Danica's website may have let the NASCAR cat out of the bag

Monday morning, Danica Patrick ventured forth on her GoDaddy news tour, proclaiming the good news of her new sponsor and her new deal with Andretti Autosport. All well and good, though many were hoping that she would say something about her possible plans to race in NASCAR as well as IndyCar.

She didn't ... but her website just may have let a little secret out.

Several astute observers, including one commenter on our morning Danica post, took note of the fact that Danica's icon on her website, the one pictured on the left, was wearing a firesuit with a Chevrolet logo -- curious in that she drives Honda for IRL.

Ah, but look closer at the image on the left, screen-capped by The Sporting News. On her right shoulder is what looks like the NASCAR Nationwide Series logo, and on her left shoulder, that really looks like the JR Motorsports logo, pictured at right for comparative purposes.

In what I'm sure is a total coincidence, Danica has been in active talks to join JR Motorsports and run a partial Nationwide season in 2010.

The image was swiftly yanked and replaced by the IRL-centered one at right. Make of this what you will, but it sure looks like somebody spilled the beans a bit early. Hope they've still got a job. Danica, for her part, looks like she's already got two lined up for next year.

Create-a-caption: 'I bet I could hit Mark Martin from here'

Jimmie Johnson stares out at his domain, holding his fourth trophy. You're far, far below, and so am I. But that won't stop us from captioning this, will it? Heck no.

After the jump, Johnson (him again?) meets with Yogi Berra. Who brought the pic-a-nic baskets?

kinggeorge:
Yogi: Being Champion is a lot like winning.
Jimmie: Are you that guy that writes those fortune cookie sayings?

Mister F:
Yogi: If you come to a fork in the road, pit.
JJ: Hey, that's really good advice. I hear that Kurt Busch is looking for a new chief. Are you interested?

Kim:
Jimmie: Yogi, I feel like I spend most of my life driving in circles.
Yogi: Jimmie, if you don't know where you're going, you might wind up some place else.

And New York is in his wheelhouse:
Yogi - "Just 23 more championships, and we'll be all tied up, son."

Danica underwhelms with 'announcement,' but there's more ...

We really should know better by now. When Danica Patrick promised a "major announcement" Monday morning on Good Morning America, we were all thinking it would have something to do with NASCAR. Would she finally end this two-step of leaked rumors and silence and commit to racing with JR Motorsports?

Um ... no.

The "big announcement" turned out to be the fact that she would be rocking the GoDaddy logo on her Indy ride full-time next year. Danica made the announcement via an unveiling of the car at right live on GMA, in between your local weather and tips for keeping within your budget this holiday season. In other words, exactly the kind of place you'd expect to find race fans.

But, yes, I tuned in, and this makes me guilty. So now I'm bringing the rest of you down with me. (Also announced: the formalization of a contract with Andretti Racing, a deal that had been first announced sometime back during the Clinton administration, or so it seems.)

Still, dig a little deeper and there are some potential possibilities. Sirius Speedway is reporting that Danica will drive a JR Motorsports Chevrolet "in a clandestine test session at Daytona International Speedway within the next two weeks." Make of that what you will, but any time the word "clandestine" is involved, we're all over it.  (Hat tip: The Daly Planet.)

More news -- actually, any news -- as it develops.

Best of the decade: The top 10 NASCAR stories of the 2000s

We're at the end of the 2000s, and we're taking a look back at the top stories, events, drivers and moments of the last decade. It was a time of change in NASCAR, a time when the regional sport blew up nationally, but change always comes with a price. Today, the top stories of the decade.

1. Death of Dale Earnhardt. It was almost Shakespearean in its drama and tragedy. On the very day NASCAR began its major new television deal, its most famous star died in the final lap of the Daytona 500, blocking for his son and teammate. Earnhardt's death and resultant outpouring of grief instantly transformed the sport, vaulting it to untouched heights of popularity and awareness. Sadly, you can now divide NASCAR into pre- and post-Daytona 2001.

2. The introduction of the Chase. Looking for a way to maximize end-of-season excitement, NASCAR rolled out the Chase for the Cup in 2004. And initially, it seemed brilliant; the Chase was in doubt until the final turn of the 2004 race in Homestead. But the points reset has caused controversy, as has the fact that one guy has been more successful at it than anyone else.

3. Jimmie Johnson's four-peat. Nobody in NASCAR history has ever won four titles in a row, and Johnson has done so in dominant fashion. Love him, hate him or disregard him, but Johnson is one of the most successful drivers in NASCAR history, and he's at the top of his game right now.

4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. leaves DEI. The other shoe dropping from the passing of the Intimidator came six years later, when Dale Earnhardt Jr. packed up and left the company that bore his name following an ugly, protracted fight with his stepmother Theresa. Going to Hendrick was supposed to mean Earnhardt would become a worldwide superstar with the best equipment in the sport. So far it hasn't worked out that way.

5. The debut of the Car of Tomorrow. Earnhardt's death spurred a raft of safety improvements, including track barriers and in-car head restraint devices, but the most significant was the Car of Tomorrow. Rolled out as a safer alternative to previous vehicles, as well as a more cost-effective approach that narrowed the range of engineering tinkering, the Car debuted in 2007 and was formally introduced in 2008. Its blocky structure and narrow engineering possibilities led to complaints from both fans and drivers.

6. The arrival of Toyota in NASCAR. NASCAR has always been a uniquely American sport, so when Toyota entered the sport in the mid-2000s, starting with lower-level series, the howls of protest started. Never mind that much of Toyota's work is done in the United States, or that many "American" manufacturers do work overseas, or that other foreign manufacturers have been in NASCAR before; the perceived "invasion" of Toyota set many fans on edge. And when Joe Gibbs Racing switched from Chevy to Toyota and kept winning, that seemed both an assault and a betrayal. The foreign-car issue seems to be fading with all but the hardcores, but it's still out there. 

7. The cresting of NASCAR's popularity? NASCAR exploded so quickly in popularity -- you've heard the "second most popular sport in America" factoid a thousand times -- that there had to be a pullback. The combination of a bad economy and gripes about the on-track product led to declining attendance at races, and thousands of "the sky is falling" articles. Is the worst over?

8. NASCAR's landmark television deal. Just two weeks before the turn of the millennium, NASCAR struck a six-year, $2.4 billion deal to put the sport on three separate networks. The centralized television deal brought the sport to more viewers than ever before, but also -- say it with me -- spurred controversy among longtime fans. 

9. The debut of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. NASCAR's Hall of Fame, to open in Charlotte in 2010, will be a landmark for the sport, a place where the history and grandeur of NASCAR can be formally celebrated. And naturally, its opening will come with controversy -- two Frances and no David Pearson in the inaugural class? Really? -- but if it didn't have people griping, it wouldn't be NASCAR.

10. Death of Adam Petty. At 19 years old, Adam Petty was NASCAR's next younghope, the fourth generation of Pettys to race in NASCAR. He was slated to run in the Winston Cup series in 2001. But in May 200 during a practice session for the Busch series in New Hampshire, his throttle stuck and Petty hit the wall, dying instantly. It was a wrenching tragedy for the whole sport, and in Adam's honor his father Kyle has begun the Victory Junction Gang charity, one of NASCAR's best-known charities.

All right, your turn. What did we miss? What else belongs on this list? Have your say!

Happy Thanksgiving from The Marbles!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from all of us here at Yahoo! Sports and The Marbles! Hope it's a safe and happy one. We're taking Thursday off, but we'll be back on starting Friday. (And if you're looking for a little something to read from me over the holidays, why not click here?)

Image from teh alwayz funneh LOLNASCAR. 

What are you thankful for in NASCAR this year?

It's Thanksgiving, and we're thankful for many things around here -- turkey-induced naps, weekday football, and intelligent fellow bloggers. Biting off our buddy 'Duk's post over at Big League Stew, we've created a space for you to offer up what you're thankful for in NASCAR. Tailgates? The smell of oil in the morning? Catastrophic wrecks where everyone walks away? Whatever you're thankful for, here's your chance to let the world know.

Here's how this works. You can comment in the comment box below, though that's moderated and your post won't appear instantly. Or you can go through Twitter and post your thanks with the hashtag #marblesthanks, and they'll show up below. 

Have a happy and safe holiday, and we'll see you right back here soon!

From the Couch: Finding entertainment where there isn't any

You know how you knew that Homestead was an important race? Both Sprint Cup Smiley Girls were there. Not just the one, but the two! Beat still, my heart.

Despite their presence, which smacked of unbridled excitement and general eminence (bof'em, for crying out loud!), it was déjà vu all over again.

Yes, as prognosticated by many in the sport, and as with roughly 30 other races this year, Scott Speed totally nailed that first Lucky Dog of the race. It's not often that you get to see history - Speed started second - like that. I feel privileged to have witnessed it.

Actually, the race was entertaining, despite the simple truth that it was over before it began (though Dr. Punch sure tried his finest to convince us otherwise). I rather enjoyed the accordion rear-ender wreck on pit road. That was a sure sign that the driver's were already on break.

My buddy Chad did this one time, wrecking six cars in front of him, totaling his completely boss Chevrolet Citation. Chad is the same guy who once got pulled over for a DUI when he wasn't drunk. Chad worked in a coal mine on the graveyard shift, and on this particular morning, he forgot a change of clothes, fell asleep at the wheel on his way home (hence the stop), and had to perform his DUI tests in his boxers with carbon soot all over his face. The best part was that his mom, who was on her way to work, drove by as he was heel-toeing the line. (Hey, what's my son doing pulled over in his underwear with blackface on?)

So, yeah, that wreck was probably more entertaining for me than you.

Anyway, JPM and Stewart also put on a good show. JPM proved, without a shadow of a doubt, that he is an idiot. I'd rather be responsible for collecting Jeremy Mayfield's next urine test than be on Stewart's bad side. He owned a monkey once for God's sake. You know who owns monkeys? Crazy people, that's who. And crazy always trumps idiot. How do you think Obama got elected?

And Gordo? Fastest Pit Crew of the Year! Now that was fulfilling, you know, as a Gordon fan. And by fulfilling I mean that it made me want to throw something heavy, preferably with a large glass component, ideally with a cathode ray tube, off of a small roof onto large pavement (timeouts just aren't doing it for me anymore). It made me want to choke Letarte (which would require both a ladder and a belt, but I might be able to pull it off with the proper guise).

The fastest pit crew of the year? What? Was it based on a degree of difficulty scale? Because yeah, they did a great job if you factor in the fact that they had to perform a spring rubber and three wedge adjustments on every stop this year.

But either way, suck on that JJ. Call me when you have four Cup trophies AND a FPCY on the mantel, then we'll talk about the greatest of all time. Umkay?

Of course, despite his loss in the FPCY race, JJ deserves loads of credit. If there was ever any doubt that he is a tremendously skilled driver, he squelched it with his post-Cup victory lane burnout. Let's reset the scene: national television, victory lane after a historical fourth consecutive Cup, fans lining both sides of the lane, a flag in his left hand. So, low stakes. And what does he do? He gooses it all the way down the lane, smoking and spinning the tires. Carl Edwards needed a fence to stay off the fans. JJ did it one handed.

Finally, I cannot forget my neighbors, as they, too, always make for an entertaining race. My neighbors, you see, have "the dish." We live in the boonies, and my wife and I don't have a satellite, and so my neighbors kindly record every race and allow us to crash their living room weekly. For this reason, and many more, I love them.

But the real beauty of our neighborhood is that you'll never know what you'll get. Typically it's me chugging Budweiser while spitting incoherent invective Letarte's way. Sometimes it's Steve swilling Black Velvet and busting on Fords. And sometimes it's Pam downing red wine and wondering aloud why people back into parking spaces.

But this weekend, and fitting for fall and the season's finale, it was the constant drone of an industrial grinder. It was meat processing time, and in the background of this year's race, with a light snow falling outside and fire crackling in the fireplace, Bambi had lost to the man and was, literally, mincemeat.

For the competition, this was a fitting end to JJ's fourth straight title.

Teams, tracks to General Motors: Where's my money?

Sure, it's Turkey Time, but there's still business to be done -- ugly business, in some cases. The deadline to file claims with the former, now bankrupt, General Motors is Monday, Nov. 30, and several NASCAR-related entities are looking to get some money out of whatever's left of the onetime giant.

The claims range from the relatively minor (Auto Club Speedway is seeking $45,500 for a hospitality contract) to the significant (Dale Earnhardt Inc. is seeking $3.3 million for an unspecified contract). Other claimants include Daytona International Speedway ($651,000) and JR Motorsports ($198,000). 

It's another reminder that the rough times are not yet done. While there's plenty of griping to be done about NASCAR's Chase and so on, there are much more important issues surrounding this sport that remain uncertain and unresolved.

Two teams, two tracks file claims with former General Motors [Scene Daily]

C-a-c: The Yankee of New York meets the Yankees of NASCAR

Okay, folks, you've got to bring some game to this one. Yogi Berra and Jimmie Johnson. Visit this site (or many others) for suggestions on appropriae Yogi-isms.

And remember, if people don't want to come to NASCAR races, nobody's going to stop 'em.

After the jump, Kyle Busch is feeling left out.

kinggeorge:
Little does Kyle know that Brad Keselowki, at the other end of the table, is punking him by handing out $20 bills to have fans refuse his autographed pictures.

Candace G:
To My Biggest Fan Kyle: You're the coolest, sexiest, most awesome driver ever, don't let anyone tell you different, Love Always, Kyle *sob*

Snowbaby:
Kyle chokes back the tears as he signs pictures to himself, You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You, knowing full well this won't be the last time this happens.

Crane Poole and Schmidt:
Kyle's lack of popularity is a blessing in disguise, as it gives him time to catch up on his Pokemon trading card collection.

Best of the decade: The 10 best drivers of the 2000s

As the decade of the 2000s draws to a close, we're looking back at the greatest NASCAR moments, events and stories of the last 10 years. We begin with the most successful drivers of the decade -- bearing in mind, we're ranking them on what they've done this decade, not before that. And yes, you already know who's #1.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Like you expected anything different. Four championships, 47 wins and 180 top-10 finishes over just nine years. He's staked out one of the most dominant stretches of success in NASCAR history ... and the scary thing is, he may be in the middle of it, not at the end.

2. Tony Stewart: Were it not for Johnson, Stewart would be the runaway driver of the decade. With two championships, 34 wins and 209 top-10s, Stewart was already money, but making the jump to team ownership and staying strong as ever? Unbelievable.

3. Jeff Gordon: The difference between Stewart and Gordon is razor-thin on this list, but Stewart gets the nod because of his two championships. In the 2000s, Gordon has only one. But he's also finished in the top 10 for nine of the decade's 10 years, along the way picking up 33 wins and 217 top-10 finishes over 358 races. That'll work.

4. Kurt Busch: He's pinballed between excellence and mediocrity, but when he's been good, he's been very, very good -- one Sprint Cup championship, four top-ten seasonal finishes, 20 wins, 136 top-10s. Imagine how good he'd be if he could make friends. 

5. Kyle Busch: The highest-ranked non-Sprint Cup champion on this list, he's got 62 wins across all three major series. He's said his goal is to get 200 wins over all three, and considering the fact that he's 24, would you bet against it happening? Once he calms down and races consistently, he'll be one of the all-timers. 

6. Bobby Labonte: He led off the decade with a championship, which is a nice way to start but unfortunately means there's only one way to go. Still, he's notched 8 wins and 101 top 10s over the decade, and if he had been in better equipment over the last couple years, that total would be much higher.

7. Matt Kenseth: The 2003 Sprint Cup champion, though it's not his fault he won the Cup without having won a race. In the decade, he's had 18 wins and 172 top-10s over 358 races.

8. Mark Martin: Had he not flirted with retirement toward the middle part of the decade, he'd be much higher on this list. But six top-10 seasonal finishes, including two second-places, combined with nine wins and 159 top-10s put him solidly in the conversation for the top drivers of the 2000s

9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 18 wins and 141 top-10s over 358 races, and for a time he was right there in the mix for a championship, ranking in the top 10 four times from 2001-2006. He's fallen off the pace just a wee bit.

10. Carl Edwards: In 193 races, he's got 16 wins, 61 top-5s and 99 top-10s. He had a severe dropoff this year, but he's one of the best in the sport and should be very close to the top on the list of the 2010s' best.

All right, your turn. Who else belongs on this list? Rusty Wallace, Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle just missed the cut; do they belong? Who's too high or too low? Have your say!

C-a-c: Yankee of New York meets Yankees of NASCAR

Okay, folks, you've got to bring some game to this one. Yogi Berra and Jimmie Johnson. Visit this site (or many others) for suggestions on appropriae Yogi-isms.

And remember, if people don't want to come to NASCAR races, nobody's going to stop 'em.

After the jump, Kyle Busch is feeling left out.

kinggeorge:
Little does Kyle know that Brad Keselowki, at the other end of the table, is punking him by handing out $20 bills to have fans refuse his autographed pictures.

Candace G:
To My Biggest Fan Kyle: You're the coolest, sexiest, most awesome driver ever, don't let anyone tell you different, Love Always, Kyle *sob*

Snowbaby:
Kyle chokes back the tears as he signs pictures to himself, You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You, knowing full well this won't be the last time this happens.

Crane Poole and Schmidt:
Kyle's lack of popularity is a blessing in disguise, as it gives him time to catch up on his Pokemon trading card collection.

Four Wide: Paging Junior and Kyle ... time to pick it up

Bringing you the best in NASCAR news and opinion. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever. 

• From the Department of the Obvious (but still true): NASCAR needs Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch to step it up in 2010. [Scene Daily]

• Bad news: more job cuts are coming in NASCAR. [Fox Sports]

• More news to get your blood a-boiling in the offseason: will Volkswagen enter NASCAR? [Examiner]

• Kyle Busch's Nationwide title was cemented when Carl Edwards crashed at Michigan in August. [NASCAR.com]

• The worst Chaser in history? That'd be, um, Brian Vickers. Ouch. [All Left Turns]

• Git'r done! Larry the Cable Guy will be on BAM Racing's No. 49 in the 2010 Daytona 500. No, I can't imagine we'll be running any pictures of that whatsoever. [NASCAR.com via Yahoo! Sports]

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter. 

Victory video: Love for Denny Hamlin? Is that too much to ask?

Lest we forget, Jimmie Johnson wasn't the only winner on Sunday night. Denny Hamlin ran away with the Ford 400, and if he hadn't had a couple misfires earlier in the Chase, this could've been a lot more interesting from a championship standpoint. So before we continue with the JJ love, let's spare a thought for Denny Hamlin:

Could Denny Hamlin take over the Memorial Carl Edwards "Dude Who's Going To Unseat Jimmie" role for 2010? We shall see, friends, we shall see...

Joey Logano claws his way to Rookie of the Year

In news that surprised exactly no one, Joey Logano has taken the Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year award, knocking off Max Papis and Scott Speed. Stiff competition there, huh?

Since rookies tend to have about as much success in NASCAR as turkeys on Thanksgiving, the rookie of the year award isn't quite the big deal it is in some other sports. Even so, the award is a harbinger of future success; in the last ten years, only two winners -- Regan Smith last year and Jamie McMurray in 2003 -- have not made the Chase at one point. Winners have included Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin. (Not winners: Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

Logano had a strong rookie season, notching one win  -- a rain-shortened one, but still -- along with three top-5s, seven top-10s and about 250,000 jokes about shaving and voice-cracking, half of which were made right here. He finished the year in 20th place, ahead of Casey Mears, McMurray, Earnhardt and many others.

Congratulations, Joey! And to honor your win, we promise not to make any more "little kid" jokes. Go ahead, have a chocolate milk to celebrate! (Whoops.)

Stale Whines: 'Jimmie's success is a product of the Chase'

NASCAR fans have a lot to say about everything in the sport. Sometimes it's positive, and sometimes it veers into foot-stomping, tantrum-throwing complaining. But are the fans legitimately mad, or are they just griping because it's not their guy holding up the trophy? Tough question, and that's where we come in. In the tradition of the great Urban Legends Reference Pages, we'll take on some of NASCAR fandom's most pervasive whines and decide whether there's any merit to them. First up: one of the many knocks on the four-time champ.

The complaint: Jimmie Johnson wouldn't have won four championships if we were under the old points system.

The reason behind the complaint: NASCAR fans worship at the altar of Earnhardt and Petty -- justifiably so, I might add -- but now that Jimmie Johnson is edging into their territory, many are getting nervous. The "new" championship format, with its end-of-regular-season points reset, provides an easy out. The thinking goes like this: the old guys won their championships under the equivalent of a full-season playoff, but Jimmie Johnson has won all his championships under the new, 10-race system. Therefore he only wins because of the new system, right? Not so fast.

The truth:  First off, it's called the "old" system for a reason -- it's old and it's done with. So on one level, the complaint is irrelevant. You race under the system you've got; we don't hear many people complaining that they should take away many of Richard Petty's wins because they came against less-than-full fields or against cars with far less technological muscle than his. Times change, like it or not.

But more importantly, this is something that can be easily disproven just by looking at statistics. Let's illustrate, for Johnson's four championships, the breakdown of points under both systems.

2009
Chase format: Johnson, Mark Martin (-141), Jeff Gordon (-179)
Old system: Johnson, Jeff Gordon (-66), Tony Stewart (-71)

2008
Chase format: Johnson, Carl Edwards (-69), Greg Biffle (-217)
Old system: Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson (-16), Kyle Busch (-252)

2007
Chase format: Johnson, Jeff Gordon (-77), Clint Bowyer (-346)
Old system: Jeff Gordon, Johnson (-353), Tony Stewart (-706)

2006
Chase format: Johnson, Matt Kenseth (-56), Denny Hamlin (-68)
Old system: Johnson, Matt Kenseth (-4), Kevin Harvick (-320)

So there you go. Johnson would have won two of his four championships outright, and he obviously wouldn't have raced the same way at Homestead last year (he casually cruised to a 15th-place finish while Edwards won) had the points been as tight under the old system. (Of course, the reverse holds true for 2006, where Kenseth was only four points back under the old system.) Only in 2007 did the Chase really benefit Johnson.

What you need to look at, though, isn't just the numbers, it's the names. Note that while there are twelve drivers named above, only one shows up in the top three -- heck, top two -- every year under both systems. After Johnson, only Gordon and Stewart even show up twice on those lists. And with the exception of this year, look how far back the third-place guy is under the old points scenario. It's been a two-man race every year since 2005, and Johnson's always been one of those two.

Whine verdict: Almost baseless. The Chase may have shuffled the competitors, but it doesn't change the fact that Johnson dominates under any scenario. At least two, and probably three, of the last four championships would still have been his under the season-long system.

Okay, your turn. Post your take below. Got a whine you want us to break down? Add  it below or email me at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. 

The 2009 season: The party's over! Let the party begin!

Time to put the 2009 season on the shelf once and for all. Were you ready for it to be done, or do you want a year-round schedule? (Bite your tongue, year-rounders. We need a breather!)

Anyway, even though the racing is done for the year, we're not going anywhere. We'll be posting plenty every single day, and we'll continue with our regular weekly chats throughout the offseason. We'll also be continuing the podcasts -- remember to call in and you too can get on the show. We'll also be kicking off a couple new features starting today, including our "Best of the Decade" series (one guess as to what that will focus on) and "Stale Whines," in which we take on the different complaints about NASCAR and its drivers and, one by one, put stakes through their hearts. (The complaints, not the drivers.) It's going to be just like the regular season, except without the races -- and considering the quality of some of the races this year, that might be a good thing. 

We'll do a complete season recap after Thanksgiving, but for now, post your thoughts below -- favorite moments of 2009? Least favorite? Best storylines? Have your say ... and then get ready. After all, it's less than three months to Daytona.

Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya spice up Miami

For those of you distraught at the accounting-firm state of much of NASCAR lately, you've got to love what's gone on this weekend at Homestead. First it was Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski throwing down at Saturday night's Nationwide race, bringing to an end -- for now -- 18 months of brawling and yapping, both on and off the track.

And Sunday night, Juan Pablo Montoya and Tony Stewart decided to get a little froggy with each other. First, Smoke turned into JPM, knocking him off the track and prompting Montoya to scream that NASCAR should kick Smoke out of the race altogether. But JPM's crew diligently worked to get their driver back on the track, and when they did, this happened:

Montoya got tagged with a two-lap penalty, but since he was dozens of laps down already, that was about as effective as tossing ice cubes in the ocean. Neither Stewart nor Montoya spoke immediately after the race, and chances are both are heading home to cool out. Any chance this will spill over into next season? Probably not, but the fact that drivers are getting saucy is a good way to close out the year, yes?

Forget Kobe, Tiger, Brady; Jimmie Johnson is today's top athlete

On Sunday night, Jimmie Johnson clinched his fourth straight Sprint Cup championship, and in so doing cemented his place among the greats of the sport. But he's done more than that; he's now propelled himself above and beyond NASCAR. He's the most successful athlete currently competing right now, and it's not even close. 

Were this Tiger Woods snagging his fourth straight Masters, or Kobe Bryant clinching his fourth straight ring, or Tom Brady capturing his fourth straight Super Bowl, you'd be getting their greatness rammed down your throat 24/7. But this is NASCAR; the sports fan public knows they can't throw a pass 50 yards or hit a golf ball 300, but they figure they know how to drive fast and turn left. How hard could it be for Johnson to win some of those little races, huh?

Answer: plenty. Put aside the physical demands -- the intense heat of the car's interior, the physical strength needed to wheel a car for 500 miles. Even running a race -- to say nothing of winning one, or winning an entire season -- requires the mental discipline, ultrafast-twitch reflexes and utter, stone-cold fearlessness that only the best athletes possess. (And don't even start the whole "the car's the star, not the driver" nonsense. Equipment is a key element of every sport. When's the last time you saw a baseball player succeed without a bat, or a football player succeed without pads?) 

So, with the playing field leveled, let's break down why Johnson is the top athlete at work today. For starters, you could argue that the level of competition in every single sport right now is the highest it's ever been. Kids train practically from birth to play one sport; sophisticated training techniques make today's marginal athletes the equivalent of yesterday's All-Stars.

Even so, Johnson has established a four-year gap between himself and his nearest competitors  that's greater than any other athlete in any other sport. Nobody in any league is a prohibitive favorite; even Tiger is vulnerable these days.

Plenty of people both inside and outside NASCAR are dismissing Johnson's accomplishments, and that's too bad. They're missing out on history here. Nobody else is riding as high these days, in any sport, anywhere. And anybody who thinks it's certain to end in 2010 ... well, didn't we think that coming into 2007, 2008 and 2009?

Bandwagoners, here's a heads-up: push aside your Yankees caps, Patriots jerseys and Cowboys jackets and make room for some of Jimmie Johnson's gear. (He's the 48.) If you're the type of person who wants to jump on board a proven winning train, you've got one right here waiting for you, ready to roll.

For everyone else, take a moment -- just a moment, that's all -- to applaud what Johnson's doing here. You're not going to see anything like this again anytime soon. 

Kurt Busch throws his crew chief under the bus with a smile

One of the bigger surprises of the 2009 Chase came when Pat Tryson, crew chief for Kurt Busch, announced in October that he would be leaving the No. 2 Dodge team to go crew Martin Truex Jr.'s new team. Sure, it was an unfortunately-timed split, but the team looked like it was going to make the best of an awkward situation, and even managed to win the Dickies 500 in Texas. The split was looking almost amicable.

And then came Sunday night.

After a race in which he was leading but lost ground on the final pit -- a stop where he took two tires where everyone else took four -- Kurt took time to offer congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and tipped his cap toall his sponsors. And then he smiled, the kind of grin which has a name that we can't repeat or describe here but the word "eating" is in the name -- stared straight in the camera, and unloaded more dirty laundry than a college freshman home for Thanksgiving break.

"Maybe this is my best opportunity to throw my crew chief under the bus for giving me two tires at the end instead of four," he said. "We probably had a shot at  winning, and I told him he had to keep an eye on the other guys ... Hey, I'm throwing him under the bus because we don't have him anymore and we're looking for a new crew chief."

Boy, with that guy in your ear every Sunday, the candidates have got to be just lining up out the door, right? Busch did throw some thanks Tryson's way -- "we worked great together" -- but finished by saying, "We'll find somebody great, somebody better, and we'll beat the 56 next year."

Between this and all the other little fights starting to break out around the track, it's almost a shame the season has to end, isn't it?

Hamlin pays back Keselowski, sort of

Last week at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin promised he'd be the first one to Brad Keselowski's "pay window," and sure enough he was. Thirty-four laps into Saturday's Nationwide race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Hamlin dumped Keselowski, who was running eighth at the time, as they came off Turn 4. Keselowski spun twice, but was able to save his car before hitting the wall. Take a look at what happened:

Keselowski's crew actually got a laugh out of it. And you have to love the spotter's take: "That boy will never learn. He didn't do it good enough."

Hamlin is a man of his word, though in the end he actually got the worst of it. Keselowski stayed on the lead lap, while NASCAR, very aware of the growing tension between the two that stems from at least four previous incidents this season, penalized Hamlin a lap for aggressive driving.

After the race, Keselowski, who finished 12th, said he was over it, only to set the stage for a new chapter with his comments.

"I have a feeling when he wakes up in the morning he's not going to feel any better about himself," Keselowski said. "He's got a lot of problems – on and off the race track – and I don't think spinning me's gonna make him happy. So, that's my take on it. I've moved on. I'm okay. I'm not going to go out and wreck him or anything like that. I'm just going to go out and do my own thing.".

When told of Keselowski's comment, Hamlin, who rallied to finish fifth, responded, "I feel great right now. It was well worth it. … The fact is, I wasn't going to give him an inch. After I went down pit road [for the penalty], I thought I had won the race. I've never seen so many crews applaud and give the thumbs up on the way by. It just shows you all the cars that he's torn up in the past, you know. All the teams, they feel a little redemption anyway. But, we'll never be even in that sense.

"You have to look at the stands," he continued. "I've never seen so much applause in my entire life. I just think everyone understands this is a self-policing sport. NASCAR did what they had to do. Spinning out someone deliberate like that, they gotta penalize me, there's no doubt about it. So, I wasn't mad about that at all. My objective today was to try to win the race first, take care of him second. And yeah, there's gonna be other days when we're racing and he's still gonna think about it when I'm in his rearview mirror, because obviously the scales are tipped a little bit more in my favor, but still tipped a little bit too much."

Running wide open: Keselowski. Hamlin. Who ya got?

Special Saturday Nationwide version of Running Wide Open today, as we've got a fine little showdown later this afternoon in the season-ending Nationwide race. Sure, Kyle Busch has already locked up the championship, but that's not what everyone wants to see -- we're waiting to see what happens between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski. There's a bit of bad blood between them, as you may have heard. So, hang out here, place your bets, chat about the race. Have at it!

NASCAR fans do have a voice after all! Well, sort of ...

[Editor's note: Carol Fitzgerald continues her analysis of all things NASCAR. She's a fan, and she's not particularly pleased with how fans are being treated. -- JB]

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, just when you thought the good old days of real racing were over, we learn that NASCAR is receiving not just one, but TWO awards for listening to its fans! They have won -- get this -- the "Forrester Groundswell Award" in the "Business-to-Consumer Listening" category, and the "Vision Critical 2009 Panel of the Year" award.

Sounds like corporate crapola appropriate recognition for the racing that I have sacrificed enjoyed the past months of my life supporting.

Anybody remember last year (yeah, I know, that was a long time ago!), hearing about a NASCAR Fan Council being created? And we all encouraged each other to join? And nobody could because it was "already full"? Well, somehow they managed to sign up some 12,000 loyal NASCAR fans before the likes of you and I even heard of the thing, and are polling them regularly for input on how to make NASCAR better! That's right, and these lucky 12,000 are responsible for double-file restarts and more consistent start times being added to our NASCAR goodness!

And who indeed might Forrester (the guys giving out this no-doubt prestigious award) be? When you take out all the corporate-speak, they're a company who helps its customers figure out how to talk to their own customers by "social networking" means like teh interwebs. And then they pat them on the back for doing a good job. The circle of life!

Just think of it! Brian France can walk up on that stage, and the audience can begin pelting him with random items of standard banquet dinner that haven't been devoured yet (oops, my fantasy is showing. I personally would pay money just to see this, to say nothing of participating.) Sadly, I'm sure the reality will be much more polite. Now all we need to do is find out who the hallowed 12,000 are, and ask them to lobby NASCAR to let the boys race!

Your turn, happy peoples. Anybody on the NASCAR Fan Council? Can I get a "hell yeah"?

Call in to be part of the next Chrome Horn podcast!

Quick-hitter here -- we're going to give something a try that could be a lot of fun, or could crash and burn totally. Or both at once. As you (hopefully) know, we don't shut the doors here when the season ends, and one thing we'll be doing throughout the offseason is our podcasts. We'll have interviews with drivers, owners, media folks and other assorted NASCAR types, and now we're going to try something new -- a call-in segment. Here's the deal: call the Marbles Skype line at 678-389-9173 and leave us a message. You can ask a question, you can make a comment, whatever you like. (Try your best to keep it relatively clean, and remember to identify yourself.) We'll compile the best and respond to them in a special holiday podcast next week. So think up something interesting or clever to say, and you might just find yourself on a podcast. Have at it!

Get to know Dave Rogers, Kyle Busch's new crew chief

We all know Kyle Busch's team is running with a new crew chief. Seemed the perfect time to make the swap, considering the old one, Steve Addington, had just won the Wypall Crew Chief of the Week Award by helping Kyle come from 41st to finish fourth at Martinsville.

So who's the new kid in town, this Dave Rogers? Like most of the people working in NASCAR, Dave got stars in his eyes as a small child, going to local races with his dad and reveling in the thunder and excitement. Having worked hard most of his life without a whole lot to show for it, Dave Sr. wanted his boy to get a "real job." So Dave Jr. attended college and got himself a mechanical engineering degree.

But the "real jobs" out there just didn't do it for him. He went back to school and got his Master's in Mechanical Engineering from General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan. Shortly afterward he landed a job with Joe Gibbs Racing, apprenticing under the great Greg Zipadelli. He may have taken a page or two out of Chad Knaus' playbook as well, since it was Dave who was responsible for the truly inspired magnet-trick played with the JGR Nationwide cars last year. It almost seems like a shame that he got caught. But he 'fessed up and took his lumps, and still managed to take the championship in owner's points while juggling four different drivers in the #20.

Kyle and Dave made a pretty impressive showing their first week out of the box in Sprint, leading over 230 laps at Texas Motor Speedway, but ultimately falling short when Texas became a fuel-mileage race. Nascar Now did a cool interview with Dave after that race, watch it here.  And the team remained consistent at Phoenix, taking home a top 15 finish.

Maybe this will be the team that can show its heels to the 48 in 2010. Any takers?

Kasey Kahne's eyes are beginning to wander from RPM

We're inside 48 hours from the final race of the season, and with the drama all but squeezed out of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, we're forced to look elsewhere for our storylines of interest.

So thank you, Kasey Kahne, for giftwrapping this one for us. Kahne, as you know, is one of the most talented drivers on the track but one who's often suffered because of equipment that doesn't measure up to his skill level. He's entering the final year of his contract with Richard Petty Motorsports, and after this exchange during Friday's media session, it sure sounds like he'll be joining the coveted free agent class of 2010: 

How much will you try and stay in the loop with RPM management on what's going on?

Kahne: I use to try and stay in the loop and then things don't happen that they say will. At this point, I have one year left (on my RPM contract). I want to do the best job for Richard Petty Motorsports in my final year. It's up to them what happens. They do their thing and I'll do mine. All I can do is make myself better at driving race cars and communicating with Kenny Francis. If I do that, I'll be happy next season.

So you'll try and look elsewhere next year?

Kahne: Yeah.

Regardless of what happens next year, will next year be your last year with RPM?

Kahne: That's hard to say. Come January, I can start looking around; I can talk to other people. I would imagine the Gilletts are going to talk to me at that point. But as of right now, the Gilletts haven't talked to me and I'm just kind of doing my job, doing the best that I can through the end of the season. The ups and downs of the team has made it difficult for me to really say, 'Man, I'm going to be here for 10 more years.' I really don't know what's going to happen. Truthfully, I don't know what's going to happen right now.

Yeah, those don't sound like the words of a guy who's enamored of his current team, do they? If Kasey were to jump ship next year, he'd join the most stocked free-agent class in NASCAR history -- Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kurt Busch all also have contracts expiring at the end of next year. And while several of those guys won't ever take a sniff at the open market, some will -- and that's going to make 2010 a yearlong Silly Season.

Plenty of NASCAR observers have said they'd love to see what Kahne could do in top-flight equipment. Before long, he might just get his chance.

The Chrome Horn, episode 28: Richard Childress

We're back with a brand-spankin' new Chrome Horn podcast, this time featuring owner Richard Childress. He joins us for a quick visit to talk his team's disappointing seasons, his wine, his history with NASCAR and -- because these things often have a price -- his involvement with the Dial 811 program in connection with Shell to help those of you doing digging and whatnot to avoid hitting gas lines. The Dial 811 logo will adorn Kevin Harvick's ride this weekend, so you can check it out there as well.

As always, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, and recommendations on the podcast. Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or feel free to call our direct podcast line at 678-389-9173 and leave a comment or question for use on a future podcast. For now, though, click the little arrow below to play the podcast or right-click the link to download, and hit the iTunes site linked below to subscribe. Enjoy!

The Chrome Horn, episode 28: Richard Childress

The Pace Lap: The Ford 400 @ Homestead-Miami Speedway

Welcome to The Pace Lap, your catchall preview post! Let's get you started on race weekend with a metric truckload of stats, facts, opinion and innuendo.

The race: Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

The specs: 267 laps at a 1.5-mile track.

The broadcasts: ABC, plus the live chat right here on Yahoo! Sports. 

Defending champ: Carl Edwards, who made a furious charge at Johnson last year but fell short, as everyone else has in the last few years.

The standings leaders: Oh, come on. Jimmie Johnson's first and everybody else is second. That's all you need to know.

The history: The speedway was built in 1993 as a way for the area to help recover from Hurricane Andrew, and has hosted Sprint Cup racing since 1999. (First winner: Tony Stewart.) Also, I wrote this last year at this time, but I like it so I'm rerunning it here:  In marked contrast to the usual prison rec yard décor of most tracks, Homestead features swathes of aqua blue, purple, turquoise, and other art-deco colors plucked straight from South Beach. Unlike South Beach, however, nobody's hanging out the windows of the cars hollering at sexy ladies.

The appropriate video: From 2006 -- Juan Pablo Montoya had spun Ryan Newman, and Newman took his fiery revenge:

Guy with the most to gain: Same story as last week -- Mark Martin has the potential to grab the Sprint Cup, but it's not really likely. Besides him, I'd say the greatest upside belongs to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who could end a wretched season on a high note with a good run this week.

Guys with the most to lose: Jimmie Johnson, of course. He's almost certain to win the Sprint Cup -- emphasis on "almost." Somebody gets stupid at the wrong time, and it's suddenly all over for JJ. That's not really likely to happen, though.

Our pick to win: Martin. I don't think Johnson is going to surrender the Sprint Cup, but I also don't think Martin is going to go quietly. He's one of the best in the sport, and he'll prove it this weekend by making Jimmie sweat just the tiniest bit.

All right, you're up. Who's your pick for this weekend? Go!

Create-a-caption: Nobody wants Kyle's autograph

A South Beach autograph session for several NASCAR drivers! Above you can see Kyle Busch, Ron Hornaday, Carl Edwards and assorted other NASCAR luminaries ... surely you can come up with a fine caption or two for this. Enjoy!

After the jump, Junior's pit crew takes its sweet time.

Vaffanculo:
The sponsors just love the car in the stall. It's easier to read the ads.

Robert C:
Dale Jr. tells crew to take it slow, he needs a few minutes to update his Facebook status.

Juan de Nova:
Even with no other cars on the track, Junebug's crew still manages to lose him 5 spots in the pits

How Jeff Gordon could still win the Sprint Cup championship*

The Sprint Cup championship is all but sewn up for Jimmie Johnson, but there's still an outside chance Mark Martin could win. With a single race left, Mark Martin is 108 points behind Johnson. Using this points system as a guide, we break it down.

If Johnson finishes 25th or better, the Chase is over. Martin can't win even if he finishes first and leads the most laps.

If Johnson finishes 30th, Martin would have to win the race, but he could go without leading the most laps.

And if Johnson utterly bottoms out and finishes 43rd, Martin would have to finish in 7th or better, or 10th or better and lead the most laps. 

So, see? There's still hope for some drama. As Rick Minter notes over at Racin' Today, a driver has made up 108 points on another driver nine timesin NASCAR history, most recently just two weeks ago at Texas.

We're not rooting for anything bad to happen to Johnson ... but man, it'd make for a little more interesting race if it did. 

* - He can't. Sorry to tease.

Taillights fade: Looking back on David Stremme's 2009

We're getting within sight of the end of the season, and so it's time to begin our look back. In a feature shamelessly ripped from Puck Daddy's Death Watch and Big League Stew's Walk Toward The Light, we'll be counting down each and every car that fell short of the Sprint Cup this year. And yes, I know there aren't taillights on Sprint cars. It's a metaphor. Roll with it.

Driver: David Stremme

Record: 33 races, no top 10s, average finish 25.0.

Season summary: It wasn't a spectacular return to Sprint Cup for Stremme after a year's absence. Running with Sam Hornish Jr. and Kurt Busch, Stremme had trouble keeping up with the pack, and will finish the season ranked just inside the top 35.

Where it went right: Stremme posted finishes as high as 13th in the first California race and the second Michigan one. And that was really about it, unless you count getting into fights with Robby Gordon or running in that Star Trek car back in the spring.

Where it went wrong: Uh ... pretty much everywhere. He failed to finish six races, and led only 14 laps all seaon. Still, he banked more than $4 million in winnings, so it's not like the season was a total loss.

Prospects for 2010: Who knows? Stremme was bounced from his ride in favor of Brad Keselowski, a move that -- no offense to Stremme -- pretty much everybody would have done. He's been rumored to  head to Front Row Motorsports or Rusty Wallace Racing, but nothing has been confirmed.

Next up: Bobby Labonte

Related Stremme posts from 2009:
The Brad Keselowski era starts early at Penske
What's the best rivalry in NASCAR today? Is there one?

Four Wide: NASCAR's rolling into South Beach

Bringing you the best in NASCAR news and opinion. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• Considering the heat between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski, Denny's got himself an interesting Nationwide sponsor for this coming weekend. [Stock Car Spin]

• Keselowski? He's focused on finishing second in the Nationwide series race, not on Hamlin. Good luck with that. [Scene Daily]

• Could Jamo Trulli be the next F1 driver to challenge NASCAR? He took a run with Michael Waltrip, and that didn't turn him off, so there's hope! [itv.com]

• The five best hunts for the Cup. Some good ones in here. Could Sunday's join the list? [All Left Turns]

• Richard Petty's still The King, and he's still got his subjects lining up to meet him. Probably always will, too. [The State]

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter.

Junior in USA Today: 'Hang with pigs, you get dirt on you'

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is under more scrutiny than anybody in NASCAR, but interestingly, he doesn't run from the spotlight -- he stands up and takes the tough questions, week after week, time after time. USA Today's Nate Ryan has a fine, long Q&A with Junior today in which he puts a bow on his season and starts looking forward to 2010. If you're a Junior fan, this is must-reading. Some of the highlights:

• At the CMAs, he was too nervous to ask Reba McEntire to take a photo with him.

• He doesn't want to get away from racing in the offseason; quite the opposite, he'd rather be racing in December.

• Great quote about how he's getting caught up in so many wrecks because he's back in the pack: "If you hang out with pigs, you're going to get (dirt) on you."

• On running a complete race: "We're to the point now where we show up and we're fast and competitive. In races, we're running good. From now to February, we should have figured out what the hell the other problems are that are keeping us from finishing the deal."

• He laughed off his National Enquirer appearance as a "compliment," but didn't try to track down the "unnamed sources" in the story.

• On 2009: "It's been a real frustrating year, and you've got to give me a little credit, because I've been pretty good about controlling my mouth."

So there you go. Tough year for Junior, but give him credit -- he's facing up to the shortcomings of his car, his team and himself. It'll get very interesting if these problems continue on into next year, won't it?

Earnhardt Jr. strikes a hopeful tone in exclusive Q&A [USA Today]

Midnight Marbles, where it's a hideous wedding day

Because nothing's funnier than wacky NASCAR Photoshops, we bring you this, the work of reader Timid Observer -- Jimmie Johnson the bride and Mark Martin the bridesmaid. (Mark's hair looks lovely!)

This here is your regular Midnight Marbles thread, where you can discuss the events of the day or whatever else comes to mind. Suggested topic for discussion: who's your favorite for 2010?  Never too early to start making predictions!

Other than that, hang out and enjoy yourselves here, and we'll be back soon with more. Got tips/links/stories I need to check out? Hit me up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com. Seeya!

Jamie McMurray is now #1 ... on his car, at least

This is how silly season ends, not with a bang but with a long-expected and finally-confirmed move: Jamie McMurray will be driving the #1 car for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing in 2010.

McMurray, of course, was the odd man out when NASCAR laid down a four-car maximum rule for team owners. Earlier this summer, Jack Roush decided to keep David Ragan and let McMurray go, which led to the awkward scene of Roush congratulating McMurray after Jamie won the Amp Energy 500 in Talladega a couple weeks back.

The #1 has an open seat because Martin Truex Jr. hopped ship for a new ride at Michael Waltrip Racing, and McMurray fits the bill perfectly -- a talented, telegenic, sponsor-pleasing kind of driver. With everybody else spoken for, he was the marquee free agent of 2009, but with few seats available, it wasn't like he had a whole lot of choice.

In a podcast with us a few weeks back, McMurray expressed disappointment with the way that his time at Roush-Fenway had worked out. He hinted that being one of the lower men on the totem pole may have worked against him. But at EGR, he'll be teamed with Juan Pablo Montoya and will be able to grab more of the spotlight.

Hopefully McMurray's bad experience with Target won't cause any intra-team problems. (Video features a touch of bad language and one naughty gesture.)

From the Couch: Pemberton found in translation

This is great. Really great. Totally stoked. The Jays pulled some strings (no they didn't) and got me, your inherently lazy couch commentator, an interview with Robin Pemberton (well, no*). Robin Pemberton, to refresh your memory, is currently the Vice President of Competition for NASCAR, meaning his job is an oxymoron. No, I did not say he was a moron.

Anyway, the Jays worked really hard (bwahahaha) and got me this interview (again, no, they didn't), so I wanted to share with you his thoughts (as commentated by me).

Q: So, there are many opinions flying around right now about the state of NASCAR. What is your general opinion on the state of the sport?

Robin Pemberton: I think things are in pretty good shape.

Like the fence at Talladega, Jeff Gordon's car at Watkin's Glen, and Ryan Newman's undies? And what does ‘pretty good' mean anyway? It's one of those tacit phrases that really means the opposite in my book. Like, "The tofu-polenta stir fry is not bad, honey". Plus, when you add two words together that basically mean the same thing, you are lying.

I think we've had great competition this year.

You and the 48 team. Were you even watching the Daytona 500 (rain-shortened), Phoenix, Talladega (Fall), California (Spring), Kansas (all of them, ever), the Chase race, and every other single-file parade that my wet brain has already forgotten?

We have some rivalries that have developed throughout the year -

We have one rivalry: just one, not some. Granted, it's a good one, because as far as I can tell neither one of them cares.

and for the most part, I think we've had some of the best competition I can remember in my years in the sport.

Jesus, Robin, put down the pipe. JJ has run away with this thing. What year are you "in"? 1978?

Q: Yet most estimates put attendance as being off by about 15 percent. What do you attribute that to?

RP: I think it's a well-known fact that the economy has not helped things. When people have their disposable incomes reduced, they have to make choices.

But they don't have choices when their disposable income is increased?

Our fans can't come to the amount of races that they've come to in the past.

They may, however, if you deflate the price of a race - all aspects of attending a race - accordingly.

When they're able to come again, we'll be here for them to put on a good show.

I'm blushing.

Q: This sport is different from others in that so much relies on corporate sponsorship dollars. Some say next year might be worse than this year for NASCAR in that regard. Your thoughts?

RP: You know, you can speculate all you want.

Thanks, I will. But it's "your thoughts", not mine.

Next year, what we do is we plan for the worst.

Nothing like a positive attitude. I wonder if that's the 48 team's secret?

Everybody watches their budgets and runs their business.

Everybody like, say, AIG, Bear Stearns, and closer to home, GM and Chrysler?

All these teams out here, they're running their businesses the way they see fit. But I can't comment or speculate on what may or may not be out there.

Why? Helton got your tongue? Say something, for crying out loud. Be honest. Say what you mean. Some teams need help, some tracks need help, some people need help, some rules need help. You are an experienced executive of an enormous, multi-million dollar company. You must have some thoughts on the future of your business. No?

We've worked with the teams and talked to them, and we know where they all lay in terms of having to make business sense out of all this. There is not the free flow of money that there once was - but that's what America is about.

It is? It's about not having the free flowing money there once was? I'm sort of partial to the whole constitutional republic, representative democracy, free society version. The apple pie, baseball, and Elvis Presley version isn't bad, either.

It comes and it goes, and it goes in cycles.

Just like DW says, comers and goers! You are a sage, my friend.

Q: Are you concerned that there will be more start-and-park efforts to fill fields next season?

RP: We have always seen, throughout the years, a number of people who don't intend to run all the laps of a race. Or if they don't run all the laps of a race, it's OK with them.

But not me, so much, and I assume, you.

It isn't something that just came up. I saw it in the 1980s; I saw it in the '70s. And I've heard about it in other times.

Like 1880?

There are people who like to compete at a higher level. And there are some of the teams who do what they do;

Which is suck.

they put more effort toward some races than others, in terms of trying to compete. Once again, it's about their balance sheets and what they have to do.

Oh, I see, it is about the money! Finally, that's the honesty I'm looking for.

Q: Another hot issue this season was Talladega -- again. What can be done to keep the cars on the ground there?

RP: We're working on that. Like anything, many of our rules and regulations come out of a reaction. Carl [Edwards'] wreck [in the spring race, where he nearly went into the grandstands] was what it was.

Nothing. Nothing can be done. Have you ever seen a gust of wind flip over a tractor-trailer? Exactly. Boxes don't cut through the wind, particularly if they are going backwards or happen to get punched by a two-ton battering ram.

We made a change there [in terms of minor modifications to the car].

We put magnets on them!

The race track has done a job with their catch fences and stuff to further protect the race fans, and we're working right now on some things that hopefully we can put out there that will help all of that.

Chad Knaus, for example, has figured out a way to build a car with negative mass, thereby circumventing Gauss' Law and defying gravity! It's genius, but sadly, we had to ban the car from the track because the front spoiler was 1/64 of an inch low.

Q: It looks like you're going to end the year with two four-time champions -- not only Jimmie Johnson, who is poised to capture his fourth consecutive Sprint Cup title, but also in Ron Hornaday, who often is overlooked but already has clinched his fourth Camping World Truck Series title. As a guy who clearly respects the history of this sport as much as anybody, can you put those accomplishments in perspective?

Pemberton: Hornaday is a great racer. He's been around a little bit

Long bit.

and has been on all different levels throughout NASCAR. ... To still be able to compete at his high level in one of our three national series, everyone should really appreciate what he's done for the sport and what he has accomplished.

Completely agree. But here is a guy who should still be racing at the Cup level. Only the current environment doesn't allow for too many 'old guns' to play in the game. The result is a young and green driver pool, and subsequently, a collectively less skilled race. With more Ron Hornadays in your Cup races, you will have better races. From a competitive standpoint, would you rather watch the Colts play New England, or the Vikings play Detroit?

Q: What are you going to do in the off-season to relax?

RP: Work on next year. Work on stuff at the wind tunnel. Work with our guys on Daytona and Talladega.

You, my friend, are a live one.

(*Actually, it's an excerpted spoof from Joe Menzer's piece on NASCAR.com, but I think you already knew that.)

They make it 'cause we buy it: NASCAR driver nuts

No sport offers up a more bewildering array of souvenir crap memorabilia than NASCAR, and They Make It digs deep into the corners of the Internet to bring all that strangeness to light. Today: NASCAR driver nuts. Peanuts. Stop giggling.

The item: Planters' NASCAR nuts, branded with your favorite driver -- if, of course, your favorite driver happens to be Greg Biffle, David Ragan or Jamie McMurray.

The deal: What goes better together than NASCAR and peanuts? What, I ask you? And if you were going to pick three nutty drivers, wouldn't you pick David Ragan, Greg Biffle and Jamie McMurray? They're as nutty as they come! And ... and ... sweet heaven, I can't come up with any more nut-oriented jokes that wouldn't get me a call from above. On a related note -- you think the David Ragan nuts laugh at the Jamie McMurray nuts for getting bounced out of a job? Okay, your turn.

The hat tip: Reader Kinggeorge, who located these for a mere 99 cents at his local food emporium. I still don't understand why all of you are laughing. But if you can stop your giggling and you have NASCARiana of your own to send my way, email photos, site links and the like to jay.busbee@yahoo.com. Stop laughing!

Wreck of the week: Same old, same old for Junior [Updated]

At some point, you've got to start feeling a little bad for Dale Earnhardt Jr. This has been the most wretched season imaginable for NASCAR's most famous driver. On Sunday, he added to his litany of unfortunate 2009 races as he got loose in Turn 4 at Phoenix and collected some big names in the ensuing wreck, including Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte. Here, take a look:

On the radio afterward, Tony Stewart snarled, "Dammit! Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a no-talent son of a bitch!" Here, listen in:

That may cause a few hurt feelings and bruised egos. In the end, though, another ugly afternoon for Junior, who's probably going to get out of his car at Homestead when the race is over and just run, run, run away.

Four Wide: The Hendrick boys are always one-uppin' each other

Bringing you the best in NASCAR news and opinion. Get your day rolling right ... or left, whichever.

• Jimmie Johnson's competition in the Hendrick stable is what's spurring him and Chad Knaus on to higher levels every year. [Scene Daily]

• The race for the Cup isn't over yet, and you only need to look to 2004 and Kurt Busch to see how tight the final race could be. [All Left Turns]

• Fighting between drivers is fun, but is it damaging for the long-term health of the sport? [Catchfence]

• Aric Almirola is doing his best to keep his spirits up as he tries to keep his racing career afloat. [Scene Daily]

• Who do the best old-school drivers think is the best driver today? Those of you who hate Kyle Busch and Jimmie Johnson may want to skip this one. [Racin' Today]

• Do you watch NASCAR on TV but listen to the broadcasts on the radio? (Misplay. You need to watch the race and read us in the live chat.) [The Virginian-Pilot]

• Kelly Bires is going to make his debut in the No. 5 car for Junior's JR Motorsports Nationwide team this weekend at Homestead. Catch him on the way up!

Got a link/tip? Hit us up at jay.busbee@yahoo.com and follow us on Twitter. 

2010 is a rookie-less NASCAR season, so far

So Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Mark Martin are dueling for the Cup championship. Tony Stewart is right there behind them. And Dale Earnhardt Jr. is sitting in the top 5, on the cusp of a possible championship run.

What? I'm talking about this day in 2004, not 2009. 

The point being, of course, that five years ago, NASCAR looked a whole lot like it does today at the top of the standings. Guys like Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya have made their charges, but for the moment, and for the foreseeable future, it's the same dudes at the top of the standings.

Which is fine and good, everybody likes continuity. But who are the next generation of great NASCAR drivers, the post-Logano generation? (Yes, we're already using the phrase "post-Logano.") As Bob Pockrass notes in an interesting article in today's Scene Daily, we're at the final race of the 2009 season, and there's not one rookie scheduled to run in 2010 in the Sprint Cup series.

Brad Keselowski doesn't quite qualify as a rookie, having run 14 races already. And as Pockrass notes, there aren't any Nationwide drivers ready to make the step up to full Cup status. Joey Logano benefited from a patient owner in Joe Gibbs and a huge sponsorship hole left by the departure of Tony Stewart from JGR; it's not likely Logano would have run in a Sprint Cup ride had Smoke never left.

Pockrass points to a more ominous development -- that the lack of rookies is a result of a lack of sponsorship of Nationwide and Truck Series drivers. The sponsors' reluctance to throw money at Nationwide drivers is understandable; Sprint Cup drivers have owned the Nationwide circuit, and there's not a whole lot of room -- or money -- for young up-and-comers to develop. And with the economy the way it is, it doesn't look like things will be changing anytime soon.

So, yeah ... if you're not crazy about the current crop of NASCAR leaders, you might want to rethink your position.

State of developing drivers a bigger concern [Scene Daily]

Wreck of the week: Same old, same old for Junior

At some point, you've got to start feeling a little bad for Dale Earnhardt Jr. This has been the most wretched season imaginable for NASCAR's most famous driver. On Sunday, he added to his litany of unfortunate 2009 races as he got loose in Turn 4 at Phoenix and collected some big names in the ensuing wreck, including Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte. Here, take a look:

On the radio afterward, Tony Stewart reportedly called Earnhardt a "no-talent s.o.b." -- I wasn't listening, so I'm not sure if he used the abbreviation or the full words, and if anybody's got copy of that audio, by all means, get it on over here!

In the end, though, another ugly afternoon for Junior, who's probably going to get out of his car at Homestead when the race is over and just run, run, run away. 

Cher's got Kyle, babe: The oddest celeb charity pair ever

Quick-hitter for you here -- spotted this ad for some kind of charitable gala in Miami Thursday night, featuring -- of all people -- Cher and Kyle Busch. Wha ... ? (Also slated to attend: Helio Castroneves and DJ Jazzy Jeff, who's a nice guy as long as you don't mention that whole Fresh Prince thing to him.)

Sure, Cher doesn't seem like a good match for NASCAR, but think about it -- she's been rebuilt more times than one of Robby Gordon's cars, and at this point her makeup/plastic surgery team probably works as quickly as any pit crew.

Seriously, the charity is to benefit Operation Helmet, which helps provide helmet upgrades to combat troops, so it's a good cause. And it's exclusive, too -- only people who visit their website and pay $125 to $250 for a ticket are invited. Get to it!

Jeff Burton putting it all together as everything wraps up

One of the most inexplicable elements of this entire 2009 season has been the sudden, precipitous drop of Richard Childress Racing from near the summit of NASCAR to ... well, not the bottom ... maybe a low-level base camp? Yeah, that works.

Anyway, by now you know the deal. Three guys -- Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer -- in the Chase last year, exactly zip this year, with only Bowyer putting up anything resembling a fight. It's been a rough nine months for RCR ... but at last there's starting to be some light at the end of the tunnel, and not just because the season's almost over.

Chief among them: Jeff Burton has quietly been running some very good races. He recorded his third straight top-10 finish Sunday at Phoenix, and it was by far his most impressive run of the year, storming as he did from a 36th-place starting spot to a second-place finish. And since the winner was Jimmie Johnson, that basically counts as a victory for Burton anyway.

USA Today notes that Burton's turnaround coincides neatly with the late-October crew switcheroo that put Todd Berrier atop Burton's pit box and moved previous crew chief Scott Miller to an administrative role in RCR. Berrier had begun the season on Harvick's box, then moved to Mears, setting what has to be some kind of record for most different drivers chiefed (is that the right word?) in a season.

"We're building on something," Burton said after the race. "We're working hard on our equipment, working hard on our communication, working hard on paying attention to how I drive. Everybody's looking at themselves in the mirror, and the results are showing."

If 2010 sees the return of several RCR cars to the Chase, then 2009 will be forgotten in a hurry ... exactly as Burton and the rest would like it.

Burton, Childress team make strides after crew overhauls [USA Today]