Smack: The good, bad and the driver on an ugly slide (cont'd)

3. Hall of Fame Racing replaces J.J. Yeley with Brad Coleman. Michael Waltrip Racing replaces Michael McDowell with Mike Skinner for three events. Are these moves justified?

Raygan Swan: I think the moves are absolutely justified. It's a performance-based sport. Sponsors need to be pleased and races need to be made.

David Caraviello: As much as I like J.J. Yeley, his inability to get that No. 96 car into races all but forced Hall of Fame to make a change. Now, maybe they could have gone about it a little better -- he says he got a text message while at the beach, drove back to Charlotte, and got canned -- but they had to make a move.

Brad Coleman figured he'd be in a Sprint Cup car soon. But he didn't think his debut with Hall of Fame Racing would be in the team's No. 96 Toyota.

• Complete story, click here
• Coleman to replace Yeley
• Skinner to replace McDowell

Raygan Swan: We knew Brad Coleman was going Cup racing this year, and to be honest, I think they should've made the switch a bit sooner, when the No. 96 team wasn't in such trouble with the points.

Joe Menzer: Listen, I like J.J. Yeley. But he couldn't get it done for Gibbs in better equipment, either. So I think the change is justified there, even though the Hall of Fame guys seem to be in way over their head and it wasn't all J.J.'s fault.

David Caraviello: That No. 96 team has been in a bad spot in points all year. And if Coleman was holding out hope that a second car was going to materialize one day ... well, let's just say I have some oceanfront property in Kansas for him.

Raygan Swan: I agree Joe, we know what Yeley is capable of, and the young talent whose strength is qualifying hopefully will turn things around for Hall of Fame.

Joe Menzer: Once that team fell out of the top 35, I think we all learned that J.J. Yeley is not the best qualifier under pressure.

Raygan Swan: The country song about oceanfront property is in Arizona, David. George Strait. And ironic that Arizona is Yeley's home state

David Caraviello: Still, can't shake the thought of what he did with the No. 20 car at Daytona when Stewart got sick. Had that thing in position for a top-12 finish before he got wrecked. So who knows what J.J. is really capable of.

Joe Menzer: As for the answer to the other half of this question, it appears this is more of a move designed to get a veteran in there who can maybe get that team in better position as far as the top 35 goes. And to be truthful, it looks as if Michael McDowell got rushed into a Cup seat before he really was ready. I keep thinking back to the horrendous wreck he had earlier in the year at Texas -- during qualifying, when he was on the track alone!

Raygan Swan: Mike Skinner provided a lot of valuable information and guidance to A.J. Allmendinger; he can do the same for McDowell.

David Caraviello: Maybe I'm viewing this differently, but I don't think McDowell's done that bad a job. He had that thing in the top 35 until two weeks ago, and has gotten into every race. It's not like Michael has a long list of DNQs behind him like A.J. did.

Joe Menzer: Well, you ARE viewing it differently. I keep having flashbacks to Texas, I guess!

Raygan Swan: I do agree he was brought in a little soon. He was relying on race simulation games to learn tracks he'd never seen before! But he has made races, unlike A.J. earlier this season.

David Caraviello: Well, Raygan, Denny Hamlin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. use race simulation, too.

Raygan Swan: Yeah to build on what they already know, David. Not to understand the track for the first time.

Joe Menzer: Did they not have the Texas track on his PlayStation?

Raygan Swan: McDowell has talent, he just needs some assistance and that's what Skinner will bring to the team. It's a chance for McDowell to step back and re-examine things a bit.

David Caraviello: What's the guy supposed to do? MWR isn't Hendrick. They're not going to test three times a week. So McDowell sits on his hands until he shows up at the racetrack and tries to learn it then? I think blaming him for an organizational issue is a touch unfair.

Joe Menzer: Spoken like a true video-game addict ... sticking up for his kinfolk. But I do have a question: Are you two going to fight? If you do, bring the puppy, Raygs, and have him go for Caraviello's ears!

Raygan Swan: This dog is nothing like Allmendinger's well-behaved yellow Lab. He's the devil!

David Caraviello: As for being a fellow video game addict ... something tells me McDowell isn't playing baseball on the Wii.

Joe Menzer: Lately I've been into Smackdown wrestling myself. Had to wrestle a girl to get my first win, though.

David Caraviello: Joe, after this Track Smack session, I can relate.

Raygan Swan: Oh come on!

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.