by Jeff Hammond

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Yates' crew chief change

Susan from Markham, Ontario, Canada: Jeff, do you think Robert Yates Racing may have waited too long to make changes? Isn't firing your crew chiefs at this point in the season — with everything else that has happened — a little like closing the barn door after the horses have already bolted? And do you think if they released Tommy Baldwin sooner, Elliott Sadler may have stayed?

Jeff Hammond: Hindsight is 20/20, and unless you are actually involved in an organization and understand what's going on there, it's hard to judge. On the outside looking in, yes, it looks like the barn door is being closed way too late. But when you're trying to fix a problem, sometimes, it's best to have a totally clean slate. Remove all remnants of what's in place and start over. Sometimes, renovation means tearing down rather than replacing. Maybe Robert and Doug Yates have decided to start anew with some fresh ideas and build forward from that point.

Bear in mind, we haven't heard an announcement from Elliott Sadler about where he's going so you never know. The situation may change, and it may wind up convincing him to stick around. Who knows? Stranger things have happened in our sport. We'll have to wait and see exactly what happens in the next few weeks, and we'll have to see the No. 38 car's results. We know that Sadler's new crew chief, Charles 'Cully' Barraclough, has a lot of experience in racing as does new No. 88 crew chief Butch Hylton.

It's not like Yates' new crew chiefs don't understand what's happening in the sport. Ford is 100 percent behind Robert Yates Racing so I don't agree with the naysayers when they exclaim, "Well, golly, they just lost everything!" It's going to be a challenge, but sometimes you perform the best when your back is against the wall.

Tommy Baldwin will return to Bill Davis Racing, where Baldwin won the Daytona 500 and had his greatest success. Now that Davis is aligned with Toyota, it could turn out to be a pretty strong move by the manufacturer to get a veteran crew chief back at BDR. Baldwin knows how to put together winning combinations. I don't think that Ward Burton will rejoin Baldwin at BDR, but you never know what separation does for a group. Sometimes, it can humble the strongest of minds and the hardness of their heads.

I believe that Bill Davis could very quietly become the standard-bearer for the Toyota brand. We've heard so much about Michael Waltrip and Red Bull, but Bill Davis Racing has been at the forefront of all the development work with Toyota. Not a lot has been said about it, but BDR could put together the strongest Toyota team in 2007.

Gilliland looks good

Tyson from Bellwood, Ill.: Why do the media and a handful of big race teams think David Gilliland is a great driver and the answer to the problems at an organization like Robert Yates Racing? He won ONE Busch race at Kentucky Speedway in June. Before the race started, people probably looked down at their program and asked "David Who?" It doesn't make sense. Can you please explain?

Jeff Hammond: Fresh ideas and fresh faces have as much influence as anything else. Plus, Gilliland has shown that he has ability. When you beat the Nextel Cup drivers and Busch veterans that he did that night on that race track, it opened a lot of eyes.

When you think about what's gone on in our sport, what has caught everybody's attention? It's obviously what Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart did when they came along. The next thing you know, Kurt Busch jumped into Jack Roush's stuff and bam! He won in the Craftsman Truck Series. They brought him straight over to Cup, and he was an overnight success. Denny Hamlin is the latest driver to seemingly come out of nowhere. When you start looking at these drivers and their rapid rise, that's why the teams are like a flock of vultures getting ready to swoop down on fresh meat. Everybody is sitting there, waiting for someone to jump up and happen. Right now, Gilliland is the newest thing coming and going.

Menard to Red Bull?

Speed Mail Jeff
SpeedMail Subject: Comment/Question: Name:  Email:  Hometown:

Dennis from Fort Worth, Texas: As Jayski also noted, I just spotted Paul Menard's name on Red Bull Racing's Web site as a driver. Have you heard anything about Menard signing with Red Bull?

Jeff Hammond: I haven't heard that. I know that his name was bandied about at one time, especially when Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s plans for next year were up in the air. There have been so many rumors about DEI and MB2 Motorsports and how that whole partnership looked like it was going to come together. Now, I understand that they're only going to build a few cars for DEI as well as share some technical information, but that's it.

There has been a lot of talk about John Menard buying into DEI and trying to do something with it. Menard is a long-time supporter of racing around the world with his engine, open wheel and off-road programs. He has shown some interest in possibly owning all of, or at least part of, DEI.

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FOX race analyst Jeff Hammond led Darrell Waltrip to two of DW's three Winston Cup championships as his crew chief. They also teamed to win the 1989 Daytona 500.

For autographed copies of Jeff Hammond's new book "Real Men Work in the Pits" plus magnets, hats and more, check out www.dwstore.com.

For photos and appearances, visit Jeff's web site www.jeffhammond.com.