The Spotter Stand – NASCAR News | NASCAR Notes | NASCAR Blog

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson and the entire Lowe’s Chevrolet team on their win at Phoenix. After a week that saw their miserable day at Texas replayed a thousand times over, it had to be satisfying to go out and dominate in the desert. Johnson’s win was not only his 7th of the season, it all but locked up this year’s championship. Johnson heads to Homestead-Miami with a comfortable 108 point lead needing only a 25th place finish or better to secure his 4th championship in a row. Johnson’s incredible run is perhaps the best ever seen in the history of racing let alone NASCAR. Johnson has reached a level of success we may never see again in our lifetime. Johnson is starting to find himself among the elite in the sport. If this keeps up we might be calling him the greatest of all time, not just four-time champion.

Is it me, or did the double-file restarts wreak havoc yesterday? Listening to the drivers I got the impression things got a little too dicey during yesterday’s action. Brian Vickers mentioned to Jamie Little that track position and tire wear had become so critical that guys were a little too aggressive on restarts. Is this something we need to expect from here on out? I understand it’s a part of the sport, but I get the vibe the drivers have grown tired of the double-file restarts. What do you think? Personally, I like the double-file restarts and all it brings to the sport, but I am not good with the fact that it could hurt a drivers’ day more so than help it.

According to advertisements, billboards and promotional materials the upcoming race weekend at Homestead-Miami is “Ford Championship Weekend.” Sadly, only one of the three championships is realistically up for grabs this weekend; and even that championship is all but clinched. Has the time come to change things in regards to all three series? I think so. I think I speak for most when I say the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series need to implement a Chase format of their own. Seeing guys clinch a championship two or three races out is becoming more and more prominent especially in the Nationwide series. A chase format or playoff style format would do wonders for both series.

As for the Cup series, I don’t think changes are needed to the Chase format itself just change the races in the Chase. Does the Chase really need tracks such as Kansas, Fontana and Loudon? Negative. Scrap the boring, clean air sensitive, over engineered tracks and replace them with the best short tracks on the circuit. Give me Bristol, Darlington and Richmond not Loudon, Kansas and California. No offense to those tracks, but they aren’t exactly the right fit for the Chase. How does this schedule sound?

• Richmond
• Dover
• Charlotte
• Bristol
• Darlington
• Martinsville
• Texas
• Phoenix
• Talladega
• Homestead

What do you think? I know it’s a stretch and I realize a lot would have to take place for this to even be considered, but something has to be done to bring the competition closer when it comes to the championship. Keep the Chase format, just make the drivers earn a championship not the engineers.

Well it appears Danica Patrick’s move to NASCAR may have hit a snag. I read on Twitter yesterday that Honda and Firestone may have serious issue with her running in a Chevy, Ford or Toyota. And Firestone isn’t exactly thrilled with the Goodyear side of things either. I also read where Rick Hendrick stated that a deal was never in place from the get-go. Talks had taken place, but nothing had been agreed upon. FoxSports.com and USAToday.com are reporting that sponsorship, or the lack thereof, is holding up talks. Apparently GoDaddy’s move to Mark Martin’s Cup car is the culprit. Even though Patrick has ties to GoDaddy, it appears they won’t be able to sponsor both her and Martin. Patrick’s ties to Motorola, Tissot and Boost Mobile could help make a move to JRM/Hendrick a reality, but according to Dale Earnhardt Jr. a lot would have to come together for her to drive for him next season. Looks like “Danica Mania” may be on hold….at least for now.

I’m sure by now you’ve heard or read about the comments Tony Stewart made towards Dale Earnhardt Jr. during yesterday’s race at Phoenix. Stewart allegedly called Junior a “no talent SOB” after Junior spun causing a 8-car pile up that collected Stewart on lap 169. The comments were apparently caught by ESPN/ABC audio and quickly made the rounds on the message boards and Twitter. For the longest time the comments circulated as nothing more than a rumor. But once confirmation came from those listening to the scanners, those watching DirectTV HotPass, and even by Jim Utter via Twitter you can imagine how quickly it lit up the message boards and began to rub people the wrong way.

Look, we all know things are said on team radios during a race that would be considered offensive and make most people blush. I think what rubbed Junior Nation the wrong way was the fact that Stewart even made the comments at all. Stewart and Earnhardt supposedly have a friendship that goes back a long way so to hear him call Junior a “no talent” let alone a “no talent SOB” hit people the wrong way. Personally I’ve heard worse on the scanner, but since there wasn’t much else to talk about yesterday I guess it took on a life of its own. What’s funny about the whole thing is that talent apparently had nothing to do with it. According to the 88 camp Earnhardt’s spin was caused by a severed oil line leaking oil on the tires. Only in NASCAR would you find stories like this.

Enough of what I think….what’s on your mind? What are your thoughts as the NASCAR carnival departs the Grand Canyon State for the sunny, warm, picture perfect confines of Miami, Florida? Will you watch championship weekend? Or find something better to do? Whatever the case may be, we want to hear from you! Now that smoke has cleared from Jimmie Johnson’s burnout in the desert, it’s time to hear from you in this week’s edition of Smoke Screen.

For more NASCAR news and notes visit www.thespotterstand.com.