Track Smack: DEI, Petty face some driver drama

1. Aric Almirola finished eighth in his season debut at Bristol, and was in the top 15 at Martinsville before his engine blew. Should Dale Earnhardt Inc. put him in the No. 8 car full-time?

Joe Menzer: And put Mark Martin out to pasture? I think it's premature. Almirola needs more Cup experience, and he can learn a lot even when he's not in the seat by watching Martin.

Dave Rodman: Mark Martin will dictate that, as he should. There's the money issue again -- different chapter in the same book. Aric should be driving something, somewhere, every week. But I assume money ain't growing on trees in the DEI orchard.

David Caraviello: Tough spot here. Martin is the face of that No. 8 car. He's the guy they sold to Army. But the more promise Almirola continues to show, the more difficult it might be to keep him out of a Cup car.

Joe Menzer: Agreed on all fronts. But the truth is that Almirola should be driving full-time in the Nationwide Series right now, and then part-time in Cup. That would give him plenty of the valuable seat time he needs.

David Caraviello: Let's face it, he's the young guy. He's the future. Nobody is saying they should send Martin to the home, Joe. But you want to keep a guy like Almirola happy. You don't want him restless -- and looking.

Dave Rodman: If you mark Martinsville against Martinsville, just about every aspect of last weekend is impressive, compared to last time -- but the end result was still the same and that's what shows in the results tally.

David Caraviello: Yeah, but same old story at DEI with the engines. That's not Almirola's fault.

Dave Rodman: Unless we know he didn't do something to hurt it, like over-rev it or something like that. Menard finished 15th and Lil' Martin, well -- Martinsville and he never got along much.

The name is Aric -- not Woody.

Aric Almirola

Career Cup stats

Races	8
Wins	0
Top-fives	0
Top-10s	1
Avg. Start	27.2
Avg. Finish	32.1
Best finish	8 (Bristol)
DNFs	4

Joe Menzer: And before anyone gets too carried away with the young man, it seemed to me that Almirola was running into a lot of people at M'ville -- as many do at that place. Didn't he cause about three wrecks?

Dave Rodman: I'd have to assume they have his path pretty well mapped out, and he's bought into it. Then again, you might have thought Joe Gibbs Racing did, too -- but when you look at the fact they also basically let Woody Howard out the door, that group is certainly not lacking in development talent.

Joe Menzer: Woody who?

David Caraviello: Woody Howard? Was that the guy from Cheers?

Joe Menzer: That was Woody Harrelson, you goof.

David Caraviello: Oh yeah. Dave is into his driver development. I couldn't tell Woody Howard from Woody Allen.

Joe Menzer: As long as you know who Woody Hayes is, you're all right with me.

Dave Rodman: I can't recall hearing about Woody Howard slapping anybody around when he was running up front in Late Model Stock Cars and Hooters Pro Cup. Then again, there aren't any punters there, either -- wasn't that Mr. Hayes' undoing?

Joe Menzer: No, Woody Hayes did not punch a punter. He punched a linebacker. Big difference.

David Caraviello: Anyway, I can just see DEI facing a tough situation if Almirola begins to want more Cup rides, and they can't give them to him. Maybe they should revamp the late-season schedule and give him a few more. He's earning them.

Joe Menzer: I say they need to see how he does over a longer stretch first. Two races does not a career make. It barely even constitutes the start to a career.

Dave Rodman: It would be great if DEI could do a great technology loaning program and farm Almirola out to a Camping World program.

David Caraviello: But Joe, does he have a longer stretch? How many Cup races does he have this year? Eight? Something like that?

Dave Rodman: I believe he has in the neighborhood of 10. He needs to be racing. But I think there is no question he has elevated his game, across the board.

Joe Menzer: That is a legitimate point. I concede that one to you, much as it hurts me to say so.

2. Kyle Petty is out of the top 35. Sponsor General Mills is leaving for Richard Childress Racing after this season. Is Petty Enterprises in trouble?

Dave Rodman: It's a step by step, inch by inch deal -- and only time will tell. We have not had a litmus test of the "magic of the 43" for a while.

David Caraviello: Gotta figure this can't be what the organization had in mind when it made the big move to Charlotte before this season. I think they'll find another sponsor -- the King carries that much weight -- but Kyle missing races is worrisome.

The King's castle has hit hard times.

• Head2Head: Petty's time up?
• General Mills moving to RCR
• McCumbee in No. 45 at Texas

Joe Menzer: On the surface, you'd have to say yes. But Petty Enterprises is a different animal than every other racing operation, and should still be attractive to some big-time sponsors because of their history and all that entails. I still think they bring a lot to the table.

Dave Rodman: I do know for the last couple years, there have been a few races were the 45 was scrambling for sponsorship -- so the "magic of the Petty name" -- as powerful as it is; ain't a key to the vault, as it were.

David Caraviello: I don't disagree, Joe. But to see this team take a step forward, then a step back in competition is difficult. Not that the King's name doesn't carry weight, but you had to figure it was only a matter of time before a sponsor sought results.

Joe Menzer: There are many positive things going on in the Petty organization right now -- the move to the new shop, etc. -- but you are right. They need to translate into better results on the track.

Dave Rodman: The somewhat interesting or ominous thing is, now that RC has his cherished fourth team in place, he needs a sponsor for his current "third team" (in number only) -- the 31. That makes you wonder if the driver/sponsor came as a package. I still say Bobby Labonte has been moving it in the right direction -- inch by inch. You got to wonder how his general comfort level in that role stacks up against the length of time he has left in his career.

Joe Menzer: I think everybody wondered that immediately, as far as whether this was a driver/sponsor package. But I believe Richard Childress downplayed that in a conversation with you, DC, right?

David Caraviello: Seems Labonte is not in the 33 mix. Childress said that much yesterday. He would know, given that Bobby runs the Nationwide car part-time for him.

Joe Menzer: Well, that could be a good sign for Petty. Bobby has proven he can be competitive in the 43 for some races. They just need consistency -- lots more of it. And at some point you've got to win another race or two, or you become irrelevant. They've gotten a free pass on that for a while now because of who they are.

Dave Rodman: The fact that we're smacking it around means "the press" might not let it rest, but I hope we do. Bobby is still trying to win races in the 43, and he's got 30 more of them to compete in. At least 30 -- depending on what decision he makes.

Joe Menzer: What do you want to let rest, Roadman? Are you saying we shouldn't discuss this out of respect to the Pettys and Bobby? I don't see the harm in it. Listen, those guys are all some of my favorites. Dale Inman can tell a story with the best of 'em and has always been a huge help to me. But even they know and admit that they need to step up production.

Dave Rodman: No, Joe -- we've discussed it, now I say, let the sleeping Bobby lie until he's ready to talk about it. Don't ask him every week if he's made a decision or if anything is changing -- not that any of US would do that.

Joe Menzer: Well, there is that. But if Bobby truly is going to stay put, then they ought to lock him up sooner rather than later, make an announcement, and be done with it. Otherwise, the questions will inevitably come.

David Caraviello: Yeah, we have eight months until 2009. The question is going to hang in the air until somebody answers it.

Joe Menzer: If they could get Bobby to agree to stay and announce it, that would lessen the blow of this sponsor loss -- and likely also make them more attractive to a replacement sponsor.

David Caraviello: The bigger worry, I would think, is what happens in a few years. Kyle isn't going to drive forever; Richard isn't going to want to come to the track forever. Can they still maintain that Petty aura without any Pettys around?

Joe Menzer: I think you are wrong there, at least on Richard. I think he will want to come to the track for as long as he can walk upright.

David Caraviello: That's good, because they need him. They're leaning on his legacy pretty hard right now. Would be nice to have some results to back him up. But is there a post-Petty plan in place? Is Chad McCumbee the future of Petty Enterprises?

Dave Rodman: Chad is pretty highly thought of, I believe, in the garage. As you know, he tested for Haas CNC earlier this year on the chance they might be able to develop a program for him. He's doing well in Dave Malcolmson's self-sponsored truck -- so there is a lot to be said for that.

Joe Menzer: As for Kyle, isn't he about done driving anyway?

David Caraviello: That's going to be the big question, especially if he continues to struggle to make races, or keeps turning his car over to someone else.

3. The tires Goodyear will use this week at Texas will be the same ones used there last year. But after what we saw at Atlanta, should we be prepared for more driver complaints?

Joe Menzer: Of course. Drivers love to complain. And apparently in the case of the tires at Atlanta, they had every right to.

David Caraviello: OK, I'm not a tire guy. But it seemed coming out of Atlanta that as many people blamed the new car as they did the tire. So I wouldn't be shocked if we had dudes getting squirrelly again this week.

Can someone please explain sidewall deflection?

Dave Rodman: It seems to me, in someone's pre-weekend quote package, I saw a note that they are using the same tire, with a stiffer sidewall. I think none of us are that technically capable of completely deciphering that, but it might be a step in the right direction with these new cars.

David Caraviello: So if we have issues like we did in Atlanta, and the tire is out of the equation, then guys like Chad Knaus and Kurt Busch who pointed at the new car all along might just be proven correct.

Joe Menzer: Listen, I don't understand the tire thing all that well, either. I'm hoping Roadman, who was around when tires were still made of stone, can explain it to all of us. As a matter of fact, did y'all see Roadman in those new Bud Light commercials? He's the guy who invented the wheel they use to get the beer to the party!

Dave Rodman: Joe, that's brilliance! The tires on Fred Flintstone's flintmobile would certainly reduce sidewall deflection -- but you'd need 20 tankers of coke syrup to gum up the track enough to get any grip!

Joe Menzer: See, I knew he knew tires!

David Caraviello: I love it when Rodman talks sidewall deflection.

Dave Rodman: The flintmobile had about as much downforce as these new cars do.

Joe Menzer: Wouldn't more sidewall deflect give the Roush cars more of the torsional deflection they're looking for in their front sway bars?

David Caraviello: If their front sway bars aren't stolen, that is.

Dave Rodman: I've heard they're working on an application to array 100 high-tech sway bars entirely around the exterior of the car -- you know, the "centipede effect."

David Caraviello: Ah, the centipede effect. Of course. Is that anything like the butterfly effect? Or was that a bad Kevin Costner movie?

Joe Menzer: In all seriousness, does it really matter whether it's the new car to blame for the tires not working, or vice versa? If these tires don't work on this car, don't they have to start coming up with ones that will?

Dave Rodman: Of course, they'd have to be shod with something, so that brings us right back around in the circle to Goodyear -- so probably best to leave well enough alone. They're working hard on rectifying this, because grippy tires and good racing works best for everyone.

Joe Menzer: I should say if these tires don't work at certain tracks, too, because on others the combination seems fine.

Dave Rodman: Well, if you want to wrack your brain or exercise your mouse, you could find instances of worse and better tire performances. It's a never-ending cycle.

David Caraviello: I think it does matter if it's the new car. If these tire problems are stemming from setup issues, as Goodyear intimates so many of them do ... but then it becomes a case of, who do you believe? The tire supplier or the driver?

Dave Rodman: And like I've always said, that's why they call it "racing" -- whoever masters the conditions on a given day, which probably means working the hardest and bitching the least -- wins.

David Caraviello: Which could make things more entertaining to watch.

Dave Rodman: Exactly. That was kind of why Atlanta wasn't all bad. I almost felt like Kyle Busch should have gotten some kind of double points for the way he handled that whole scenario.

Joe Menzer: I may have to go soon. My head is starting to hurt. I might have a touch of the torsional effect.

David Caraviello: Do they give you a shot for that?

Joe Menzer: I will have to get an appointment with Dr. Jack Roush.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.