Feud: Danica's dance, Denny's revenge, Chase-track flap - Sprint Cup, NASCAR

Pete Pistone	Brian De Los Santos
1. Though it has been reported for months that Danica Patrick is looking to drive a part-time schedule in NASCAR next season, we've still heard nothing official. Should she bother with NASCAR or stick strictly to Indy cars?
It's hard to believe that this dance is still going on with Patrick and I think it's hurting her reputation with fans particularly in the NASCAR world. It appeared the deal was signed, sealed and delivered two weeks ago and several sources told me it was a matter of days but now it sounds like there have been some hurdles to slow down the negotiations. Each time new news comes up it's for a smaller slate of NASCAR races -- down to 10-12 in the latest reports -- that she'll try to run in addition to her full-time Indy Car slate. I'm of the opinion that doing NASCAR on a part-time basis is not going to allow Patrick to have a chance to succeed and if she's not going to come over and do more than just a handful of races, I don't see her becoming a successful stock car driver.	She hasn't even strapped into a stock car and I think a lot of NASCAR fans are already fed up with her. The longer this strings out, the more it appears to me that she's just trying to make an extra buck rather than having a true interest in making the jump to NASCAR. If she truly wants to make an impact in NASCAR it has to be an all-or-nothing proposition. She hasn't even mastered open-wheel cars yet, how can she expect to succeed in NASCAR without giving it her full attention? I think her best bet for long-term success is the IndyCar Series. If she wants to try stock cars, I'd be fine with that. I just don't think a part-time schedule will do anybody any good. Dabbling in NASCAR while running a full IndyCar schedule would be a disservice to all parties involved.
COMMUNITY GUEST 'Section_725': She can stick to doing spreads for Maxim for all I care. She has won how many races in her IRL career? One, and that was a fuel mileage win. If she comes to NASCAR, I don't see her having any real success. She will probably be battling Sam Hornish Jr. for a spot in the top 35. I think she should forget about NASCAR and stay in an Indy car -- who knows, if she's lucky she might just win another race.

2. Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin got together again during the Nationwide race at Phoenix and Hamlin all but promised payback at Homestead. NASCAR had a talk with Keselowski, but should officials do more or is this something drivers need to work out among themselves?
NASCAR is in desperate need of rivalries like the one simmering between Keselowski and Hamlin. It has turned what would be a ho-hum Nationwide Series race Saturday at Homestead, with Kyle Busch clinching the championship simply by starting the race, into an event that has people talking. I think NASCAR did the right thing to a degree to step in last week and talk to Keselowski, who has suddenly become Public Enemy No. 1 in the garage area with a lot of drivers, but it should be left up to these two to decide. However I don't want to see them do anything dumb on the track and cause others to get tangled up and lose equipment. But a good old-fashioned war between drivers is long overdue and that said, the Keselowski-Hamlin tangle continues to gain steam.	We talked about Keselowski a few weeks ago and at the time I said I was fine with him as I felt his incidents with Hamlin were within the context of "racing hard." But Saturday at Phoenix, Keselowski intentionally dumped Hamlin, pure and simple. It was absolutely unnecessary. He probably should have been hit with a penalty for rough driving and held on pit lane for a few laps. It will be interesting to see how officials react if Hamlin does indeed follow through and wreck Keselowski at Homestead. As much as I'd like NASCAR to butt out and let these two continue to wage war, it's not the prudent thing to do. Officials not only have to consider the safety of Keselowski and Hamlin, but also the impact on other competitors who could become innocent victims of the antics of these two. I just don't see either Keselowski or Hamlin backing down without intervention from NASCAR.
COMMUNITY GUEST 'Section_725': I say let the drivers take care of it themselves. Hamlin may say he will pay him back at Homestead, but in reality, he probably won't do anything. I want to see some good rivalries in racing, and they will never happen if NASCAR keeps snuffing them out before they have a chance to get interesting. Who didn't like some of the classic rivalries like Dale Earnhardt vs. Darrell Waltrip, Waltrip vs. the Alabama Gang, Earnhardt vs. Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch vs. well just about anybody. The list goes on and on. Rivalries make the races interesting, and as long as the drivers aren't going overboard and putting others at risk, I don't see anything wrong with them.

3. Should NASCAR hold a lottery for the 10 tracks to be used in the Chase for a given year? Is Homestead the best place to host the season finale?
I'm not opposed to changing up the tracks that make up the Chase schedule but it has nothing to do with Jimmie Johnson's success. In my mind there is no way of "Johnson-proofing" the Chase and if different tracks were in the final 10, you can be sure the 48 team would be just as strong. But the playoff stretch does need a shot in the arm and mixing in some new venues and tracks, particularly less intermediate speedways that glut the Chase, isn't a bad idea. It's not as easy as it sounds though with weather issues and other tracks not willing to give up their traditional dates among the challenges. I like ending the year at Homestead which provides perfect weather and since the track was reconfigured a competitive place to race. Maybe a spice or two in the nine races preceding the finale though are in order.	While it would be nice to see a different mix of tracks in the Chase every year, the logistics of the schedule make a lottery system a near impossibility. Weather is a huge factor into why NASCAR tries to hold an event at a certain track at a certain time of year. Homestead being the perfect example. South Florida in late November you're almost guaranteed sunny skies and temps from the 60s to the 80s. I don't know anywhere else in the country where the weather would be that predictable at that time of the year. Of course there's Daytona just up the road which has a similar weather pattern. As much as I've become a detractor of restrictor-plate racing of late, if NASCAR insists in having one during the Chase, does it really matter where during those final 10 races it actually falls? It would definitely amp up the excitement level. Consider that with a 108-point lead heading to Homestead, most people feel Jimmie Johnson is a near certainty to claim the title. If the race were at Daytona, nobody in their right mind would feel that same way.
COMMUNITY GUEST 'Section_725': They need to do something to change up the Chase. While every track has its own nuances, the majority of the tracks in the Chase are close to identical. Mix it up so there is a good variety of tracks. You should have at least two short tracks, Talladega for the superspeedway, Dover works well for me, and add a road course. Maybe they could move Indy to the July 4th weekend race, and end the season at Daytona, but use the road course.

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