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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Atlanta pit selections
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Carl's struggles continue
Q: I know the No. 99 team has changed the tires and had two pits at least and he is still back. WHY? — Jenn from Mount Shasta, Calif.
A: Something is obviously wrong with the car's suspension, most likely a broken part. But the team won't know for sure what it is until they take the car back to the shop and tear it down.
No team orders for Johnson
Q: Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Jeff Gordon part owner of the No. 48 Jimmie Johnson car? And if so, how does this work in the scheme of the championship, i.e. team orders, etc.? — Ron from Lexington, Neb.
A: Yes, Gordon is part owner of Johnson's car. In the context of the championship, it means nothing. Zip, zilch, nada.
Carl's too tight
Q: What is going on with Carl Edwards? He seems to be going farther back in the field lap by lap? — Megan from Loveland, Colo.
A: Edwards is too tight, possibly because of a bad set of tires.
Too hot in the pits
Q: I don't get what happened with the darn pit road cone. Why don't they tell the teams to stay single file when entering? Also, why were Menard, Sadler and someone else penalized for going above the cone when it was knocked into the middle of pit road? I know they don't need to hit that cone and mess the nose up. — Mark from Venice, Fla.
A:The pit road pile up was just some drivers coming in too hot and too hard and bottling up.
Top 10 for JPM
Q: Think Montoya has a shot today? He ran pretty good here in the spring, finishing 8th. If he can keep his car together the whole race, I think he might have his best chance to win on an oval. — Branden from Pittsburgh, Pa.
A: Welcome to FOX. Montoya's not my favorite, but I think he's a solid top-10 choice, especially with his excellent qualifying effort.
Flexible schedule?
Q: Bruton Smith proved that money can buy anything, i.e. the drag strip at Charlotte. Now, he does it again by buying the N.H. track and wanting to take a race away from there and giving it to Vegas. How are race dates and places determined and by whom? — Mary Anne from Panama City, Fla.
A: Great question. NASCAR decides where races are awarded. It has been flexible with track owners who have multiple facilities in terms of letting them shuffle dates around, but it's up to NASCAR and NASCAR alone to decide.
DEI racing boss
Q: Hi Tom, I know it's a worn-out subject, but I was wondering with all of the top racing officials that have left Dale Earnhardt Inc. so far, who is really in charge of the racing side of the business. I noticed that most of their top officals are really marketing people. Just wondering who is the head racing guy now. — Randy from Gilmer, Texas
A: Happy Sunday, bud! Richie Gilmore is the top racing official for DEI, although he has been out for the last month recovering from a brain aneurysm.
Buschwhackers roll
Q: Why not let the Cup drivers run with the Busch guys but limit them to five races per driver but not limit team owners? — Shawn from Dayton, Nev.
A: Thanks for joining us. NASCAR historically has treated racers as independent contractors. As such it has been unwilling to restrict anyone from entering races, as long as they meet eligibility requirements.
TOT already in effect
Q: Don't the Trucks already run a universalish body that is exactly the same for every manufacturer except for the grill/top of front end? — Diego from Thornhill, Ontario, Canada
A: Thanks for joining us. Yes, the truck bodies are identical from the firewall back.
Drive for five
Q: How many cars do you think will be out of the race due to engine failures at Texas in the Dickies 500? — Chris from Latham, N.Y.
A: More engine questions? OK, I'm going to say five engine failures, because this track is tough on motors.
Lug nuts not sharp
Q: When in the pits, why are the lug nuts allowed to remain on the ground where they can cause personal injury when exiting the pits? Why do they not damage tires when they are run over when the cars exit the pits? — Sandra from Houston, Texas
A: Thanks for the question. The teams always sweep out their pit boxes after every stop to remove errant lug nuts. As for why they don't puncture more tires, the lug nut themselves are not sharp or pointed to where they'd be likely to cause a puncture.
12 for 10 spots
Q: I thought I heard Martin Truex Jr.'s crew chief talking Friday that only the top 10 gets to go to New York. Is that true? I think it should be the top 12. — Jim from Spokane, Wash.
A: Welcome. Yes, only the top 10 teams will be on stage at New York. And like you, I think it's a little silly to have 12 guys in the Chase, but only let 10 of 'em appear at the banquet.
BOT, no TOT
Q: Hello Tom, do you think that NASCAR will start running a BOT (Busch of Tomorrow) or TOT (Truck of Tomorrow)? — Matthew from Canada
A: Thanks for the question. NASCAR is definitely looking at running a COT in what will be called the Nationwide Series, perhaps as early as 2009. I've not heard anything about doing it with the trucks.
Money matters
Q:Zack from Reno, Nev.: What is the purse for the Chase winner, 2nd, 3rd, etc?
A: Great question. It varies by year, but last season, Jimmie Johnson's bonus money was $6,785,982. Matt Kenseth took $2,841,047 for second and Denny Hamlin earned $2,168,710 for third. Tenth place Kyle Busch's bonus money was $1,256,244.
Q:What year do you think that you will see a woman racing in the Sprint Cup Series? P.S. Before you go to bed tonight, you must turn your clocks back one hour. — Chris from Latham, N.Y.
A: Thanks for the question. Yes, I think there will be a woman in the Cup series, and my guess is it will be three to five years down the road. And I will turn the clock back tonight, which will be good, because I need all the sleep I can get!
One at a time
Q: How far ahead does Jimmie Johnson have to finish the next two races to finish ahead of Jeff Gordon? — Scott from Redding, Calif.
A: You get the first question of the weekend, bud! All Jimmie Johnson has to do is finish one position ahead of Jeff Gordon in each of the next three races to win the title, assuming no lap-leader bonuses come into play. The least amount of points finishing positions are separated by in NASCAR is 3 points. So if Johnson makes up 3 points in each of the next three races, he'll be tied with Gordon. He would then be awarded the championship by virtue of more race wins than Gordon (eight to six).
Chase over for Truex
Q: Is Tony Stewart still mathematically in it, and has anyone been eliminated? — Thomas from Hopewell, Va.
A: Thanks for the question. Martin Truex Jr. is mathematically eliminated, assuming Jeff Gordon starts all three of the final races. Truex is 518 points behind and the most points a driver can make up in a race if he wins and leads the most laps is 161. And 161 times 3 is 483, so Truex is out. Everyone else is still alive.
Makeup date
Q: Why does the Atlanta practice count for the 2007 season since it is preparing for the 2008 season? I think it was great that they tested the COT at a 1.5 mile track after the race. — Tom from Cincinnati, Ohio
A: Good question. The Atlanta test replaced the Dover test in May, which was postponed after Darlington was rained out.
Junior under review
Q: When a race car driver has an accident due to part breaking — like Dale Jr. did — does NASCAR require that the race team determine what caused the break, or does NASCAR take the car or the part for their own investgation? — Mary Lou from Harrisburg, Pa.
A: Welcome to FOX. I asked Denise Maloof, one of NASCAR's top-flight public relations staff members, and she said every on-track incident that involves contact results in the damaged car(s) being examined by a specially trained NASCAR safety team.
Starter was right
Q: Did the starter screw up at Atlanta? When Denny Hamlin had his problem, should the green flag have dropped? It seems like the restart should have been waved off! — Dan from Burt, N.Y.
A: Thanks for joining us. No, the starter at Atlanta did not screw up. You can only wave off a green flag BEFORE you throw it, not after. Once the green comes out, drivers are accelerating hard. He followed proper procedure in bringing out the caution ASAP.
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