Smack: Has the field finally caught up with Hendrick?

1. Roush Fenway Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing have combined to win four of the last five Nextel Cup events. Has everyone caught up to Hendrick Motorsports?

Raygan Swan: It was only a matter of time for JGR. So many times they had the fastest cars on the track, they just ran into either bad attitudes or bad pit stops.

David Caraviello: Roush is looking really strong, but we're in a stretch without a lot of COT races. That's where Hendrick is at its best. We start going back to COT events, the pendulum might swing the other way.

Joe Menzer: I think the harder evidence that the other top teams at least are on their way to catching up is in the points standings. Jeff Gordon still leads the way, but Jimmie Johnson has fallen to seventh and Kyle Busch to ninth.

Raygan Swan: I could see Roush struggling a bit, but not JGR.

David Caraviello: That's going to be the key for Roush -- how good are its COT cars? They weren't very good early in the year. They'll have to be better as we near the Chase.

Joe Menzer: RCR, Gibbs and Roush Fenway drivers are now sprinkled throughout the top 12 and looking like they might be able to actually challenge for the championship once we get to the Chase.

David Caraviello: Hendrick's not lying down by any means. But it seems hard to think they can rip off another 10-of-14 streak, like they did to open the season. Kenseth and Edwards look to be the equal of Gordon and Johnson right now.

Joe Menzer: Roush is still behind on the COT. They'd be the first to admit it. But at the beginning of the year, they were behind on everything --CORN, COT, whatever. They're working hard on all to get back to a level playing field. You remember the CORN, don't you -- Kurt Busch's self-described Car Of Right Now?

Raygan Swan: Ha! Hilarious, yeah in Dover, Jamie McMurray said they were way behind on the COT program and wasn't sure what they were doing to catch up other than to do more testing. And Edwards and Kenseth have their crew chiefs, Gordon and Johnson don't.

David Caraviello: Hey, they were doing zero outside testing early in the year. That's a big reason they were behind. Now they're doing more, and it's showing on the racetrack.

Joe Menzer: Well, he sounds kind of clueless then about what's going on in his own shop. Jack hired like six new people, finally bought a seven-post shaker and a hauler dedicated to nothing but ramping up the testing program. That's actually a lot.

Raygan Swan: I know Gordon and Johnson were fine immediately after the suspensions, but maybe that will play a factor now.

David Caraviello: And those are also items that teams like Hendrick have already had in place. No question they've been playing catch-up. But they've made up a lot of ground in a relatively short amount of time.

Joe Menzer: Correct. That's why they're behind. Even Ginn Racing had a seven-post shaker before Roush Fenway.

David Caraviello: That's hard to believe

Joe Menzer: Well, maybe that's why it looks like Ginn Racing is going broke! Well, maybe not broke, but um, hurting a little financially.

David Caraviello: I wouldn't say Ginn is going broke. But they've made some pretty drastic moves over there, which leads us to ...

2. Aric Almirola is leaving Gibbs for Ginn, where he will split time with Mark Martin this year and drive full-time in 2008. Is this the right move?

Joe Menzer: It's certainly interesting to me that Ginn would hire Almirola, who can't come cheap, right after they announce a bunch of layoffs and basically dismantle their Busch team for financial reasons.

Ginn downsizes

Joe Nemechek lost his ride and Sterling Marlin was replaced as Ginn Racing shuffles its drivers.

• Complete story, click here
• Gibbs lets Almirola go
• Head2Head: Veteran's Day
• Franchising won't happen
• Ginn Racing makes cuts

Raygan Swan: I suppose but I see both a positive side and negative. Leaving a top-tier team for a team in transition that will ultimately give him more seat time.

David Caraviello: I don't know. Would you leave Gibbs, a place that's been around for 16 years and won three championships, for a team that's having to restructure halfway through its first year?

Raygan Swan: It's all about seat time, and not getting booted out of the car in the middle of the Busch race he won but Hamlin finished.

David Caraviello: Still, he was all but a shoo-in for that fourth Nextel Cup seat at Gibbs, if and when they go to a fourth team.

Raygan Swan: He's risking security, but he seems hungry and he'll make it work. I know I want to see him out there more. Fans don't know much about his personality. He seems like a good kid.

David Caraviello: It's not about him, Raygan. It's whether the team he's chosen will still be there in a few years.

Joe Menzer: I think a couple of things happened that obviously influenced his decision. One, during the Junior courtship, it seemed obvious that they either were going to chase Junior and leave him out in the cold; or two, they were going to think long and hard about a fourth team anyway. How many times did J.D. Gibbs say how difficult and expensive it is to get a fourth team up and running -- and competitive?

David Caraviello: You're right, Joe. And if Aric went to JD asking for a timeline for a fourth team, and they couldn't give him one, then this might very well have been the best move he could make at the time. But Ginn needs sponsorship, badly.

Joe Menzer: All that coupled with the poor decision to put Hamlin in mid-race in Milwaukee must have made him think that he'll be better off perhaps being a designated star of the future for Ginn.

Raygan Swan: Well I guess time will tell, Ginn is working hard on restructuring but financially I would be a bit concerned.

Joe Menzer: Almirola might just help Ginn get that sponsorship they need so badly. I think at least that belief is a big part of this puzzle.

Raygan Swan: I agree Joe, he's super marketable with a million-dollar smile.

3. During the event weekend at Chicagoland Speedway, a few intrepid reporters made the long journey to the North Side to watch the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. Are there any racing venues that can compete with a stadium like Wrigley as far as history and charm?

Raygan Swan: Oh Lord, baseball??? We're talking about baseball?

David Caraviello: No, we're not talking about baseball. We're talking about racetracks.

Joe Menzer: Bristol Motor Speedway.

Raygan Swan: Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

David Caraviello: We need details, people. This is an essay question.

Raygan Swan: Fine, I can go on and on about Indianapolis.

Joe Menzer: No question Bristol is the Wrigley Field or Fenway Park of NASCAR tracks. Indianapolis was made famous by those other racecars!

Raygan Swan: Yeah Joe, but still if you asked Tony Stewart, he'd say IMS.

Joe Menzer: If I asked Stewart right about now, he'd probably take a swing at me!

Raygan Swan: So many great drivers attend the Brickyard, drivers that cross so many different series, Andretti, Foyt, Parnelli Jones, etc.

Joe Menzer: Well, it depends on if Good Tony or Bad Tony does the answering, I guess if you're talking all of racing, then maybe Indy. But I still like Bristol for its Wrigley-like character and the fact that it's like no other venue.

David Caraviello: Indy is a nice track and a great town. The place has plenty of tradition; you can feel it when you walk through the gate. But all the facilities are rather modern, having been torn down and rebuilt. You really want that Wrigleyesque feel, there's only one place -- Darlington.

Raygan Swan: But IMS is only 10 minutes from downtown Indy, home of the Super Bowl winning Colts, amazing restaurants, and sweet nightlife.

David Caraviello: Has Raygan been hired by the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce?

Joe Menzer: Listen, Indy Girl, you're getting carried away now. No one said anything about the quality of the surrounding nightlife -- or I never would have brought up Bristol.

Raygan Swan: Wait I'm not done with Indy ... you also have the award-winning Brickyard golf course and the storied Brickyard Inn where so many of the greats stay. You can throw a rock at the track from the balcony, you're so close.

David Caraviello: The Brickyard Inn looks like it's about 90 years old. Norman Bates would be scared to stay there.

Joe Menzer: This is a NASCAR Web site, so we should keep it to NASCAR anyway. There isn't enough Brickyard history yet at Indy for NASCAR.

Raygan Swan: OK, fine. So how about those Cubs?

Joe Menzer: Ah, the Cubs. Well, let's just say we had a fine adventure trying to get to the ballpark. After doing our impersonations of Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, we finally arrived there in the top of the 8th inning.

Raygan Swan: Nice.

David Caraviello: Note to self: Next time taking public transport in Chicago, bring exact change.

Joe Menzer: Luckily I found one concession stand where they were still selling beer -- Old Style, too!

David Caraviello: Best 22 pitches of baseball we ever saw.

Raygan Swan: Well, Joe, go to Indy with me for the Brickyard and I'll show you it's better than Daytona! Maybe it's not Bristol, but it's more fun than Daytona.

Joe Menzer: Well, don't forget Darlington or Richmond or even Martinsville, even if it's ridiculously hard to get in and out of -- or Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. All of them are special in their own ways, too, and packed with NASCAR history! More than your beloved Brickyard, at least for now.

Raygan Swan: But the Brickyard has a museum! I definitely didn't see a museum at Darlington.

David Caraviello: You're right, Raygan. Darlington doesn't have a museum. Darlington has THE museum, the world-famous Joe Weatherly Stock Car Museum. It's full of real cars, not the ones with the big wings you find at Indy.

Joe Menzer: Indy also has the Slippery Noodle Inn. Don't forget that!

Raygan Swan: I know! I can't wait! I leave on Wednesday!