Notes: Drivers like Bristol's new configuration, banking (cont'd)

Kurt Busch supports top 35 rule
Kurt Busch started the season outside NASCAR's critical top 35 in the owner standings when his owner, Roger Penske, decided to transfer Busch's 2007 owner points to newcomer Sam Hornish Jr., to lock the rookie into the first four races.

Whole new cast

The top 35 will have a new cast following Sunday's race.

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After four races, Busch is 10th in the owner standings while Hornish is 36th, and at Bristol Busch said he supported the current system.

"Here's all I know about the top 35 and who's in and who's out," Busch said. "We've had four races so far this year. I had a rough race in [Las] Vegas -- I blew a tire with 12 laps to go and I finished 39th. That means with 12 laps to go, there was still 39 cars running. That means we had the best amount of cars -- the top quality of cars running in the race. Sam Hornish Jr. had a bad race in Vegas. Carl Edwards is leading the race, walking away with it with 80 [laps] to go, has his oil line problem and finishes 42nd.

"That kills you in points when you finish 42nd. I think we have the top quality cars in these races and that's what we want to see. We want to see the fastest 43 in the races no matter where they are in the points -- or who's locked in or been around for 20 years.

"It's taking care of itself. I'm looking at the competition side -- I don't know the top 35 or why it's that number. I'm just looking at when you have a bad day and you're 12 laps from the end and you end up 39th, there's a lot of competition out there."

Gordon good with no smoking, not so much with tires
Jeff Gordon said on Friday he supported Bristol going to a full no smoking policy in its 160,000-seat stadium, but that he wasn't sure what Sunday would bring for Goodyear's tire choice at Bristol, given how much rain has fallen this weekend.

"The world is different, things are changing -- the whole tobacco industry and people focusing more on trying to be healthy, whether it's what they eat or things like smoking," Gordon said. "I think it's just kind of a change that's happening abroad and in other sports as well as NASCAR being included in that.

"I think it is a good thing that they're doing here and hope to see it happen in many more places."

On the other hand, Gordon expressed some concern about tires in Sunday's Food City 500.

"I'll be honest with you, I question what [Goodyear] did here at Bristol," Gordon said. "They have a new left-side, right-side -- new left-side construction [and] compound [and a] right-side compound that has never been tested here.

"They are going off last year's race, but we have made our cars better and we are seeing some high wear. Now, the track was green [Friday], but we have different characteristics, high wear and if this rain keeps up, Sunday is going to be an issue.

"I'm not trying to throw Goodyear under the bus here. It is just that testing these tires is crucial. I don't know what we have to do to get the proper amount of teams and dates for that to happen."

Burton and Busch experience big gains
Jeff Burton already was well-respected in the Cup garage, but his respectful treatment of Kyle Busch as Busch raced to victory at Bristol last spring with Burton on his bumper, and sometimes alongside, increased Burton's respect.

"It was fun," Burton said. "I thought it was a race that Kyle and I had got to know each other a little bit better. There's a little bit of a generation gap there -- I think that Kyle probably looked at me as a little bit of an old codger and I looked at him as a young driver that was full of himself.

"I think after that race we gained a lot of respect for each other. It started at Vegas with the Nationwide race [where the two men clashed coming to the line and Burton won, with Busch spinning out], and I think that was good for him and I and our professional relationship."