FIRST LOOK! The New 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series Cars!

Penske Racing's #12 Verizon Wireless Dodge Challenger.


The 2010 Toyota Nationwide Series Camry.


Richard Childress Racing's #29 Holiday Inn Select Chevrolet Impala.


Roush Fenway Racing's #16 Conway Freight Ford Mustang.


Dodge Challenger nose detail. Sweeeeeet!

Addington Out, Rogers In After Talladega

Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that Dave Rogers will replace Steve Addington as crewchief on Kyle Busch’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for the final three races of this season.

Rogers currently serves as a Joe Gibbs Racing Nationwide Series crewchief, working primarily with Joey Logano. Addington will remain atop the pit box for this weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, after team management determined that there was not enough time for Rogers to take over before then.

Busch failed to qualify for this year’s Chase despite winning four races, and has just one victory in his last 21 starts, to go with nine finishes of 20th or worse. He finished fourth Sunday at Martinsville.

Sadler A Ford Man At Dega: Richard Petty Motorsports has confirmed what Sirius Speedway first told you last month; that the team will field a Ford Fusion for the first time this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Elliott Sadler will wheel a #19 Stanley-sponsored Ford at Talladega Sunday, as RPM takes the next step in its planned transition to Ford power for 2010. Sadler commented on the move today, saying, "Since this is the final restrictor plate race of the season, we made the decision to run a Ford to get some work done in advance. This will be our first time to practice and work on a Fusion under real race conditions. It should help us get ready to make a strong showing at Daytona and put us in the best position to start next season.”

The Emporia, VA driver will be back in a Dodge for the final three races of the season at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead, and will join us on today's show to talk about the move.

Andretti Backs Late Caution: John Andretti says NASCAR was right to delay throwing the yellow flag when he spun on the frontstretch on the final lap Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

"It wasn't a bad call. I wasn't in a great position, but I wasn't in an overly dangerous position,” he said. “NASCAR focuses on the race itself, and they want to see the winner come across the finish line. It's probably the call I would've made. I would've gotten out of the way if I could've, but I had a couple of issues. The car was too damaged."

Post The #66: Steve Wallace faces possible sanctions from NASCAR after running into Matt Kenseth’s car on pit road after Saturday’s race at Memphis Motorsports Park. Wallace spun after contact with Kenseth late in the race, then drove down pit road and into the side of Kenseth’s car. He was summoed to the NASCAR hauler after the race, and penalties – if any – will likely be announced later today.

Tags To Texas: Canadian driver Alex Tagliani will run the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Texas Motor Speedway on November 7. Tagliani announced on his blog Monday that he will drive the same Dodge he ran at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in August, fielded by MacDonald Motorsports. The race will mark his first career TMS start.

Logano, Busch Pump Up For WWE Monday Night RAW

Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Joey Logano and Kyle Busch give WWE superstars Chris Jericho and "The Big Show" their marching orders during last night's broadcast of WWE Monday Night RAW at the RBC Center in Buffalo, NY. Busch played the heel's role, drawing the crowd's ire by mocking their beloved Buffalo Bills. Logano proved more popular, calling Big Show "weak" and matching him against fan-favorite Triple H in the night's main event.

How Do You Miss A Mouth That Big?

"Tradin' Paint" co-host Chocolate Myers is known to enjoy an occasional snack during the four-hour run of the show. Apparently, however, a large percentage of that Easy Cheez ends up missing the mark and hitting the chair. Amazingly, this is Choc's SECOND chair in the last two years. Apparently, the first one had to be thrown away because of a giantic, crotch-shaped grease stain. Go figure.

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Mike "The Great Pumpkin" Bagley and Pistol Pete; coming soon to a Talladega Superspeedway turn position near you! (Dave Condit Photo)

Hey Joey! Wrestle This One!

WWE Diva Kelly Kelly is primed and ready to take on all comers on next week's edition of WWE Monday Night RAW, hosted by Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. Put her in a headlock, Joey!

NASCAR Mourns Brutal Raikkonen Snub

NASCAR Nation plunged into a state of collective despair today, after 2007 Formula One World Champion Kimi Raikkonen said that he can race in NASCAR next season if he wants to, but is not a fan of stock car racing.

Raikkonen is being dropped by Ferrari at the end of this season in favor of rival Fernando Alonso, and said this week he has no concrete plans for the 2010 season. Asked if he might follow the lead of former F1 stars Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve into NASCAR, Raikkonen said, "I could race there if I wanted, but I'm not one of the biggest fans of NASCAR. I have no plans, I do what I want with my life.”

NASCAR fans across the country responded with a collective yawn, before failing to select Raikkonen out of a photo lineup.

Junior Struggling To Cope With Poor Performance

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., finally vented the frustration of a long and trying season last week, saying he is upset with his team’s poor performance and has no idea what to do about it.

Earnhardt's Hendrick Motorsports teammates -- Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon – currently fill the top three positions in Sprint Cup championship points, while Earnhardt languishes a distant 22nd in the championship chase. The 48, 5 and 24 teams have combined for 11 Sprint Cup victories this season, while Earnhardt’s winless streak is now more than a year long.

"I'm about to the end of my rope," admitted NASCAR's most popular driver. “I feel like I don't have any control, you know? (Rick Hendrick) put me in a great position, but I haven't made the most of it. For whatever reason, we're just not getting it done.”

Earnhardt said he is puzzled by his team’s inconsistency, admitting, “I don't know what to do. We were top-15 in practice (at Lowes Motor Speedway) and we go out to qualify and we were one of the worst cars here. It's really encouraging one day and the next day it's equally discouraging. That gets really old. I'm about to the end of my rope on it."

Asked whether he will team with crewchief Lance McGrew again in 2010, Earnhardt said, "I don't have the credentials to make the call. If I told you that I wanted to be with Lance next year, I wouldn't be telling you that out of my knowledge of expertise and talent. I'd be telling because it's fun hanging out with him. Hell, (I) don't even know if Lance wants to do it. I wouldn't want it. It's a tough job."

Team owner Rick Hendrick indicated that he is leaning toward returning McGrew to the pit box next season, saying he prefers to fine-tune, rather than rebuild.

For his part, Earnhardt said he needs a “dictator” like Tony Eury Sr. atop his pit box, immediately stressing that he is not ruling out McGrew. Eury, Sr., however, has repeatedly stated that he is not interested in returning to the Sprint Cup Series, and is happy in his current position as crewchief for the #88 JR Motorsports NASCAR Nationwide Series team.

Earnhardt's frustration is genuine and deep-seated. It's nothing a win or two won't cure, but at his present clip, Junior does not appear headed for Victory Lane anytime soon.

Johnson On Track For Four: While Earnhardt struggled, Jimmie Johnson took a major step toward an unprecedented fourth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship Saturday night at Lowes Motor Speedway, winning the NASCAR Banking 500 (his second straight win and his third in the last four starts) and triggering another round of complaints from observers tired of seeing the same championship trophy go home in the same set of hands.

Johnson’s win combined with poor performances by many of his closest championship pursuers to bust a razor-close title chase wide open. Johnson and crewchief Chad Knaus now enjoy a healthy, 90-point advantage in the championship standings; the biggest lead any team has enjoyed at the halfway mark of a Chase. A year ago, Johnson was 69 points ahead of Jeff Burton after five Chase starts, and Jeff Gordon led Johnson by 68 at this juncture in 2007.

The anti-Johnson contingent is divided into two distinct groups; those who resent his success, and those tired of seeing their favorite driver come up short by comparison.

The first camp contains at least a handful of his fellow drivers and team owners. Jack Roush continues to carp about the preferential treatment he fears Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports teammates receive from NASCAR. The Roush Fenway Racing owner is still waiting to see how NASCAR will address rumors of discrepancies with Johnson’s car; rumors that Roush refuses to discount despite three consecutive weeks of white-glove inspections by NASCAR at their Concord, NC, Research and Development Center.

Greg Biffle complained bitterly about Johnson’s inclusion in a late-season Goodyear tire test at Dover, saying that test gave the Lowes Chevrolet team a decided advantage in Round Two of the Chase. Those complaints ignore the fact that one of Biffle’s own teammates, David Ragan, also took part in the test, giving Roush Fenway Racing access to the same information enjoyed by Johnson and Knaus.

Simply put, Jimmie Johnson and the Lowes Chevrolet team are the class of the field again in 2009, and their chances for a four-peat grow stronger with every passing week. While those around him stumble, Johnson simply grows stronger, beating the competition at its own game.

Resent him if you like. Hate him for beating your favorite driver if you must.

But take a moment along the way to appreciate something that has never been seen before in the near-60 year history of this sport.

Jimmie Johnson is just that good.

RCR Could Drop To Three Cars: Richard Childress said Saturday that major changes are coming for his race team, and that Richard Childress Racing could be a three-car operation in 2010. Sirius Speedway reported Friday that Todd Berrier will be announced as the new crewchief of Jeff Burton’s #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet later this week, and Childress confirmed that additional personnel announcements are expected.

"We are making a lot of changes," he said. "We'll probably be announcing more changes next week, (and) using these last races to get prepared for 2010. We know we have to be better.”

Childress said he sees improvement in his team’s performance in recent weeks, but that the future of Casey Mears and the #07 Chevrolet is unknown. No full-time sponsor has been signed to replace the departing Jack Daniel’s next season, and Childress said the team will not continue without one.

"Right now, we're meeting with companies,” he said. “We've had several meetings. As you know, the economic times are tough right now for sponsorship. We're wanting to run (the #07, but) we can't turn it into a park and start. I don't want to do that.”

BREAKING NEWS: RCR To Announce Berrier As Burton's New Crewchief

Sirius Speedway has learned that a press conference will be held early next week to announce personnel changes on Jeff Burton’s #31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team, including the signing of crewchief Todd Berrier. Berrier will replace Scott Miller, who was recently promoted to Director of Competition at RCR.

Berrier has been a crewchief in the RCR organization since 2002, most recently working with drivers Kevin Harvick and Casey Mears. He has eight career Sprint Cup Series wins, including the 2007 Daytona 500 with Harvick. Sources close to the team say a meeting was held this week between Childress, Miller and Berrier to implement a transition plan, and to decide which members of Burton’s over-the-wall and race day crews will be retained. Sources say some personnel changes will be implemented as soon as next week, with an official announcement expected on Tuesday.

Burton told reporters yesterday that the team is close to finding a new crewchief, and that a reorganized RCR will be stronger and better-prepared in 2010. "We're real close," he said. “I don't have a definite date, but we're real close to having all that figured out. We're really optimistic that we have that put to bed and we'll be able to talk about that fairly soon."

Burton also said that Childress is not solely to blame for the recent downturn at Richard Childress Racing, saying the ban on off-season testing and an unwillingness to try new things led to the team’s poor performance.

“We didn't change quick enough, and we're all guilty of that,” he said. “That's not Richard's fault. Richard relies on the people that work for him to provide him with the insight.”

In a related story, Burton said he does not expect teammate Kevin Harvick to remain with RCR beyond the end of his current contract in 2010. Harvick said in a pre-race interview with ESPN’s Marty Smith Sunday that he doesn't plan to compete for RCR beyond next season, and Burton said he believes the time may have come for a parting of the ways.

"Sometimes you are just better off going to the dentist and getting it over with," he said. "I think everybody is behaving in a very professional manner. Everybody is understanding that Kevin has a year left on his contract, and he's going to do everything in his power to do the best job for RCR."

TRG's Buckler Courting Dodge, Mulling Expansion

TRG Motorsports owner Kevin Buckler is actively investigating the possibility of converting his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team from Chevrolet to Dodge next season, and mulling a full, 36-race assault with former series champion Bobby Labonte.

TRG has been a Chevrolet team from its initial foray into NASCAR, but only because Buckler purchased his cars and engines from Richard Childress Racing. He told Autoweek magazine this week that he receives very little support from General Motors, and needs additional help to become a frontrunner in the Sprint Cup Series.

Buckler said he is “very much interested in talking to (Dodge),” and has spoken with fellow team-owner Roger Penske about the possibility of changing manufacturers. "I think it would be a great fit," he said. "You look at how much we've done this season with so little, and I think it shows we have a lot to offer."

A Dodge spokesman said the automaker would "absolutely" be interested in speaking with Buckler, adding, "I think we'd be crazy not to consider what he could bring to the party, especially if he could bring Bobby Labonte for the full season."

With Richard Petty Motorsports poised to jump to the Ford camp next season, Dodge would be left with only a three-car stable in 2010; all fielded by Penske Racing.

TRG is currently 37th in owners' points, just two positions away from a guaranteed starting spot in the first five races of 2010. Labonte would also bring a Past Champion’s Provisional to a team that has failed to qualify just once in 30 races this season, despite limited sponsorship and a revolving-door driver roster than has included Labonte, David Gilliland and Mike Bliss.

Buckler also restated his desire to expand to two cars next season, if sponsorship can be found.

First Look At The New Nationwide Series Mustang!

Colin Braun will drive this #16 ConWay Freight Ford Mustang in four events on the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series. SHARP!

BREAKING NEWS: Godfather Physically Attacked At Kansas Speedway!

In a shocking development, Sirius Speedway host Dave "The Godfather" Moody was savagely attacked by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers David Reutimann and Elliott Sadler Friday at Kansas Speedway. The unprovoked daytime attack left Moody with serious injuries that required the popular Sirius NASCAR Radio host to seek medical attention.

Unconfirmed reports have Moody obtaining the services of high-profile attorney Mark Geragos to file a civil lawsuit against both Reutimann and Sadler, requesting $12.5 million for pain, suffering and emotional distress.

"Fortunately," said Moody, "my good friend, award-winning motorsports photographer Dave Condit, was able to document the attack. It might have been nice if had had put down the camera and come to my assistance, but barring that, at least we had concrete evidence of this vicious, unprovoked assault."


In the first photo of the series, a menacing Reutimann threatens Moody with physical violence.


Almost immediately, Moody is jumped from behind by co-conspirator Elliott Sadler.


With the Godfather's arms pinned behind him, Reutimann administers a savage beating.


The shocking aftermath of the assault.

Now THAT'S A Hard-Working REALTOR!

BREAKING NEWS: Another New Partner At Richard Petty Motorsports?

A sports management firm owned by a Saudi Arabian Prince has signed a memorandum of understanding with Richard Petty Motorsports co-owner George Gillett that will lead to a commercial partnership involving both the Liverpool Football Club and Richard Petty Motorsports.

Gillett and his Liverpool Football Club co-owner, Tom Hicks, confirmed recently that they had begun looking for outside investors, but told the BBC as recently as this week that the search was “at an early stage," and that there was “no agreement with any party." Those statements came just a day after Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah Al Saud told reporters that he was negotiating to purchase half of the club for between 200 and 350 million British pounds. Gillett and Hicks purchased he team for 174 million pounds 2007.

Gillett recently announced plans to sell the Montreal Canadiens hockey club and their home arena, Montreal’s Molson Centre.

While it is not currently known how (or if) the deal will impact the day-to-day operations of Richard Petty Motorsports, the NASCAR Examiner website reports that today’s agreement is the first step in Gillett selling his stake in the team to Prince Faisal. The report states that the “due diligence” process is already underway, and could result in Gillett being entirely bought-out by the end of the 2009 calendar year. A press release announcing the partnership mentions no such sale; only the possibility of developing NASCAR-style racing circuit and Richard Petty racing schools in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the Middle East.

Richard Petty Motorsports recently announced plans to merge with Yates Racing in time for the 2010 season, and the team declined to have a representative speak with Sirius Speedway today about this latest deal.

COMMENTARY: A Word Of Praise For DEI-Ganassi Racing

While most of the championship attention continues to focus on Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya and DEI-Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates have inserted themselves solidly into the title debate, authoring a Cinderella story that few could have predicted even a few short months ago.

Coming into the 2009 season opener at Daytona, DEI-Ganassi was fresh off a corporate merger that many observers characterized as a reshuffling of deck chairs on the Titanic. Chip Ganassi is a perennial title contender in the IRL IndyCar ranks, but his sole bid for the Sprint Cup title came more than a decade ago with Sterling Marlin at the wheel. DEI, meanwhile, was best known as the team that let Dale Earnhardt, Jr., get away; a move that prompted former series champion Tony Stewart to predict that the team would be “a museum” within 24 months. For his part, Montoya was coming off a 2008 season highlighted by an unremarkable 25th-place finish in points, inciting debate over whether the former open wheel star would ever fully adapt to stock car competition, and whether there was any future at all for DEI-Ganassi.

The nay-sayers could not have been more wrong.

After a halting start that saw them finish 14th, 11th, 31st and 27th in the first four races of the season, Montoya’s Target Chevrolet team slowly began to right the ship. By the time NASCAR rolled into Charlotte for its annual midseason All-Star festivities, the former Indianapolis 500 champion had climbed all the way to 14th in points and begun to be included on the list of possible Chase contenders.

In the last 15 races – dating back to Pocono in June – Montoya went from “possible Chase contender” to “legitimate championship aspirant,” ripping off 10 Top-10 finishes with only one result outside the Top-20. His average finish in that span is 9.5; enough to place him third in points heading to Round Three of the Chase this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

Montoya faced criticism in some circles for “points racing” during the final few races of the regular season; eschewing his usual aggressive style in favor of a big-picture-friendly approach that stressed Top-10 finishes over wins.

Now, however, the reins have clearly come off.

Asked if he would continue preaching patience and consistency yesterday at Dover, crewchief Brian Pattie snapped, “We stopped points racing three races ago. We’re here to win.” Montoya sang a similar tune, saying, “We accomplished our goal when we made the Chase. Everything from now on is a bonus, and we’re going for it.”

This has already been a coming-of-age season for both Montoya and his team. There is still work to be done at DEI-Ganassi Racing, but JPM's unexpected title bid has given them a solid foundation to build upon.

Martin Truex, Jr., will still jump ship at season’s end for a new ride at Michael Waltrip Racing, leaving the team’s #1 Chevrolet vacant. Jamie McMurray is rumored to be waiting in the wings to fill that seat, but the deal (like most others these days) is contingent on the acquisition of a sponsor.

Young Jeffrey Earnhardt -- grandson of the late Dale Earnhardt and nephew of Dale, Jr. -– is being touted for a full season of Sprint Cup competition as soon as 2011, but is currently an unproven commodity whose resume is highlighted only by a partial season of Camping World Series East racing two years ago.

But the future is just that, the future.

For now, DEI-Ganassi Racing can take pride in proving the doubters wrong. They have not only survived, they have thrived; arguably outperforming more traditional NASCAR juggernauts like Richard Childress and Roush-Fenway Racing.

That’s something to be celebrated, and it’s not over yet.

Ricky Bobby Joins The Geek Squad

With those horrible white shades, the logo on the firesuit says it all!

Sources: Allmendinger Could Drive RPM Ford At Talladega

Richard Petty Motorsports’ Executive Director of Race Operations Robbie Loomis says the team could field a Ford Fusion before the end of the 2009 season.

Loomis told FoxSports.com’s Lee Spencer, “I don't want to talk about things that are pure speculation, but I don't think it would surprise anybody if we did.” A spokesperson for RPM told Sirius Speedway today that there are no plans to field a Ford before 2010, but off the record, sources inside RPM say that the team has already built at least one Ford Fusion, installing a Ford powerplant in an existing RPM chassis.


Initial plans were to have AJ Allmendinger debut the car at Kansas Speedway next week, but that timetable was pushed back when Roush-Fenway Racing's Jack Roush expressed reservations about the quick ramp-up. Now, tentative plans call for Allmendinger to drive a Richard Petty Motorsports Ford at Talladega Superspeedway on November 1, with additional outings possible -– though not certain –- at Texas, Phoenix and Homestead-Miami Speedways.

Calls to Richard Petty Motorsports seeking comment were not immediately returned.

Loomis also confirmed today that Reed Sorenson is not the first RPM driver to race for free, saying that Allmendinger also waived his paycheck for a time, in order to remain on the racetrack.

"AJ and all the employees at Richard Petty Motorsports made sacrifices in order to continue being a four-car team," he said. "When those guys stepped up, it really said a lot to me about the character of Reed Sorenson, AJ Allmendinger and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports.”

BUSTED: Newman Abuses The Godfather

In addition to visiting our wounded military men and women at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, Ryan "Rotten Egg" Newman took a few minutes off to bust the Godfather's stones in a Thursday phone interview. Thanks, Newman!

Johnson: NASCAR Erred In Withholding Loudon Yellow

Jimmie Johnson criticized NASCAR’s decision to delay throwing the caution flag when AJ Allmendinger spun on the final lap of Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The yellow flag did not fly until the leaders were between Turns 3 and 4, and Johnson said yesterday that an unsafe situation resulted. “It should have been called a little bit earlier," he said. "On the last lap, when you take into consideration how fired up everybody is to get back to the start-finish line…that bit of hesitation in all the drivers' minds leads to an unsafe situation."

NASCAR officials say they delayed the call hoping that Allmendinger would be able to refire his car and allow the race to end under the green flag.

No Appeal For JGR: Joe Gibbs Racing has responded to the penalties levied aganst them by NASCAR after the left-front corner of Kyle Busch’s car was found to be too low in post-race inspection Sunday.

A JGR press release said the infraction stemmed from a dislodged left front spring that required the team to make major adjustments to the car's suspension during the race. The team said it accepts the penalty, and will not appeal.

Testing Restraints Loosened: NASCAR has announced its 2010 testing policy for the Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck and Camping World East and West Series; once again prohibiting testing at tracks that host any of those series.

However, testing will be allowed next season at NASCAR-sanctioned tracks that host regional touring races, but not national series events. Based on this year's schedules, testing would no be allowed at Greenville-Pickens, Tri-County, South Boston, Thompson, Music City, Adirondack, Lime Rock, Thunder Hill, All American, Madera, Douglas County, Toyota/Irwindale, Portland, Miller Motorsports and Colorado National Speedways.

RPM Changes Engines: In the aftermath of a broken crankshaft in last Sunday’s race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Richard Petty Motorsports will use the R5 Dodge engine under the hood of Kasey Kahne’s Budwesier Dodge this weekend, rather than the newer R6 powerplant.

Kahne has been using the R6 for a number of weeks, but periodic issues with crankshafts have prompted them to resort to the older engine. RPM’s trackside engine supervisor, Bill Pink, said new, stronger crankshafts will be ready for next weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway.

Kahne was sidelined just 66 laps into Sunday’s race, finishing 38th. He now sits 12th in the championship standings, 161 points behind leader Mark Martin.

Commentary: Random Thoughts As We Begin The Chase

Richard Petty Motorsports is a team in turmoil.

Kasey Kahne admitted this week that he has no idea who is running the show there these days; a viewpoint that is shared by just about everyone inside the walls at RPM. Managing Director of Competition Mark McArdle is gone; fired last week after a heated verbal confrontation with team owner George Gillett. Employees of the team’s engine shop are jumping ship like fleas off a wet dog, anticipating layoffs that will soon add more than 60 names to the unemployment dole.

Was it bad karma when Kahne exited Sunday’s race with a blown engine after just 66 laps? Or something more ominous?

***

Carl Edwards’ broken right foot hurts much less than the performance of his Roush-Fenway Racing Fords these days. Jack Roush’s teams -– all five of them -- have lost a few mph off their fastball this season, and not even a savvy crewchief like Bob Osborne can manufacture enough Top-5 finishes to make Edwards a championship contender.

***

Crewchief Pat Tryson is leaving Penske Racing at the end of the season to take a position with Michael Waltrip Racing. As a result, he is no longer welcome in the Penske shop, or at the team’s weekday strategy meetings.

That’s no way to win a championship.

Tryson’s driver-for-now, Kurt Busch, had a strong start to the Chase in New Hampshire Sunday, but he’ll be hard-pressed to maintain that momentum. A house divided cannot stand.

***

Tryson went out of his way Saturday to tell reporters that his departure from the team is not the result of a poor relationship with Busch. That came as a surprise to those familiar with the pair's raceday radio communication; conversations that are often (how do we say this politely?) a bit strident.

***

Juan Pablo Montoya is 0-for-26 this season, and it’s going to take at least two Chase victories (probably three) for anyone to claim the title. Unless DEI-Ganassi rediscovers the way to Victory Lane, Montoya and company will not mount a serious challenge for the championship.

***

Jimmie Johnson says his team is stronger today than it’s ever been. If he’s right, I’m missing something.

The three-time and defending Sprint Cup Series champion seldom gets the credit he deserves, but he and the Lowe’s Chevrolet team do not appear to be the dominant force they were a year ago. Coming into the weekend, Jimmie’s average finish over the previous six races was a downright pedestrian 18.8; a far cry from the fifth-place average he posted in the 2008 Chase. He hasn’t won since Indianapolis Motor Speedway in late July, and to me, it looks like the genie has finally slipped out of Chad Knaus’ bottle, at least temporarily.

***

Tony Stewart’s bid to become the first championship owner/driver since Alan Kulwicki in 1992 has been nothing short of inspirational. But he’s still got a lot of work to do.

The flow of information and technology from Hendrick Motorsports will almost certainly ebb as we approach the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and while Stewart is second-to-none as a driver, he may find it impossible to beat Rick Hendrick with his own stick.

***

Sources within Hendrick Motorsports tell me that a combination of chiropractic therapy and stretching exercises has four-time Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon feeling better than he has in months. If his ailing lower back allows it -– and I’m thinking it might -– Wonder Boy will make a concerted run for title number five.

In the end, though, I see Gordon coming up just a few points short of 50-year young Mark Martin in the battle for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup. No team is more focused on the job at hand than Alan Gustafson and the #5 Kelloggs/Carquest Chevrolet bunch. They’ll get the best equipment and information Hendrick Motorsports has to offer, and Martin has the ability to offset a mediocre finish or two with multiple Chase victories.

Other teams have been hotter at times, and others have been more consistent. But Martin looks like a man of destiny, and I’m predicting that 2009 will finally be his year.