Smack: Darlington back from extinction with race (cont'd)

David Caraviello: If Junior says, "Change this car or I'm going to the IRL," they're changing the car.

Dave Rodman: Hahaha -- that's rich. Brian France would ask him to send a letter indicating how much push there was in a Dallara vs. loose, once he had a chance to drive one for a while.

David Caraviello: He's the one personality they can't afford to lose.

Kahne-Stremme feud after wreck

The war of words between Kasey Kahne and David Stremme is back on after the two got caught up in a wreck at Richmond.

• Complete story, click here

Dave Rodman: But they would try. And that's too hypothetical to even imagine. Threatening to swap teams is one thing. Junior's not gonna walk out of the sport that made him.

David Caraviello: Well, nobody ever thought he'd leave his father's team, either.

Dave Rodman: His father's team made him -- but now that he's made, he can, in turn, make someone else's deal, next.

3) What alternatives could there be to what Junior called: "Maybe the worst week of the season, with the race at Richmond, Lowe's testing, Darlington and Dover testing ..."?

Dave Rodman: None. Shut up and drive -- even though I think when that phrase was coined was probably one of the three most inappropriate coinings in history.

David Caraviello: Well, the rain at Richmond made a mess of all that.

Dave Rodman: If anyone isn't happy with the COT, they need to test it to get it right. Either that, or lobby Goodyear to create a tire design that more appropriately matches the characteristics of this car, vs. the standard model.

David Caraviello: It's tough to expect guys to be in the cars Friday and Saturday at Richmond, Monday and Tuesday at Charlotte, then to race in Darlington and test again at Dover -- all in what, 14 days?

Dave Rodman: Twelve days, actually -- with nine of them in the car.

David Caraviello: But this is what they're paid to do.

Dave Rodman: It's hard to stand here and gauge the emotional ebb and flow. You could say they had a day off Saturday at Richmond -- but they definitely didn't.

Raygan Swan: I agree, DC, it's what they are paid to do -- but it can get pretty taxing.

David Caraviello: If there's no rain at Richmond, this isn't as much of an issue. But it does seem odd that those LMS and Dover tests can't be spaced out more.

Dave Rodman: Still, better than working for a living.

David Caraviello: Actually, I'd rather work than strap myself into one of those things.

Dave Rodman: Without the driving history all these guys have, I think you might be right -- though giving it a try would certainly be a hoot -- as long as I didn't have Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart or Kasey Kahne mad at me, at the end of the day.

David Caraviello: The thing is, if we still had the open number of test days, teams would be all over the place trying to get a handle on the COT. They'd be testing more than they are now. So the complaints ring a little hollow.

Dave Rodman: Great point. I was trying to think of a hole in the schedule where they could put that Dover test. It ain't there. And they like to test at facilities as close as they can to race days, to better validate the data.

Raygan Swan: Hey! Who sings that song "Shut Up and Drive"? Is it Twain? Rodman, you've got it stuck in my head now!

Dave Rodman: Search it out.

David Caraviello: Then they're asking for it. Rodman, can you imagine the testing schedule teams would have under the old format? They'd be camped out at Darlington all week.

Dave Rodman: Except the one week out rule would be in effect. But I had Pete Wright tell me at Richmond teams used to go to Daytona -- for example when they downsized the cars -- a dozen times before Speedweeks, to test. But they could test in both December and January then.

David Caraviello: Although if I'm one of these struggling Toyota teams, I'm headed to Rockingham on my free days this week in preparation for Darlington. Test upon test upon test.

Dave Rodman: When making the races is at stake, you do what you have to do.

David Caraviello: No wonder guys are a little testy.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the writers