Track Smack: The COT, Watergate and Nation rides (cont'd)

3) Should NASCAR bring the COT to the Nationwide Series, or let the sport's No. 2 circuit keep its current car?

Joe Menzer: Well, we can debate it if we want -- and of course we will -- but the fact is that it's coming, and probably by 2009. The question is: Is it a mistake?

David Caraviello: To me, if you want the Nationwide Series to maintain some sort of identity, you stay away from the COT. That's the only way to dilute the dominance of some of these Cup operations, who'll have one less reason to double-dip.

Dave Rodman: That's a tough one. Talk about a series at the crossroads, to steal one of those infamous cliches, which for better or worse have a pretty good basis in fact.

David Caraviello: Plus, you add the COT, you heap a whole new level of expense upon those Nationwide-only teams that are going to have to make the transition. It's no big deal for Hendrick or Roush -- but for Brewco?

Dave Rodman: Or whatever that team's going to be called in 2008. At any rate, God bless the Brewers and Gary Baker for supporting the series, along with all those other Busch-only owners, like Jay Robinson and Johnny Davis.

Joe Menzer: The bottom line is that this is a way to keep the biggest names from running away from the second series in droves. It's a business decision.

Dave Rodman: The project, if they chose to do it, would be to somehow take the current cars -- both sets of wheelbases -- grandfather the smaller cars and then try to incorporate whatever safety features you could from the Cup COT into the current cars.

Joe Menzer: If the COT is run in both series, they'll still feel like they're learning something by running in the Nationwide Series on a Saturday at the same venue a Cup event will be run Sunday. Otherwise, other than being pushed by sponsors, they would have no reason to compete on Saturday afternoons.

David Caraviello: And I'm not so sure this is a done deal. When the Nationwide deal was announced, NASCAR officials said they're trying to transition some aspects of the COT into the Nationwide car. It didn't sound like a looming swap.

Joe Menzer: Well, I thought it did.

David Caraviello: You might wind up with some hybrid car, but not the COT as we know it in Cup.

Joe Menzer: We're just supposed to start calling it "the NASCAR chassis." After all, we can't call it the Car of Tomorrow forever now, can we?

Dave Rodman: The problem seems to be, according to the contact who spoke on NASCAR.COM on Sunday, the Nationwide car would use a totally different body style. Thus, there could be no transfer from series to series. If rumors of these Busch only owners struggling, as it is are true -- who could afford to do that?

David Caraviello: Exactly, Dave. A full-scale transition like the one we saw in Cup would ruin some of these guys.

Joe Menzer: The cars they run now aren't exactly the same. But there is still plenty of knowledge transfer. I think this will be similar when it's all said and done.

Dave Rodman: David, that's what I'm talking about -- something that is not a full-blown COT, but one that enables the current Busch cars to enable owners to make a reasonable transition, both in appropriate safety measures and new body shapes.

Joe Menzer: What is this, a love-fest between the two Daves? You guys are starting to make me sick.

Dave Rodman: Great minds think alike.

Joe Menzer: That's what Larry and Moe said.

David Caraviello: Joe, we can't help it if you're unable to grasp the intricacies of petroleum dynamics and the COT.

Joe Menzer: Which are about one and the same, in my book! I defer to the Two Stooges on the intricacies of those subject matters.

Dave Rodman: Bottom line, I think these Cup guys are going to continue to run the Nationwide Series no matter what the vehicle dynamic is -- but as long as it's economically feasible.

Joe Menzer: Yep. Sort of like I'm going to keep handing out Halloween candy like I did last night as long as it's economically feasible. Which means some will be saved for myself. Tough luck, kids!

Dave Rodman: Unless NASCAR has something radical up its sleeve to make whatever transition it is engineering in the Nationwide Series economically feasible.

Joe Menzer: Radical? NASCAR? Is Gordon Liddy involved?

Dave Rodman: Joe, tell the truth: You did whatever it took to keep the neighborhood miscreants from trashing your home.

David Caraviello: No wonder the kids in the neighborhood are so scared of Mr. Menzer. He probably gave out peanut brittle.

Joe Menzer: At least I didn't Albert Belle anybody on Halloween. The former Indians slugger once got in his car and attempted to run down some Trick-or-Treaters who egged his house in Cleveland.

David Caraviello: Joe was one of them.

Joe Menzer: This was after they got upset because he put a box of candy out front -- and didn't understand that the first kids to stop by were going to take it all, leaving him vulnerable to the wrath of those to come behind.

Dave Rodman: That is pretty funny -- considering the dude was a millionaire. Who is the Albert Belle of the Nextel Cup Series?

Joe Menzer: The Albert Belle of Nextel Cup? Maybe Tony Stewart? Or is it maybe The Carl when he's in one of his "moods"?

David Caraviello: All I know is, nobody wants to ring the doorbell of the big yellow truck, because there ain't no treats in there.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the writer.