Smack: Robby tries to play nice but it's transparent (cont'd)

David Caraviello: Yeley and Vickers together wouldn't be bad. But if I'm Brian Vickers, I'm making a call to DEI right now. "Hey, I hear you guys have a seat open ..."

Duane Cross: Yep, Red Bull made a great hire with Brian Vickers and A.J. Allmendinger may pan out but that outfit is struggling.

Busch goes to JGR

Kyle Busch, who will be replaced at Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the season, has found a new home at Joe Gibbs Racing to drive the No. 18 Chevy in 2008.

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Dave Rodman: I think A.J. is a pretty good little racer -- if the Red Bull supply holds out.

Duane Cross: DEI could buy out Vickers' contract with the money it'd get from selling the No. 8 to Hendrick.

David Caraviello: DEI could do worse than Vickers. He's had some great runs in that 83 car -- when he can make races.

Dave Rodman: This was a building year for all those Toyotas. We'll look for 'em in "Better Homes and Gardens" next year.

David Caraviello: A.J. hasn't made a race since the last Michigan, two months ago. Gotta wonder what the future holds for him and Tony Raines. Ray Evernham is still high on Scott Riggs, but that seat has to be getting warm, too.

Duane Cross: Red Bull's long-term prospects are the best of the Toyota crews; it has the youngest, most talented stable of drivers on the upswing -- but how deep are its pockets?

Dave Rodman: I believe Red Bull is like the ocean -- Pacific, not the Indian.

David Caraviello: Dave, are you getting metaphysical on us again?

Dave Rodman: Definitely not.

Duane Cross: And let's see if there's fire to go with the smoke circling Joe Gibbs Racing and the Toyota rumors.

Dave Rodman: If the "Stremme eyes DEI" rumor has any legs, that could be the next domino to unleash a flurry -- though I'd struggle to see him leaving Ganassi.

Duane Cross: And then there's Ricky Rudd's future with Robert Yates Racing. There's still a lot of silly left in the season; you'll need a program to keep up with the changes next year.

Dave Rodman: I'll tell you this much, I knew the 36's season has been a disaster, but I felt like they were gonna go down with the ship, go down swinging, keep swinging until there was no more pins to knock down, or something like that. Not just give up Jeremy, or he on them.

David Caraviello: Tough deal for Mayfield, who's in an impossible situation. He really hasn't fared any better or worse than any other of the Toyota teams that entered the season with no points.

Dave Rodman: True. The old story: Where there is little chemistry, there is no production. He's not at the end of his rope, so put another domino in the deck.