■ Rookie Scott Speed, the ex-Formula One driver, will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup debut today after missing the field at Charlotte.
But after Speed's problems at Toledo, he might be rather conservative today. Speed and Ricky Stenhouse were neck-and-neck going for the ARCA championship in the Toledo season finale last Sunday, and they both got carried away and crashed, and neither won the title.
In fact Speed got parked by ARCA officials for crashing Stenhouse, after Stenhouse earlier had pushed Speed into the outside wall.
■ NASCAR officials are saying they plan no significant changes to the current Sprint Cup cars next season, despite complaints from drivers and crews about ill-handling characteristics, which many say make it tough to pass.
But drivers seem a bit taken aback by that stance.
Jimmie Johnson, who struggled with this new car much of the season, particularly at the mid-sized tracks, says that NASCAR shouldn't be so quick to say no.
"A lot of us have ideas for changes we'd like to see them put in," he said. "As the season has gone on, we've all gotten smarter and ‘helped' the car. But there still are some things I feel should be looked at and considered."
Johnson says he is "hopeful that something would change, definitely."
Drivers are mindful of the chewing out they got in June from NASCAR president Mike Helton for their continued criticism of the new car.
Nevertheless Johnson says that if NASCAR would make some changes the racing could be better.
"I'm sure as you speak to other drivers and engineers there will be plenty of opinions," Johnson said. "But this car is so big, and punches such a large hole in the air, we need to get back some mechanical grip.
"The aero-grip is what it is, and we have much less (maybe half as much downforce as with the cars used on mid-sized tracks last year). And these cars are much more sensitive than the old cars.
"Now we can't go back to the old car. We'd just run teams right out of business.
"So we need to find ways to put mechanical grip back in the car.
"Allowing the front of the cars to travel further (by raising the front snowplow bumper) would lower the center-of-gravity and bring some more grip in the car. That would be one of the first moves I'd make."
In fact that is just what NASCAR is testing on its Nationwide version.
■ What is Jimmie Johnson's secret here at Martinsville Speedway?
"I've been able to take my time during the race," he said. "For the first 20 laps on tires, the field is very close. As the run goes on, tires give up … and there are more lines – more options out there to pass, than you would think.
"A lot of guys aren't creative enough to look.
"So after 20 or 30 laps I get into a rhythm, I can go to different parts of the track, where guys aren't running, and get position on them.
"I worry the most about those first 20, after a restart.
"Once we get into the middle of the run, I feel very comfortable.
"But this race is usually finished under a green-white-checkered, or some short sprint. And I've felt vulnerable about that."
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