by DUSTIN LONG THE ROANOKE TIMES , The Roanoke Times

As NASCAR delicately balances fan enjoyment with driver safety, the question becomes which is more important at restrictor-plate races and what to do about it. Various rule changes meant to protect drivers -- including Sunday's announcement two hours before the AMP Energy 500 that drivers could no longer bump draft in the corners -- are not giving fans what they want to see, some drivers suggest. "The more rules, the more NASCAR is telling us how to drive the race cars, the less we can race and the less we can put on a show for the fans,'' Newman said, "It is a ridiculous situation. It is a shame not more is getting done. I guess maybe I expect NASCAR to call me. I'm the only [driver] out there with an engineering degree. I would like to have a little respect on my end.'' Said Denny Hamlin: "I'm as bored as [the fans] are.'' Boring was a word used throughout the garage although the race featured 58 lead changes, a last-lap wreck that damaged 13 cars and a first-time winner this season in Jamie McMurray. Drivers aren't happy because they feel as if all the rules limit what they can do. They want to run without limits and that can't be done at Talladega or Daytona. It's too dangerous. Still, they long to do more than ride around at times -- although Jimmie Johnson used that strategy for most of the day before finishing sixth and moving him closer to another title. "I think NASCAR and all the drivers should sit in a private room, lock the doors and have a discussion and try to fix this together,'' Elliott Sadler said. The solution some want could be risky. Change the track. Restrictor plates have been on cars for more than 20 years. If there was a way to race without them, they'd be off the motors by now. Numerous aerodynamic changes have come and gone. What hasn't been changed during that time is the track's shape. "The race cars, the motors and everything have gotten beyond what this place was created for,'' Dale Earnhardt Jr. said of the 40-year old track. "Now, we're sitting here with a car that can go way faster, but it's dangerous and gets up in the air, so we've got to slow it down.'' Earnhardt's comments are among a growing chorus from drivers, suggesting that the 33-degree banking in the corners be cut down to slow the cars and remove the restrictor plates. Carl Edwards, whose car went into the fencing in the spring here and seven fans were injured, also made the suggestion this weekend. Johnson repeated those thoughts after Sunday's race. "Get the tractors out and knock down the banking,'' he said. While that might provide safer racing, there's no guarantee it will make for better racing. Fans like the three- and four-wide racing associated with this track. What if a revamped track delivers less? Maybe it's worth the risk. With a struggling economy as a backdrop, Sunday's estimated attendance of 127,500 was nearly 30,000 less than the crowd for this race two years ago. Another change could be to shorten the race. For fans who don't like the single-file racing, which happens at times even at this track, cutting the distance would limit the time drivers spend logging laps. "You want to make this a really exciting race for the whole race?'' Jeff Gordon said. "Make it 200 miles. That's why the Truck races and other races when they come here are so exciting. "To me [Cup] is about strategy, it's about longevity, it's about pacing yourself. I thought it was a great race. Unfortunately, the rules that we have are going to play out. The cars suck up too much. And they need to change that for this race track or it's just going to happen every single time.'' And then it becomes who will be the next to emerge from the infield care center after a terrifying wreck and call for changes. In the spring, it was Edwards proclaiming after his last-lap accident, "I guess we'll do this until someone gets killed and then we'll change it.'' On Sunday, it was Newman's turn to plead for change. "We're supposed to be racing all day long, and I think we lost a little bit of that luster,'' Newman said. "Rocket Man" no longer wants to fly. MAKING HIS MOVE Jimmie Johnson rode around at the back until the end and still scored a top-10 finish. There seems no way of beating this guy? "I'm not going to let up and lose focus,'' Johnson said. DOWN THE CHUTE Mark Martin was collected in the final accident and lost several spots and points. He remains second but is far behind Johnson. OBSERVATION The only way Johnson doesn't win a record fourth consecutive championship is if his team collapses in a way never seen by that bunch before. NEXT WEEK The series heads to Texas Motor Speedway where Jeff Gordon won in the spring and Johnson was second. DRIVER FINSH PTS EARNED PT TOTAL BEHIND 1. Jimmie Johnson 6th 150 6,248 ---- 2. Mark Martin 28th 84 6,064 -184 3. Jeff Gordon 20th 108 6,056 -192 4. Juan Pablo Montoya 19th 111 6,009 -239 5. Tony Stewart 35th 63 5,969 -279 6. Kurt Busch 30th 78 5,936 -312 7. Greg Biffle 4th 160 5,908 -340 8. Ryan Newman 36th 60 5,846 -402 9. Kasey Kahne 2nd 175 5,834 -414 10. Carl Edwards 14th 126 5,811 -437 11. Denny Hamlin 38th 54 5,800 -448 12. Brian Vickers 13th 129 5,692 -556

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