Smack: 'Dega dilemma and Johnson's Chase mastery

1. Did NASCAR make the right call in disallowing Regan Smith's winning Talladega finish for passing below the yellow line?

Joe Menzer: Well, calling it a "winning Talladega finish" is a misnomer for starters. He didn't win anything. He went below the yellow line, it was against the rules, and he finished 18th as a result.

David Caraviello: I think they did the right thing. I wasn't there, but from what I saw on television, it looked like Regan peeked low around Tony, was blocked, and then went even lower. That doesn't fit my definition of "forced."

Duane Cross: Regardless of any Truck race or the Dale Earnhardt Jr./Matt Kenseth race at 'Dega in 2003, NASCAR made the right call this time. And what's paramount is that it should be adhered to moving forward, so not to create any more controversy.

Joe Menzer: He peeked high first, but only a little. He could have peeked higher, which would have forced Tony to move up higher, and then he might have been able to make a legal move to the bottom.

David Caraviello: Joe learned all those moves from years of racing rental cars.

Duane Cross: But Joe usually dents up his more than Regan did. The fans are right: NASCAR has been inconsistent with its enforcement of the rules. Take this opportunity to move forward and stick to the rules -- period.

Joe Menzer: The bottom line -- I like saying that in this case -- is that, yes, they got the call right in declaring Stewart the winner. But what they got wrong were the signals they sent afterward. One official said one thing, an old radio interview with another said something else. Still another official supposedly confirmed "off the record" that "anything goes" on the last lap.

David Caraviello: There's an old saying in poker: The cards speak. Regardless of what anyone thinks, the cards you put down have the final say. Should be the same here. Regardless of how tongue-tied NASCAR has been in its rules interpretations, the video speaks for itself.

Joe Menzer: And then they didn't fully clarify until more than 24 hours later! That's crazy!

Disallowed dash

• Watch the dramatic finish
• Menzer: Issue is perception
• Cross: NASCAR got it right
• NASCAR's official statement

David Caraviello: Yeah, Joe. It's one thing to make a judgment call. It's another thing for the judgments of several different people to not fall in line -- which makes it seem like they had to get everyone on the same page.

Duane Cross: And to that point Joe, it was good that Mike Helton issued a black and white statement on Monday. Hopefully everyone at World Headquarters will be singing from the same page in the hymnal.

Joe Menzer: Yes, but to clarify going forward, what constitutes going below the line? Is it if two wheels touch the line, like a toe touching the 3-point line in basketball, or is it the whole car, or what?

Duane Cross: And for the record, there's a difference between having the inside position and having a fender inside a guy. Regan had the fender in, but not the position.

Joe Menzer: I had a fender in when some nut drilled my rental car from behind in Chicago over the summer, but that's another story.

David Caraviello: In that same vein, isn't there a big difference between "blocked" and "forced"? To me, "forced" means the driver has no choice but to go in one direction. I didn't see Smith as being forced.

Duane Cross: Now, could Regan have pushed the issue and spun Tony -- no question. Maybe next time?

David Caraviello: Strange thing is, he does that, he wins the race. No questions.

Joe Menzer: Well, I wouldn't say "no questions." He would have been vilified for it by some; praised as a hero who "did what he had to do to win" by others.

David Caraviello: But Joe, no question that the win would stand. Ask Brian Vickers about that one.

Duane Cross: Yep -- and then this is a moot point ... and the fans' retinas wouldn't still be hurting from having to see Zippy on that bright yellow shirt. Guys, that was painful. Looked like high noon in the desert.

Joe Menzer: Right on. And the question you have to ask is, WWTD. As in What Would Tony Do in the same situation? Probably would have spun him out, right?

David Caraviello: I don't think Tony has a reputation for spinning people out at the front. Now, if he's running poorly and mad at someone, he might try it (again, ask Brian Vickers). But I think Stewart has too much respect for the other top drivers to do stuff like that.

Joe Menzer: How much respect do you think Tony has for Regan Smith? And how badly do you think he wanted to win after getting shut out for, what, 43 races? I think he might have done the dirty deed.

Duane Cross: And I think Regan showed a lot of class and respect for not spinning out Tony. He deserves a lot of credit for not wiping out the field coming to the stripe.

Joe Menzer: God help us all, by the way, if we start wearing WWTD bracelets!

Duane Cross: They're available in the Superstore -- $9.99 for three.

2. With six races remaining, is the championship Jimmie Johnson's to lose?

Joe Menzer: No question the No. 48 is the team to beat, so I guess if you look at it that way it's his to lose. But someone could still string two or three wins in a row and put the heat on them.

Duane Cross: Jimmie Johnson is the 2008 Cup Series champion. Book the hotel rooms in New York.

David Caraviello: Strong words, Cross! I'm not quite ready to anoint him yet. Talladega actually seemed to tighten the field in some places; six drivers are now within the amount of points you can gain in one race.

Duane Cross: Yippee! There's false hope for everyone not named Johnson. C'mon David -- this team is built for the Chase format. It will not be denied. And Joe, even if someone strung together two or three wins, the 48 still will finish top-three, top-five, lead a lap, lead the most laps and won't lose ground.

Joe Menzer: That's the thing about that team. They've been here before and know how to protect -- and even build -- that Chase lead. They're all about consistency in the Chase, as history has shown.

David Caraviello: They do seem to know how to flip the switch once we get to this time of year. And their resiliency is incredible. When Jimmie was lapped so early Sunday, I thought -- uh oh, and look what happened.

Sittin' pretty

Jimmie Johnson is working on his third consecutive title and comies to a track this week where he has dominated since entering the Cup Series. The scary thing -- this is the first time he comes to the Lowe's fall race with the points lead.

• Complete story, click here
• Rodman: Who can catch JJ?
• Power Rankings: Charlotte

Joe Menzer: I agree that Duane makes a bold -- and possibly premature -- statement. But it's hard to dispute the high probability of the 48 winning it all again. If JJ does win it, we all may look back to Carl's miscue at Talladega and wonder what might have been. Or at least the folks at Roush Fenway Racing will. That was costly for all three Roush Fenway cars in the Chase.

Duane Cross: Carl will be replaying that in his mind for the rest of the year. And so will Biffle, who really got hosed. But kudos to Carl for taking the bullet -- and to Jack for loading the gun.

David Caraviello: And the question isn't will Jimmie win it -- it's if it's his to lose. And right now, you'd probably have to say yes. The way he runs at Charlotte, he could come out of Saturday with a 100-point lead.

Joe Menzer: I do seem to remember that Jeff Gordon came out of last year's Charlotte race with what seemed to be a pretty safe lead, and everyone said it was his to lose then. But did Gordon lose last year's title -- or did Johnson take it from him? I'd say with those four wins in a row down the stretch, Johnson won it.

Duane Cross: Yeah, "everyone" being those who forgot about Jimmie Johnson, who was only 68 back after Charlotte last year. Again, the 48 team has made a mockery of the Chase -- even the times JJ didn't win the title. These guys just have it knocked.

David Caraviello: Gordon had a 68-point lead after Charlotte last year, but he ran top-10 the rest of the year. He didn't lose a thing. In 2006, Jeff Burton came out of Charlotte with a 45-point lead. Johnson was 146 points back in seventh place. We all know what happened. That 48 team does have the system figured out.

Joe Menzer: The one team out there that, to me, looks like it could string three wins in a row together might be Cousin Carl's. But he'll have to put last Sunday's major gaffe in his mental rear-view mirror in a hurry if he's going to put something like that together.

Duane Cross: But he's still chasing the 48 -- and Johnson will not lose this lead. Even by winning, Carl (nor anyone else) will make up ground on the 48 top-fiving everyone.

David Caraviello: Duane brings up the key point. Jimmie has to come back to the pack, something he's shown no signs of doing the last three years, to give anyone else a shot. That ain't happening. He's like Tiger with the lead in a major on Sunday.

Joe Menzer: If something bad happens to the 48 in Charlotte -- a parts failure or a wreck not his fault -- it all could change. But they're the best at avoiding those calamities, which is what makes them so hard to beat. It's like Caraviello playing catch-up to me in a one-on-one basketball game. He has to hope for parts failure on my part, or hire someone to take me out, to have a chance.

Duane Cross: In case anyone is wondering -- if there was no Chase, Carl would be 13 points ahead of Johnson, 82 ahead of Kyle Busch ...

Joe Menzer: And I would still be three baskets ahead of Caraviello.

Duane Cross: Joe, forget to take your medicine this morning? Caraviello holds the deed to your bag o' bones!

David Caraviello: Easy, Menzer, On the basketball court, you're about as reliable as Kyle Busch's car. It's only a matter of time before things start breaking down.

Joe Menzer: I have to admit, at my age and with my battered feet, parts failure is pretty likely. But I can still shoot -- and still talk Smack!

Duane Cross: Umm, before more things start breaking down. He does have that Viagra tattoo on his shoulder ...

Joe Menzer: Could be my new sponsor for the column.

3. Kasey Kahne won the spring race at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where NASCAR competes this week. What are the odds a non-Chase driver wins one of the remaining Chase events?

David Caraviello: Even though we nearly had one last Sunday, I still say the odds are pretty low. These Chase guys have to be at the front of the field nowadays. Johnson has set the bar that high.

Duane Cross: I think there is a high probability -- Texas and Phoenix come to mind.

Joe Menzer: Oh, I think one will pop up somewhere. Maybe two. What about Homestead?

Duane Cross: Biffle is my bet for Homestead; he's strong and will be back on the beam by then.

Joe Menzer: Of course the last four races at Homestead have been won by Biffle (three times) and Kenseth (once), so maybe that's not where it will happen.

David Caraviello: Homestead might be the one. I can foresee a scenario where the Chase leader is taking it easy in the middle of the pack, and someone from outside the playoff takes the win. But too many of the Chase guys are too good at too many of the remaining tracks. And again -- they have to be up front to have any chance, because they know that's where Johnson will be.

Duane Cross: Kurt Busch is the guy to keep an eye on; he's won at Martinsville, Phoenix ... runs well at Texas.

David Caraviello: Haven't seen much out of Kurt lately, though, to make me think he can win. Same with Kahne. It's like all these non-Chasers are already in 2009 testing mode.

Joe Menzer: Kurt Busch has run like crap lately. So has Ryan Newman. What in the heck is going on at Penske Racing these days anyway?

Duane Cross: Good question -- but it's the "any given Sunday" adage. Kurt could jump up and snag a win. Not likely, but he's a non-Chaser who could upset the apple cart.

David Caraviello: You had a lot of guys like Robby Gordon and Paul Menard and Scott Riggs near the front Sunday, but that was a restrictor-plate track. I'll tell you who might steal one down the stretch: David Ragan. The guy could win at one of those Roush-y tracks like Texas or Homestead.

Joe Menzer: I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Juan Montoya might jump up there and actually win one on an oval down the stretch here. He's been running better at certain tracks and showing signs he might be ready to finally pull it off.

Duane Cross: JPM could be the guy at Martinsville; he's never finished below 16th in three races. And he was eighth in the fall last year.

Joe Menzer: See, there you go. He likes running there and once said that with all the braking, it reminds him of a road course. And I believe JPM ran well at Texas last time, didn't he? I guess JPM started 11th and finished 19th at Texas in the spring. Not great, but not bad. He also started 15th and finished 16th at Phoenix. But he could be coming on.

Duane Cross: I'm looking way ahead, but does anyone else find it comical -- not in a good way -- that Kyle Busch could have the most win in the Cup Series and NOT be at the year-end banquet?

David Caraviello: Wow, because only the top 10 go? That would be bizarre.

Duane Cross: Only the top 10 make the trek to New York -- and Kyle is 11th, 82 points behind Junior.

David Caraviello: Man, I feel bad for that kid -- had the season of his life derailed by parts failures. But Kyle left last year's banquet as soon as it was over to go race in the Snowball Derby, so I don't think he'd miss it.

Joe Menzer: What a disappointment it would be for Junior not to go after his fast start, too, if that were to happen. That's why they should put all 12 Chasers up on stage, in my opinion.

Duane Cross: I agree, Joe -- all the Chasers should be there. In that sense, as it is now, it cheapens two of the drivers' playoff efforts. After doing the dog-and-pony shows for the past few years -- 2006-07 as champion -- I doubt Jimmie would mind skipping it! There's only so many times you can grip-n-grin with the same folks.

David Caraviello: Oh, something tells me a $7 million check makes it all much easier.

Joe Menzer: You know, now that I think about it, Caraviello is sort of our Mr. New York. I'll bet he never gets tired of it!

David Caraviello: I've taken out a sublet on a walk-up in SoHo.

Joe Menzer: And you did it your way.

David Caraviello: And we thought Brian France was the Chairman of the Board!

Duane Cross: Caraviello and Sinatra ... never thought of them in the same vein. ... And now, my head hurts.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers