Petty team among several now facing top-35 dilemma (cont'd)

"It's tough," said Franchitti, who finished 36th Sunday, and hasn't placed better than 32nd all year. "It's tough to be learning everything that we're learning racing against these type of people. These guys know what they're doing, so it's very difficult for us to even stay in the top 35 right now, but hopefully by the middle to the end of the season we'll have figured it out."

Yeley has no such concerns, at least not now. The Hall of Fame Racing driver spent much of Sunday inside the top 20 until a bad set of tires on a late stop sent him to a 25th-place finish. Still, it was good enough to move up four places in owner points, despite a back thrown out of whack when he bent down to put on his uniform.

"The big picture is a little bit prettier than it was coming in here," he said. "We're off the bubble. We have a little bit of breathing room. But we're still a long way from where this team wants to be and needs to be. So there's a little security going to Martinsville, but we still have a long way to go."

Hornish can relate. The former Indy 500 champ finished 29th Sunday, moving up one spot in owner points. But it was the only spot the now-35th-place driver needed to ensure a berth at Martinsville in two weeks.

"You still want to just keep going," he said. "With the tough luck that we had in two races and a lot of things that we really couldn't control, I'm just happy that we got out of here in the top 35 in points and we rebounded at the last two races just the way we needed to."

Officials at Michael Waltrip Racing are also breathing easier. All three of the organization's cars emerged from Bristol inside the top 35, guaranteeing rookie Michael McDowell -- who'll replace David Reutimann, who in turn is sliding over to Jarrett's old car -- a starting spot in his first Sprint Cup event. Had one of those cars failed to make it, MWR officials would have considered shuffling points so the cars sponsored by UPS and NAPA would have been in. McDowell, whose No. 00 doesn't have full sponsorship, likely would have been the odd man out.

Still, they're taking nothing for granted.

"Just because you're in the top 35 now, you can drop fast," team vice president Ty Norris said. "We see ... [Petty], all those guys who were locked in all year, and after this race they'll be on the outside looking in. So just because you're in the top 35 doesn't mean anything. You have to continue to have the level or performance or you fall out. So it's going to be a fight no matter what."

And it may force tough decisions later on. "There are so many things, it just depends," Norris said. "It's too hard to tell. But believe me, every scenario has been discussed. It's sitting on the desk. The paperwork is ready to go. Whatever we've got to do, we want to do it right."

So does Petty Enterprises, which has to examine its options now.

"We have a lot of things we're looking at," Loomis said, "but we've got to be smart about it. When you get in these situations, those decisions you make, if you're not careful, can tear apart a team."