FanHouse MarcosAmbrose

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s performance -- or lack thereof -- in 2009 has become a contentious debate, last weekend's Sprint Cup race at Bristol Motor Speedway lacked the pizazz we're used to at Bristol and a few drivers have struggled to put forth results that'll leave you scratching your head.

What, you ask yourself, does FanHouse's Holly Cain and Geoffrey Miller have to say on these issues?

Find out as FH's Wheel2Wheel takes a look at NASCAR's current stories and issues. Read on to see what we've got to say, and when you're done, tell us exactly how we're wrong. It'll be more fun than sneaking your family sedan on to Daytona's high banks for a late night joyride.

Well, almost.

Perhaps Jimmy Watts was just doing what he had always done as a firefighter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department on Sunday when he dashed across the unprotected frontstretch Atlanta Motor Speedway grass to retrieve an errant tire from his team's recently completed pit stop -- preventing a potentially harmful situation.

Regardless, the NASCAR gas man who helped bring out a caution that changed the complexion of the Kobalt Tools 500 and was suspended by NASCAR for the remainder of the event felt obligated Sunday evening to apologize for his actions.

So much for that business about Kyle Busch cooling down.

Instead, Busch showed that he was just ready to take on his newest title as the Sprint Cup's next great road course ace after winning Sunday's Centurion Boats at the Glen.

Now that was fun.

The only Australian driver in NASCAR -- the one and only Marcos Ambrose -- has finally taken the checkered flag after being oh-so-close for many Nationwide Series road course events in his brief NASCAR career.

The Sprint Cup Series needs to throw some shrimp on the barby, as Australian-native Marcos Ambrose will be movin' on up to NASCAR's top division for a full-time ride in 2009.

And yes, I promise I'm done with Australian generalizations.

Ambrose will make the move into Sprint Cup with JTG Daugherty Racing -- a partnership between Marcos' current Nationwide Series team (JTG) and ESPN analyst/former NBA player Brad Daugherty. The partnership will continue to field two Nationwide teams in addition to the newly-created Sprint Cup team.

I'm stoked to have Ambrose in the Sprint Cup series because the guy has pure talent. He's a two-time champion of Australia's V8 Supercar Series, and apparently did it in quite an impressive manner as he won in them in a Ford for the manufacturer's first titles in nearly 20 years. From what I gather, the guy is quite heralded in Australia -- nearly to the level of Dale Earnhardt Jr. here in the States.

Ambrose has one Sprint Cup start under his belt coming from last month's road course race at Infineon Raceway. He raced in the Top-5 for much of the race until transmission troubles knocked him to a 42nd-place finish. More importantly though, he didn't back down from on-track skirmishes and made a few folks mad at him -- something NASCAR needs more of.

It's a little too late for do-overs at the NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, but what if ...?

What if Marcos Ambrose hadn't spun Robby Gordon out under caution? What if NASCAR wouldn't have told Gordon to lineup at the head of the field, then said 2nd, then said, nah, go back further.

What if ESPN had actually captured the entire incident on camera so there was no disputing his position when the caution was thrown?

What if NASCAR had red-flagged the race and watched that footage to determine the right course of action? What if they did?

What if ESPN hadn't shown the viewers just enough to see that the caution flag was displayed when Ambrose plowed into Gordon, spinning him out, presumably to the 13th position. What if Gordon had maintained pace? What if NASCAR had disciplined Ambrose for agressive driving under caution? What if NASCAR had penalized both drivers for not observing the caution?

What if NASCAR was consistent when applying rules to all drivers who are spun out during a caution? or any rule for that matter?

68,000 folks showed up for the Busch Series race Saturday north of the border in Canada, and boy, did they get a show.

Hometown favorite Patrick Carpentier started on the pole and Daytona 500 champ Kevin Harvick won the event.

That, however, doesn't even begin to tell half the story that ended with three cars doing donuts after the race and two drivers feeling that they had won.

That other driver? Robby Gordon.

He decided to act a fool and could be suspended for Sunday's Cup race at Pocono for his actions, according to several rumors.