(dis)believe the dialogue: Weekly news in review

Here's to the safety crews for getting to Elliott Sadler so quickly after his Talladega wreck, and another pair of thumbs up for the safety equipment itself. Only a week removed from that horrific crash, Sadler will drive at Kansas this weekend.

And continuing our Ryan Newman "what if" points watch, he would currently be second in the points, 254 points behind Matt Kenseth, if he had finished just 20 positions higher in races 8-11 (when he finished 38th or worse four straight times).

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: BELIEVE

Anyone who didn't see this coming hasn't been watching this sport close enough.

This just goes to show you that sometimes-great ingredients don't equal a great pie. Let's look at the pieces...

	Another year, another pilot for the No. 30 AOL Chevy. Credit: Autostock

1. America Online -- very recognizable, large consumer brand and the No. 30 primary sponsor

2. Steve Park -- very likeable and popular driver who is more a veteran than new kid on the block when it comes to track experience and tenure in the sport

3. Richard Childress Racing -- clearly one of NASCAR's top teams. Kevin Harvick currently sits second in the points, while teammate Robby Gordon sits 12th, and between them they have accumulated 14 top-5s and 3 wins in 2003.

So what went wrong?

There are probably too many different perspectives to really get to the heart of it, but it seems that when these relationships fall apart that chemistry is the culprit.

All I know is that the No. 30 car is currently 31st in the standings (32nd in owner points), after finishing 18th in the owner standings in 2002, and on-track results are the key to keeping sponsors engaged in this sport.

Unfortunately for Park, it was time for AOL to say "Goodbye."

Marty: BELIEVE

Steve Park needs a change.

For the past two years -- ever since he returned from a career-threatening accident suffered in early September 2001 -- he has been under the inevitable microscope that coincides with driving a high-profile ride. His lack of competitiveness didn't suit Pennzoil or AOL. Both sponsors are miserable. Both demanded change, and Park joins a list of accomplished drivers in the unemployment line.

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I hope Park lands in a pressure-free environment with someone that truly believes in him - even if that means taking a step back to the Busch Series. That way he can relax and start enjoying his job again.

Ricky Craven is the perfect example for Park to follow. Like Park, Craven's career was left for dead after he suffered a head injury. But he fought back, returned in mediocre equipment and scrapped his way back to a great race team.

Now he's a winner again, up front every week with a bunch of guys that believe in him.

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Elliott: DIS

Maybe Wells needs to have a one-on-one with Alan Greenspan because last I checked the economy was still sluggish.

In an age where DEI and Roush Racing are both struggling to secure sponsorships for some of their cars (No. 1 and No. 99, respectively), it seems a bit ludicrous to me to start a second team because you think that will help propel the first team into better success.

	Should Wells make another team for Nemechek in 2004? Credit: Autostock

As an alternative, I love the way Roush Racing has been handling their DeWalt/Smirnoff sponsorships. Why not take an approach like that, where you give another sponsor the primary spot for a set amount of races a year.

That puts more money in the till and doesn't have all the repercussions of adding more team head count, and for that matter another driver that can tear up more equipment.

Further, while Nemechek certainly has veteran experience, he is even lower in the points and has fewer top-10 finishes than Wells' current driver Ricky Craven.

Multi-car teams seem to breed multi-car problems, and when your current program isn't even in the top-20 in points, it seems counter-productive to look at adding another one because you "think" it will help.

Marty: BELIEVE

Sure, Wells failed miserably with his first multi-car experiment. But let's face it, there's really no room for single-car operations any longer in Winston Cup racing.

True single-car teams like Wells' only get five tests on sanctioned tracks from which to draw vital information. Hendrick Motorsports gets 20, Roush Racing 25. If it's not a short track, Craven has no chance.

He can beat and bang his way to victory - see Darlington, Spring 2003 and Martinsville, Fall 2002 - but if aerodynamics play even the smallest role he's done before he ever starts. How can a team that gets 20 hours of track testing time compete with a team that gets 100 hours?

Put simply, they can't.

And it's all numbers. Few teams enjoy the chemistry that the No. 32 guys do. Give them those extra 20 hours of test time and look out.

The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writers.