Kevin, Bacon City, Texas

Hard times are acomin' so how bad could it get in NASCAR. Are we looking at less than full fields in 2009?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:31 PM)

I've been around the sport for a long time. I've seen 36 or 30 car field. We will have short fields at some events, but I think we'll be sending a couple of guys home every week.

Regan, Homestead

Who is the best driver without a secure ride for next season?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:33 PM)

Scott Riggs is a good one. AJ Allmendiger has shown some potential. They're probably the two on the top of the list that I would pick.

Buzz (Pompano Beach, Fla.)

Three reasons I should get opff my couch and make it to Homestead this weekend?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:34 PM)

Truck Race, Nationwide Race, Two champions coming down to the line, and one can never tell what's going to happen. Plus the smell-you can't go anywhere without smelling the cars going around the racetrack. The only thing that would be better would be if they were burning alcohol.

Peter (Chicago)

Is Johnson always winning good for NASCAR?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:35 PM)

It's good for Hendrick Motorsports. When everyone has the same rulebook, and you get beat by a team that performs better than your team, well, nobody likes a winner, but Petty and Senior won an awful lot back in the day. It is good in a lot of ways, but in some ways, it isn't.

Jeff (Denver)

You're a safety guy, how much safer can this sport get? What would be the next move?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:36 PM)

It is an ongoing project, to keep safety on the forefront. We have to look at racetracks for the runoff that can happen, the cars at the Cup level (letting that trickle down to the short tracks). The next innovation would probably be a better capsule for short track drivers.

Jack (Black Canyon, Colo.)

Everybody's talking about ways to fix the Chase. What would you do?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:37 PM)

I heard a theory from Bill Weber where they would have their own points system, so there would be five guys going into this weekend with a shot at the championship. That sounded intriguing to me.

Howard, Bristow

question for Randy... is JPM always crashing a sign that he is too aggressive or just not good enough?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:37 PM)

You could probably say both. He's very talented, but also very reckless.

Kim (Corpus Christi, Texas)

So, big fan of the Labonte brothers. What are the chances Bobby gets back to victory lane in 2009?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:38 PM)

You hate to say it, but slim. When you look at who hasn't made it this year, between Stewart, Kenseth, Harvick, Gordon--that race team is not in the elite tree right now.

Wanda (Fort Worth)

Give me odds that Carl Edwards can still won this thing? 1 in 1,000?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:39 PM)

It's still possible. If Jimmie has trouble like Gordon had this week, and finishes behind 36th, and Carl wins it...it could be done, but it's unlikely.

Ray (Cheyenne, Wyo.)

What's more impressive, three-peating as Cup champion or three-peating as crew chief? Why?

Randy LaJoie

  (1:40 PM)

They both go together! I don't think you could have one without the other. That team, much like Evernham-Gordon, Richard Petty and his family, etc.---they go together. It's difficult enough to win one, let alone three in a row.

Clay (Sin City)

Chevy won another Manufacturers title in 2008. Is it Toyota's to lose in 2009? They already have the Trucks and Nationwide titles sewn up

Randy LaJoie

  (1:41 PM)

Nationwide is not sewn up yet, but they have to get a team to produce wins in the Chase. They haven't done that yet. Just being the Gibbs organization was in the Chase this year, they have to get their odds a whole lot better.

Randy LaJoie

  (1:41 PM)

Thanks everyone!