(dis)believe the dialogue: Weekly news in review

Another week, another Kurt Busch "bump-and-run." The real question is was it just another "racing deal" or does Busch need to talk to Tony Stewart about anger management classes?

And once again, Matt Kenseth survives a possible dent to his points lead by leaving Bristol with yet another top-five finish. Wow.

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?

Click here to read the story

Elliott: BELIEVE

VIDEO CLIPS Kurt Busch gets into the back of Sterling Marlin Play video

"I don't guess Spencer got him (Busch) hard enough." Classic quote from a usually calm and collected Sterling Marlin, who absolutely had reason to gripe about being punted by Busch on Saturday night.

What I find hard to believe is that the only message conveyed to Busch following the incident was from his crew chief instructing him to "calm down." If that were Kevin Harvick from 2002, he would have been parked, especially after his other on-track incidents.

	Sterling Marlin wasn't too happy about his run-in with Kurt Busch at Bristol.

Sure, Busch apologized after the fact, mainly just to cover his butt, in my opinion. Yes, this is Bristol and guys are going to bump and bang, but Marlin was trying to move over and give up second spot and Busch just ran him over, period.

Obviously there is no clear-cut definition of what a probation violation is, as it will be a subjective decision for NASCAR, but when will the "I'm sorry" excuse no longer buy Busch a free pass?

Marty: DIS

It's readily obvious that Busch's peers aren't overly keen on him right now. His arrogance has irritated various folks for some time now, and it ultimately earned him a dotted eye. There's no question he screwed up royally by getting into Sterling on Saturday night. He just plain wrecked him.

EMAIL Email Elliott Email Marty

But I'll be honest, I was there during Busch's post-race interview, and for the first time ever I saw a sincere apology spill from his lips. Whether or not he was sucking up, to me, is irrelevant. He meant it. His apology was legit. That's all you can ask for, regardless how stupid the screw up was.

Plus, Sterling will get him back. Ask Jimmie Johnson.

Click here to read the story

Elliott: DIS

If you see a someone standing outside your favorite race track holding up a sign that reads "The end is near!", let's be clear, he isn't referring to life on Earth as we know it.

	The face of our next champion? Credit: Autostock

Unless Matt Kenseth has a catastrophic conclusion to this season, this points race is over, end of story. Lady Destiny has appeared twice for Kenseth already this season -- once when he blew a tire right before pit road at Sonoma, and once at Bristol on Saturday night when he had a tire going down as a caution came out. It is meant to be.

Typically I am the guy boasting about how statistics prove a point, and sure guys like Darrell Waltrip and Alan Kulwicki came back from huge points deficits historically, but times are different now.

The level of competition, multi-car team information and the simple parity amongst race teams these days are just not going to allow a huge deficit to be overcome.

Come November, there will be a lot of celebratory Smirnoff Ice being sprayed around that stage in Homestead-Miami. Count (your points) on it.

Marty: DIS

Three hundred fifty one points. Twelve races to go. Goodness. No driver has ever held such a commanding lead and squandered it, and Kenseth won't be the first. The stars are aligned for this guy. Hell, he could stay at home next weekend and still hold a 166-point lead -- even if Junior won and led the most laps. In the 24 races this year, he's finished outside the top-10 just five times and, more impressively, has finished 6,614 of 6,615 laps.

As Elliott so eloquently said, Kenseth has dodged some bullets in 2003. The one he failed to mention, however, was the Roush Racing engine debacle. Kenseth and Greg Biffle are the only Roush drivers not to suffer an engine failure this year.

Don't be surprised if Starr Jones is singing a little ditty in the next Payless ad you see.

Click here to read the story

Marty: BELIEVE

Bad as I hate to admit it, the Busch Series simply can't offer sponsors a sterling investment return at this point, even when the team is a perennial power like ppc Racing. It's truly mind-boggling to me.

	With Albertson's leaving the No. 57, where does that leave Keller? Credit: Autostock

The series produces excellent competition and presently boasts a points race that could be won by any one of five different guys. But if the field's not full of Winston Cup drivers, the interest just isn't there.

When ppc, loaded with talented crewmen and a pair of elite drivers, loses both sponsors in the span of a couple of months, you know something is direly wrong. If ppc is unable to secure sponsorship soon, other teams will be licking their chops. Drivers like Keller and Scott Riggs don't come available every day.

Elliott: DIS

I am going to remain consistent with my theme of DISing sponsors leaving the sport, which currently include companies like CITGO, Pennzoil, Hooters, NesQuik, and now Albertson's.

Why does this sport continue to hemorrhage sponsors? All NASCAR does is talk about fan growth, new market opportunities and a great broadcast package, yet major team sponsors in all three series continue to drop out. Why?

What do these CEOs know that we don't?

You can't tell me that a relationship with NASCAR isn't paying off. Nextel didn't drop double-digit millions to replace Winston next year just to sell some phones. Sunoco didn't spend millions to replace 76 starting next year just to sell a few extra gallons of gas.

Obviously the CEOs of those two companies see something that these team sponsors don't, especially when two of top four Busch Series championship contenders don't have sponsors for 2004.

Maybe NASCAR should have a "Sponsorship for Dummies" seminar for companies considering leaving the sport. That might stop the bleeding and keep our series healthy.

Click here to read the story

Marty: BELIEVE

I don't blame Jeff one iota for keeping his mouth shut on this deal. It does him absolutely no good to throw fuel on a smoldering fire by offering comment about the story. This is dead. It's stupid. I read the article, and regardless its validity seemed little more than means for an attention-starved young lady to get her 15 minutes of fame.

Elliott: DIS

	Jeff Gordon

Jeff, listen, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. It is a shame that a product of becoming a public figure is the sacrifice of your privacy, but that is par for the course with fame.

Unfortunately the separation and divorce was played out in supermarket rags and talk shows, but every hetero guy in America is standing behind you, patting you on the back. Deanna Merryman is HOT. It is cool to say it!

Maybe it is "not worth commenting on" because you want to do the gentlemanly thing and not "kiss and tell," but hey, can't we just live vicariously through you for one second? Please?

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writers.