1. Tony Stewart is free at last from Joe Gibbs Racing and will be back in Chevrolets at Stewart-Haas Racing. So is it a good move?

Duane Cross: I think it's a great move -- for everyone involved. Rarely can that be said for such a big move, but all parties will benefit. Obviously, Tony wants more control over the end of his career, and ownership provides him that security.

Raygan Swan: Tony taking the next step in his career was much needed. He's accomplished so much, I just hope he is still able to get a Daytona 500 win.

Dave Rodman: We'll see what it means, long-term. On the one hand, I think he'll suffer badly short-term, if he can't pirate his crew from JGR. This ain't like JGR switching to Toyota -- that was a championship team in play.

Duane Cross: And for Gibbs, we know that Joey Logano will be the hotshoe behind the wheel of Smoke's old ride. It's a win-win. Congrats to Smoke and JGR for coming to an amicable agreement and moving on for the future of both parties.

Dave Rodman: I don't know that it was amicable as much as it was inevitable. And with the dynamic in play at JGR right now, and with Joey Logano on the horizon -- whenever he gets there -- he's showing better now than Smoke did in his entree to stock cars -- though that's what Joey's aimed for, unlike Tony's open-wheel background. The bottom line is JGR will hardly blink.

Raygan Swan: So with Zippy [crew chief Greg Zipadelli] not going with Tony, that's a hard breakup. Ten years is a long time.

Duane Cross: I wouldn't be so quick to say Stewart will suffer badly in the short-term, with or without Zippy. I doubt Stewart is going into this with blinders. I think he has a plan to make the team competitive from the get-go.

Stewart-Haas Racing

• Deal Stewart couldn't refuse
• Gibbs grants Stewart release
• Menzer: Gamble worth taking
• Aumann: Driver-ownerships
• About Haas CNC Racing
• Stewart's ownership roles

Dave Rodman: I'll be looking forward to seeing how he manages that, since it would be breaking a tradition with the Haas team.

Raygan Swan: I believe Tony is going to be just fine. He's had months to make this decision and certainly has a plan in place. I think it will be great to see a struggling team come from the ashes with Stewart's help.

Dave Rodman: Tony ain't blind, but I honestly don't know what he's thinking. Right now, and I'm including this season, short though it is on results, he has the chance to be on top on a weekly basis. Next year, he better have 15 or 25 heads in his arsenal, because he'll get his handed to him on a weekly basis. I see no other out than that -- again, as I say, short-term.

Duane Cross: True -- and now that all this is in the rearview, would it surprise anyone if he rips off a couple wins before Richmond and makes waves in the Chase?

Raygan Swan: No, because we still have Watkins Glen and the Brickyard. He's my pick for those races.

Dave Rodman: The saddest and funniest thing will be how many dopes -- media and otherwise -- will try to make some connection to the two events. He's been on the verge all season, and as he himself has repeatedly said, this season is almost spooky strange!

Duane Cross: The 20 team has been good this year -- and now nothing can divert his attention; the end of the road at JGR is a new road for Stewart. He'll be fine -- for the rest of '08 and beyond.

Dave Rodman: We'll see.

Duane Cross: I'll go out on a limb and say he'll be competitive in the Daytona 500 next year. He'll make a splash, right outta the gate.

Jason Smith/Getty Images

The No. 1 backup goes through inspection at Daytona after the primary car failed the process.

2. NASCAR has set its new car penalty structure in stone, at least for today; so is there an explanation, or a solution to teams showing up with cars outside the box?

Duane Cross: There's no explanation -- even though DEI's John Story said the No. 1 car met the template inside the team's facility -- and there's no solution. NASCAR's mousetrap is what it is, and it's going to catch some teams unexpectedly.

Dave Rodman: Well, the structure is in stone until someone else tries to beat it -- or gets caught by it -- and God help them if they do, because it obviously will ratchet up again if there's a more extreme attempt at contravening the rules.

Raygan Swan: I would have to agree and say no because the teams have the templates and the rules. You would think they would be taking notes from the other teams penalized this season.

Dave Rodman: You're right, Raygs -- they may not be writing it down, but I'd like to think the sting NASCAR put on Haas CNC would more than get the entire garage's attention.

Duane Cross: Yep -- you have to think these guys are triple- and quadruple-checking the templates before loading the cars on the haulers. If not, they should be.

Dave Rodman: According to John Story, they did. And you know, on the one hand, with the error that NASCAR admitted to after it screwed Carl Edwards with his restart position on Friday night , makes you say "hmmm" about whether or not it could have made a mistake with this measurement; at the same time, I'm thinking that ain't too likely, either.

Duane Cross: Apples and oranges on that; I'll give you the restart -- but The Claw doesn't change.

Dave Rodman: Well, they gave 'em a few shots at it, too.

Duane Cross: The toughest part is that the team gets dinged this late in the regular season. That really puts a crimp in Martin Truex Jr.'s chances for making the Chase. Of course, there's no good time to take a 150-point penalty, but ...

Raygan Swan: Puts a crimp in his game, while it helps other drivers like David Ragan and Ryan Newman.

Dave Rodman: Well, it doesn't change their point differential, only takes out one body they have to jump over. Man -- would I like to see Little Martin revert to his '07 form and get into the Chase, again? You betcha.

Raygan Swan: Perhaps some teams feel they can afford the penalty but in Carl's case, he would be sitting in second place, I believe, had he not been penalized earlier for the oil lid ordeal. His penalty pretty much canceled out much of his bonus points for his wins.

Duane Cross: Carl's already in second place -- don't forget, the points reset with the Chase; wins are the bonus and he has the second-most this season.

Dave Rodman: But there's no doubt he will miss the 10 points he lost with that penalty.

Duane Cross: The top 12 is the key -- and right now, the No. 1 team is in a hole from which it probably will not scratch out.

Dave Rodman: I just wish someone had kept track of how narrow that roof allegedly was.

Duane Cross: One-sixteenth of an inch, that's what I was told.

Dave Rodman: For better or worse, NASCAR is "nebulous is us" when it comes to defining infractions -- or I should say, revealing what they were.

Duane Cross: Yeah, I love the standard penalty release which just (inserts name here) and (inserts rule book code here). I'd like to see the releases go into a bit more detail. I think the fans would like to see that, too.

Dave Rodman: Well, I agree. And I'm into one-stop-shopping. You would think it would put the details in, rather than making the media -- all the media, which means a bunch of phone calls -- make phone calls to get the details. Oh well.

Raygan Swan: Maybe then other teams, as well as fans, could further understand the violations and how to avoid them.

Dave Rodman: Good point. Though I think that jungle-drum network we all love takes care of that. No secrets in this swamp.

• No. 1 team hit with penalties | Commission upholds Haas penalties

RobbyGordon.com

Robby Gordon and the No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge support the petition to keep Wrigley Field's name intact.

3. Joliet at night with limited practice time. Are the usual suspects gonna be in command, or will there be a surprise?

Duane Cross: After dark in Joliet, Ill., baby! Let the good times roll for David Caraviello and Joe Menzer!

Raygan Swan: Yeah, I hear the night life is hopping, umm, by the Flying J Truck Stop and whatnot!

• For Joliet attractions, see Travel Log

Dave Rodman: I'd like to see a post-entry for Joliet Jake, with Elwood as the latest nominee for the Crew Chiefs' Hall of Fame. Cop tires, a cop engine and needing a fuel-mileage strategy -- pure Chicagoland!

Raygan Swan: But seriously, I think the night race will be a good show for the fans and some exciting unknowns for the drivers.

Duane Cross: Seriously, it's the usual suspects' race to lose -- and that means, specifically, Kyle Busch. Toss in a few other names, but I doubt we'll have a David Gilliland/Kentucky Speedway scenario.

Dave Rodman: Wouldn't it be cool to see Jeff Gordon be up enough in the mix to put another fender to someone and score a win. God knows, he's way overdue and he has a history out in Chicagoland.

Duane Cross: No question he's on the short list for worst luck of the year.

Dave Rodman: Along with Tony Stewart. Though, in Jeff's case, I think they've managed to manufacture a lot more out of their excrement-scented runs. Just how good they are, as I remember saying at Bristol, is in how badly they struggle and yet how well they finish.

Raygan Swan: I'm sticking with Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth; I see the usual suspects in command unless Stewart is over his flu bug.

Dave Rodman: Gordon and Company will break out of this funk and, considering they haven't fallen out of championship contention -- people will be saying, "where did they come from?" In fact, they've never been far away.

Duane Cross: Getting back to Joliet, I am stoked to see that track under the lights; it should make Chicago one of the marquee events over time. I mean if they can put up lights at Wrigley Field, then Chicagoland is a drop in the bucket.

Dave Rodman: If they're going for that look, they need to drape some ivy over the walls out there in Joliet -- or whatever that greenery is.

Duane Cross: That would be too cool! I can hear Bill Weber now, "We are under caution as the grounds crew cleans up ivy leaves in Turn 4 after Dale Jr. tagged the outside wall."

Dave Rodman: Yeah -- it did occur to me there might be some ramifications with that -- but by the same token, you'd have to think the wind would take 'em outta play pretty quickly.

Raygan Swan: Overall, I think night races allow more flexibility for fans, the weather is better and perhaps a bigger window to shuffle in all the traffic.

Duane Cross: And speaking of Wrigley Field, check out Robby Gordon's paint scheme on Saturday night. Dude continues to put his finger on the fans' pulse; gotta love his sponsors for keeping him in the game.

Raygan Swan: R. Gordon's paint scheme Save Our Name is pretty sweet.

Duane Cross: OK Cubs fans, who's with me? Marla Collins gives the command to "start your engines!"

Dave Rodman: You and Kurt Busch are all over that. You got me.

Raygan Swan: Dave, just to backtrack -- excrement-scented? Wow, who makes that, Vanderbilt?

Dave Rodman: Next on the to-do list for those "Race Fumes" dementios. Is that a word? Either way, it fits.

The opinions expressed are solely of the participants.