Track Smack: Kyle's attitide problem; the COT returns (cont'd)

Joe Menzer: Juan has even looked good at Bristol and Martinsville. He could have finished higher at both places. Of course, he ticked off Tony Raines at Martinsville -- punting him when both were running in the top 10.

Dave Rodman: One of them racin' deals, again.

David Caraviello: Right now, other drivers are racing JPM like he's any other rookie. He's not. They'll learn that soon enough, and give him a little more space.

Joe Menzer: Getting back to Tony's "retirement" statement, by the way, I found it quite humorous that he couched it by saying he would consider it "when he had enough money." His career winnings with Gibbs since coming to NASCAR in 1999 were over $57 million heading into this season!

David Caraviello: Boy, ESPN went crazy with that statement, too. Tony has said this kind of thing before. People really lack perspective. It's not like Stewart will be in a rocker tomorrow.

3) With all the hubbub and hoopla, have we forgotten about the COT's debut this weekend on its first speedway?

David Caraviello: Who can forget about the COT? I live, eat and breathe COT. I even sleep on a cot the night before COT races.

Joe Menzer: How could we forget? Or is it already becoming less a big deal because everyone but Kyle Busch is becoming accustomed to the fact that the COT is here to stay.

Dave Rodman: Rollaway heaven, David. You got "Budweiser 8" bedding on there?

Joe Menzer: So why complain so much about it? Just get in it and figure out how to drive it, because it's the future -- the immediate future.

David Caraviello: No, Lion King sheets.

Joe Menzer: Well, if you did have Lion King sheets you'd know who Simba and Mufasa were.

David Caraviello: Phoenix and Darlington loom as big deals for the COT. Many of the problems we've witnessed thus far, like exhaust overheating and tightness in traffic; could be attributed as short-track issues.

Joe Menzer: Good point. Plus NASCAR said they expected to have the problems with the foam catching on fire fixed pretty quickly. Let's see if they've made progress. Of course this isn't a short track, as you said.

David Caraviello: Racing on bigger tracks will help NASCAR determine whether the issues at Bristol and Martinsville were more car or facility related.

Dave Rodman: Right. That's the thing; this is uncharted territory and is going to be the first real test of these cars' aero tendencies on longer, faster tracks in big traffic.

Joe Menzer: I still say that by another COT race or two, maybe three or four more, it will no longer be considered that big a deal.

David Caraviello: If anything, the shock was seeing the old cars again, at Texas -- especially how low those front bumpers are.

Dave Rodman: I think the issues are going to be there, the critical thing is how NASCAR and the teams are able to tweak them to fix them. I have heard several of the guys talking about aero push at Bristol and Martinsville, of all places. That's a bad sign.

Joe Menzer: The question is, are there any teams specifically poised to take advantage of the COT on the intermediate tracks?

Dave Rodman: We'll find out after this weekend.

David Caraviello: Gibbs and Hendrick have been ahead of the curve since day 1.

Joe Menzer: Well, I'm asking you guys now. Who will it be?

David Caraviello: And as Chad Knaus said at Las Vegas, the team that handles the COT best this year will win the championship. Stay tuned.

Joe Menzer: I thought maybe Penske would be ahead of the curve in the COT, but so far they really haven't been.

Dave Rodman: For better or worse, I'd say it will be a Chevrolet, and more than likely a Hendrick, Gibbs or Childress version. Johnson's done it already this season, but two-in-a-row for Burton might be on the table this weekend.

David Caraviello: I'm picking Simba in the No. 008 Lion King Mercury. Simba really knows how to get around Phoenix.