Edwards closes gap, but Johnson remains in control (cont'd)

3. The manufacturer's title is still up for grabs, with Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota all separated by just four points. Does this race still mean anything?

Joe Menzer: Well, it certainly means something to them. And they are the ones pumping enormous amounts of money and energy into this sport. So, yes, it does mean something.

David Caraviello: Did it ever mean anything? Granted, these manufacturers spend millions of dollars helping to fund these race teams. But drivers win races and championships, and that's who people pay to see.

Raygan Swan: David, try telling that to Alba Colon! She might smack you! Absolutely, it means boatloads for the hundreds of employees who work hard on these engines and the engineers who are on call for crew chiefs every weekend. This is their battle, and it's one that is closer than the actual Chase.

Joe Menzer: Hey, I didn't say the fans cared about it. And I really don't as a paid observer of the sport. But man, it's braggin' rights in the garage -- and back at headquarters for the manufacturer who wins it.

David Caraviello: But Raygan, it's not like Homestead-Miami Speedway is going to see a spike in ticket sales because of a tight manufacturer's race. It matters to the manufacturers. That's it.

Joe Menzer: David, you are getting kind of surly. You'd better be nicer to Raygan or I'm sending the special-ops dude to your front door.

Raygan Swan: I understand that, but I think the manufacturer's title gives the guy working on the line something to smile about for a change. The American auto industry is facing some of its darkest times right now. I think this is a small boost for the manufacturers who in today's NASCAR take a backseat to the driver inside the car. Now, the driver sells tickets. Years ago, it was the automaker.

David Caraviello: Hey, I'm not trying to be surly. But who wins the manufacturer's title is usually a footnote. Maybe the winner has a big celebration in Detroit somewhere, I don't know. Outside of that, this does not register.

Joe Menzer: They may not have enough money to celebrate in Detroit after this is over!

David Caraviello: Raygan, I wonder if the guy working the line wonders why his company spends so much money in NASCAR if it is in such financial straits. Whoops, was that me getting surly again?

Joe Menzer: I'm cueing up the black helicopter and setting a course for Charleston!

Raygan Swan: I live in Kokomo, Ind. -- Chrysler country. It doesn't look like much money is spent on Dodge these days, now does it?

David Caraviello: Hey, that's not my personal feeling. I think you have to market even when times are tough. But if you've been laid off by a manufacturer, certainly it would tick you off to see your former employer spending so much cash on racing.

Raygan Swan: But those workers buy and drive those cars to support their driver on the track. They know it's part of it. They roll with the bad and the good. Layoffs have been apart of the industry since it started. This Smack session is heavy today. Someone tell a joke or something.

Joe Menzer: Listen, the whole premise is what the manufacturers spend in NASCAR comes back to them ten-fold through the marketing and publicity platforms it provides for them. It's an investment. It's an investment that arguably has paid off handsomely for the manufacturers through the years -- or they wouldn't still be pumping the money into NASCAR!

David Caraviello: Oh, no question, Joe. But flying to Texas, we passed over a massive demolition site, full of heavy machinery tearing down this sprawling structure. It was the old Ford plant in Hapeville, Ga. There's a wake-up call on the state of the auto industry.

Joe Menzer: Rambo just drove up into my front yard in a pickup (can't say which manufacturer, because he'd have to eliminate me). But he wants directions to David's house.

David Caraviello: Of course, maybe those financial straits mean the manufacturer's championship will mean more to whomever wins it. I don't know. Ask somebody in five years who won it. They'll scratch their heads.

Joe Menzer: And by the way, what would really shake this whole manufacturer's championship up would be if Toyota won it. But that's a topic for another day, I guess.

Raygan Swan: Oh, Joe, now you've gone and done it ... you said the T word.

David Caraviello: That goes back to the whole issue of whether fans still root for the logo on the nose. I think that's becoming less and less of a factor with every passing year.

Joe Menzer: I don't know. I get some e-mails from lots of people in the ABT Club -- Anybody But Toyota.

Raygan Swan: You're right, David, that's the reality, but the championship is still important for some and is worth some recognition.

David Caraviello: Maybe. Now I have other concerns. Joe, why is there a dude in a frog suit standing in my living room?

Joe Menzer: Sorry, I can't say. I gotta go.

The opinions expressed are those solely of the participants.