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 | Martinsville | Texas
Yellow pit penalty?
Venora from Quincy, Ill.: What is NASCAR's reasoning to penalize a driver that's in the pits when a caution comes out WHILE they're in the pits?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. NASCAR doesn't deliberately set out to penalize a team that pits under the yellow. Anytime a team pits under green, it runs the risk of a caution flag coming out. It's not a punitive measure, it's a piece of strategy, that's all. Sometimes it works out for a team, other times it doesn't.
Tire test
Jo from Rock Hill, S.C.: Hey, Tom! A bunch of us are having a side discussion during this race about Goodyear's tire testing policy. How are drivers chosen for tire testing and is there a limit to the # of times a year they can do a tire test? Do these count against their NASCAR # of tests? Thanks and have a great night!
Tom Jensen: Hi, Jo! Goodyear picks the drivers and tries to get a representative sample of drivers from each manufacturer over the year. No, there's no limit, but Goodyear tries to keep it balanced. No, these don't count against the NASCAR test limit. Have a great night, too!
Short stuff
Warren from Trenton, Ontario, Canada: Why is the race tonight so short? Is it because of the unknowns with the COT? Why not run 500 miles?
Tom Jensen: It's always 312 miles here, not 500.
Up on the wheel
Jennifer from Elwood, Ind.: Just wondering why the driver's sit so close to the steering wheel? What is the advantage?
Tom Jensen: It's easier to turn the steering wheel the closer you are to it.
Jacques debris
Joe from Akron, Ohio: Is NASCAR getting too picky on throwing cautions for debris?
Tom Jensen: Joe: I have no problem with debris cautions as long as they show us the debris.
Taking toll on brakes
Jeff from Poway: What is the % of brake pad left on it after a race. There look like there is more than sould be there and are the rotor pretty much junk after a race,
Tom Jensen: Jeff: It all depends on the track. Martinsville, Richmond and some other tracks are murderous on brakes, Talladega and Daytona, not so much.
Same car next week
Joe from Idaho Falls, Idaho: When they say a driver is driving the same car they drove in a previous race, how much of the car is actually the same? Dont they get new engines, bodies, tires, suspension etc.?
Tom Jensen: Again, it depends. The engines, tires and most of the suspension are new, typically the bodies aren't.
Driving clean
Gary from Detroit Lakes, Minn.: Last weekend, the race between Kenseth and Burton demonstrated "Integrity Racing." Burton could have spun out the leader instead he had integrity. As a result the race provided more competition and fun. May fans expect to see more real competition racing (Integrity Racing) in the future rather than sending the leader to the boards to win a race?
Tom Jensen: I hope so. They both drove hard and clean, as did Gordon and Johnson at Martinsville.
Biffle mystery
Vince from Mobile, Ala.: What's wrong with the No. 16 team this year? Greg almost won a championship in 2005, and had a rough year last year. Looks like he's going backwards, and I was so hopeful that he would be the first driver to win a championship in trucks, Busch and Nextel...
Tom Jensen: The No. 16 team has a new crew chief and a bunch of new crew guys, plus a lame-duck sponsor. They are trying to get it together, but it takes time.
Engine adjustments OK
Jeremy from Longmont, Colo.: Tom, do Nextel teams get to work on engines, say after practice or happy hour, to set valves or any other adjustments. Or is that considered engine change and a move to the rear of the field?
Tom Jensen: Yes, they can adjust the engines if they want without going to the , but typically they don't make major changes.
Wing adustments OK too
Scott from La Vergne, Tenn.: Are teams allowed to adjust splitter/wing angle during the race?
Tom Jensen: Yes, they are allowed to, but they usually don't because it takes too long.
How flat is flat?
Jeff from Gardendale, Ala.: I heard this track referred to as a "flat track". But looking at the turns, they appear to be elevated somewhat. What determines if a track is classified as a flat track?
Tom Jensen: Flat is a relative term, but I'd say "flat" applies to tracks with less than 10 degrees banking in the corners.
Charging batteries
Mark from Fergus, Ontario, Canada: Hey Tom, I was wondering what the boxes that sit behind the cars prior to the race are for - when the cars are sitting on pit road. I always thought that it was to heat the fluids?
Tom Jensen: Those are generators used to keep the batteries charged.
COT won't replace plates
Galen from Dixon, Ill.: With this new COT, and all of the new safety features, will NASCAR continue to use the restrictor plates at the bigger tracks. Will they test the COT at the bigger tracks to see if the plate races ar really neccesary? Go Jeff Gordon!!!!
Tom Jensen: They've already tested the COT at Talladega, and, yes, plates will be used.
No speedometers
Dave from Surprise, Ariz.: Is there any logical reason for these cars NOT to have speedometers?
Tom Jensen: Other than the fact that speedometers add complexity and take power to run, no I guess not.
Brake-dust protection
Greg from Apple Valley, Calif.: Does the front tire changer wear protection from the brake dust blowing up in his face when changing tires at a high brake use track like Phoenix?
Tom Jensen: Some of the guys wear full-face helmets, but there's no mandatory requirements.
Flames in turns
Camille from Tonawanda, N.Y.: Why are there flames coming from under the cars when they are in the turns?
Tom Jensen: It's unburned fuel from lifting off in the corner. The fuel ignites in the exhaust.
Battery included
Mike from Clemmons, N.C.: Why is a battery so critical when a racecar is running? Doesn't the alternator supply all the voltages that are needed? My car out in the driveway can run (after a push start) without a battery, why can't a race car?
Tom Jensen: Cup cars have a lot of power-draining accessories: wheel blowers, fans, cool suits, etc.
Grilled noses
Marge from Bel Air, Md.: Are there differences between the effects of trash on the grille on the Car of Tomorrow (tonight) and the basic car?
Tom Jensen: The nose of the cars are shaped differently, but the effects of trash on the grille are the same - bad.
Tire wear
Royce from Miami, Fla.: Why does the pit crew use a propane torch and scrap off a layer of rubber? What are they checking for or measuring?
Tom Jensen: They scrape off the gunk the tires picked up on the run and measure remaining tread depth.
On-board camera
Steve from Greenfield Center, N.Y.: What's that Hockey Puck looking device on top of all the cars?
Tom Jensen: I believe you're talking about the onboard camera. While all teams don't have onboard cameras installed, all teams carry that "hockey puck" so it's even.
Paint job on wings
Troy from Calgary, Alberta, Canada: Why don't teams paint that ugly rear wing to match the cars paint scheme?
Tom Jensen: The wings belong to NASCAR and they hand them out at random, which is why teams don't paint them.
Pit road open or closed
Andy from Pleasanton, Calif.: Please explain how it is determined when Pit Road is open or closed. I've never been able to figure out why pit road would be closed when everything appears to be normal.
Tom Jensen: NASCAR makes sure everyone in the field is in their proper position, that scoring is up to date and the clean-up and/or emergency vehicles have time to get out on the track.
Tearoff comes off
John from Sutter Creek: How can a windshield tearoff end up on the track? If pit crew dropped it, the car should get a penalty....
Tom Jensen: It probably came off in a pit stop and was picked up by another car that dropped it on the track in front of McMurray. But that's just a guess.
Coolbox
Vinny from Readington, N.J.: I was watching the prerace show, and I noticed something plugged into the window behind the driver seat. The cord lead to a box behind the car. It looked like the car had two fans on it, but I really couldn't see. What was it? (Cool box?)
Tom Jensen: Without seeing it, I can only guess, but, yes, it was probably a cooling box, providing cool air to the driver during the race.
Miles per gallon
Mike from Watertown, S.D.: How many miles per gallon do NASCAR cars get?
Tom Jensen: Four to five mpg on average, depending on a whole host of factors.
Dragging the track
Kevin from Macon, Ga.: Jimmie Johnson is running low air pressure. At the beginning of a run, what is causing the sparks? What part of the car is hitting the racetrack?
Tom Jensen: It was his front splitter that was hitting, but once air pressures came up, it wasn't a problem.
Evernham frustrated
Michael from Athens, Texas: When will Evernham Motorsports get back to finishing in the top 10 instead of finishing at the bottom half of the field week in and week out? Or is evernham the team that will have its down year this year? (RYR 06 , DEI 05 , RCR 04)
Tom Jensen: Michael: I spoke with Ray Evernham this morning and I can promise you he's both frustrated with how his teams are running and absolutely committed to getting them back to the front. I have enormous respect for Evernham and the only question in my mind is when, not if, the team will improve. The combination of a new nose for the old Charger, the COT and the crew chief suspensions the team had at Daytona set them back.
Optional roof hatch
Steve from Killingly, Connecticut: Whatever happened to the roof escape hatch idea? I thought it was a good way to get the drivers out of the car if they couldn't get out the windows. Was it going to be implemented in the COT or not?
Tom Jensen: Steve: Great question. The roof hatch was, and is, optional. And in the Nextel Cup world, if it doesn't make the car go faster, teams don't use it, and that was the case with the roof hatch.
Bicoastal race teams
Honest John from Miami: Responding to your answer about garages on both coasts, Richard Childress was or might still be involved in some way with a Winston West team, Bill McAnally Racing. Has he used his garage and do other teams have alliances with West Coast teams?
Tom Jensen: Honest John, how are you? You're right that Childress and a couple of other teams have had involvement of one sort or another with teams. Kyle Busch has a late-model team based in his hometown of Las Vegas, and Tony Stewart has a bunch of open-wheel teams, for example. But as far as physically who has used what garage, I'm honestly not sure.
Unlike the days of old, today's Nextel Cup megateams have every piece of equipment they need on their own haulers, which means they don't need to use other garages. And they are on super-tight schedules. No team is going to come to Phoenix two days early to use someone else's shop. If they have to work on something, they'll do it at their home shop or at the track.
This year's model
Steve from London, Ontario, Canada: Why have Chevy and Dodge had to used two different body styles between the Car of Today and the COT cars while Ford and Toyota are using only one body style?
Tom Jensen: Welcome! Chevy and Dodge are using different body styles for the COT for marketing reasons. Chevy is discontinuing the street version of the Monte Carlo, while Dodge's Avenger is a brand-new model. Ford and Toyota are only interested in marketing one model.
On fire
Irene: Fire-red brakes and shooting flames out of the exhausts, how do those things not burn up the tires?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Brakes get fire red, but they also have massive cooling ducts directing air to them, though sometimes temperatures get hot enough to melt the "bead" of the tire where it joins the rim. As far as the exhaust, it doesn't blow on the tires, just near them.
Heat is on
Steve from Redwood City, Calif.: At what temperature do the Nextel Cup teams run their engines? Specifically, what water temperature do they consider "normal" ... 180 degrees, 230 degrees .... ? I'm interested as I've seen debates on whether an engine gets more power when it runs "cool" versus runs "hot."
Tom Jensen: I walked out in the garage here at Phoenix and put your question to Robert "Bootie" Barker, crew chief of Johnny Sauter's No. 70 Chevrolet. He told me that optimal temperatures are 200 degrees for the water and 240 for the oil. In general, he said, teams try to get the oil as hot as they can, without driving the water temperature up too much, adding that when the water gets above 220 degrees, the motor loses power.
Multi-million dollar question
Ray from Bradenton, Fla.: The way things are going, does it look like Teresa Earnhardt will give Dale Earnhardt Jr. 51 percent of DEI Inc.? What are the possibilities of Jr. starting his own race team at JR Motorsports if things don't work out with DEI? Would Budweiser go along with him starting his own team after seeing what happened to Michael Waltrip this year?
Tom Jensen: You just asked the question everyone is wondering about. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been absolutely clear that he wants at least 51 percent of DEI or he's leaving. That puts Teresa Earnhardt between a rock and a hard place, because I really believe DEI needs him more than he needs DEI. So I think ultimately she will have to give in.
As for doing a startup Cup deal with JR Motorsports, I put the likelihood of that at about 0 percent. It's flat not going to happen, because Junior wants to win a championship not build a team from scratch.
That said, wherever he winds up, you can bet Budweiser will be his sponsor. If he doesn't re-sign with DEI, he'll still have Bud sponsorship, which is a huge incentive for DEI to make the deal happen. If they don't, they lose Junior and Budweiser.
Kyle on communication
CJ from Quincy, Ill.: Is Kyle Busch declining comment on Junior getting into his car or did Hendrick put a gag order on him? It seems awful funny that there hasn't been one interview of Kyle's perspective on the whole thing this week?
Tom Jensen: Here's what Kyle said. "As It has been stated, there was a bit of a miscommunication there. As I came in, I presumed that the car was finished, that (the damage) was too extensive to repair it. I could barely turn it; I couldn't even turn it to my own garage stall at all to the right. I took that as an indication we were done for the day. I went in to the hauler, changed my clothes and walked out. Never had a team member or anybody say further that we were going to try to go back out or anything. So we didn't talk with each other after the incident."
"I heard on the radio broadcast that the No. 5 car was ready and they were looking for a driver and that Dale, Jr. was in the thing, so that is how I heard. I was on my way to the airport to get on the team plane in order to go back to Charlotte, NC, that is how I found out. We have something in place now to try and help us out that will make it easier with crash procedures. Alan has his crash procedures for him and the team guys built but there has never been one built where the driver is a part of that. We have some changes in place now."
"No, I don't feel like I let my teammates down and they tell me that I didn't let them down. You know, there were two really hard hits I took last weekend. I was pretty beat up and pretty sore. That was another reason that facilitated me to pack it up early and say let's go home. But, we have talked about it as a team and we see it as a non-issue. We are looking forward to this weekend Phoenix and keep the streak alive with the COT for Hendrick Motorsports.
"The biggest thing I learned was there has to be more communication not only from the team to me but from myself. I didn't go to the team and ask if we were going to get back out. That is partially my problem, but we want to make sure we have it straightened out for the future."
Ranking Robby
Joe from Phoenix: I cannot believe you are leaving Robby Gordon out of this conversation of NASCAR's best driver. Robby has also won in every single series he has ever raced in other than Trucks, to which he has like 3 races and 2 top 5's. The only reason Robby is not in the win column as much as the others was because of lesser equipment. The Tony Stewarts, Jeff Gordons and Jimmie Johnsons are all and have always been in "top notch" stuff. Where would he rank on your list?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Robby Gordon, at this point in his career, is a very good driver. I would put him in the top half of the drivers in Nextel Cup, but not in the top five or top 10. I think he is very fast, put he's also very impatient, which keeps from being ranked higher.
Petty's steady improvement
Jay from Federal Way, Wash.: I am a PE fan. How serious do you think PE is about getting back to the top when Kyle Petty is stepping out of the car for at least six races? They need a driver there every week. That has to be a letdown for the team. Any team that changes drivers are in for a letdown. I bet the Army team goes up and down, even thought they may not admit it.
Tom Jensen: I think Petty Enterprises is very serious about getting back to the top over the long haul. But they know that it's a process that will take years, just as the team's decline occurred over a number of years. With Kyle at the end of his career, it's unlikely he'll ever get back to the top, but the idea is the team is trying to rebuild over the next few years. The fact that they are seriously looking at relocating to Charlotte should tell you they indeed want to improve.
Phoenix favorites
Jake from Mechanicsville, Va.: Will Jeff Gordon get his first win from the pole at Phoenix?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. Jeff Gordon has a great shot at winning his first
Phoenix race today, but I still like the RCR cars of Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton as my favorites.
The fifth corner
Randy from Black River Falls, Wis.: Is Phoenix the track with a little kink on the backstretch, and how does that affect racing?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for joining us. Yes, Phoenix is the track with the kink on the
backstretch, essentially an extra corner on the track. Drivers have to get the exit from Turn 2 right to set themselves up for maximum speed on the backstretch.
Garages on both coasts
Mark from Chandler, Arizona: Are there any teams that have a garage on both the East and West Coast? That would cut down on the cost of going coast to coast.
Tom Jensen: Welcome. To the best of my knowledge none of the big Cup teams have operations on both coasts. There was talk a couple of years ago about one or more teams relocating to the Midwest to be centrally located, but it never happened.
Parity party
Andy from Cincinnati: NASCAR needs parity! It seems like only about five usual suspects have a legit shot to win races every week! How can NASCAR get more parity? Seems like COT has given a bigger edge to the super teams! Can anyone not on a big team win a race anytime soon?
Tom Jensen: You raise an excellent point. There's no way a team with one car and 75 employees is going to compete week in and week out with a team that has three to five cars and 300-600 employees. It's just not going to happen. Most of the guys I've talked to said the COT will help close the gap, but not for 12-18 months, when the smaller teams master it.
No refunds
Mark from Knoxville, Tenn.: I know teams have to pay entry fees for each race. If they don't qualify, do they get their entry fees back?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. NASCAR, as a rule, isn't in the habit of
giving money back.
Why Tony's on top?
Tony from Lincoln Park, N.J.: Tom, you're entitled to your opinion, but let's make some educated statements. Tony Stewart is a geat driver, but the best? Jeff Gordon is the winningest current driver, and Jimmie Johnson has been in the top 5 in points since coming to Nextel Cup. The GREAT Tony Stewart has been in Cup three years longer than JJ but only has 3 more wins? Should I continue?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the comment. No question, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are great drivers. Tony Stewart is one of only 14 drivers in NASCAR history with multiple Cup championships. He is a past IRL champion and one of only a couple of drivers to win a USAC Triple Crown title. He has acquitted himself extremely well in his few sports cars starts. There is nothing he can't race and win in. In terms of NASCAR alone, I'd say Johnson, Gordon and Stewart are pretty close to dead equal in terms of ability, but I give Stewart a few bonus points for versatility.
Teams, not manufacturers
Ken from Longview, Texas: How long before NASCAR does something with the Chevys to level the playing field again? I know there are three Fords in the top 10, but the the other nine in the top 12 are Chevys.
Tom Jensen: I talked to Jeff Gordon about this topic yesterday in the garage. Here's what he told me:
"When you've got common templates, when you've got the Car of Tomorrow, all these things being so equal, then why not give credit where credit is due, which is to the teams themselves? Yes, the manufacturers play a role in it, but in all honesty, they play less of a role than they did years ago. It's what each team does with those tools that they give us. Honestly, I don't care what car you had out there — Gibbs, Childress and Hendrick — would be doing the same thing that they're doing now, just because their organizations are that strong. They've got good drivers, good crew chiefs, good chemistry."
What he was saying is it's Chevy's teams, not the Chevrolet cars, that are responsible for the dominance.
Where's Mikey?
Eric from Georgetown, S.C.: Does anyone remember Michael Waltrip? I know this probably is going to rub some people the wrong way, but not too long ago, I remember a blue No. 15 NAPA car driven by a man people don't even talk about any more. I think all race fans need to rally behind a true racer and gentleman and not turn their back on a man trying to better himself. I never hear anyone speak about him. Is it me or should this just be left alone?
Tom Jensen: Welcome to FOX. Michael Waltrip has craved the spotlight ever since he's been racing at the Cup level. If you never hear anyone speak about him, you must not be watching TV, listening to the radio or reading the news. When a driver of Waltrip's visibility fails to qualify for seven straight races, we'd be delinquent in our responsibilities if we didn't write about it.
Sky's not the limit
Katie from Shelton, Neb.: Can you please explain the rev limiter and gearing on the COT to me? I am not sure why they are implementing it.
Tom Jensen: Thanks for joining us. NASCAR limits engine rpms because teams were spending insane sums of money trying to use lighter and lighter engine components made of exotic metals, all in search of a few more rpms.
Juan vs. Tony, Round 2
Kevin from Concord, N.C.: NASCAR was built on rough driving. I have watched it for more than 30 years, and hard racing like Tony Stewart vs. Juan Pablo Montoya has always happened. I believe I've seen the No. 3 car do it, and everyone loved him. So what's the difference with this incident/rivalry?
Tom Jensen: I totally agree. NASCAR needs good guys and bad guys, heroes and evil doers. It's just like wrestling in that regard. And I don't think either Stewart or Montoya was 100 percent right or wrong last week in Texas. If the rivalry continues, I think it'll be a good thing.
Kyle Busch is Terrell Owens?
Mac from Virginia: Is Kyle Busch the Terrell Owens of NASCAR? Everybody in NASCAR seems to be downplaying Kyle's actions at Texas last Sunday. I'd like to know why you guys keep making excuses or not addressing the fact that he, like Terrell Owens, walked off the field before the end of the game, leaving his teammates high and dry? Everybody is sensationalizing what Dale Jr. did when, in fact, I think it shows the distinct difference in character between the two drivers. Dale did the RIGHT thing, and Kyle walked away from his team in a spoiled child type of huff. Terrell Owens was chastised by the media after he walked off the field with a couple of minutes left in the game. Why are you guys in the NASCAR press not doing the same with Kyle? There's no doubt Kyle is a good driver, but acting like a selfish/spoiled baby and leaving his team the way he did is TOTALLY inexcusable!
Tom Jensen: Kyle Busch is a polarizing figure in the garage. Some people really like him and some loathe him, and I'm not going to try to change your mind. I really think this story has been overblown, though. Busch had two hard crashes last weekend and thought his car was beyond fixing, so he left. It was a simple communication error he and the team made, nothing more or less. He didn't walkout on his team; he was 100 percent certain in his mind that the car was too damaged to repair.
Stremme's strong
Rickert from Seymour, Wis.: Now that David Stremme is starting to do well this year, sitting 12th in points, do you think he will get more recognition? It's only his second full year, and he's racing well. Do you see Stremme being a driver to contend with this year and in future years?
Tom Jensen: Great question! Yes, I think David Stremme is an excellent young driver with tremendous upside potential. I think if he wins a race this season, he will definitely get a lot of recognition. And I do believe he has a good chance to win a race.
Martin won't make it
Tony from Jamestown, N.D.: Can you imagine the chaos that will be created if Mark Martin gets into the Chase? After the Texas race, he has missed two races, but he is in the Chase. At the rate he's going, can he make the Chase, and what will happen if he does?
Tom Jensen: Thanks for the question. Why would there be chaos if Mark Martin makes the Chase? He'd just be one of 12 guys in the field. Martin will not make the Chase, though, because he's only going to compete in 20 points races, and there's no way he could make the Chase by skipping almost half the points races.
Ill communication
Tim from Sandy, Utah: Why would Kyle Busch leave a racetrack with a race in progress? Yes, he thought his car was out of the race and had no one to blame but himself, but what message does it send?
Tom Jensen: Tim, I don't think Kyle Busch necessarily did anything wrong. His car was heavily damaged. The laps were winding down, and he was of the understanding that his car was out of the race. Once their cars are out of the race, a lot of guys leave, go to the airport and catch a flight home. I don't think Kyle did anything wrong. I think it was just a miscommunication with Kyle and his crew. He's been guilty of doing some things wrong, but this is not one of them.
Dale Jr. to Hendrick?
Chuck from Bristol, Tenn.: Hey Tom, Dale Earnhardt Jr. looked pretty good climbing out of Kyle Busch's car Sunday. Is there any chance of him joining Hendrick if Dale Earnhardt Inc. doesn't sign him?
Tom Jensen: Chuck, I have not heard any discussion at all about Dale Earnhardt Jr. moving to Hendrick Motorsports. If he can't get a contract worked out with Dale Earnhardt Inc., I really firmly believe his next, most logical option would be with Richard Childress Racing. But, again, that's pure speculation. The official line is Dale and his sister Kelley are trying to negotiate a new contract with DEI, and until that's finished, we don't know where he's going to go.
Juan vs. Tony
Jesse from West Lafayette, Ohio: I was just wondering what kind of name Juan Pablo Montoya is making for himself in the garage area. He has beat and banged a lot of drivers. He took out Tony Raines at Martinsville and now Tony Stewart at Texas. He's not scared to rough up drivers. Is this a good or bad thing? Does NASCAR need this kind of a driver, someone who will do anything to win?
Tom Jensen: Jesse, that's a great question. Juan Pablo Montoya brings a lot to NASCAR. He brings passion, fire, international credibility... and now he's bringing some controversy for his exchange with Tony Stewart. And I think it's a great thing. NASCAR is kind of like wrestling. You need a good guy; you need a villain. If he and Stewart get into it, it will be a storyline that goes all season long. Yes, I think it's a very good thing for NASCAR indeed.
Not retiring type
Dino from Burlington, Vt.: What's Tony Stewart's problem?! He can dish it out, but he can't take it! Juan Pablo Montoya raced side-by-side with many drivers, including Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray, without incident. I think Stewart needs to learn how to keep his car under control, especially when he tries squeezing down a world-class veteran race car driver. P.S.: Montoya's Dodge was the first to cross the finish line on Sunday.
Tom Jensen: Dino, to my mind, Tony Stewart is the single-most talented driver in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. But there's absolutely no question he's let his temper get the better of him on several occasions, and I think that's why he didn't make the Chase last year. I think that's what cost him at Texas although I don't think Stewart so much chopped down on Montoya as Montoya drifted up and hit Stewart's car, sending it into a spin.
Stewart has said he'll retire before. He said it when he was a rookie. He said it whan he was in his second year. Tony Stewart is a race car driver. He gets behind the wheel; he races. He gets fed up sometimes. He gets frustrated sometimes. But every Sunday, you're going to see that man behind the wheel of the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet.
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