1. NASCAR has allowed California and Atlanta to switch fall dates for 2009. Can Atlanta re-ignite the core fans' passion for racing on Labor Day weekend?

Joe Menzer: The better question might be: Can the switch to Labor Day re-ignite Atlanta-area fans' passion for racing? I don't know, but let's hope so. They needed to try something.

David Caraviello: The first thing is, a move like this had to happen. There remains a lot of opposition in the core fan base to California having the Labor Day date. And given that track's underperformance, a switch was needed. But that doesn't mean you're going to have an automatic sellout in Atlanta. That track has some work to do to get people back in the seats.

Raygan Swan: Seemingly at this point, it's time for both tracks to do some major marketing and strategizing for both dates to be successful. They got the change they wanted, now they have to make it happen. I think Atlanta will have the easier row to hoe, given that night racing has proven extremely successful at Bristol and now Chicago.

Joe Menzer: Plus, Labor Day in California obviously was a bad idea from the start. Man, last year when we were out there, that is as hot as I've ever been in my 47 years on this planet. You could have fried an egg on my forehead ... or my stomach if I had been in the stands with my shirt off.

Raygan Swan: To quote your fave Paris Hilton, Joe: That's hot!

Joe Menzer: Well, thank you, Raygan.

David Caraviello: Yeah, Joe, it was roasting. My digital recorder got too hot to hold onto. You couldn't be outside for more than like 10 minutes. I'm sure that accelerated this move.

Raygan Swan: I lucked out with the earlier date, but still, weather was a major issue this season with the rainout.

Joe Menzer: I mean, you can't blame fans for not coming when you schedule an event during the time of year when being outside is like walking into a heat-blast furnace.

David Caraviello: California has received no help from the schedule. For NASCAR's biggest market, they've gotten crappy dates: rainy season and hot. Certainly that hasn't helped their cause.

Raygan Swan: So Cal in October should be nice, but I hope better weather isn't the only thing the track is banking on. The excitement of the Chase race will help the track in October, though.

Joe Menzer: Look, California is a nice track. But pick ONE date and get one date working there first -- and after that happens, and only after that happens, should they have a second date.

Raygan Swan: I agree Joe, but NASCAR wants that larger market for the sponsors, retail programs, etc. Maybe Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick could buy homes in the area, get some rooted fan following. I don't know.

David Caraviello: Joe, they've been there. They had one April date for the first seven years of their existence, and you couldn't find an empty seat. But the track wanted two races, and NASCAR certainly wanted two races in that market. But the demand for two races obviously hasn't been there, at least not with the current setup.

Joe Menzer: You know, I like what Kyle Busch said last weekend. He said he thinks they ought to go to each place once -- and that's it! Not a bad idea. Although you could still go twice to places like Daytona and Lowe's Motor Speedway -- and let's get that second race for Vegas!

Labor of love?

Labor Day Weekend was viewed as one of the highest of NASCAR's high holidays. David Caraviello says that longing for the good old days can overshadow how problematic those days could be.

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• 2009 Cup Series schedule

David Caraviello: Kyle's a smart guy.

Raygan Swan: A smart-arse guy!

Joe Menzer: Getting back to the question, which I think was about Atlanta, how much will the date switch actually help them?

David Caraviello: Interesting how Atlanta and California have very similar markets and very similar issues, but are perceived very differently. I think that has a lot to do with the approach. Atlanta's brass is very up front about how they have attendance issues and have to do things differently. California's brass bristles at any mention of empty seats, almost as if they're insulted. Gotta get over that.

Raygan Swan: And how many other events will the track be competing with on a holiday weekend in the city of Atlanta?

David Caraviello: I don't think Sunday night of Labor Day is going to come into too much conflict. The NFL hasn't started yet, college played the day before. Atlanta is approaching this the right way.

Joe Menzer: You know, back in my younger days when I was covering the NBA and then the NFL, we always heard that the Hawks and Falcons didn't draw because there was too much other stuff going on. I think it's just a bad sports town, myself. The only time the Falcons took a big bite out of the market was when Michael Vick was in his prime. Now he's in the doghouse.

Raygan Swan: It's a wonderful shopping town though, Joe. Just saying. I personally love the city and with the right marketing program, they could find success.

David Caraviello: Atlanta can't get a free pass here. Their attendance issues might be more serious than those faced in California. People hammer on California a lot, though, probably because the track acts like it's making every excuse.

Raygan Swan: Well, if California has another weeper debacle in the midst of bad weather again, kiss attendance goodbye!

Joe Menzer: I love the city of Atlanta, too. But let's face it: even the Braves, in their prime, had trouble selling out many playoff games. That wouldn't happen in Cincinnati.

David Caraviello: Joe, this is not the Reds forum. Don't make me wave those 14 straight divisional championship banners in your face. And let's get back to racing!

Joe Menzer: I can't talk much about my Reds these days, anyway. But the Big Red Machine never had trouble drawing sellout crowds.

David Caraviello: Dude, it's Cincinnati. What else are they going to do, eat chili and look at a riverboat? Please.

Raygan Swan: I love it when you two fight about baseball!

Joe Menzer: Don't forget Montgomery Inn Ribs, too! And Richard's steak sandwiches, if you get down Hamliton way. Those are all the major Ohio food groups.

2. Carl Edwards won for the fifth time this year Sunday at Michigan. But is he too far behind leader Kyle Busch to mount a serious charge for the title?

Joe Menzer: No way. Even with the 10 bonus points he lost via a penalty earlier in the year, he would only be 40 points behind if the Chase started today -- and he's building confidence and momentum.

David Caraviello: I say this: Until Kyle loses the lead, or at the very least we start to see serious missteps out of him, this deal is his to lose. He has a penchant for turning it up when he needs to.

“

Kyle is the favorite, blah, blah, blah. No question about that. But Carl and Jimmie and maybe one or two others could end up giving Kyle a run for the big money.

”

JOE MENZER

Raygan Swan: No, no and no! Carl thinks he has super-human powers right now, an unstoppable ego! He's peaking at the right time and he will be a major threat.

Joe Menzer: The Carl will be right there, and he even predicted that this Chase could be "spectacularly competitive." Just what NASCAR wanted to hear.

David Caraviello: Hey, no one's saying Carl doesn't have the ability to win it. Sure he does. But it's like they say in racing: Getting to the guy is one thing, passing him is another. And right now, I don't see Kyle letting anyone by.

Joe Menzer: Kyle no doubt is the favorite. But once they get to the Chase and the points are evened out somewhat, I think Carl and anyone else who might get on a hot streak has a chance. Don't rule out Jimmie Johnson, by the way.

Raygan Swan: Nice "The Carl" reference, Joe. I was The Carl for Halloween last year. I hope Carl channels his angry side and opens a can of you-know-what on Kyle ...

David Caraviello: You hope? What did Kyle ever do to you?

Raygan Swan: Nothing, I just want to see the Crazy Carl come out! Personally, I like Kyle and his little white Westies as well. I'm just ready for some drama!

Joe Menzer: Carl has been growing on me lately. Maybe it's all the "feel-good" stories I've been writing lately about Roush Fenway Racing (read Joe's "feel-good" piece on Roush).

Raygan Swan: Aww, Joe, did you get a puppy? What's with the softer side?

Joe Menzer: Um, no on the puppy. Don't want to risk the dreaded Mutt Rage -- but I am now wondering what in the hell "White Westies" are?

David Caraviello: Until Jimmie Johnson proves he can win races in bunches, as he did last year, then it's a two-man race. And until Carl can overtake Kyle, the guy in the lead is the clear favorite.

Raygan Swan: Kyle has two Westies: Susie and something else. It just surprised me to see Kyle have ankle-bitters and not pit bulls or some other massive type dog.

David Caraviello: I prefer Easties myself. But if the girl wants Westies, they get Westies. That's how it works.

Raygan Swan: Agreed!

Joe Menzer: OK, you two. Can we get back to racing now? I agree with you, David, that Kyle is the favorite, blah, blah, blah. No question about that. But Carl and Jimmie and maybe one or two others could end up giving Kyle a run for the big money.

David Caraviello: Joe, do you really think once the Chase begins and the point deficit is reset at 30 or 40, that Carl is going to whiz right by?

Joe Menzer: I didn't say anybody was going to whiz by Kyle and his Westies. The question was can he make a run at him, wasn't it? And he can and I think he will.

David Caraviello: Kyle has given us no sign -- absolutely no sign -- that he's going to lose his grip on this. If anything, he runs better when he's challenged. Until that changes, it's Kyle's world, and everyone else is living in it. Including the Westies.

Joe Menzer: Geez, there are Westies running wild everywhere!

Raygan Swan: OK, taskmasters. Yes, Joe, Carl can make a run and Kyle is not super-human. Yes, he thrives under pressure, but you never know.

3. Last time the Sprint Cup tour visited Bristol, Richard Childress Racing seemed the class of the series with a 1-2-3 finish. The team has won just once since. Can RCR recapture the magic on the Tennessee short track?

Raygan Swan: Harvick seems to be hitting a stride with consistent top-10s in the last three races, so at least he will make a good showing.

David Caraviello: I'll tell you, after last Bristol, everybody thought those guys were the heat. But it just seems like something's been missing there. They have the drivers and the equipment, they just don't win enough races.

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You know, it's admirable that Jeff Burton prides himself on always racing clean ... but that's not really how you win championships. Sometimes you have to get a little mean and dirty out there.

”

JOE MENZER

Joe Menzer: I would have to say that I'd be surprised to see it happen. Harvick definitely could be a factor, and Jeff Burton obviously won there the last time, but Bowyer is in danger of not making the Chase and probably will be in conservative points-racing mode.

David Caraviello: Even that trademark RCR consistency has slipped a bit. Burton has fallen into the middle of the Chase pack, and Bowyer and Harvick are closer to the bottom. That's not like RCR.

Joe Menzer: Then again, Bowyer had better not play it too conservative -- or he could drop even further back.

Raygan Swan: Yeah, Clint Bowyer has cooled a bit. They need to get more aggressive.

David Caraviello: You can get away with not winning races when you're in the top five every week. But not when you're in the top five every third or fourth week.

Joe Menzer: And while I'm talking about Bowyer's precarious position, I guess I should point out that Harvick is pretty much in the same boat.

Raygan Swan: Yeah, since Daytona's July race, the two teammates were swapping 11th and 12th for a while until Harvick's Pocono finish. Since Pocono, Harvick has rebounded and left Bowyer to fend for himself.

David Caraviello: Of course, the RCR guys had some nice runs at Michigan, and they have three guys who can definitely win at Bristol. And Bowyer was the spring winner at Richmond, where the series visits in two weeks.

Joe Menzer: You know, it's admirable that Jeff Burton prides himself on always racing clean -- wasn't it at Bristol last year when he could have knocked young Kyle out of the way for the win and didn't? -- but that's not really how you win championships. Sometimes you have to get a little mean and dirty out there.

David Caraviello: I know we're talking about RCR here, but man, does anyone need a better Bristol run than Jeff Gordon? The guy has dropped to ninth. Things are starting to get a little perilous there.

Joe Menzer: Can you believe we're coming up on the latter part of August, and neither Jeff Gordon nor Tony Stewart have a win? That's incredible. What you have to ask yourself is: Is this an anomaly or a changing of the guard in the making?

Raygan Swan: I think Tony with his second-place finishes is closer than Gordon, but it is amazing the number of soon-to-be Chase drivers who haven't won a race yet.

David Caraviello: I'm beginning to wonder if Gordon will win at all this year, Joe. He should make the Chase, given how historically well he runs at Bristol, California and Richmond. But the goings-on of late are very un-Gordon-like.

Raygan Swan: And there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut explanation.

David Caraviello: Well, Jeff is a guy who needs to be comfortable in the car, and for whatever reason they've struggled in that area. But Joe, I think a changing of the guard may be exactly what we're seeing. The beginning of it, anyway.

Joe Menzer: Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards are the class of this current crop, at least for now. And starting next year you'll have Joey Logano and some other young guns getting better, like David Ragan.

Raygan Swan: Maybe Carl can lend Gordon a Koi pond for his car, then maybe he'll be comfy.

David Caraviello: Yes, Westies for everyone.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.