Updated May 8
Gee, wonder what was on most readers' minds last week? Yeah, the Kyle Busch-Dale Earnhardt Jr. tango in Richmond hogged the headlines and everyone's attention this week. Busch hasn't backed down any from his move and Earnhardt Jr., while disappointed, hasn't called for Shrub's head either. So for those wanting a bad blood feud between the two, it looks like they'll have to wait, because for now, it's one of those racing deals.
From: tdecaire
Real race fans understand hard racing. Every fan understands little E is falling short of his storied father. But wrong is wrong. Kyle not taking ownership, and admitting he messed up, will not sit well. Maybe he should look at Clemens and Barry Bonds for examples of poor public deflections of ownership for their faults.
Wow, next thing you know Busch will have to defend himself for having a relationship with an underage country singer. I think the difference here is that criticism of Busch stems from what he's doing on the so-called playing field and not off track. But there's no denying he has created a reputation as a bad boy. I think he likes it that way, and what he's doing now is just on a bigger stage than the short tracks and weekly speedways he started at, where he carried a similar rep.
From:JJVails
Would NASCAR sit someone if they thought what they did on track was a deliberate action? Even if Busch said he didn't take Junior out on purpose, what if NASCAR felt otherwise?
NASCAR can and will park a driver if they believe he is being too rough or aggressive -- just look at what happened to Michael Waltrip on Saturday night after he drove into the rear of Casey Mears at-speed after they crashed into the wall. But in a judgment call like the case between Busch and Earnhardt, I can't see the officials making an assessment that one driver intentionally took out the other. I'm sure that it was viewed as a racing incident and nothing more.
From:Greenies3
Joey Lagano won the ARCA race in the return of stock car racing to Rockingham. Since he is in the Joe Gibbs Racing stable, is he the most likely choice to fill the No. 20 car if Tony Stewart does decide to leave?
Absolutely. The more the Stewart situation brews, the more reasons I'm finding for a change to actually happen at JGR maybe before 2009. Stewart was in Indianapolis this week and announced a new Chevrolet engine that will be used in USAC Midget racing beginning next season, his presence yet another indication of his loyalty and love of Chevy. And as you point out, Lagano is without the doubt the most-anticipated driver to come into NASCAR since maybe Jeff Gordon, and many believe he could step into a Cup car tomorrow and be competitive. Things are kind of adding up for a Stewart departure-Lagano replacement scenario more than I considered when this story first broke, but I still think there's more time needed for it all to sort out.
From: MiniMatt0
Which drivers are in trouble as far as their NASCAR careers are concerned based on the performance of this season?
Well, certainly the open-wheel contingent that invaded NASCAR this year has to be considered a disappointing bunch up until now. Sam Hornish Jr. has slowly sunk to the Top 35 cut-off line after starting the year near the top of the standings after inheriting Kurt Busch's 2007 points. Dario Franchitti has also slowly sunk and couldn't have been feeling too secure when he sat out the Talladega Cup race with his broken ankle from the Nationwide race crash that weekend only to watch David Stremme turn in a top-10 run in his car. Reed Sorenson and the whole No. 41 crew was called out by owner Chip Ganassi a few weeks ago, so job security is not a luxury on that team these days. Look for some changes to come by the time we reach midseason.
