Track Smack: Drama has pretty much played out (cont'd)

3. How intricate is the situation Dale Earnhardt Inc. finds itself in, filling the seats of its Nos. 8 and 01 cars in the coming days?

Mark Aumann: You really have to wonder, when the two teams began discussing a merger, was this considered the "best-case" scenario? Or has DEI's hand been forced because it couldn't land a Kyle Busch-type driver for the 8?

Mark Martin Truex Jr.

David Caraviello: This happening this late in the game, Mark, you'd have to think its hand had been forced and it's just trying to fill seats.

Dave Rodman: When you look long-range, though -- it could be in a sparkling position: Having solid veterans and developmental guys in there for a year -- and could it get a marquee name a year from now?

Mark Aumann: Somebody said Mark Martin may be the perfect short-term solution, because he may be one of the only drivers who could follow Junior in the 8 and not be booed every weekend.

Dave Rodman: I think the merger was a huge gain for DEI and extra lifeboats for the Titanic-type salvation of at least some of Ginn's personnel. Of course, a bunch of Ginn employees still went down with the ship, but if Ginn went out completely, it would have been worse.

Mark Aumann: But Dave, if it's losing Bud and the Army, where's the advantage?

Dave Rodman: If it's losing the Army, I don't think that's until 2009.

David Caraviello: I agree with you, Mark. But the 8 car won't be challenging for a Chase berth if DEI is splitting it with two drivers.

Mark Aumann: And isn't there a pretty good falloff from Junior to the likes of Aric Almirola and Regan Smith?

David Caraviello: Precipitous.

Dave Rodman: DEI has four solid race teams in place in a great set of facilities. A sponsor leaving is a relatively common occurrence -- and having a solid organization in place puts it in a better position to recover.

Mark Aumann: I don't know how you sell the fan base on "just wait until you see what we've got for you in 2009."

David Caraviello: You don't. This is a sport based on performance now, not performance years from now; which is why the driver development craze went out the window when teams realized it wasn't helping them at the moment.

Mark Aumann: You're asking an awful lot of two very raw rookies to step into those rides next season.

Dave Rodman: If that's what DEI does -- which I would hope it doesn't. J.J. Yeley deserves a shot. I think he could be a Chase contender a la Clint Bowyer or Little Martin, given the right combination.

David Caraviello: Basically, right now, DEI has one of its four cars capable of making the 2008 Chase. I'm sure sponsors are going to love that.

Mark Aumann: David, that's one of the scary things about having sponsorship dry up at the same time. It won't be easy for the folks at DEI to entice big bucks from a sponsor when you can't show them a long-term plan already in place.

Dave Rodman: Unless you can get them to buy into a plan, along with your prospective drivers, which seems like a lot to ask in a sport that needs long-term consistency and short-term results.

David Caraviello: It's a tough deal, Mark. You have to run well to entice sponsors, but without sponsors, you can't run well. Although Max Siegel has said repeatedly that DEI's sponsorship is in place for next season on all four cars.

Mark Aumann: And you're faced with trying to make some young guys grow up in a hurry in a sport that chews up and spits out inexperienced drivers.

David Caraviello: The only thing worse than never getting the big break? Getting it in a ride that's not supported well enough, and you wind up getting kicked to the curb. That's the danger.

Mark Aumann: As we said before, consistency wins championships. And most young guys just aren't consistent. Funny thing is, Joe Nemechek would probably be the perfect fit for the No. 01 in 2008 -- a solid veteran who could share time with one of the younger drivers.

Dave Rodman: But you don't think DEI would do two split-season cars, do you?

Mark Aumann: But that horse left the corral well before anybody closed the gate.

Dave Rodman: Though I think, with Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard, DEI might have two guys that could challenge for the Chase. I really think Truex is gonna be a Chase fixture from here on out, now that he's broken through and gotten his first one.

David Caraviello: I've got it. A split car with Martin Truex and Mark Martin. Martin and Martin in '08! Sounds like a presidential ticket.

The opinions expressed are solely of the participants.