As Chase nears, Bristol to be exciting or total bore? (cont'd)

2. Jimmie Johnson has three consecutive championships. So why can't the No. 48 team figure out fuel mileage races?

Joe Menzer: That's one of the oddest things I've seen in Cup racing lately. Hard to figure out why they can't do the math better.

Dave Rodman: Well, it was nice of them to admit last weekend that they truly do stink at fuel-mileage races, because I had figured that out a while ago. If it was easy to compute, I'd actually figure out how many fuel races they've actually lost.

Mr. Cool

Jimmie Johnson credits some hard lessons learned from his father as early as six years old for his "plain and vanilla" attitude on the track.

• Complete story
• Video: Ringing it with Jimmie

David Caraviello: One day, philosophers will ponder the great questions of the universe, such as: Who built the pyramids? Is there life on other planets? And why can't the No. 48 team figure out how much gas is left in the tank at Michigan?

Joe Menzer: Was I the only one who had great difficulty understanding how they thought they could make it 51 laps between stops Sunday at Michigan -- when they couldn't make it 47 at the same track in June?

Dave Rodman: But that's the beauty of what we were talking about in topic No. 1. They've got overpowering, winning race cars, and that's all that matters to them. Screw this limp-wristed fuel-management racing, they're going to get after it, and if being a feather-foot is what's required to win ... well, J.J.'s managed to win a few other races by getting after it, so we'll forgive him.

David Caraviello: Still, it's just bizarre. Chad Knaus is the best crew chief working today, hands down. And yet, why can't they figure out fuel mileage? I know Jimmie said all the right things publicly Sunday, but he had to be thinking: dude, what were we doing?

Joe Menzer: Really, as far as last Sunday's race is concerned, once they decided to gamble, they needed a late caution to be able to top off. Otherwise, if they come in under green, they're doomed to a poor finish anyway. So their thinking was, why not just go for it, even though it's a long shot? But there was just no way they were going to make it. So in that sense, it made no sense.

David Caraviello: Right, because they have nothing to lose. I get that, Joe. But unless they developed a secret, more fuel-efficient engine since the last Michigan race, the numbers alone should have told them they had no shot.

Dave Rodman: I heard them say the only chance they had to win was to do what they did. They tried and they lost. They're in a position where points just don't matter so for drama's sake, it was great to see them try what they tried. They knew they couldn't win the other way.

Writer's Block

Our writers can do more than ... well, write. Watch what they do and say when given a video camera and a little leeway.

• David Caraviello
• Joe Menzer
• Dave Rodman

Joe Menzer: One of the aspects of the whole deal that has been overlooked a little is the fact that Vickers did a brilliant job of making J.J. run harder than he wanted, and drafting off him at the same time so he could save fuel. And it's worth noting that while J.J. didn't come close to making it 51 laps on his last tank of fuel, I believe that's exactly what Vickers ended up doing.

Dave Rodman: I guess what you might consider odd was that they didn't try some aspect of road-race strategy and pit on the lap where they knew they could make it, and roll the dice from there. But on the other hand, they knew they weren't going to come from the back at Michigan, no matter how good their car was.

David Caraviello: Unless -- and I wouldn't put it past Chad and Jimmie to do this -- that was one of those late-regular-season "test sessions" they've been known to do in the past. With their position locked up, see exactly how far they can push it and have the notes ready for a potential fuel-mileage Chase race at California. Otherwise, if I'm trying to unseat Johnson, I'm lobbying for a Chase that includes Michigan, Sonoma, and Watkins Glen. If fuel mileage is truly their Achilles' heel, maybe that's the way to beat them.

Dave Rodman: It will be interesting to see if it comes into play in this Chase, because for whatever stubborn reason they have, history's shown us they haven't grasped it.

Joe Menzer: The bottom line here was delivered by Jimmie himself right after the race. It isn't just Michigan with the 48 team and fuel-mileage troubles. They've been bad at it just about everywhere they've tried to stretch it, except for one time at Phoenix.

David Caraviello: Which is so out of character, Joe, especially given how well they do everything else. And a no-chance roll of the dice like Sunday doesn't make a whole lot of sense -- unless they're trying to get better for later on, when it counts. Maybe President Obama gave Jimmie some tips on fuel efficiency when they met at the White House on Wednesday. Who knows, he might have traded in the No. 48 for a Prius under the "cash for clunkers" program. (Continued)