1. NASCAR's first event with rain tires produced mixed results -- entertainment for viewers, but problems for some drivers who crashed even under caution. Did the sanctioning body do the right thing?

David Caraviello: Absolutely. Given that what, half the field had to be in Pocono on Sunday, and they didn't want to make people come back to Montreal for a Monday race, it was the best option. And though it had a few kinks, they proved racing in the rain can be done.

Duane Cross: Under the circumstances, yes, I believe NASCAR did the right thing. If nothing else, the sport now has a "test" under race conditions.

Mark Aumann: Yes all the way around. They knew the time constraints. They needed to put on a show for the fans. The rain tires worked well ... until it poured. And they stopped the race when conditions got too terrible. Now, should teams be better prepared for adverse conditions? Yes. There's no reason why Carl Edwards should be trying to use a Swiffer during cautions. But that's part of the learning process.

David Caraviello: That was strange, Mark. Why did some teams have windshield wipers and some not? Is there not a full, mandatory rain package?

Duane Cross: The learning process -- that's the key to this situation. It was a work in progress, and remains such. Same thing with wiper packages. In the end we'll have a mandatory rain package that has been fully vetted.

Mark Aumann: Should Sprint Cup do it? I have mixed feelings. I'd be against it, unless there are assurances that the race couldn't be run in any other fashion. I know most of the drivers enjoyed the uniqueness, until condensation made it almost impossible to see. And that might be the biggest hurdle -- what to do about all the water that gets in the cars.

David Caraviello: I received some e-mails from fans lamenting the fact that NASCAR and Goodyear had two "tire fiascos" in consecutive weeks. Please. Indy and Montreal are nowhere close. The first was a debacle (read more). The second gave people a race when there might not have been one (read more).

Duane Cross: C'mon, those two races are 180 degrees apart. Montreal was NASCAR making a good decision on the fly, so to speak.

Mark Aumann: And huge props to the fans in Montreal, who never left their seats in the middle of all that. Those are some serious race fans. They're used to weird weather at that track. I've seen fans at college football games turn tail at the first sight of inclement weather.

David Caraviello: Not at the University of South Carolina! Tennessee, maybe.

Duane Cross: Well, Mark, you are a Florida grad -- and those fair-weather folks are famous for their front-running, even in inclement weather. Hey Caraviello, beat UT and then you can talk smack. Until then, sing Rocky Top until your ears bleed!

David Caraviello: Gators are the wine and cheese crowd of the SEC. But really, I think there were some hurdles here no one really expected, like the fact that the cars aren't sealed. I don't think anyone thought of fog and squeegieing. Of course, there's no excuse next time.

Mark Aumann: Well, I must admit I was surprised at how well the electronics held up, how those cars didn't short out with all that water on the dash.

David Caraviello: Which also bodes well for making the decision to run races in the rain on the Cup side. I think we'll see a Cup race in wet weather before 2010. Montreal proved it can be done. All that remains is more testing, and we know NASCAR R&D is all about that.

Mark Aumann: If that's the case, place your money on Marcos Ambrose. He was unbelievable in the wet. As long as he can see the exit to pit road. Who knew it rains that much Down Under.

David Caraviello: What happened in Montreal was dictated, it seemed, by circumstances more than anything else. And if similar circumstances ever unfold on the Cup side -- break 'em out.

2. Although Ron Fellows won the Nationwide event at Montreal, no ringer has won a Sprint Cup event in years. Would such a thing be good for the sport?

Duane Cross: The more the merrier. Who cares if it's a regular or a ringer; just put on a good race. These guys are behind the wheel because they are great drivers.

Mark Aumann: I don't think it would matter. The focus right now is on the Chase field, and a win by someone outside of that group really would be outside of the spotlight.

David Caraviello: I'm torn on this. I'd love to see somebody like Boris Said or Scott Pruett steal a road-course win from the regular guys. But then, those Chase bonus points are pretty much wasted.

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... don't tell anyone -- but I think the road-course events are more fun to watch. True, you can't see much in person, but so many corners allow more opportunities for drama and mayhem.

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DAVID CARAVIELLO

Duane Cross: Which is why the "Chase bonus points" should be eliminated. But that's an argument for another day.

David Caraviello: I'm trying to remember ... who was the last ringer to win on the Cup side? Dan Gurney? Sir Harvey Oldfield? Ben Hur?

Mark Aumann: With the influx of drivers from other series -- and countries -- the special panache of an "outsider" winning a Cup race has been diminished.

Duane Cross: A ringer winning would become a hot topic if a road-course race was in the Chase. It potentially could have a huge impact on the championship.

David Caraviello: You're right, Mark. With guys like Patrick Carpentier competing every week, and Boris Said trying to make a large chunk of races, it seems the one-off crowd has become a little more regular.

Mark Aumann: Yeah, Said is the only non-regular added to the entry list this week. The other ringers are filling in for regulars. And that's a shift in the dynamics of the road-course events over the last few years. Teams are trying to accumulate as many points as possible -- especially those near the bottom of the top 35 -- because of that advantage. So that's why we see P.J. instead of J.J.

Duane Cross: It always happens at serpentine courses; P.J. Jones is subbing this week for J.J. Yeley (and Yeley is out for good). That speaks more to teams wanting to get exposure for their sponsor, to help their efforts in remaining in the top 35. Glad to see we're thinking alike, Mark.

David Caraviello: Mark Donohue at Riverside in 1973 -- might that have been our last ringer victory?

Mark Aumann: That's the last one that comes to mind. And during a gas crunch, too. And in an AMC Matador. Don't see many of those on the street any more.

David Caraviello: I'll tell you, I do like having these guys in the field. I know some of the Cup regulars certainly hate giving their cars up, but in a long season, any variety is fun. And just the intrigue -- can one of these guys win? -- is terribly interesting.

Duane Cross: Some would argue Rusty Wallace in '96 at Sonoma, since he was a non-factor on most ovals by that time. I like seeing the ringers, too. It adds a variety that is seen nowhere else on the Cup schedule.

David Caraviello: He wasn't a ringer, but I can't help thinking back to Jerry Nadeau, who would have won at Sonoma in a Petty Enterprises car a few years ago had his rear-end gear not given out in the final laps. Scenarios like that make these weeks fun. I'm sure it wasn't fun for Jerry, but you get the point.

Mark Aumann: And it shows the versatility of the drivers. It's amazing to think these guys can step into a 3,700-pound stock car and muscle it around a road course that efficiently. It goes to show that road-course racing is much more in the driver's hands than any of the other venues on the circuit. And guys with great car control -- think Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon -- have dominated at The Glen.

Duane Cross: There have been a few close calls by the ringers -- and because one hasn't won just adds to the "will it happen this week" anticipation.

Mark Aumann: And you never know what Robby Gordon will do.

Duane Cross: I also like seeing the new racecar on the road courses. Sonoma was a good race; I think this week's race at The Glen will be even better.

David Caraviello: And Mark, don't tell anyone -- but I think the road-course events are more fun to watch. True, you can't see much in person, but so many corners allow more opportunities for drama and mayhem. This upcoming Watkins Glen event was the best race of 2007. You don't see Jeff Gordon overrun a turn with a win in the bag very often (watch video).

Mark Aumann: Well, David, we had that argument in Montreal, and I found myself in the minority. And don't forget the "international incident" between Harvick and Montoya (watch video). Great stuff.

3. Kyle Busch has two consecutive finishes of 19th or worse, and Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson are closing in. Is Shrub still the man to beat for the title?

Mark Aumann: Yes. Since the majority of the races in the Chase are on intermediate tracks -- and that's where Kyle's been superior -- I still have to believe he's the odds-on favorite.

Duane Cross: Yep, he's still the one -- mainly because the Chase changes everything. Kyle knows he has the bonus-points cushion; the No. 18 team has no reason to panic.

Sprint Cup Series

Last five races

Driver	Points
Jimmie Johnson	777
Carl Edwards	724
Tony Stewart	661
Kyle Busch	651

Last 10 races

Driver	Points
Carl Edwards	1474
Jimmie Johnson	1417
Matt Kenseth	1388
Kyle Busch	1369

David Caraviello: Yes. He'll still start the Chase with a healthy lead on Edwards and Johnson. Now, if either of those guys catches or surpasses Kyle in wins, watch out. But I don't see that happening, as good as Kyle's been on so many tracks this year.

Mark Aumann: You can throw out the last two races for unusual circumstances. Indy was ... well, a disaster. And Busch was unlucky in a fuel-mileage race at Pocono.

Duane Cross: And if the Chase started today, Kasey Kahne would be another guy I believe would make some noise. He's capable of hanging with Busch on the intermediate tracks.

David Caraviello: It's interesting, nobody this season has really shown that week-in, week-out consistency we're used to seeing from a frontrunner. As good as Busch has been, he has the capacity to be all over the place. Johnson and Edwards are hit and miss. Even Jeff Burton, the personification of consistency earlier this season, has slipped a bit. All of which makes me think this really might be up for grabs once the Chase starts and the point gaps tighten.

Mark Aumann: You know, Tony Stewart's been looming all season. And he's a perfect fit for some of the Chase races. He's the kind of guy who could steal the title in his last go-round with Gibbs. And even though 40 points seems like a pretty good advantage, it's in reality only a 10-position difference in one race. Again, the Chase is all about survival. You have to be close by Homestead.

Duane Cross: Burton does just enough to finish in the top 10 -- and that's just good enough to finish second in the Chase. I wish Jeff would beat-n-bang a bit more; he's got the fire but keeps it suppressed for whatever reasons.

David Caraviello: But barring a huge finishing kick by somebody over the next five races, this is still Kyle's title to lose. Jeff Gordon didn't have this kind of advantage at this point last year. Of course, this is also about the time Jimmie Johnson caught his stride.

Duane Cross: I think that finishing kick is going to come from the points leader. Kyle could rip off two, three wins and really make this thing moot.

Mark Aumann: It's such a defensive way of racing, in my opinion. You're not trying to run well as much as trying not to have a terrible day.

David Caraviello: You're right, Mark. You get in the Chase by being conservative. That's especially true for the guys at the back of the Chase field. But Kyle hasn't shown that much conservatism this season.

Mark Aumann: In case you're wondering, over the last five races: Johnson 777 points, Edwards 724, Stewart 661, Busch 651. Over the last 10 races: Edwards 1474, Johnson 1417, Busch 1369. Matt Kenseth 1388!

David Caraviello: Gulp.

Duane Cross: Yet J.J. and Edwards have a win apiece, which brings them only 10 points closer under the Chase rules. But you've gotta like that about Kyle -- no holds barred, whether he's first, fifth or 15th. Just let 'er rip.

David Caraviello: Duane, that's why I think Kyle's style really fits the Chase itself very well. Johnson showed last year that you have to go out and win to take control of the thing. Winning is something Kyle knows how to do.

Mark Aumann: You can really put enormous pressure on the other Chase guys by putting together a string of victories. Look at Jimmie the past few seasons.

Duane Cross: No doubt -- Kyle knows how to win, and I think it will bode well for him in the playoffs. It bit Jeff Gordon in the hiney last year; he didn't go for the brass ring enough.

David Caraviello: Well, let's hope everyone takes better care of their "hineys" this time around. I don't think "back to basics" goes quite that far.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.