by Jeff Hammond

Updated: March 13, 2007, 10:33 AM EST

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Safety first

Mike from Oklahoma City, Okla.: Why wasn't Jimmie Johnson penalized on the last pit stop when his tire went out of his pits and the official stopped it? The official should not be allowed to do that, and if he does, it should be an automatic penalty! Could you please explain this?

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Jeff Hammond: A NASCAR official is there to referee and give assistance in the spirit of safety. For example, a tire crossing pit road is not in the best interest of NASCAR or anybody on pit road if an official can knock it down.

What I believed and perceived at the time was the official saw the crew member trip and inadvertently release the tire while making an effort to carry the tire over pit wall. When the No. 48 team was penalized during the fifth caution, nobody on the team made an effort to catch the tire, and a NASCAR official wasn't close to it. In that first instance, the car clearly had left the pit before they had gotten control of it.

It's a judgment call, and it's easy for us to go back because we have instant replay. The officials on pit road do not have replays, and the officials in the tower are reluctant to make calls based off of replays if they aren't able to see the entire circumstance.

While some people may think the No. 48 team got by with one, I have a hard time criticizing what happened because we do not need that tire on pit road. NASCAR officials aren't biased, and they have saved more than just Jimmie Johnson's tires from rolling onto pit road. The officials are there to promote safety as much as anything else. If they can intervene and prevent something from happening, they won't worry about penalties or any other kinds of ramifications after the fact.

Wave around

Beth from Norfolk, Neb.: Explain something for me. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. messed up and was sent to the back of the pack, he was able to move up because lapped cars waved him by. This was fine with NASCAR. Yet, when Jeff Gordon did the very same thing at Bristol, NASCAR black-flagged him, saying he couldn't do it.

Jeff Hammond: I don't think that's a totally valid comparison because some of the cars that you're referencing at Las Vegas probably were damaged. Once again, NASCAR realizes it's more of a safety issue than anything else. It's a judgment call, and it happened to work out in Earnhardt's favor this time.

Best of intermediate bunch

Possum from Buffalo, N.Y.: Speedway Motorsports Inc. chairman Bruton Smith just may be right about the racing being better at Las Vegas. But the track will have to age a bit to reach its full potential. The Busch race was great side-by-side racing with a great come-from-behind win. And what a great save Jeff Burton made to come from behind! I predict this will turn into the best cookie-cutter track in NASCAR. I do think Goodyear overreacted on the side of safety.

Jeff Hammond: After riding around Las Vegas Motor Speedway during DW's Drive 'n Ride, I really believe that this racetrack will turn out to be one of the better ones on the circuit. As bad as it was early in Sunday's race with four cautions in the first 41 laps, we saw some pretty good racing. At least it wasn't follow-the-leader, single-file racing, which we've seen on several occasions. Single line racing. I believe the racetrack will come around. As soon as Goodyear addresses the tire situation again and we get back to the regular fuel cell, this track will turn into one of the favorite Cup stops.

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Crews, fans love Vegas

Keith from Washington, D.C.: Jeff, just wanted to say hello and thank you for a good time last Wednesday at the tables. You have a good crew of guys there, and we had a great time hanging out. Good luck the rest of the way this season. Hope to see you next year in Vegas.

Jeff Hammond: We met some nice race fans out there, and the opportunity to interact with fans in casinos and restaurants is one of the best things about Las Vegas. It's one of the reasons it's a crew member and fan favorite on the circuit. I want to say a special thanks to the showgirls from Bally's Jubilee as well as Blue Man Group for working with us on the opening to our NASCAR on FOX broadcast. If you get an opportunity to go to Las Vegas, go check them out. They'll give you a different appreciation for what humor and talent together are all about.

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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 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.