1. General Motors has filed for bankruptcy. Richard Petty says support from Dodge is on hold. For the NASCAR teams who work with these car manufacturers, how much trouble looms?

Dave Rodman: If the financial monster was standing there, looming over everything with his arms crossed, he just unfolded his big, black wings and spread them to completely block out the sun. How's that for imagery?

Joe Menzer: You know, it's hard to say. But when all you read and hear is about how now the U.S. Government is going to own 60 percent of a slimmed-down GM, etc., etc., you've got to believe serious cuts are coming to their stock-car racing programs.

David Caraviello: I'll be honest, I really struggle to figure this out. How much financial support are these guys receiving, anyway? We don't really know. So we don't know what the impact will be if it dries up. And, one attempt at humor in Car and Driver aside, we have heard nothing indicating that the government is going to strip down all marketing funds -- which is where racing would be affected, given that NASCAR programs are essentially big advertising campaigns.

Joe Menzer: I do believe that this is something NASCAR has seen coming for some time. And that the "new car," which routinely gets bashed for not being racy enough [while maybe not praised enough for being imminently safer], was a move that will help ease dependency on the manufacturers.

Dave Rodman: If that was done by design, well, good for NASCAR on that score. It doesn't solve the general issue of where money is gonna come from, and how these teams in general are going to be able to do as much with less, which I think is going to become more of an issue as we move forward. And you're right, David, about trying to paint any kind of picture with a lack of a clear medium. We're not privy to any of these teams' financials, so who knows who's getting what from whom, and on what schedule. The bottom line though, is that in tough times, this is not going to make it any easier for anyone.

David Caraviello: And yet ... GM is bankrupt, but Hendrick still has three cars winning races. Dodge is bankrupt, yet Kurt Busch is having a great season and Kasey Kahne has a shot to make the Chase. That makes you wonder how important this kind of assistance really is to begin with. For some teams, I'm sure manufacturer assistance is crucial. But the amounts manufacturers spend vary wildly from team to team. And teams with big sponsors locked in place are going to weather this better than teams that don't have that financial safety net to fall back on.

Charging ahead

Richard Petty says Dodge is working on a plan to pull its backing of his four-car team.

• Garage Pass: Petty explains
• Bankruptcy hurting Dodge
• NASCAR confident in GM
• Hendrick hopeful with GM

Dave Rodman: But David, this may be something whose impact we don't see right away -- just like on-site attendance has been continually shrinking, along with TV ratings. Speaking of which, it will be a real interesting statement to see, if everything else is equal to a year ago, what the ratings on TNT do after Pocono this weekend. As you know, there is some real exciting stuff happening, and if the ratings go up or stay even, it'll be indicative of an issue with "the other guys" and not the sport -- and that would be, relatively speaking, good news.

Joe Menzer: Now one thing our esteemed President [of the United States, not Turner Sports] has said is that he has no intention of getting our government involved in the day-to-day operations of these car companies. But someone, somewhere has a mandate to cut costs big time. I think what is happening right now, in the present, may have little to do with giving us a window into what the long-term effect of this is going to be. Bottom line is this could be real trouble to the new Richard Petty Motorsports and some teams like that struggling to go from, let's say, mid-major to major status.

David Caraviello: Rick Hendrick -- who ought to know something about the inner workings of the auto industry -- has said he knows of no team that depends solely on manufacturer dollars. And most championship-contending teams have all the simulation, seven-post and other tools in-house. Which means that for the successful teams, this could be a hiccup.

Dave Rodman: But if some of the rumblings we heard out of the NASCAR summit are true, even some big-time sponsors are trying to cut corners on deals they already had. For sure we haven't seen the end of the economic impact on everyone.

Joe Menzer: David may have hit it on the head in one respect. This could ultimately result in a case of the rich -- as in those with the most sponsorship dollars still rolling in -- getting richer. Having said that, no one really talks much about the fact that while they are hurting to a certain degree, Ford and Toyota obviously are in much better financial shape than the other two manufacturer brands in the sport. Will Ford and Toyota gain ground at the expense of the others' troubles?

David Caraviello: Joe, I wonder the same thing. And yet, with all this trouble GM and Dodge are in, Ford hasn't won a race since what, California? Granted, they're not exactly awash in profits, but that tells you something about what kind of big players manufacturers might really be in this day and age.

Joe Menzer: Again, what we are seeing in the present may have very little to what we begin to see in the very near future. What is happening now with GM and Dodge won't fully impact the Sprint Cup Series, I'll bet, until late this season at the earliest -- and maybe not until next year and beyond.

David Caraviello: And yet, there are folks like my good friend Lennie, who thinks this all means we'll be racing horse buggies by the end of the year. Who knows.

Joe Menzer: Or Toyotas.

2. NASCAR made a rule change saying that lead-lap cars will start up front in double-file restarts, with lapped cars in the rear. How big a difference will this make?

Joe Menzer: Well, if Lennie is right and they're all in horse buggies by the end of the year, it means it's about to get real interesting ...

David Caraviello: I would think restarts would be a little less hazardous, because you won't have all those lapped-down guys to the inside fighting the leader to get their lap back and causing havoc. But man, it sounds like it's going to be really tough to get a lap back now.

Dave Rodman: I think there's no question it will make for better racing, because -- not to minimize guys racing to get laps back, but they're laps down for a reason -- the cars racing with the most on the line, you'd like to hope, will race the most vigorously if they can get to the people they're battling with.

Doubled up

NASCAR announced a change to its race format with the addition of double-file restarts throughout each race, and many welcome it.

• Complete story, click here
• Your Turn: Join the discussion

David Caraviello: And Dave, I would think that with leaders on the outside and inside, guys will have a little more respect for one another on restarts -- at least until the final 20 laps or so, when it will surely be just as crazy as it's always been.

Joe Menzer: In all seriousness, and I know many drivers have already said this, but people pay to see guys race for the lead -- not to get their lap or laps back. Sorry for the guys who run in the back all the time, but that's just the cold, hard reality.

Dave Rodman: The lappers won't race any harder, but there'll be more of them potentially in position to get laps back if they don't pit. And if more mayhem results and there are more "instant cautions," then in effect, they'll get laps back and then be able to pit on the "second" cautions. I hope that's all it ends up being.

Joe Menzer: Bottom line here is that this is something different. They've done it in the All-Star Race and it's helped produce some really exciting racing. With attendance down and TV ratings down, shake it up a little and see if you can bring more excitement back.

David Caraviello: That's true, Joe, until Jeff Gordon or Dale Jr. falls a lap down. That was the whole purpose of the free pass, to allow drivers fans want to see race get back up front. But hopefully this will cut down on the "cautions breed cautions" syndrome we've all become too familiar with.

Joe Menzer: But the free pass will still be in effect. So guys can continue to race hard for that as well. They just won't be in the way of the guys already on the lead lap on the restarts.

Dave Rodman: God bless Kyle Busch -- there may not be as many "going through the middle of the two leaders, three-wide" moves, but I think the opportunity to pass the leader early in a restart, to get laps-led bonus points and take advantage of clean air is going to create more opportunities for racing.

David Caraviello: I mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that cautions are up. But is that really because of the restart format? Or is because you have a lot of guys racing in the premier series who wouldn't have sniffed it 10 or 20 years ago? I will say it seems the spectrum of ability in the Cup Series seems as wide now as it's ever been.

Joe Menzer: Well, let's see. Ten years ago, Joey Logano would have been about 8. So I guess you're right about that. But speaking as his fantasy owner, he's getting better every stinkin' week! And older, too.

David Caraviello: I'm not talking about Joey -- who's holding his own, even though 20 years ago he'd still be racing late models somewhere. But you have to admit, driver development has fallen off so much, and team owners are sometimes so desperate to find somebody, that maybe you have some guys who should be in Nationwide mixing it up with the big boys every weekend.

Dave Rodman: At Dover, Jeff Gordon never came close to getting anything back -- but this new format might have helped him. Let's give it a shot. I think it's going to help the leaders race, and everyone else is gonna be racing as hard as they ever have.

Joe Menzer: As for Kyle Busch, that dude could drive one of Lennie's horse buggies to the front.

Dave Rodman: If they were in buggies, does that mean they'll be trading whip-slaps instead of paint?

David Caraviello: I will say it does seem strange that you have this big "town hall" meeting, you have this huge come-to-grips moment about competition, and the answer to it all seems to be ... tweaking the restart format. But hey, it's a start, and it shows NASCAR is listening to its competitors, which is a positive thing. But I really wonder how much tangible difference this is going to make.

Dave Rodman: I think this was a case of listening to the fans -- and that's always a start of something positive.

Joe Menzer: I guess we will soon find out. Next thing you know, the fans will start betting on who's going to win, place and show.

Dave Rodman: Don't they already do that is some places?

3. Martin Truex Jr. says he's close to making a decision on his future. What are the odds of him leaving Earnhardt Ganassi for Michael Waltrip Racing?

David Caraviello: OK, so Truex said last weekend he's made up his mind what he's doing, but he's not telling anyone. But doesn't the whole Waltrip scenario hinge on Michael Waltrip giving up the No. 55 car? And when David Reutimann won at Charlotte, he didn't sound like he had any plans to do that.

Joe Menzer: Truex is one of those guys who is such a good fit for his current sponsor, what if his sponsor came with him wherever he goes? Couldn't MWR look at adding another car then? Or maybe Michael gives up driving full time and runs only a handful in another car?

Dave Rodman: I think people are too ready to make a tornado out of nothing. Martin's been running pretty good, and Chip has not shown any signs of stopping the necessary development. And his commitment -- and his demand -- to run up front hasn't lessened. So a change on Truex's part, I think, would surprise me.

“

I would vote for stability, and I think Martin wants a deal that's long-term and stable. Wherever he can get it is where he'll be.

”

DAVE RODMAN

Joe Menzer: Geez, Dave. Hasn't Chip been committed the whole time he's been in NASCAR? With what results? Sure, Montoya is running better now and so, to an extent, is Martin. But that has never been an elite team and likely never will be.

Dave Rodman: Little Martin's a committed kind of guy. And somehow, you have to believe if they ever find the combination it takes to succeed in NASCAR, he'll have the same kind of steamrollers he's wielded elsewhere.

David Caraviello: If you're at Earnhardt Ganassi and you can trade up, you do it. But seriously, who has a ride open these days? This economic recession has put a real crimp in silly season. Nothing open at Gibbs, nothing at Hendrick, nothing at RCR, nothing at Roush [which has to contract]. If Truex wants to move, he's not going to be able to be real choosy.

Joe Menzer: Martin's career is at a crossroads. Drivers don't get chances like this very often, where they essentially are one of the top free agents on the open market. To me, MWR seems to be on the upswing more than the Earnhardt Ganassi gang. And Roadman, what you just said about Ganassi has been said since the day he came into NASCAR. It hasn't happened yet. Why should we believe it is imminent now?

David Caraviello: You have to wonder now if he should have left after last year, when the economy was a little better and his stock was a little higher, rather than sign that one-year option to stay at what was DEI. But you can't blame the guy for not being able to see the future. None of us can. Except Lennie, of course.

Dave Rodman: I would vote for stability, and I think Martin wants a deal that's long-term and stable. Wherever he can get it is where he'll be. They had just achieved a great level at DEI when the "great upheaval," or the great sponsorship recession, hit. That isn't over, and who knows where it'll leave us all -- or them all?

Joe Menzer: Well, here's the other thing: I agree that Martin appears to be a very loyal kind of guy. But who is his loyalty to? This is his first year with Chip. He was loyal to DEI and you see where that got him.

David Caraviello: Dang, Roadman is starting to sound like Nostradamus!

Joe Menzer: Or a poor man's Lennie!

Dave Rodman: I say he'll stay, and wins a couple races down the stretch. And his teammate, Juan Pablo, wins one, too. And he wins a fishing tourney or three.

David Caraviello: OK, Dave, I am revoking your fortune-telling license. Ganassi wins three races down the stretch?

Joe Menzer: Wow. That's optimistic. Are the rest of the guys going to run in horse buggies? You have to forgive, Roadman, folks. He's a little old. He still drives a horse buggy to work every day.

David Caraviello: Refresh my memory, how many have they won so far this year? None. How many have they come close to winning? None. That's not to say Martin and Juan aren't completely capable. But three race wins for EGR is seriously stretching it. I'll give you one -- by Montoya, at Sonoma or Watkins Glen.

Dave Rodman: Since New Hampshire is my next time on the road, I'll predict I'll be congratulating Martin following a Victory Lane celebration. And it'll be Little Martin, too!

David Caraviello: That's a bold one, Roadman. Since I'll be there with you, I'll bet you a trip to the soup bar at Makris.

Dave Rodman: I'll pre-order the lobster bisque.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.