum, wouldn't that free up the car and let it roll through the corner?
Tom Jensen: Welcome. Is it possible that the rear wing on Greg Biffle's car being low resulted in less push? Sure, maybe. But it's doubtful if it was any advantage at all for a whole host of reasons: First, a low rear end would, in all likelihood, hold the nose up. Also, with the less suspension travel than stock, it would have been a handful to drive.
More competition, fewer rivalries?
Mark from Greensboro, N.C.: Do you think the sport is better now because of multi-car teams or before the era of multi-car teams? I think it has watered down the racing compared to the rivalries of old.
Tom Jensen: That's a fair question. I think the big difference between now and then is that the competition is closer because all the cars are closer. Ned Jarrett once won a race at Darlington by 14 laps, and Richard Petty came back from a margin nearly that big to win one of his 200 victories. You never see that sort of thing anymore. The other thing is, you used to say there are only four or five cars winning this week's race. Now, you say there are four or five teams capable of winning.
Change wouldn't hurt
James from Maryland: With AT&T taking legal action, I think it's wrong for NASCAR to stop the name change. What is your take on this whole thing?
Tom Jensen: What a great question. I will preface this by saying that I haven't read the lawsuits or the sponsor agreements, so I'm going to speaking in terms of common sense, not the law. But my take is, Nextel would look like heroes if they graciously waived their restrictions and let Cingular switch to AT&T. Honestly, Alltel and Cingular have been in the sport longer than Nextel. I have a hard time seeing how the value of Nextel's deal is jeopardized by a simple name change, especially when the Nextel name may be changed to Sprint next year. AT&T isn't asking for more signage or more real estate at the track and on the car. They just want to change names.
Who wins a last-lap wreck?
Rick from Great Falls, Mont.: What is the ruling in the following scenario: The only lead-lap cars take the white flag at Martinsville — or any short track — and then wreck on the backstretch, becoming immobile and unable to proceeed to the finish. What happens next, and who would win the race? Thanks.
Tom Jensen: The field is frozen when the yellow comes out. But if the top two cars were unable to proceed, the pace car would pick up the third-place car, which would then follow the pace car to the finish line.
Who's the man at Martinsville?
Pete from Henderson, Nevada: Who will run well this week at Martinsville? Also, what, if anything, can teams take to Martinsville from running the Car of Tomorrow at Bristol?
Tom Jensen: It's obvious right now that Joe Gibbs Racing, as a team, has its arms around the Car of Tomorrow more than anyone else does. Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin were fabulous at Bristol, and I think they're going to be very strong at Martinsville. You've also got to look for two other guys who ran well at Bristol, Jeff Gordon and Jeff Burton, both of whom are strong at Martinsville, both of whom drive for teams that have good programs with the Car of Tomorrow. So I think those four guys are going to be who I'm looking for to run up front in Martinsville.
Bank on Bristol
Scott from Bennington, Vt.: Why would you even think of changing Bristol? The banking is what makes Bristol and what makes it exciting because it challenges the drivers to adapt from the normal races. SO I SAY LET BRISTOL STAY THE SAME!
Tom Jensen: That's a great question. There are two things you need to understand. First, the corners are still going to be 36-degree banking. They're just going to be progressively banked up to that point. They did progressive banking at Homestead a few years ago, and it resulted in three lanes that cars could run on. It was a big improvement. I think Bristol is going to be fine.
COT analysis
Kevin from Lyndon, Kansas: After seeing so many cut tires during the Bristol race, will NASCAR look at the front splitter and make some changes that will help alleviate this issue?
Tom Jensen: The NASCAR Car of Tomorrow is very much a work in progress, and after each Car of Tomorrow race for the first four or five, NASCAR is going to be taking cars back to its R&D center and analyzing film. They're going to make some changes. The splitter might be one thing they change. They haven't said yet, but it's certainly something they'll take a look at.
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