Smack: Final thoughts on a memorable Daytona 500

1. Michael Waltrip Racing had two cars in the top six. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Richard Childress had perhaps the two best cars in the race. Who are the contenders and pretenders leaving Daytona?

Dave Rodman: Well, you know how squirmy and wormy I am ... Obviously, I'd rather wait until after California, where the real season starts. But there's no question that it appears MWR picked up right where they left off with David Reutimann last year, and if Lil' Martin and Pat Tryson hit it off that well, look out!

Joe Menzer: Let's just go back to last year for a minute. Matt Kenseth won the race. If I recall -- and I don't have this in front of me -- but didn't Richard Petty Motorsports put three Dodges in the top 10? You tell me what kind of bearing all that had on the rest of the 2009 season.

David Caraviello: Well, this is when I make my annual statement saying that Daytona means nothing as far as a harbinger for the rest of the season. The last two 500 winners didn't even make the Chase, remember? And Richard Petty Motorsports tore it up at Daytona last year, and was hardly heard from again. So you really have to view everything that happened Sunday within the prism of Daytona, and nothing outside of that.

Dave Rodman: Wormy and squirmy times three!

Joe Menzer: I will interject with this. Kasey Kahne looked good all Speedweeks in his new RPM Ford -- and let's not forget that he went on to make a little noise last season as well. So to say RPM was never heard from again after '09 Daytona is not entirely correct. And I like the looks of Kahne for 2010.

David Caraviello: Yeah, Joe, I don't think people have a lot of faith in RPM as an organization, which is why so many people picked Kasey to miss the Chase this year. Sunday, though, he clearly looked strong. And I do think the MWR guys are better. I think Reutimann continues to improve, and I think Martin Truex Jr. is a serious upgrade. They could make noise and they could win races. The Chase? I'm not sure, because it's a crowded field. But I think they'll be better, and would be even if they had been swallowed by the Daytona pothole.

Dave Rodman: It had to be heartening for Richard Childress, Scott Miller and the rest of that RCR group to have a couple of the best cars and real contenders all the way around. But on the flip side of that, you know that Hendrick is not going to be in a hole for long. I can't believe I just said that, considering their potential impact on "the hole," but we'll get to that later...

Joe Menzer: Ah, you guys had to bring up the pothole, didn't you?

Dave Rodman: I swear, I typed it first, looked back at it, and said ... did I really just type that?

David Caraviello: The "whole" truth is that RCR showed vast improvement late last season, and carried that through to Speedweeks. They weren't just good in the 500 -- that 29 car was the best vehicle of the entire two weeks. I'd be shocked if they didn't continue that upswing through California and Las Vegas, at least.

Joe Menzer: Well, we've mentioned the pothole and I'm sure we'll mention it some more. We've mentioned MWR and RPM and RCR. I can't believe it's taken this long for someone to mention Dale Earnhardt Jr. What about his impressive charge at the end last Sunday? That was really something. But does it -- will it -- really mean anything going forward? My answer to that is yes, because he drove confidently like we haven't seen him in a while. If he keeps that up, he will win some races and could get that 88 team on track.

Tyme Out

MWR's goals in 2010 were clear -- contend for the Chase. After two top-10s in the Daytona 500, vice president and general manager Ty Norris believes they are well on their way.

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Dave Rodman: Wait for California. Daytona was a plate race -- his territory. But having said that, the confidence he and crew chief Lance McGrew and their gang displayed was impressive. Then again, Junior has never really been a "lay-down-on-the-job" kind of guy.

Joe Menzer: Well, except for at times when it has been, um, suggested he get in the gym and work out more!

Dave Rodman: But the confidence factor is key, to Joe's point. And these next couple races will really give us some insight into what '10 is going to mean for them.

David Caraviello: Here's the thing about the 88 right now -- it's not a matter of winning races. It's a matter of getting off to a good start, of not getting buried the first few weeks of the season and spending the rest of it trying to climb out of a hole. They need to get ahead a little, to give themselves something of a cushion, to relieve all the pressure on them. In that vein, Sunday was a job well done.

Dave Rodman: There's that word again. But if it's the whole truth -- how can you avoid it.

Joe Menzer: Right. They've got to build on their Daytona result not by winning at California or really anytime soon, necessarily, although I'm sure they would love to be able to do so. The key for them is to come out of the next two or three races with no disastrous 30th-or-worse results because of mistakes of their own making.

David Caraviello: They're going to be better, Joe. They have to be, given all the resources Rick Hendrick has thrown at them. It's just a matter of seeing a little progress and a little daylight. That happens, everything eases a little, and they can just do their jobs. That's why Daytona was so key for the 88 group.

Dave Rodman: Sunday was key for a couple of others, too. Earnhardt Ganassi might have made the most impressive group rebound -- even considering their group is only two cars. And it'll be interesting to see if Roush Fenway can keep it going -- though it was alarming a little to hear Matt Kenseth say [again] he wasn't that good but finagled a decent finish. I guess the crew chief change was inevitable.

2. OK, now that we've had a few days to digest it ... who's ultimately at fault for the pothole?

David Caraviello: OK, I know people love to hammer NASCAR for stuff like this, but the simple matter is, this was a track issue. Blaming NASCAR for the pothole is like blaming the cruise line because the captain of the Titanic steered into an iceberg. This was a track issue, like the seepage at Texas was a track issue, like the levigation issue at Charlotte was a track issue. That doesn't absolve anyone, but that's what it is.

Joe Menzer: Look, I don't know that you can really blame anyone for what happened. It was sort of a perfect storm, with the crazy weather and all. But what is alarming to me is that now that it has happened, I haven't heard anyone from NASCAR step up and admit that Daytona needs repaving after 32 years to prevent this from happening again.

The fix is on

Daytona Int'l Speedway has begun installing a reinforced concrete patch to repair damage to the pavement in Turn 2.

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Dave Rodman: I'm not an ardent supporter of anyone, though anyone who doesn't admit to biases is a liar. I'd be willing to write it off to a perfect storm of circumstances: Rough race track, new cars set on the razor edge to bottom-out, funky weather conditions both before and during the race. I thought the reaction was as good as could be expected in the face of an extreme anomaly.

David Caraviello: Oh, I think you can blame Daytona, Joe. That pavement is three decades old, and pavement has a finite life span. They've gotten away with an old racing surface for a long time, and Sunday it bit them.

Joe Menzer: I realize repaving is not going to be cheap -- I saw somewhere an estimate of $20 million or more. I realize that lots of drivers, apparently the vast majority, say they like racing on the surface as is and don't want it repaved. But 32 years is 32 years! It's past time to repave that sucker! Otherwise, who's to say they don't run into the same crazy weather next year, or the year after, and have the same thing happen. Also at issue is the fact that it was so difficult for them to fix quickly and efficiently. Shouldn't they have had some kind of compound ready and battle-tested for something like that, so the delays wouldn't have been as long -- or the second one wouldn't have occurred at all?

Dave Rodman: What do race track forensics resemble? They're looking at it. I'd be interested in seeing or hearing what they find out. Someone who watched the race on TV, therefore was fairly detached, noticed that the Hendrick cars were noticeably and -- I can't say alarmingly, I didn't see it -- bottoming out. To me, without a full understanding of 190-plus mph race car vs. pavement dynamics, that could have compromised the surface.

David Caraviello: I'm sorry, I don't buy the "cars bottoming out gouged the track" theory. Water and temperature change damage asphalt every moment of every day. Daytona is a very active track with a lot of load on that surface. If this happened because of the race cars, it's because other forces had already gone to work and started digging out that hole.

Joe Menzer: I agree. Blaming it on the cars bottoming out is kind of ridiculous. Besides, those cars passed pre-race inspection. No one said or noticed anything then.

David Caraviello: I understand the debate over the quality of the surface, why some like it and some don't, why some don't want it to become ultra-smooth like Talladega and possibly affect the quality of the show. No question, quickly patching a pothole on a race track while millions are watching is a tough job. But if you're going to have an old surface, you'd better be ready to do just that, and not go running through the garage area begging people for Bondo.

Dave Rodman: If they have spot problems with bumps or rough spots, fixing that would be the ticket because the surface is key to the show, I think. Trust me, pavement projects are by far the largest capital expenditures race tracks have, so for sure they won't knee-jerk into this one.

Joe Menzer: Dave, we understand that. But it has been 32 years! Thirty-two ... Count 'em! That pavement is half as old as you [or close to it]. Nothing lasts forever. Repave it after the July race and live with it until the new track comes in. I don't think they have a choice.

Dave Rodman: I didn't know you guys were engineers. I'm not and I'm not going there. Getting the cars as low as possible is the goal. I would hope everyone has lived in a place that enables them to watch potholes develop. Obviously, it ain't pretty -- but that's at normal street traffic speed and dynamic. Two-hundred mph race cars with gooey tires extrapolates that dynamic geometrically.

Joe Menzer: Thirty-two years, Dave! Thirty-two. I'm no engineer and I'm not a mathematician. But that's dang old for asphalt no matter who you are, what you do for a living, or where you're from.

David Caraviello: It's a race track, Dave. If it can't handle 200 mph cars with gooey tires, it's not doing its job. And as one pavement expert told me this week -- given the age of the surface, it's amazing they haven't had a pothole before now.

Joe Menzer: And won't have multiple ones in the future, under similar conditions. Which is why they need to be proactive on this and repave it.

3. It's on to Auto Club Speedway in Southern California, where Jimmie Johnson has won three of the last five events. Is this where he begins his annual Daytona rebound?

Joe Menzer: Well, I can pretty much guarantee you that he's not going to finish 35th again, or whatever it was at Daytona. So I guess the short answer to your question is yes. And I wouldn't be surprised -- I don't think anyone would -- if he even pulled out the win.

David Caraviello: No better place to ease your pothole-caused concerns than Southern California, which this week is supposed to be sunny and warmer. And no question, the Hendrick Motorsports boys own the place. Either Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon, pull 'em out of a hat.

Mr. rebound

Don't let the finish at Daytona fool you, Jimmie Johnson should be just fine Sunday at Fontana, and he should be on your fantasy roster.

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Dave Rodman: It's race by race, as it always is. There is no reason to believe Johnson won't win. But it's racing, after all. No guarantee what will happen, as the crashes in practice proved for some people, including JJ. Despite the lack of interest shown in California by most people, I'm fascinated to see what will occur. Of course, we're getting paid, right?

Joe Menzer: I'm looking forward to hitting the Presidential Lounge in Riverside. Always entertaining. And the beer is cold.

David Caraviello: And Teddy Roosevelt was there! Not recently, of course.

Joe Menzer: Plus, I hear they just repaved the parking lot. Of the race track, that is.

Dave Rodman: Ask track president Gillian Zucker for that price tag. It's paving -- I'm sure it was sizeable. And we have a 60 percent chance of rain on Saturday, but every other day is wonderful. That must be because Mark Aumann will be relaxing around the cabin.

Joe Menzer: No Rain Man in sight or in the forecast, so that part of it looks great. I agree, though, it is always fascinating to see what takes place the week after the madness that is Daytona. This is where you start the long process of sorting out the players from the pretenders.

David Caraviello: Hey, it's a big weekend for Auto Club Speedway. General consensus is, the place is running out of time. Now that Kansas finally has its casino situation worked out, the wheels are going to start turning on a second date there. And that means California is on the clock. Last week somebody told me, "Enjoy the final spring race at California!" I don't know if it's quite that immediate, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Dave Rodman: I hope it is. That would end the debate about Martinsville. In my opinion, they need to have one, kick-ass spectacular event a season at California. I've said before, they ought to kick off the Chase there -- no offense to New Hampshire -- but if you're having your big whoop, it ought to be in the center of glitz and glamour. Chase kickoff media event could be in LA. Perfect.

Joe Menzer: Yeah, well, we've heard that one before. But let's be honest, it doesn't deserve to have two dates and hasn't for some time. Too bad, too. It's a nice facility. But they just haven't caught on with the Southern California crowd the way NASCAR envisioned when they first gave them that second date.

David Caraviello: Dave, I couldn't agree with you more. I think some worry that the reception in SoCal has been so ho-hum that Fontana wouldn't give the Chase the bang it's looking for. New Hampshire, despite it's out-of-the-way locale, does basically guarantee a sellout crowd, something you certainly haven't had in California. It's a nice facility, and NASCAR clearly needs to be there. It would be ridiculous for NASCAR to not race in the car culture and automotive design capital of the world. But clearly, somebody misjudged the strength of that market.

Joe Menzer: I can't believe New England Dave is proposing to run the Chase out of New Hampshire!

David Caraviello: Nobody's saying the Chase doesn't belong in New Hampshire. But I agree with Dave, it should start elsewhere. You need a major metro track for your playoff kickoff. But we're getting ahead of ourselves by 25 weeks, aren't we?

Dave Rodman: Right -- and believe me, I think NHMS would sell out whichever week in the Chase they were -- but California used to sell out, too. I think they need one, big event, and what else is available except the Chase kickoff? To me, it would be worth a try.

David Caraviello: Darlington is proof positive that a facility can be more successful with one event than with two. There is life after losing a race.

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Joe Menzer: Maybe Auto Club Speedway also would do better if they were actually located closer to L.A. and the Hollywood crowd they're always courting out there. Fact is, it's pretty far from all that stuff and there are way too many other things to do that are closer. But you can't pick up a track and move it, can you? Heck, they can't even repave one these days, apparently.

Dave Rodman: Well, the sort of alarming thing is, it's the second spiffy facility to not do so well in that location. That ought to tell you something. And that gets to a point that is probably one of the most irritating in the sport, to me. They ought to shuffle up the 10-race Chase schedule on an annual basis, save for the finale and the races that can't be swapped, like the Coke 600, Daytona 500, etc.

David Caraviello: Oh, come on, Joe. I'm looking forward to my 50-minute drive from LAX to the Inland Empire! Ah, the scenery!

Joe Menzer: Fifty minutes if you're lucky, my friend! And to circle back around to the original question, I'll tell you something else: I think Jimmie Johnson might be about the only guy who would be sorry to see a second date go by the wayside in California.

David Caraviello: I indeed think this will be the unofficial kickoff to Johnson's fifth championship run. Maybe the HBO guys should have stuck around for another week?

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writers.