Track Smack: How bad is it for guys below the top 35?

1. Guys, it's a tale of two 1.5-mile tracks on consecutive weekends, so what do we have to look forward to this weekend in Atlanta, versus what we saw in Vegas?

Dave Rodman: There is a specter looming over every doggoned event in the series these days -- that being the top 35 or fear of being out of the top 35 -- but with the performance the best drivers in the world put on in Vegas, I think the race in Atlanta will be spectacular.

Mark Aumann: An older surface and cooler temperatures should make for a less slippery surface. Atlanta's one of those places where the racing is good all the way from the bottom to the top.

Joe Menzer: Well, for one thing, you will hear a lot less complaining. The combination of the reconfigured track and the hard tire in Vegas had guys sliding all over the place -- more so than you could see on TV -- and pretty darned upset!

Dave Rodman: Scaring the crap out of yourself, lap after lap, will do that. I bet some whiter men got out of those cars than got into them for the pace laps.

Joe Menzer: Dale Jr. raved about all the "world-class saves" that were being made left and right all day long. Sometimes they just make it look too easy.

Mark Aumann: Even on TV, Joe, you could see some pretty impressive slide jobs.

Joe Menzer: I was just trying to impress upon you guys that I was there, with all the bright lights of Vegas.

Dave Rodman: Bottom Line: Did you come to the track in a barrel, or what did you win?

Joe Menzer: No comment.

Dave Rodman: I'm tickled you even got to the track. But anyway, we were impressed with Juan Montoya, Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Burton. Those were a few of the saves that made multiple highlight reels. But I think we'll have a better tire combination and a more forgiving surface this weekend which equals great racing.

Mark Aumann: Yeah, but why doesn't anybody show up for the races here? I know the traffic's bad -- but it's no worse than a normal rush hour. As Mike Joy mentioned at least twice last weekend on the telecast, 'good seats still available.'

Joe Menzer: You know, Atlanta has always been a very quirky sports town -- no matter what the sport.

Mark Aumann: Didn't it snow out one time when the date was right after Daytona?

Dave Rodman: Well, the date was in March, but it still snowed out. Early 1990s I believe. Freaky weather, like we saw at Bristol last year.

Joe Menzer: It seems strange that Bruton Smith hasn't been able to solve the attendance problem in Atlanta like he has at his other tracks, or at least most of them.

Mark Aumann: Especially when you're talking 4.5 million people in the metro area -- and one of the top TV markets for NASCAR. That just hasn't translated into steady ticket sales.

Dave Rodman: Good point. Hey Joe -- you were there -- what was that funky looking section at the bottom of Turns 3 and 4? They looked like empty seats, but it wasn't possible to tell on TV.

Joe Menzer: Good question on that section of seats. They were indeed left empty, but I figured it was because they were worried about a car flying up there off treacherous Turn 4.

Dave Rodman: Yeah, I saw the weird color scheme -- like I first saw at Texas and that has been replicated other places. The seats are painted so you can't figure out if they are occupied or not.

Joe Menzer: I mean, the crowd in Vegas was IMPRESSIVE. It truly was sold out a week in advance, although I was told at different times that the crowd was either 140,000 or as much as 170,000. That's a lot of people either way.

Dave Rodman: And it's odd, because the Atlanta venue is as well put-together as any of the other SMI tracks.

Joe Menzer: I'm telling you it has more to do with the city than the track itself. Look at the Braves. Despite all their success, they have trouble selling out home playoff games. The Falcons were a hot ticket for a while until everyone figured out Michael Vick isn't that good. And what about the Hawks? Don't get me started.

Mark Aumann: I still think with some aging of that track surface, Vegas is the kind of place that could easily support two races well. However, because Brian France controls the race dates, I can't see how Bruton will finagle a second date, unless he buys another track.

Dave Rodman: Bruton has always got an angle, God bless him.

Joe Menzer: Bruton was asked in Vegas about possibly moving a date from a place like Atlanta where attendance is a problem -- and he stated flatly that it wasn't an option.

Dave Rodman: Yup. Stubborn is us. Or I should say, is he...

Mark Aumann: I think you were more right the first time, Dave.

Joe Menzer: Bruton also stated that they would get their attendance problem at Atlanta fixed, although he did not elaborate on how.

Dave Rodman: It seems, though, Bruton's idea of getting the Nextel Cup banquet to Las Vegas will have to wait another year, I guess.

Joe Menzer: If they move the banquet there, I want to put in first dibs on the assignment of covering it!

Dave Rodman: Trying to cover your losses, eh? They have a name for that.

2) What's your take on the points situation this week -- and we're talking top 35, NOT whether or not Mark Martin will keep racing in consecutive events beyond this weekend?

Joe Menzer: Geez, you had to bring up Mark Martin, didn't you? I mean, I love Mark Martin -- but I will be glad when we can move on to other story angles this season.

Mark Aumann: Not only are all the Toyota teams behind the 8-ball for 2007, but guys like Michael Waltrip and Jeremy Mayfield may be looking at struggling into 2008.

Joe Menzer: Oh, wait. You said NOT Mark Martin. Sorry. I guess I have Mark Martin's future on my brain.

Dave Rodman: I think it's interesting that you can still make a long move with one good run -- but having said that, a crappy run can really set you back at this point, too.

Mark Aumann: It just shows how difficult the task is to break into a situation where only seven spots are open from week to week -- as long as Dale Jarrett's stock of Champion's Provisionals holds out.

Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Kurt Busch

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Dave Rodman: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is Exhibit A for that, and Ward Burton, unfortunately, was Exhibit B after his team fell nine spots in the owner standings.

Mark Aumann: But Junior's guaranteed five starts based on last year's points. That's a minimum of 180 points even if he finishes last five times. Compare that to a guy who may only make one of the five. He'd have to win to match that.

Joe Menzer: I actually felt sorry for young A.J. Allmendinger last week. A.J. was finally going to be in a race until the very last guy to qualify, Kenny Wallace, bumped him out.

Dave Rodman: That was a good pressure job of qualifying by Herman.

Mark Aumann: The toughest spot might be the Andretti/Elliott and the Kenny Wallace rides. They've made a race, so they have some points to work with. But they need to make a couple more to hang around that 35th spot.

Dave Rodman: You had to feel sorry for Mayfield -- and go hmmm when you look at everyone who qualified behind him. He only had seven cylinders! Though it might be easier to just run flat out rather than figure out where to be in and out of the throttle.

Joe Menzer: Think about this: Michael Waltrip has fewer points right now than Aric Almirola! And Jon Wood, for that matter.

Dave Rodman: Well, Michael was not a Chase contender anyway, and that's all driver points are good for. But if he doesn't get his car driving any better, he may become a full-time booth denizen.

Joe Menzer: Then you look at how David Reutimann and Dale Jarrett. have struggled, and you've got to wonder if the folks who sunk all that money into Waltrip Raceworld are getting a little worried -- and upset!

Mark Aumann: You know, if you're the Woods or Valvoline, you really need a good finish here in the next two races.

Dave Rodman: There are too many good teams back there. Johnny Sauter has broken a lot of hearts and I say good for them.

Mark Aumann: And poor Ward Burton, he finally makes a race and gets wrecked out.

Joe Menzer: I've been getting a fair amount of e-mails from Ward Burton fans lately, by the way.

Dave Rodman: Yeah -- Ward's post-care center comments were priceless, something to the effect that of "you can't suffocate yourself once you put on the helmet." Poor Robby Gordon. I'd say what does the guy have to do to get some respect -- but that might be obvious.

Mark Aumann: The top 35 rule has really penalized the single-car teams. BAM, Morgan-McClure, the Woods have all struggled to stay in the hunt.

Joe Menzer: How about Casey Mears' comments toward Robby Gordon? Mears sure didn't show him any respect, but did Robby deserve it?

Mark Aumann: I'm guessing Robby's response would be, 'Win a race and we'll talk.'

Dave Rodman: Well, again, I think Ward pointed out there was no need to go three-wide into a two-wide corner, less than 10 laps into the race. But racing is like that. It's too easy to analyze from an easy chair.

Joe Menzer: Ward wasn't in an easy chair. Neither was Mears. I think they are right. It made no sense whatsoever that early in the race.

Dave Rodman: Schrader is really under the gun in the next two weeks -- though if he gets two top 20s I think they'll be OK.

Mark Aumann: That's asking a lot from that team, Dave. He's been 35th and 36th so far.

Dave Rodman: He ended last season with a bunch of steady top 20 runs. He is on a par with Junior -- or he can even do what Little Jon did last weekend. He just needs to run the laps out and get a finish.

Mark Aumann: When you're looking at somebody like Kasey Kahne, yeah, I can agree with 'two top-20s and he's back in.'

Joe Menzer: Yeah, how about Kasey Kahne being 36th in points right now! That's nuts. I know it's driving Evernham nuts, anyway.

Dave Rodman: And Riggs is even further back. Dangerous territory.

Mark Aumann: It's just really hard for the smaller independents to make a dent.

Dave Rodman: That's the case for anyone back there. But getting those finishes isn't a given. And speaking of the 'independents,' they are struggling to make races -- never mind make points.

Joe Menzer: Atlanta is a track where Kahne has had success. He won there last spring. But you have to wonder how much the loss of their crew chiefs over these first few races had negatively impacted those teams.

Mark Aumann: In Kasey's defense, he's running up front at Fontana when the engine blows and up front at Vegas when the track bites him. It's not like he was chugging around in 35th all day.

Joe Menzer: Plus Kahne has qualified well. So he's been fast. But he's got nothing to show for it.

Dave Rodman: Skipping back to Toyota. The damning thing for those teams is Blaney has proven he can get it done -- so when D.J. says the car has no downforce and Blaney qualifies as well as he did -- that maybe tells me the "great Toyota cooperative plan" might not be working as it should.

Mark Aumann: Blaney's the one that I feel most sorry for. He's been competitive without the finishes to show for it.

Joe Menzer: Yep. He's 40th in points.

Mark Aumann: For Blaney, it's just a matter of getting past this stretch of bad luck.

Dave Rodman: He's got to nail some finishes. Get locked in and then go from there. Atlanta would be a good place for him to start.

Joe Menzer: That's what it's all about for all of those guys from about 30th on down.

Dave Rodman: Heck, we could be approaching a day when Toyotas would be 0-fer. Seems incomprehensible, but check it after Bristol.

Mark Aumann: Well, D.J. should have enough of a cushion to hang on for 2007. Blaney may be 50-50. The rest are in trouble.

Joe Menzer: Speaking of Bristol, do you think Mark Martin will race there? Just kidding.

Dave Rodman: You better be.

3) Did Jimmie Johnson's team get away with one at Vegas?

Joe Menzer: I can tell you that no one at the track at the time seemed to think it was any kind of controversy when it first happened -- at least not that I was aware of.

Dave Rodman: That's good, because it shouldn't have been.

Mark Aumann: I don't know. I was watching the race on a 13-inch TV, so I couldn't see where the pit box started and ended.

Autostock

Jimmie Johnson

Johnson doesn't need NASCAR's help

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Joe Menzer: A 13-inch TV -- in this day and age? What's wrong with you?

Mark Aumann: The key was whether Johnson was heading out when the tire was loose.

Joe Menzer: Knaus said it wasn't even close. And what about your puny TV?

Dave Rodman: Some aspects of TV coverage made a big deal out of it. I think it's too bad that something that happens just about every week was made into more of an issue than it should have been.

Mark Aumann: Oh, that's the one that got taken to the mountain cabin. The wide-screen mega-pixel job is still at the house.

Joe Menzer: I think we should make more of a big deal about Aumann's TV. Should we take up a collection at the office to get him a bigger one?

Mark Aumann: I can see the nose hairs on the guy in the seventh row with the one at the house.

Joe Menzer: At least you've got a man-sized TV at the house. You need one at the cabin, too. Then again, I need a cabin and you've already got one!

Dave Rodman: They were finding fault with the official stopping the tire -- then not making a call. It happens all the time. It's the same thing with a pass hitting a linesman in the back of the head. No do-overs in NASCAR, either. Just so happens this time it was the race winner. There's always something.

Joe Menzer: Rodman, you don't want to talk about Mark's TV, do you?

Dave Rodman: Just trying to stay focused, man. I'm still shopping for a big screen -- so no grounds to criticize.

Mark Aumann: Nah, that was a case of no harm, no foul in my opinion. The tire wasn't a detriment to anyone else on the pit lane -- unlike the first violation.

Joe Menzer: Bottom line on this subject: It's a non-subject.

Dave Rodman: We talking about a loose tire or Mark's TV?

Joe Menzer: The only reason people are talking about it is because Johnson won the race.

Dave Rodman: We're going to get into a Dave/DC brawl with that one, Mark. The first violation, the tire rolled into the box BEHIND him and was retrieved by a crewman.

Joe Menzer: And weren't they penalized for that one?

Dave Rodman: On the second it rolled into the box in front, was stopped by an official in the same general location and a crewman got it after J.J. left. No foul.

Joe Menzer: I believe that I am agreeing with you, Rodman. So pipe down!

Mark Aumann: Of course, two weeks ago, Johnson got hosed by the 'courtesy yellow,' so NASCAR is pro-Hendrick only outside of California, apparently.

Dave Rodman: So once again, the fabulous NASCAR consistency strikes. That's the deal when you're eyeballing balls and strikes. So rock on -- Atlanta here we come.

Mark Aumann: I actually like the hockey analogy better, especially since the tires were harder than a frozen puck.

Joe Menzer: You're just grumpy because you just realized Mark has a bigger TV at his cabin than you do at your house.

Dave Rodman: I didn't think 8-inch TVs existed, Holmes. He has a 13-inch at the cabin.

Joe Menzer: Where are you guys gonna watch it?

Mark Aumann: From somewhere around the start/finish line, behind the pit wall. Last time I covered that race; several of the Roush cars had engine problems. I spent more time running around the garage area than I did watching the race.

Joe Menzer: I'm going to my friend's house. He just bought a 61-inch TV!

Mark Aumann: Geez. I wonder if Tony Raines would be willing to work me an employee discount.

Dave Rodman: Make sure you tell him size does matter. Even mirrors wouldn't help that.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writers.