Junior leads list of drivers who need to step up in '10 (cont'd)

3. Carl Edwards, the series runner-up a year ago, is 11th in points and in danger of missing the banquet. Is it time to invite all 12 Chase participants to Las Vegas?

Dave Rodman: Absolutely, positively not. That would be the ultimate in knee-jerk reactions -- and I know the subhead to that would be to expand the Chase field to 15. Please. He wasn't good enough to go, end of story; and I think Carl would tell you that in excruciating detail.

David Caraviello: My first inclination is to say yes. Forget this "integrity of the top 10 stuff." This sport is all about the Chase. It's all about 12 guys now, not just 10, and 12 guys should be invited to the banquet. If you wanted to limit it to 10, then you should have kept the Chase to 10. As it stands now, 10th is irrelevant. It's all about the top 12.

Duane Cross: Exactly, David -- if it's about the "integrity of the top 10," then why are there 12 in the Chase? How about cutting it to the top five, like the Nationwide and Truck series do? If it's 12 in the Chase, then send everyone to the banquet. I never liked the 12-in-the-Chase, 10-go-to-the-banquet deal.

Dave Rodman: If we get into this argument, then we're ripping the top off the can o' worms in the Nationwide and Truck Series. Only five get to go to their award ceremonies. I'm laughing hard, and we're going to revisit the argument about stick-and-ball comparisons again, but I think what you guys are proposing is like the NFL bringing all the teams that qualified for the playoffs to the Super Bowl champion's dinner -- if they even have such a thing.

David Caraviello: There's a Super Bowl champion's dinner? Who knew?!

Duane Cross: When the Super Bowl was in Atlanta, the dinner was at the Gold Club and Eugene Robinson was named emcee emeritus. Alas, that tradition fell to the wayside with that whole court ruling.

David Caraviello: Don't get me started on the "top five" deal with Nationwide and Trucks. That's ridiculous. You want to protect the "integrity of the top 10" in Cup, but not in your other two national series? Five, 10, 12, who knows. I understand the economic need to consolidate the Truck and Nationwide banquets, but inviting only the top five drivers in each series shortchanges a lot of deserving people.

Duane Cross: There are a lot of things that can be construed from the whole top-10 angle. I don't think anyone wants to open that can of worms, even if some of the arguments have relevance (like points for only the Chase contenders, or a separate point structure for the Chase contenders, etc.).

Dave Rodman: The rules are known before you enter the game. If you're not good enough to go to the ceremony, try harder next year. For whatever zany reason, NASCAR wanted 12 contenders for the championship. And Brian Vickers deserves to be a championship contender, but their performance in the Chase has lodged them in 12th, and it proves there's a difference between getting into the playoffs and being a championship contender. Try again next year guys, but there is no way they merit being at the ceremony.

David Caraviello: Edwards is only what, 44 points out of 10th, so we may be a little premature here. As well as the Roush cars historically run at Homestead, he could conceivably be in the top 10 by Sunday afternoon. So in Carl's case, this could be a moot point by the end of the week.

Champion's Week

• Schedule released
• NASCAR Foundation auction
• Tweet2Vegas contest
• Fans can get tickets

Dave Rodman: What you can't discount is the payoff to the teams and their supporters. Priceless is the word of the day, I guess; but the value to a sponsor, and as it comes back to the team, cannot really be quantified if you measure the satisfaction of a CEO who gets to soak in that championship celebration atmosphere versus being told: "Sorry, we'll deliver for you next year."

David Caraviello: No question, Dave, and that's why they go. It's an obligation, just like hospitality on Sunday mornings. This is ultimately a sponsor event, and in that vein all of these guys are good soldiers. They can't afford to be otherwise.

Duane Cross: True Dave -- the banquet is all about giving the sponsors a bit of the spotlight. And, in the end, they deserve that.

David Caraviello: Now, I will add this -- if I'm Edwards, and I finish 11th, I'm glad I don't have to go. No way I want to truck it all the way across the country to be "rewarded" for what he'll ultimately term a disappointing season. I'd want to be on some sandy beach somewhere the day after Homestead. I can go to Vegas later by myself!

Dave Rodman: You nailed it. And you could make that argument for a large number of the guys in positions four through 10, too.

Duane Cross: Guys, if it's 10 or 12 -- all of them would rather skip the dog-and-pony show and be on a beach the day after Homestead!