Track Smack: Bristol and the COT, top 35 and Juan (cont'd)

Joe Menzer: One of the biggest questions in the garage is: How long can Dale Jarrett just keep riding around, making laps and basically just trying to finish ahead of whoever wrecks?

Mark Aumann: Another one is Paul Menard, who has made every race since Daytona. He's 36th right now and another decent run would lock him in.

David Caraviello: Mark, when you say that about those guys already being in the show: Kasey Kahne is supposed to be a title contender, correct? So what's he doing messing around with the top-35 guys? If he's still 36th on Monday, that's not a good situation.

Joe Menzer: They've had good cars and some bad luck. But now they need a good run, for sure.

David Caraviello: Funny how Evernham Motorsports gets a guy in the Chase every year, but right now is going to have to push it just to make sure guys make races.

Joe Menzer: Well, Elliott Sadler is doing pretty good for Evernham. What is he right now, 11th in points?

David Caraviello: But Kahne and Riggs -- that's supposed to be a big-time team, boys, and they're mixing it up with Brian Vickers and Ken Schrader?

Joe Menzer: I like Sadler. I'm not a hunter, but I like listening to him about how he kills things.

Mark Aumann: Wonder what David Reutimann was thinking when he spun around and looked up: "Hey, it's Kasey Kahne!"

Joe Menzer: Speaking of Reutimann, did I hear correctly that he came on his radio and said something to the effect that "I killed another one" after that wreck?

David Caraviello: Gotta be talking about his racecar. Those Toyota teams are struggling to get their car counts up. They don't need to be bringing one home in a box every week. That might have been his Texas car, too.

Joe Menzer: Those Toyota teams are struggling in every aspect.

David Caraviello: Much as Mark struggles to see his 13-inch TV.

Joe Menzer: Ah, it always comes back to Mark's puny TV.

Mark Aumann: Vickers has to wonder what black cloud he's under. He's out there, minding his own business and gets wrecked.

Joe Menzer: Sort of like you just minding your own business and getting harassed about your TV all the time!

David Caraviello: Really, did anyone expect Toyota to start this slowly? This is bordering on worst-case scenario.

Joe Menzer: I thought they would have at least moderate success -- a small triumph here or there -- by now. But they've had basically nothing -- or nothing good, anyway.

David Caraviello: One top-10. That's it -- and a bunch of wrecks and DNQs.

Mark Aumann: Especially when other non-top-35 teams have had success. If it was everybody, you could at least use that as an excuse. They're just not making any progress. It's possible, if Jarrett has a bad race that no Toyotas will be locked in for Martinsville.

David Caraviello: Right. When Johnny Sauter's team can make races and Toyota can't -- the folks in Japan have to be scratching their heads.

Joe Menzer: Just by looking at what Jarrett is doing, it's pretty obvious their equipment isn't close to being as good as I thought it might be -- or they thought it would be. (Continued)