Casey Mears' potential move to the No. 25 car could turn what has been a cloudy history into a bright future. Credit: Autostock

Last Lap: Will we know?

One of the more intriguing subplots in the Brian Vickers departure/Casey Mears arrival speculation surrounding Hendrick Motorsports is the manner in which it initially unfolded in 2002.

	MARTY SMITH •   E-mail Marty •   Opinion Archive

Sources close to HMS say that Mears, not Vickers, was in fact team owner Rick Hendrick's first choice to replace his son in the No. 5 Busch Series entry.

But all said contractual hang-ups, deference to his son's intuition -- Vickers was Ricky Hendrick's choice of the two -- and Vickers' persistence resulted in Vickers getting the job.

By year's end Vickers was the Busch Series champion and the organizational choice to replace Joe Nemechek in the No. 25 Nextel Cup Series car.

All was well, and Rick Hendrick was pleased and impressed with his son's foresight. At 20 years old, Vickers was the youngest NASCAR champion ever.

The immediate return on investment, though, created lofty expectations in the Nextel Cup Series. Despite several near-miss performances Vickers is yet to win. And considering the success his teammates have enjoyed simultaneously, some consider that a disappointment.

That's not fair, but that's the perception.

Regardless, it's difficult to believe Vickers' stock would be significantly higher even if he were a Cup Series winner. As ridiculous as that sounds, it's true.

	Casey Mears said he was trying to work out a deal to keep him at Ganassi, but that was before a spot with Hendrick opened. Credit: Autostock
	MEARS/VICKERS HEADLINES •   Mears, Vickers begin search for new ride for 2007 •   Vickers: Performance not there for him in No. 25 car •   Mears' likely destination will be Hendrick's 25 car

Young, experienced, media- and sponsor-savvy drivers are scarcely available at present, and thus invaluable to teams eager to woo a big-money financial-backer.

Red Bull/Toyota and Robert Yates Racing are throwing big money his way. Red Bull's marketing platform obviously targets 18-to-34. Vickers is perfect. Yates could be searching for a sponsor if, as reported, UPS opts out.

Or, could Vickers possibly be the lynchpin to which UPS seeks to hitch The Truck? Is he what Yates needs to lure UPS back?

Vickers is in an enviable position. Like Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch and Jamie McMurray before him, he recognized the lack of depth -- perceived or otherwise -- in the driver pool and sought to take advantage of the opportunity for greener pastures competitively and financially.

I don't know that it was an easy decision. Vickers' history at HMS, though brief from a time standpoint, goes well beyond the racetrack. He was among Ricky Hendrick's closest friends, as was Mears.

Vickers also admits that if he'd lost out on that opportunity back in 2002, he'd have packed up the helmet and gone to college. His family-owned team was running out of money.

But because he won the ride, he'll never be out of money again.

He said he and the No. 25 team have failed. The performance isn't there. Some chastise him for being ungrateful.

Denny Hamlin led a race-high 83 laps to get his first Nextel Cup victory. Credit: Autostock

Pocono 500 Unofficial Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Denny Hamlin Chevy 2. Kurt Busch Dodge 3. Tony Stewart Chevy 4. Brian Vickers Chevy 5. Matt Kenseth Ford 6. Greg Biffle Ford 7. Kasey Kahne Dodge 8. Scott Riggs Dodge 9. Jeff Burton Chevy 10. Jimmie Johnson Chevy • Complete results, click here • Unofficial standings, click here Victory LaneDenny Hamlin celebrates his first Nextel Cup win at Pocono Final lapsDenny Hamlin rolls to the checkered flag at Pocono Leader spinsDenny Hamlin loses the lead after cutting a tire and spinning Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

On the surface, I'll admit you have to scratch your head. But like most things, you never know what it looks like on the inside.

Ironically, performance is precisely why Mears will go there.

All that money is on the table for him, too. But he wants to try his hand in NASCAR's best equipment, even if it means sacrificing financial gain.

Some consider him a liar for saying he had every intention of returning to Ganassi. At that time, the 25 wasn't on the table.

Though Mears' about-face took team owner Chip Ganassi by surprise, not even he could dispute the move. Now the question for both young men is the same: Will the dream be fantastic, or will it be nightmarish?

In this sport, you truly never, ever know.

Teri Sikorski: Marty, I've been scouring the internet for hours after my roommate asked me "where did the term 'pit stop' come from?" I didn't have the faintest idea where it came from and I was unable to find it out in the vastness of the web.

So, I thought that you might be able to help me out. Not only are we curious about where the term "pit stop" came from, but also where the term "pole position" came from.

Now there's a question you don't get every day. To understand the origin of the term "pit stop," Teri, you must first understand the origin of the term "pit."

In racing's early days teams literally dug pits into the ground to enable mechanics easy, comfortable access to the undercarriages of cars -- a much less-expensive option than installing lifts. These pits didn't last long, but the term stuck.

The area where the cars are worked on has been known as the pits ever since, thus stopping in the pits for service is termed a "pit stop."

Eric Jordon: Marty, as I set watching this week's race I once again see tire problems from low air pressures. I know this is done as an allowance for the pressures to build up.

My question is why do the teams not use air bleeders to eliminate this problem? I know they are common in grassroots racing, and was curious why the big boys don't use them.

NASCAR forbids air bleeders in its top three series, Eric. Strongly. Teams tell me in NASCAR's eyes, using air bleeders is akin to soaking tires, and will result in a similarly severe penalty -- suspensions, points, hefty monetary fine.

Speculation circled through the Nextel Cup garage near the end of the 2005 season that one of the series' mega-teams was using valve caps as bleeders, prompting NASCAR this season to perform spot checks, as well as collect every valve cap from every car after every pit stop.

AlanC1118: Marty, When are sponsors and owners going to realize that making a race is far more important than a good-looking young driver with "upside" and "charisma?"

Right now some owners can barely make races, but still pass on drivers like Ward Burton, Mike Skinner, Steve Park, Todd Bodine, etc. Are you telling me one of those drivers can't put a car in the Top 35? C'mon now...

	David Stremme sits 37th in points after Pocono. Credit: Autostock
	Inside the Numbers Comparing the No. 40 team from '05 to '06 after 14 races   2005 2006 Races 14 14 Wins 0 0 Top-5 1 0 Top-10 3 0 Avg. Start 21.6 29.1 Best 7 4 Avg. Finish 21.9 31.5 Best 5 21 Rank 22 37 Free VideoA day's worth of news in 90 seconds

To me, the consummate example of the aforementioned trend is the No. 40 Dodge, in which Chip Ganassi Racing replaced Sterling Marlin with David Stremme for the 2006 season.

Granted, Marlin didn't light the world on fire last year, or the year before that. But there's no questioning that that No. 40 team out-performed this No. 40 team.

This time last year Marlin was 22nd in the championship standings with three top-10 finishes. Stremme, who Felix Sabates says was installed in the No. 40 based largely on marketability, is currently 37th in points with a season-best finish of 21st.

In fairness to Stremme, Ganassi's cars are behind. But Mears has a top-five and three top-10s, while Reed Sorenson also has a pair of top-10 finishes.

GoJB1969: After Pocono, my brother and I are debating which was most important in Hamlin's win - car or driver? What do you think?

Chicken or the egg, deal, here. Impossible to answer.

Hamlin's driving prowess isn't debatable. He's special.

But it took a total team effort to win that race. First, Hamlin had to save the car when the left-rear tire blew. Then, the team had to repair the shredded left-rear quarter panel, including the battery encasing.

Then, after all that, the car was still good enough to overcome any aero-deficiency sustained when the tire frayed and surge from 40th to first.

Pretty amazing, through and through.

The opinions expressed are solely of the participants.