CBSSports.com's Brian De Los Santos and Pete Pistone provide analysis on three weekly racing topics.
We welcome your question submissions. If you have a question or hot racing topic you'd like to see discussed, post it here .
| Pete Pistone | Brian De Los Santos |
| From Mikeyfan1599: Should NASCAR have turned the tire strategy [at Indianapolis] over to the crew chiefs or did they make the right call [throwing cautions] trying to protect the drivers from themselves? |
 NASCAR made absolutely the right call taking the control of the race from the crew chiefs and implementing mandatory competition cautions. It was a bitter pill to swallow for everyone involved but allowing teams to push the envelope could have had disastrous effects with crashes and potential injuries. NASCAR deserves credit for putting safety first and ensuring the tire wear -- which reared continuously at or near the 10-lap mark -- was dealt with by throwing the caution at regular intervals. Listen, it was a horrible situation all the way around but the only silver lining is that no driver was injured in the mess that was the 2008 Brickyard. | Had officials chosen to let teams police themselves, let's face it, there still would have been cautions every 10-15 laps ... but it would have been to clean up the debris from wrecks. Tires are one thing that's out of a team's control. It's the responsibility of NASCAR and Goodyear to supply a safe and sturdy tire. Teams shouldn't have to concern themselves with tires that explode less than halfway through a run, this isn't the ACME Cup Series. If I were in their position, I probably would have erred on the side of safety too. But that doesn't mean NASCAR deserves a pat on the back. Goodyear and NASCAR were well aware of possible tire issues well before this weekend. But they assumed it would work out like always even though it was the first time the new car ever raced at the venue. In showing absolutely no foresight, NASCAR failed its fans. Sure the show went on, but the product was far inferior to what fans should have expected. The race was a farce and NASCAR should offer a partial refund to the fans who attended Sunday's race. |
| For the second time this season, an IndyCar race failed to reach its scheduled lap distance due to a time limit. Are you for or against time limits on races? |
 I hate time limit races but until Indy Car racing can become more popular, television networks are not going to devote any additional time to its events. The Edmonton race was one of the former Champ Car events that was folded into the merged IRL schedule this season and was part of a time buy on ESPN2. That's why the sanctioning body had no choice but to implement the time curfew as the television network was committed to other programming. Hopefully beginning in 2009 things will change as ABC/ESPN actually pays a rights fee for events and will be more inclined to let them run the entire advertised distance. | I think there's a place for time limits when used in a reasonable manner. Back at St. Pete in April, the race was cut short by 17 laps due to a multitude of wrecks caused by wet conditions that dramatically slowed the pace. In that instance, it made sense. They could have been racing for another 30 minutes to an hour. But Saturday's race at Edmonton was cut just four laps short and ruined the suspense of a dicey fuel situation for the leaders. Four more laps wouldn't have extended the race much longer past the time limit. I think the call needs to be that if there are 10 or fewer laps remaining when time is set to expire, then lap distance should trump time limit. But, unfortunately, the IRL is at the mercy of its TV partner, who I don't feel shows it a whole lot of love. |
| Do you see Kasey Kahne pulling off the season sweep at Pocono this weekend or is there somebody else we should keep an eye on? |
 Kasey Kahne will be in the mix and certainly has a chance to pull off the Pocono sweep after the way he dominated back in June -- leading 69 laps from the pole. But watching Denny Hamlin's run at Indianapolis last Sunday makes me think he's the guy to beat in Sunday's return trip to the Pocono Mountains. He is a flat-track specialist and with his 2006 Pocono sweep still fresh in his mind and the ultimately disappointing yet solid run at Indianapolis as a springboard, I see the Fed Ex Toyota rolling into Victory Lane Sunday. | Funny thing about Kahne was that prior to leading 69 laps during his win back in June, he had managed just two top 10s in eight starts at the track. He finished 22nd or worse five times and had led a total of five laps. So despite being the track's most recent winner, he's not my first choice. That honor goes to Denny Hamlin. In five trips to Pocono, Hamlin has finished first, first, sixth, third and third. That's as good a start at a singular track as I've ever seen. Jimmie Johnson should be a factor as the 48 team is starting to find its groove. He has two victories and has finished outside the top 15 just once in 13 trips to Pocono. |
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