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Is it coincidence that the Sprint Cup Chase heads to the hottest place in NASCAR just when the suits in Daytona  would like you to think that the playoff pressure is heating up for Jimmy Johnson and Carl Edwards?  I think not.

You gotta give Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne credit. They aren’t holding anything back in their attempt to make a game out of this Chase thing. Between banzai passes and high-stakes fuel strategies, the Office Depot Racing team is hangin’ it out.

The 2008 Chase has become - perhaps always was - a classic Chevy  vs Ford battle. Dodge never showed and Toyota, strangely, never contended.

Last night’s live radio version of the Fast Lap  was a classic battle too. Steve put up a good fight, only to be over-matched by his more experienced, and intelligent, opposition - me. At least that’s what I think. We’ll put our opinions up here later but in the meantime, we’d like to see yours. Here you go. Batter up! 

1: NASCAR is backing off its 24 practice dates in 2009 strategy. What is the right number?

2: What was Greg Biffle REALLY asking after the race by wondering how the #99 team got 8 more laps to a tank of fuel than his #16 team?

3: Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the season is too long. If it is, what is the right number?

4: Should there be any concern in the Joe Gibbs Racing organization over Joey Logano’s lack of performance in their cars?

Four Fast Laps but you only get a hundred words or less to respond to the questions. After that, the gloves are off and you can defend your position just like David Gilliland or Scott Speed. And nobody will sanction you even a little bit. Come on, we want to argue with you.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

That three car battle for the Chase to the Cup that many - including me - were predicting seems to be shaping up.  Jimmy Johnson got his first 2008 Chase win.  Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle each grabbed another top three finish.  Throw a blanket on those three with the pack over ninety points back already.  

And the pack doesn’t include any Toyotas at all.  The Joe Gibbs Racing gang is falling farther behind with each poor showing.  Wait until next year coach. Oh, and Kyle, the pressure’s off now. Go ahead and win some races.

Kansas was a pretty predictably dull race other that Carl Edwards’ banzai pass attempt at the end and Juan Pablo Montoya’s cheating penalty in qualifying.  My guess is, that Talladega will be a different story.

Want to spice up the race interest at the office?  Start a big-one pool and try to pick what lap the semi-annual wreck will occur.  I say 155.  But there will be plenty of Fast Laps before that.  Try the next four, restrictor-plated, four-wide, warm-ups for the weekend.

1: Was the penalty to Juan Pablo Montoya for over-filled shocks during qualifying appropriate?

2: Should Kansas get a second Cup date, in part because a casino is being built next to the track?

3: Can Joe Gibbs Racing return to respectability during the Chase?

4: Paul Newman?

That’s it.  That’s the Talladega 2 edition of ON PIT ROW’s Fast Lap.  Steve and I will kick these things around on Tuesday’s show.  Listen live right here and call us between 5 and 7 PM EDT at 877-502-8255 and give us your take on any or all of the above.  And, of course, leave your thoughts here in the comment section.  Just be nice to your friends.

Photo credit: con Sports Media, Inc.

I wonder if those fortunate rains that fell on, and brought the win to, Kurt Busch at New Hampshire International Speedway yesterday will be the start of KB 1’s resurgence?

In case you forgot, Busch the Elder finished second - right on the rear bumper of Ryan Newman - the last time NASCAR saw Daytona.  Just because Kurt won in unconventional fashion, by playing the rain game, doesn’t mean this won’t start a streak.  Kasey Kahne got rolling after being VOTED into a race.  Kurt’s competitors may regret the awakening of the ex-champ.

There were other stories out of Loudon.  We’ll get to some of them.  But it’s Fourth of July week.  That used to mean it was Firecracker 400 week.  I loved that name.  That one and the Rebel 400.  Classic.  But those are gone.  Instead, you get the Firecracker Fast Lap.  Four, high banked, fast and hopefully, controversial corners for you to tackle.  Remember, 100 words or less on the answers themselves.  Unlimited words for taunting and smack-talk.

1.  What would it mean to teams if NASCAR went to unlimited testing?

2.  Would an official announcement about 2009 allow the #20 team to get on with 2008?

3.  Who should Jack Roush keep around when he has to eliminate one of his teams after 2009 - Jamie McMurray or David Ragan?

4.  Who’s your bet to join Tony Stewart as the number two driver at the proposed Tony Stewart Racing?

We have a plan to incorporate the best comments - and commentary - into a new feature ON PIT ROW or OnPitRow.com.  I haven’t, totally, figured it out as yet.  But an announcement of some kind is coming.  In the mean time, have fun with the Fast Lap.  We do.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Kyle Busch won his fifth Sprint Cup contest of the season Sunday at Infineon Raceway. That gives him at least fifty bonus points in the Chase to the first Sprint Cup. That Chase starts after only ten more races. Not all that much time for the likes of Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle or other pretenders to the Cup to get on the board, get off the snide, break the ice - win something - and maybe just as importantly for Shrub haters, keep Kyle from winning everything in sight.

Some drivers need to win to keep their championship hopes alive. Others to keep their jobs. It was a matter of time before Casey Mears’ disappointing 2008 start began to dog him in the speculation department. One of the big Sonoma rumors was that Mears would be moved to create a seat in the #5 for Mark Martin, who may be moving out of the DEI stable to free a full-time seat for Aric Almirola.

The move would set Mark up for the first ever - Third Times a Charm Retirement Tour. The #5 team at Hendrick Motorsports should be better than anything that DEI is fielding these days and Mark can still drive. But would Mark Martin be any better than the fourth best driver in the Hendrick Motorsports stable today?

What do you think? And while you’re at it, give the four, flat, all left handed turns of this week’s Fast Lap some thought. Remember your answers are limited to 100 words or less. But come on back and defend your position later in the week. Defense is unlimited.

1. What happened to the boos when the Shrub won? Are California fans truly more mature than the rest of NASCAR Nation?

2. David Gilliland turned one good Busch Series finish into a full time Cup ride. Can he turn one good Cup finish into a career?

3. Does the future of the Wood Brothers lie in Marcos Ambrose’s hands?

4. Juan Pablo Montoya is quoted in the London Times saying that NASCAR is better than F1. On Sunday’s Wind Tunnel, Scott Speed said that NASCAR is much easier than F1. Who is right?

We have plans for the best responses. What those plans are, I can’t say. Trust me. Would I lie to you?  O, and listen to the live streaming broadcast of ON PIT ROW Tuesday from 5-7 pm edt.   It’s good for you and trans fat free.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

NASCAR Fantasy Racing

On Pit Row is glad to be a part of such a great NASCAR fantasy racing game like Champs, Chumps & Sleepers. Grand prize is a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. How cool is that?

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