Track Smack: On empty

1. We had some stunning finishes at Lowe's last weekend. Were they season-savers or a nice job of mixing it up?

David Caraviello: Were they season-savers or a fluke, may be more the question. Had the final pit stops cycled a little different and fuel held out for the top contenders, we may be talking about a completely different top five.

Joe Menzer: I've got to believe that a guy like Casey Mears, with all the resources of Hendrick Motorsports behind him, can build on his win in the Coca-Cola 600 -- and maybe J.J. Yeley, too, because of his Joe Gibbs backing.

Dave Rodman: No one race saves a season -- but at this point no one had been given a death notice, either. But it was a nice validation, if anyone needed it, that those guys -- Mears, Yeley and yeah, Petty -- are top-flight race drivers.

David Caraviello: That said, nobody needed a good result more than J.J. Yeley. No driver is more on the hot seat. Which is too bad, because he's a good guy you want to see succeed.

Joe Menzer: But some of the others, like Kyle Petty, may have a tougher time parlaying their strong finishes into more. I kind of hope I'm wrong on that one, but I think that will be the case.

Dave Rodman: Was nice to hear Casey tell NASCAR Live he had already been given a vote of confidence. J.J. has run plenty good enough to make his case -- he just needs to post some numbers -- and Sunday night he did.

David Caraviello: Hard to believe this is the first time in J.J.'s Cup career he's posted four consecutive top-20s.

Joe Menzer: Wait a minute, DC! J.J. said after the race that it's the media who is saying he's on the hot seat, and not anyone else!

David Caraviello: When you're racing in the final year of your contract, you're on the hot seat.

Dave Rodman: I often go back to the '90 Daytona 500 when people talk about valid results ... Did Derrike Cope deserve to win? Of course, he ran at the front all day. And so did Mears and Yeley.

David Caraviello: They did, and fuel mileage is part of the deal. They managed it better, they took the risks and they deserved to win.

Joe Menzer: Of course J.J. also said he didn't read anything the media writes, and then a few minutes later he made reference to something he'd read! I do like J.J., though.

Dave Rodman: For sure both of those kids are the real articles -- so it's nice to slap it in the face of the doubters. Kyle Petty, on the other hand, long ago proved he could get it done.

Joe Menzer: One guy you two haven't mentioned was Reed Sorenson, who finished fourth. Or Brian Vickers, who was strong all night and finished fifth -- in a Toyota! Michael Waltrip couldn't even get started in his Toyota, but what else is new? (Continued)