(dis)believe the dialogue: Weekly news in review

After all the speculation about "road warriors" dominating Watkins Glen, doesn't seem ironic that Boris Said and Ron Fellows finished behind Jimmy Spencer?

And that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished third, while also leading laps?

Testing does wonders, apparently.

And maybe we have seen a changing of the guard, with the "other" Gordon sweeping the road courses this season.

Interesting stuff.

On to this week's analysis ...

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

Does Ryan Newman have the right to complain about safety response? Absolutely. Because -- like he said -- "It's my butt that's sitting in that race car."

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Should Newman be airing his dirty laundry in front of the media?

I don't think so.

Maybe we have entered into an era where the young guns feel that they can say what they want, when they want, because they are the future of the sport and have that right.

To me, that seems unprofessional and borderline disrespectful.

Upset or not, I think it would have been more appropriate for Newman to call Mike Helton over to the big red truck to voice his displeasure with the Watkins Glen safety crew. Discuss the issue in private, and then see if it is worth mentioning to the media.

Everyone (teams, drivers, owners, fans, NASCAR, etc.) wants to improve this sport, but the communication about changes shouldn't start with a microphone in a driver's face.

Once that happens, it just seems that drivers start to gang up on NASCAR to try and force change.

First it was the gentleman's agreement. Now, it is traveling safety crews.

What's next? Making the rulebook public? Haha

Marty: BELIEVE

Okay, Elliott, how about a hypothetical?

Let's say you were more than 200 pounds, strapped into a mobile sardine can by a five-point harness, head and neck restraint and an enveloping seat that wraps your bulky frame like a straightjacket.

And let's say you're cruising towards a hairpin turn at 120 mph, but when you slam on the brakes to enter the corner, you lose control, hit a wall and flip in a way that eliminates the only escape route possible.

And for good measure, let's just say you're on fire.

How are you going to react when the only individuals capable of extracting you from the cage take more than a minute to respond? I'd venture to say you'd lean towards irate.

I know I would, and I'd tell the world about it until something was done to correct it.

Newman was trapped, with absolutely no escape unless someone lent a helping hand. And they took entirely too long. We should just be humbled and thankful that he wasn't on fire.

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Marty: BELIEVE

Today's NASCAR is put up or change up, a never-ending carousel of personnel changes in search of that all-important perfect chemistry. And right now, neither the No. 30 nor the No. 22 have it.

Park said last weekend that if he performs well through season's end, he's confident he'll get the ride. Childress backed that up. It's a fair assessment, but honestly, I don't see it happening.

	Will Steve Park be piloting the No. 30 car in 2004? Credit: Autostock

RCR is the hotter than Angelina Jolie in that Tomb Raider getup and you know AOL wants what Goodwrench and Cingular currently have.

Soon, they'll demand it, if they aren't already.

For that to happen, something needs to change. Park is still 32nd in points, and in the 11 races since he joined RCR he has finished in the top 25 just three times. The scary thing for Park and his fans is that he's been in DEI cars and RCR cars. The equipment doesn't get much better.

Burton?

It's definitely time for him to look elsewhere. He's been with Bill Davis since I was in high school, and they've slowly declined each year since 2000 when Burton finished in the top 10 for the second-straight year and scored a career-high 17 top-10s.

He finished 25th in the standings last year. This year he's 20th.

Time to put up or change up, I'd say.

Elliott: BELIEVE

	Mike Skinner was an early victim of "silly season." Credit: Autostock

This season might be shaping up to be the silliest of the silly seasons ever. The biggest news at the end of 2002 was the driver swap between Ricky Rudd and Elliott Sadler -- we already had that back in May with Steve Park and Jeff Green swapping seats.

Then Petty released John Andretti. Then Morgan-McClure fired Mike Skinner. Then Jack Sprague was out of the No. 0 Pontiac.

Now some Robert Yates fans want Dale Jarrett's head.

And that takes us up to Richard Childress, who is still "deciding" what to do with Park next season.

Come on, if Park was the guy, he would have a contract already. Considering the recent dominance we have seen out of the No. 29 and No. 31, it is clear some changes will be made with the No. 30. Cut out the games.

My little silly prediction: Burton is currently sitting down with his daughter learning how to send AOL instant messages to Childress, and the conversation isn't about hunting.

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Elliott: BELIEVE

Richard Childress Racing has the two hottest drivers out there right now, period.

	Is Robby Gordon the new road course king? Credit: Autostock

Who is sitting 10th in the points in front of Tony Stewart, Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin? Oh, wait, it is that "other" Gordon, Robby.

With his win Sunday at Watkins Glen, Gordon has finished in the top 10 in five of the last seven races, which also includes a victory at Sonoma.

Sure, Gordon naysayers complain that all he can do is drive road courses, but last I checked the point system rewards drivers for consistency at all types of tracks.

Then there is that kid named Kevin Harvick, who still has the taste of those bricks he kissed over at Indianapolis on his lips. And he is currently fifth in the point standings. And he also has five top 10s over the last seven races, matching Gordon's performance. Wow.

Need more proof? This time last year Harvick sat 24th in the points, and Gordon sat 21st.

You do the math.

Marty: BELIEVE

When the game is road course racing, it's Gordon vs. Gordon for all the marbles. Jeff and Robby are in a league of their own on road courses, and when Robby gets out front, his calculated, cautious-aggressive approach to driving with the lead is impressive to watch. He's made a believer out of me.

If you'd told me he would be in the hunt for a top-10 finish at year's end, I'd have hinted it was time to start opening the garage door before starting your car.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writers.