'Slugger' Labbe, left, was a driving force behind Michael Waltrip's plate-racing success at DEI. Credit: Autostock

Track Smack: Offseason

How do you like the current temperature of Silly Season? We've had some moves lately -- in fact, weekly. What do you think about what's shaken out lately, and what's next?

Lee Montgomery -- The temperature is moderate. These aren't major moves, though I'm guessing Brendan Gaughan would disagree. Anyway, it wasn't really fair for Gaughan, but I guess that's the state of business today.

Duane Cross -- The Silly Season headlines have been dominated by guys who don't get as much face time on TV -- Steve Addington, Slugger Labbe, the Eurys. We touched on it last week, but it seems those are the movers and shakers.

Marty Smith -- It's been pretty lukewarm, if you ask me. Then again, I've been out of the country for a week. I think Travis Kvapil is a good fit at Penske, but Gaughan didn't get enough time to properly acclimate himself to the Cup Series.

Dave Rodman -- It shows that hardly anybody is standing pat -- or is willing to sit still and fall any further behind. It all shows that drivers might get that face time, but what drives a team is not all about the guy driving the car.

Duane Cross -- The big-name drivers are holding status quo. There is a little movement within the less experienced drivers, but teams seem to be making a push toward locking up the guys who can get a driver into the Chase.

Marty Smith -- The biggest moves have come on pit crews. Slugger Labbe and Chris Andrews will improve Evernham's speedway program tremendously.

Duane Cross -- Evernham is taking no prisoners, it seems. He wants to do more than make the Chase; he wants to win it -- as does every other team owner -- but Ray is putting his money where his mouth is.

Marty Smith -- Judging by the e-mail I've been wading through all morning, fans are surprised by the Eurys' respective moves from the 8 car. Dale Jr. told me in New York that it was time and that he and Tony Jr. both mutually felt it was time to try something new.

Marty Smith -- Junior says he's really impressed with Rondeau. They worked together in the Busch Series some, and Junior was impressed.

Dave Rodman -- And you know what the craziest thing is? As we saw this year, the strangest, teeniest things can mean the difference between the outhouse and the penthouse. There's all this personnel moving and shifting around and who knows what it will all mean.

Ray Evernham is flanked by Jeremy Mayfield, left, and Kasey Kahne. Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith -- Labbe's addition to Evernham will be huge, Rodman. Guaranteed.

Lee Montgomery -- I'm still surprised DEI shuffled him out.

Marty Smith -- With what Kahne and Tommy are doing already, throw in that kind of speedway knowledge and look out.

Lee Montgomery -- And Kenny Francis isn't going anywhere. A really smart guy, he is.

Marty Smith -- A lot of folks don't know how integral Labbe was in the DEI plate dominance era. He was a major player.

Dave Rodman -- Yup -- that could be an instant hero or zero situation at DEI. The real interesting thing -- given DEI's restrictor plate success recently -- is that Slugger made a big point of saying at the beginning of this year that virtually no one had left the organization in several years. Now, one of the top cogs switches.

Duane Cross -- So far, that's the biggest move of the off-season: Labbe to Evernham, even more so than the crew changes at DEI. Evernham didn't have a top-20 finish in a restrictor-plate race in 2004. That will change -- maybe as soon as Daytona.

Dave Rodman -- I think the Chase -- or the misfortune of the Chase -- really masked how much improvement that 19 team had made. Putting Kenny in a slightly different role and getting Slugger back up on the box could be big for Jeremy.

Marty Smith -- The interesting thing, to me, about the Eurys leaving the 8 is the timing. For the first time they were a true championship contender, and a threat to win most every week. They finally gain that vital consistency as a cohesive unit, and they decide to break it up. That was very interesting, to me.

Lee Montgomery -- Yeah, we touched on that some last week. Be weird for Junior to have someone else in his ear.

Marty Smith -- I'm sorry, guys. I was sipping on spiced rum this time last week.

Brendan Gaughan -- out of the No. 77 Kodak Dodge. Credit: Autostock

Dave Rodman -- Aaahh -- you got three jealous dudes reminiscing there, for sure.

Duane Cross -- Since Junior is that comfortable with Rondeau, DEI is looking to build on its success across the board -- with Junior and Michael Waltrip. That's something that cannot be overlooked, and will bear itself out in due time.

Marty Smith -- I wish Kvapil well in the 77, but I still feel like Brendan's getting the shaft. He wasn't given proper time. Look at Casey Mears. Ganassi held onto him, and he was by far the most improved driver, overall, from '03 to '04.

Marty Smith -- More on that Thursday in a column.

Is diversity in NASCAR the real deal -- and can Erin Crocker be the first to make something big happen in this era?

Dave Rodman -- I think it's important to point out that it's a whole new era for NASCAR when it comes to diversity. There's more emphasis put on it and more notice given to it.

Lee Montgomery -- Is diversity the real deal? Not yet. One look down pit road will tell you it's not. But I think things are genuinely changing. Crocker is the latest in a series of positive steps. She's good, but will she make it in Cup? Boy, who knows?

Marty Smith -- Diversity in NASCAR isn't just about having drivers of varying ethnicities and genders in the seat. It's about executives and crewmembers and vendors, too. I've spoken with some folks about Crocker, folks who know good drivers when they see them. They swear she's legit.

Lee Montgomery -- Personally, I'd like to see Sarah Fisher in a stock car. She's got some talent.

Erin Crocker

Duane Cross -- The diversity issue is a thorny road to walk for NASCAR. No matter which way the sport goes -- toward women or minorities -- someone is going to complain. All NASCAR can do is give the chance. If someone fails, so be it.

Lee Montgomery -- Agreed. There shouldn't be a quota system in this sport, and there's not. But if you've got talent, you should be given the opportunity to show it.

Dave Rodman -- Having said that, you still have to have the talent to make something happen. Just putting cardboard stand-ups in place to say you're diverse obviously is just window dressing. The players -- whether drivers or mechanics -- still have to make it happen.

Marty Smith -- That's the bottom line. These folks are being given opportunities to excel, but to make it successful they must capitalize on them.

Duane Cross -- The opportunity, that's the key. And so far NASCAR has been more than willing to address opportunities for diversity. Whether or not someone makes the most of those opportunities is either their make-or-break.

Dave Rodman -- It's odd the way that not much in the way of corporate America has stepped up to make it any easier for women and other minorities to have a shot -- but all you have to do is look at all the other good drivers who are in the same boat to see that diversity has not much to do with a general lack of money -- or interest.

EMAIL Lee Dave Duane MartDawg

Duane Cross -- Now, whether Erin Crocker will be the first one to make the most of her opportunity remains to be seen. But there are a lot worse places to try to break in than with Ray Evernham's group. It's up to her to make the most of it.

Dave Rodman -- That's it, Duane -- bottom line is she'll have the best stuff -- now she just has to run it to the front, and she's proven she can do that, already.

Marty Smith -- One point needs to be made, here. It takes money to race -- tons of it. That's where NASCAR and corporate American can help out. Give promising young drivers and crewmen some financial backing and see if they can do it. Without money, they'll never have a shot.

Dave Rodman -- I think it would be cool if Erin got a chance to work on the race team when she wasn't driving. After all, she's a freakin' engineer and should be given a chance to diversify.

Is it time to change the rules for Bud Shootout qualifying by deleting the "old-timers" that get spots by virtue of being former champions of the event?

Lee Montgomery -- Nah, leave 'em in. It's just for fun anyway.

Dave Rodman -- Naw. It's a special event. That's one aspect that makes it special. More cars -- and more personalities -- make it a little bit more special, yet.

Geoff Bodine won the Bud Shootout in 1992. Credit: Autostock

Marty Smith -- It's time to change qualifying for the Daytona 500, that's for sure. Run the 125s and line 'em up by how they finish in those races. Single-car qualifying for the Daytona 500 is a waste of time and money. As for the question asked: no, it's fine as-is.

Duane Cross -- Yes, it's time to make the Shootout what it was intended to be: a competition among the best. Geoff Bodine in the Shootout for something he did before electricity was invented? C'mon.

Dave Rodman -- For a number of years, now, the qualifying formats for the events formerly known as The Winston and the Bud Shootout have been tweaked to maximize the number of eligible drivers. That's a good thing for the fans, I think.

Dave Rodman -- But if you take the tack that you never forget how to drive -- if you're once the best -- then you're always the best. How's that for politically correct?

Duane Cross -- I had to be one voice of dissention.

Lee Montgomery -- We can never agree on everything. Or something like that.

Duane Cross -- But fans don't want to see a whole bunch of racers out there going in circles. They want to see the drivers making a dash for the flag -- all in a group, all equally competitive. This crap of just being honored to be in the field is horse manure.

Marty Smith -- Beware, Duane. Bill Elliott fans all over the world are gonna be after you now.

Lee Montgomery -- It's not like any of the "old-timers" is going to win, anyway.

Duane Cross -- If they aren't going to be competitive, why have 'em in the race?

Marty Smith -- Duane, plate racing is 99 percent car, one percent driver.

Bill Elliott won the Bud Shootout in 1987. Credit: Autostock

Duane Cross -- Bill's fans can bring it with the best of 'em, no doubt -- but his days as a driver who can consistently compete -- even in a supposed all-star event -- are behind him.

Dave Rodman -- Ouch. Let's close the door with that one before the battering rams come into play.

Lee Montgomery -- That's duane.cross@turner.com.

Duane Cross -- RE: Old-timers -- exactly, so why have 'em in there mucking up the field? Let's have an old-timer's race, if that's the case, if fans just want to see them "one more time."

Dave Rodman -- Oh yeah -- quarter-mile at Lowe's. That event was priceless, if you take out the price of sheet metal.

Marty Smith -- No, we won't print Duane's home address.

Duane Cross -- Everyone hates "field fillers." That's what some of these guys are.

• Click here for complete Bud Shootout lineup.

Opinions are those of the writers.