(dis)believe the dialogue: Weekly news in review

Wow, a lot has happened since Marty and Elliott argued about the weekly news -- CITGO leaves Jeff Burton, a title sponsor change is coming and Mike Skinner got released. Guess you will have to come back next Wednesday to read their opinions on these significant events. And we thought teams shutting down and tracks losing dates was big news ...

See if you agree with the "DIS" of what has been reported, or maybe you BELIEVE everything you read, because if it is printed, it is true ... right?

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Elliott: DIS

	Barrett compiled 4 top-5 finishes before his team suspended operations. Credit: Autostock

OK, let me get this straight. The No. 60 car, which Stanton Barrett inherited from Greg Biffle's title-winning team of 2002, suspended operations but was deemed a "successful marketing test." Uh huh.

Granted Barrett is no Biffle yet, but he did have 10 top-20 finishes, including four top-fives, and was showing improvement. Roush Racing's statement says that "(Barrett) definitely deserves a chance for a full-time ride with a top team." How does it get much better than Roush Racing?

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Stanton, Good luck with Spiderman 2. Hopefully you can swing your way back into the racing web for a team that wants you when you are done filming.

Marty: DIS

I understand the importance of sponsorship, and it's a simple fact that in a situation like this where the owner isn't getting paid, most would have to shut the doors. But not Jack Roush.

Roush Racing could field Barrett's team as a tax write-off. All they'd need to do is put the JR's Garage logo on the hood and have at it. A championship team closing the doors 15 races after they lifted the trophy? I'm not sure, but I'd bet that's unprecedented.

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Elliott: DIS

This is another sponsorship failure that baffles me. Hooters isn't selling enough buffalo wings and beers to google-eyed sports fans in their restaurants that they can't help good ol' Brett Bodine out for the rest of the season, even on a very limited schedule? That really disappoints me, especially after how long Hooters has been involved in this sport.

	Brett Bodine's No. 11 will now have to find a replacement for Hooters. Credit: Autostock

Unfortunately for Bodine, he went out with a bang during practice on Saturday, but that certainly got Hooters some exposure! Bodine should have taken the hint from Shawna Robinson -- have an all-female pit crew!

Marty: BELIEVE

Though it seems unfair, the little guy has little place in today's Winston Cup. We all know that lack of money means lack of performance, and Hooters finally got tired of never seeing their brand on air or in print.

They have nothing against Brett, they're just not seeing a return on their investment. At the end of the day, it's a business, and losing money isn't the most intelligent business venture.

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Elliott: BELIEVE

Having tradition is no longer a tradition. The Redskins don't play at RFK any more. Ebbets Field is now apartments. Heck, the hallowed ground the Pittsburgh Steelers' "steel curtain defense" used to play on at Three Rivers was turned to dust.

This move is for the betterment of the sport as it continues to try and expand its reach and be mentioned in the same breath as baseball and football as "big time" sports. With what seems like 15 trillion people living in the Los Angeles area, there is no doubt they will sell out both events, and the TV broadcasters, as well as the fans, will love the availability of another night race. Good move, NASCAR.

Marty: DIS

Try again, Elliott. While I agree that NASCAR expansion depends on penetration into major markets, you can't compare RFK and Three Rivers to Rockingham and North Wilkesboro. The fans in Pittsburgh still have the opportunity to see the same amount of games now that they did then, live in their backyard.

Whether it's Three Rivers Stadium or Heinz Field is irrelevant. THEY'RE BOTH STILL IN PITTSBURGH. Moving race dates out of North Carolina in favor of California rips events away from fans in the Southeastern states.

That said, this move will allow ISC to sell 100,000 more tickets and 17 million more beers. And that's what it's all about anyway. ISC vice president John Saunders said it himself, that selling tickets is the major determining factor behind the decision.

And the tradition deal? You're crazy if you think it's gone forever. The Yankees still don't have names on their shirts. Notre Dame either. The Chicago Bears still wear the same uniform style they had in 1950. Clemson football players still rub the stone and the Fighting Irish want to "Play Like a Champion Today."

Tradition is everywhere, man, and its embraced. Ask anyone within a 1,000-mile radius of Darlington, S.C.

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Marty: BELIEVE

This is simple: Junior was pissed off because he finished seventh when he thought he was going to finish fourth. He lost points to Kenseth when he was sure to gain a few. So he vented his frustration by knocking the rear bumper off of Kenseth's car and knocking the entire grill out of the No. 8 car.

	Kenseth is all smiles as he continues to lead the points. Credit: Autostock

In hindsight, Junior probably looks back and wishes he didn't react that way. All that did was create five extra hours of work for the boys back at the shop.

He said if that's the way Matt wants to battle, that's how they'll battle. I'm all for that. We need some people pissed off at each other out there.

Elliott: DIS

Marty, Junior is supposed to be this maturing, professional NASCAR driver. He was only mad at Kenseth for giving him a taste of his own medicine -- like when Big E got mad at Jeremy Mayfield for stealing a win from him.

We all know that a few points here or there are extremely valuable for the championship (just ask Mark Martin), but getting mad at a fellow competitor for schooling you, and using your car as the weapon, is just not the kind of behavior we should see out of a top star in this sport.