Friday, June 2 If you are in a Pontiac right now, there is a feeling that you are racing uphill because of its aerodynamic disadvantage. But here is what's happened to the Pontiac, it built the better mouse trap a few years ago. Now they may have had some help getting the job done, but when the job was done, they had the best mouse trap. What happens next? You and I try to build a better mouse trap. And that's exactly what has happened. It's a constant game of leapfrog: I build something, you build something better than me, now my job is to come back and out-do you. And if I don't try to build something better, I'm not doing my job. Of course the manufactures have to following the guidelines determined by NASCAR. But what the Pontiacs want more than anything else right now is help in getting more rear downforce. Pontiac knows it's way off on the aerodynamic numbers because there are Pontiac teams switching to Dodge next year, and there is a Ford team switching to Dodge next year. So, obviously they've compared wind tunnel numbers in their battle to build the best mouse trap for 2001. But here is one problem NASCAR faces if they do want to help Pontiac. Pontiacs are first and second in points. That's like the smart kid in school who always wrecked the curve for dummies like me. There was a similar situation a few years ago with the Chevy teams were screaming for help. The only problem was Jeff Gordon was driving a Chevy and winning every other weekend. But the 18, 22 and 20 team for that matter, are three of the most talent teams in the garage. You can't penalize them for being good. If the numbers are off, you have to find a way to balance that very fragile aerodynamic issue.

The Monster Mile begins a rugged five-race stretch that ends July 1 with the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Between Sunday and that Saturday night in Florida, look for a driver to assert himself as the driver to beat in the Winston Cup championship.