NASCAR roundup

News:

• Sources: Sadler set to return to No. 19
• Petty, Gillett Evernham to merge
• Chevy to remain Daytona sponsor
• Owner reaches deal on fraud charges
• Logano to defend All-Star title
• Baldwin to debut Cup team at Daytona

Analysis:

• DW: Teams spend too much
• Owens: Where were the fireworks?
• DW: Petty cash, not enough
• McReynolds: It all starts here
• Mondaca: Nine stories for '09

Looking back at 2008:

• Sprint Cup
• Nationwide
• Trucks

Blog:

• Check out the NASCAR community

Back in the day, when Dale Earnhardt was winning all those championships, we never realized what a huge advantage that gave him and his Richard Childress team. I don't think we realized back then how much of a huge advantage it was. We do today because we all talk about track position more than ever.

Now with that said, not qualifying is also helping some of these other Chase drivers who sometimes struggle in qualifying. Look at Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle and others who are notorious at times for being bad qualifiers. Jeff Burton is the classic example. I felt his consistent bad qualifying was going to hurt him in the Chase because, by starting so far back every week, he was forced to use up his equipment just to get back to the front and then he wouldn't have anything left when it counted. He hasn't had to worry about it that much these last few weeks. That's a huge weakness taken off the table for him.

The weather forecast for Texas this weekend looks beautiful so qualifying should be a go. Jimmie Johnson can win the pole. Remember what I always tell you is one of Jimmie's biggest advantages? It's that he has a fast car. What did we see Sunday when they stuck fresh tires on that thing and it was time to go? He had a fast car and roared up through the field. Fast cars win races. Fast cars make it look easy and Jimmie has a fast car.

So not qualifying is helping Jimmie because it puts him on the pole and lets him get the No. 1 pit. But additionally it is helping the other Chase drivers who sometimes struggle in qualifying. It lets them start up front with Jimmie and try to give him a run for his money. So what's making the difference in these races right now? It's not having qualifying.

You've heard me give some suggestions in the past to try and blow more excitement into the Chase. I have advocated shorting up the Chase and also letting them have their own point system during the Chase. But here is something else I would like to put on the table for consideration. If qualifying is rained out, have the Chase drivers draw for their pit selection. Put 12 numbers into a hat and let them draw. That way you would quit giving that same guy that huge advantage when Mother Nature decides to wipe out qualifying.

Now I realize that right now that Jimmie and Chad are sitting there reading this and saying, "Whoa, wait a minute. That's a stupid idea." That's OK, they are entitled to their opinion but I am just trying to find ways to make this Chase interesting. Let's face it, right now it's not very interesting nor is it very entertaining.

If you watched the race Sunday you had to have been amazed as I was as to how Carl Edwards was fighting with his race car. Man that car was evil. Those in-car camera shots clearly showed him jacking on that wheel and man-handling that thing. It was also amazing to me to see how fast he was going with such an evil car. It also made me realize that I don't think the tires were all that much better than in the spring race. Tire wear wasn't an issue in the spring nor in Sunday's race. The same thing for grip. There wasn't much in the spring and not hardly any Sunday. I just didn't see where the tires were that much better from the March race when I watched these cars slip and slide around on Sunday.

I also feel that Chad Knaus was really compiling information all race long and once they got into position where they could come in and stick those fresh Goodyear's on there, well they took off. I have to tell you I was shocked more cars didn't do the same strategy as the No. 48 knowing how much difference new tires made.

You also have to tip your hat to the No. 48 pit crew. They came in behind about seven or eight other lap cars for their stop but the No. 48 crew got them out in front of the other lapped cars and then when the caution flew again, Jimmie was able to take advantage of the Lucky Dog and get his lap back.

Speed Mail DW
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This team continues to do everything right. We saw a little flaw from Jimmie when he smoked it on pit road a little too hot, but no one panicked and everybody was very methodical and did their job. They got themselves back in the race, back on the lead lap and recovered for a great finish. That's what this team does every week.

If Carl Edwards is Jack Bauer from FOX's 24, well then Jimmie Johnson is Superman. And folks, remember what Jim Croce said "you don't tug on Superman's cape and you don't mess around with Jim". Folks, I don't think I would be messing around with Jim on these last three races.

Oh, by the way

It just seems to me like if you are going to compare a driver from the past and a current driver, then you should have at least seen the driver from the past drive. These bold comparisons tickle me sometimes about whether Jimmie is as good as Cale or if Cale could compete with today's drivers.

If you haven't seen Cale race then all you are doing is comparing numbers and Cale has some very impressive numbers. I just find it interesting those pundits that make comparisons of the current drivers versus the drivers from the past when they probably never saw the driver from another era race.

I raced against Cale, Richard, Bobby, Benny, David, Buddy so I can tell you from experience, in their time, they were the dominant drivers of that era. It's similar to today with Jimmie, or Jeff, Carl or Kyle. These are the dominant drivers of this period of NASCAR racing.

It's just so hard to compare drivers from different eras. The equipment, cars, people, technology, etc., are just so different.