Track Smack: Team players

1. Hendrick Motorsports was accused of issuing "team orders favoring Jimmie Johnson" at California: So do you think anything similar will come into play Saturday night at RIR?

Joe Menzer: If it does, and I'm Kyle Busch, at this stage I would ignore them and go for the win -- every time. I think it's ridiculous to have the team owner tell one of his guys "to play it safe" -- at this stage, or almost any stage, really.

Dave Rodman: Well, the 10 guys who are locked into the Chase will be racing ball-out for a win Saturday night. But Rick's call was not unreasonable during the California race, when Kyle was NOT locked-in.

Duane Cross: Scenario: Late in the race ... Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer are a few spots ahead of Kevin Harvick, who's still riding the bubble with Dale Jr. in tow ... Yeah, I can see Richard Childress putting a bug in their ears.

Dave Rodman: I think RC would have that well-rehearsed with his guys beforehand.

Joe Menzer: I guess I'm not entirely clear about exactly when Rick Hendrick told Kyle to play it safe, and where he was in terms of track position and Chase position at that very moment. But I still like guys going for the win.

Dave Rodman: It was late, and the e-mailer's contention was that KB was locked in, when in fact he was not. Shrub had much more to lose at that point by trying to win rather than locking himself in, as he did with a good finish.

Joe Menzer: But if you're Kyle Busch, do you heed such advice from a boss who will no longer be your boss in 11 weeks?

Duane Cross: Yes, you do. Kyle still has a lot more to lose during the final three months.

Dave Rodman: Rick's the boss, so I believe he has a right to dispense it. Down the stretch, winning the race, for Kyle unfortunately, was superfluous. He needed to lock in. Can you hear the helicopters?

Duane Cross: I also could see Rick Hendrick telling the Nos. 5 and 48 to give Jeff Gordon some room to race at the end. Having Jimmie Johnson and Gordon tied at the top of the standings certainly wouldn't be the worst-case scenario.

Dave Rodman: Duane! No, no, no. Those guys need to earn a win this weekend -- and the best man should win on merit, not via a gimme.

Duane Cross: But then again, if you're JJ, you want every point possible between you and the 24 before the green drops at Loudon.

Dave Rodman: I've been impressed with the interaction among the Hendrick teammates -- and their straightforward comments about how, in JJ's case particularly, they were biting their lips but openly sharing.

Duane Cross: And Rick was spot-on. Kyle's track record is aggressive -- and Rick wanted to ensure a smart final few laps. I doubt he meant for Kyle not to challenge Jimmie -- just race smart, cross the line and not sweat this week at Richmond.

Dave Rodman: As everyone always says -- they still have a championship to win, and working together is the best way to do it at this point.

Joe Menzer: But now that he's locked in, what exactly does KB have to lose? He's got his next gig lined up already.

Dave Rodman: Of course. And I don't think anyone's questioning that. I believe the e-mailer was laboring under a misconception. If Kyle WAS locked in he would have been turned loose. The fact he was not made the comment irrelevant -- and was why ESPN did not play it up.

Duane Cross: Kyle has a championship to lose.

Joe Menzer: KB will have a better shot at winning a championship if he wins a couple races. That means going for it when you're up front and have the chance to win one, doesn't it?

Duane Cross: He's one of the favorites -- for driving for HMS, if nothing else.

Dave Rodman: If he did something dumb, crashed and finished 33rd or so, he might have been in the position his brother and Kevin Harvick are this week. Still relatively safe, but not out of the woods yet.

Joe Menzer: Well, I'm not sure we can assume to understand exactly what's going on in the heads of the folks at ESPN.

Duane Cross: ESPN didn't play it up because it was too busy touting its college football coverage between pit stops and cautions.

Joe Menzer: Do you think ESPN would have reported that?

Dave Rodman: What? Reported him making a bad decision and crashing?

Joe Menzer: It was a joke, Dave -- maybe a bad one, but a joke nonetheless.

Dave Rodman: Well, you have to admit their sometimes erratic focus and coverage gives you pause. Like, when they missed the first restart -- and not by a little bit -- by a commercial-and-a-half.

Duane Cross: Last race of the year on ESPN ... had to get in those commercials to pay the bills.

Joe Menzer: That's why I made the joke.

Dave Rodman: I guess you guys don't buy into the "one ESPN" theory? In fact, their contention is this weekend's activity is on ESPN -- it just happens to be on ABC?

Duane Cross: Oh, sorry ... I forgot: The races now will be shown via "ESPN on ABC." That, folks, is stupid.

Uphill climb

It's not impossible for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to make the Chase, but it'll be tough.

• Complete story, click here

2. Realistically, does Dale Earnhardt Jr. have a shot at getting into the Chase at Richmond?

Joe Menzer: Um, no.

Duane Cross: Yes, he does -- mathematically and reasonably. He races well at Richmond and should be in contention to the end. That's the most that NASCAR and ESPN on ABC can hope for, ratings wise.

Dave Rodman: Well, I don't think he has the luxury of hanging around 'til the end. I believe Kurt has to finish about 36th or 37th and Kevin about 30th -- and that ain't likely to happen.

Joe Menzer: I agree that Junior races well at Richmond. In fact, I might just pick him to win this week (don't copy me). He's got to win again sometime, but with Harvick only needing to finish 32nd and Kurt Busch only needing to finish 36th or better, I think it's effectively over for Junior.

Duane Cross: True, it'll be an uphill battle for Driver 8 -- but strange things have happened at Richmond in Race 26.

Dave Rodman: Great things, too -- like Jeremy Mayfield proved. But I definitely think Junior can win if they put a car under him. His performance at California was as impressive as any he's posted this season.

Joe Menzer: See, I knew you'd copy me, Duane!

Duane Cross: Has anyone gotten an advance copy of Saturday night's script from Mr. McMahon?

Joe Menzer: You're just trying to play it safe and protect your lead in the Pick 'em standings.

Dave Rodman: And Junior's run at California sadly points up just what he's been saying: They have run well enough to be a Chase team all season -- and he might be the only one currently on the "outs" who can say that. Yet, I just don't think they'll pull this one out based more on what the 2 and 29 will do.

Joe Menzer: It will be great drama for a while if Junior runs up front -- and especially if he actually wins. But speaking of playing it safe, does anyone really think Harvick and/or Kurt B. are going to screw this up for themselves?

Duane Cross: I don't think Harvick or Busch will get too far off the beaten path, setup wise or on the track. They will be very conservative.

Dave Rodman: It's a race, man. One of them could get wiped out or blow up on the first lap. Now, does probability indicate that will happen? Hell no. But it could. That's why this race by God ought to be on TNT.

Duane Cross: TNT -- We know drama!

Joe Menzer: I think it's going to be a great race, though -- because lots of guys will be trying anything they can to win at the end, either to gain the 10 bonus points for the Chase if they're in, or because they're not in and have nothing more to lose.

Dave Rodman: You're right, Joe. I think Busch the elder and Harvick will be mildly aggressive -- but those 10 others need to win and they certainly want to.

Joe Menzer: Thanks for agreeing with me, Dave.

Dave Rodman: The interesting thing will be to see if anyone really understands what it means, and what it takes to do anything to win. I think Zippy and Tony do.

3. Realistically, what are the implications of Joe Gibbs Racing's move to Toyota, and how intense will the fallout be?

Joe Menzer: I'll be honest. I didn't think they were going to do it until just recently here, when it became obvious. But after going up there and hearing their reasoning Thursday it makes some sense. Now they're the top dog at Toyota, instead of being one of four top teams at GM.

Dave Rodman: I think the obvious is obvious: JGR will be competitive out of the box. Whether they elevate the rest of the troops with them depends on whether they wholeheartedly bought into that cooperative scenario.

Moving forward

In announcing its move to Toyota, Joe Gibbs Racing identified itself as a team that was ready, is willing, and will be able to carry the manufacturer's banner in the Cup Series.

• Complete story, click here
• Gibbs switching to Toyota
• Caraviello: Tracing its past
• Rodman: Significant swap
• Message Board: Your thoughts
• Video: Watch news conference

Duane Cross: The fallout, initially, won't be pretty. Given time, I think it will be clear that the nameplate doesn't make a hill of beans.

Dave Rodman: Uh, what my e-mail's telling me Joe, is that Toyota has been a thorn in a lot of fans' sides -- and this might make them ex-fans.

Joe Menzer: Plus Toyota is promising them lots of resources, not just for the short term but by all indications for the long term as well. They are trying to position themselves for a lucrative long-term future with this.

Dave Rodman: But at what cost in lost public good will?

Joe Menzer: Like I said, I initially thought the move made no sense, not because I have anything against Toyota as a manufacturer, but just because I couldn't see why a team would make the switch from one that had helped it win three championships.

Dave Rodman: I think it was just a better deal, all the way around.

Joe Menzer: And I wondered if Tony was on board with it.

Dave Rodman: I think all the Toyota teams would have been better even without JGR. I think they were the first front-line team to buy into Toyota's vision, and I think they can win almost immediately.

Duane Cross: The COT will be the common denominator -- the overriding factor will be the Toyota engine program, which has to get up to speed.

Dave Rodman: The fallout, on the other hand, could be extremely profound. People's dismay over Junior's abdication to Hendrick is a pee-drop compared to this -- if my initial e-mail response is any indication.

Joe Menzer: As for all the fans who are upset about the move from GM "to a foreign manufacturer," I liked how J.D. Gibbs handled that question the other day.

Duane Cross: No doubt -- the fans aren't happy with this decision. But time (and wins) heals all.

Joe Menzer: He pointed out that lots of folks in this country are employed by Toyota, that they buy and sell lots of Toyotas and that it has a record as a first-class company. So if you've got a problem with that, he can't help you.

Dave Rodman: But Joe, as much as JGR has bought into it, people do have a problem with it. I'm absolutely not discounting people's passion and belief that this was extremely wrong. But I only got one e-mail that espoused a balanced, sensible depiction of it.

Joe Menzer: Dave, you expect balanced, sensible e-mails from NASCAR.COM nation?

Dave Rodman: I have been graced with quite a few. But this has been a, shall we say, mercurial topic. A lot of the other people said they were done with NASCAR and were throwing away their Tony Stewart stuff. The rest said they were sticking with Chevrolet.

Joe Menzer: I mean, I love our readers and fans. But I wouldn't depict the majority of the e-mails I get as "balanced and sensible." "Irate and irrational" usually fits the bill more!

Duane Cross: Uh -- that's joe.menzer@turner.com

Joe Menzer: Thanks, boss!

Dave Rodman: I have always said that if anyone would abandon the sport due to a name change, schedule change, track redesign, driver change or even manufacturer change -- they weren't much of a fan to begin with.

Joe Menzer: I hope they all prove me wrong!

Dave Rodman: But I had several long-termers tell me this was the last straw. And to skip back to Tony -- I believe him when he said all he wants to do is contend for wins, which in turn means he's contending for titles. Everything else is irrelevant.

Duane Cross: Denny and Kyle are right there with Tony: Just win, baby!

Joe Menzer: I think most people will get over it. What did they expect when Toyota came in? Eventually they were going to get with someone who could not just make races on a consistent basis, but win them.

Duane Cross: I can't tell you how many "Remember Pearl Harbor" e-mails I've gotten. It's the last straw for a lot of folks, but hopefully reality will set in, and soon.

Dave Rodman: Toyota's step-by-step program is in process and seems right on schedule. But I don't think they'll come anywhere close to dominating as they currently do in the Craftsman Truck Series. And Mr. Hornaday appears to be about ready to deal with them, there -- along with Rick Ren and Mr. Harvick.

Duane Cross: Toyota and JGR will be formidable, and they will win next year. There's no doubt in my mind that this offseason will be spent catching up to the curve -- if not getting ahead of it.

Joe Menzer: Listen, Toyota isn't going anywhere. And if you believe guys like Humpy Wheeler, soon Honda and BMW and some other "foreign" manufacturers who just happen to make and sell a lot of cars in the U.S. will be joining the party.

Dave Rodman: You can only hope the public will accept this move. But gosh, this, along with the goofy TV schedule, may result in some more empty seats -- because canceling tickets was mentioned by a lot of folks, too.

Duane Cross: With the COT, anyone could join the party. Bring on Ferrari!

Dave Rodman: I hope the wealth does get spread. I'd like nothing better than to see Dave Blaney get the big score.

Joe Menzer: The way they all talked at JGR the other day, they plan to share the love -- or at least a lot of the technology. But JGR will still be building its own engines in-house.

Dave Rodman: Along with their cars as well.

Duane Cross: And that's the difference-maker -- JGR building its own engines. That's why I have so much faith in Stewart, Hamlin and Busch in 2008.

Dave Rodman: And don't forget Mark Cronquist. Man, I remember visiting with him at Dick Bahre's old shop up in Statesville. Those were the days ...

Joe Menzer: I think Stewart, Hamlin and Busch (or at least Steve Addington, Busch's crew chief-in-waiting) have lots of faith in Mark Cronquist, JGR's chief engine builder. In the long run, that's more important.

Duane Cross: OK, when Dave begins drifting into yesteryear, it's time to put this to bed. Next thing you know he'll be yakking about the time he and Big Bill short-sheeted the baby-sitter!

Dave Rodman: He did get a big kick outta that.

Joe Menzer: Amen, brother. It's time to move on -- which is what the Gibbs folks said to Chevy.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the participants.