ESPN Sprint Cup

Just took my 94-year-old grandmother out for her birthday, and learned more in six hours than I typically learn in six weeks. Greatest generation, indeed.

Marty,

My expectations for my favorite driver are probably too high, but what the hell is up with Jeff Gordon? He finished good on Sunday at Infineon, but his car wasn't as good as it usually is there. I was there, and I watched him all day and listened to him complain about it.

His cars haven't been as good all year long. What's wrong with my guy? Are they going to be able to pick it up? Should I be excited by Sunday, or should I be concerned?

-- George Robbins from NoCal

No doubt you heard Gordon complaining, George. And that's being kind. He was livid. As he so eloquently put it Sunday evening, he "threw many f-bombs out there" as his car began to fade, hoping to somehow convey the frustration to crew chief Stevie Letarte.

He even pondered aloud whether the 24 was the worst car on the track -- at Sonoma. That's like Tiger Woods wondering if he's the worst golfer at Augusta.

This was supposed to be the weekend Gordon came out and made a statement, stopped the bleeding. I said he would. Most people who think they know what they're talking about did. And he had a fine finish, but he was exasperated in achieving it.

It's certainly been a subpar year for Gordon, a roller coaster that has featured near-misses and complete meltdowns. But hell, he's sixth in points. He's solidly in the Chase. Problem is, this time last year he was the points leader with four wins.

And he's Jeff Gordon. He expects more, his team expects more and his fans most certainly expect more. Four titles and 81 wins have a way of doing that to a man.

Gordon's expectations have no ceiling. The expectations say he should win every third or fourth race and be in contention when the rag drops in Miami every single year.

But right now the 24 team just isn't that good.

They're not as good as Kyle Busch or Carl Edwards or Kasey Kahne. They're not out there leading laps and passing cars. But they're managing decent finishes. The pit crew is impeccable. That could signal a late-season surge.

But to do that, the cars must improve. It's really that elementary. The last time Gordon felt like he had a race-winning car was in April at Martinsville.

"Other than California Speedway at the beginning of the year and Martinsville, I feel like we have not been very close; yet you look at where we are in the points, and it shows what kind of team we are," Gordon said. "So you know, frustrated with that, and we've got some work to do."

If I were a betting man -- and for the record, I detest betting -- I'd say look for Gordon to make the Chase easily. From there it's anybody's ballgame.

Door-To-Door with Marty Smith
Do you have a question for ESPN NASCAR analyst Marty Smith? Go to Smith's SportsNation page to submit your question or comment for Marty, and check back for his Friday column in which he will provide the answers! Ask Marty

Hey Marty!

So, on Sunday, the commentators mentioned that Casey Mears may be getting the boot at Hendrick. Too bad, too, 'cause I like Casey. But of course, this opens up a debate as to who would replace him. I jokingly said to my husband that maybe Tony Stewart would go to Hendrick.

Well, my husband (a big Jeff Gordon fan and equally big Tony hater) didn't think that was too funny. He said it would never happen, anyway. Well, who would have thought Junior would go to Hendrick? What are your thoughts?

-- Chandra, Papillion, Neb.

Stewart won't be at Hendrick, Chandra. I still believe he'll move to Haas and become part-owner.

As for Mears, sources tell me he won't be driving the No. 5 in 2009. Mark Martin will. Multiple sources close to the situation confirm that Martin will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. and replace Mears in the No. 5 at Hendrick next year.

The question is how many races will Martin run? Will he return for another full slate, or will be split the ride with a young driver, as he has the No. 8 with Aric Almirola at DEI?

More on Stewart ...

Hey Marty!

I am hearing maybe Dale Jr. will be starting a new Sprint Cup Series team and drop the Nationwide team he has. If this is the case, do you think maybe Tony Stewart would jump ship and drive for Dale Jr.? Wouldn't that be great!

-- Josh S., Homosassa, Fla.

It's feasible that Junior could push JR Motorsports to Cup, due largely to the inability to justify cost in Nationwide. A man can't dump but so much of his own cash into a race team before going another direction, and Earnhardt dumps millions of his own dollars back into JRM every year just to break even.

And now, with NASCAR eyeing the possibility of inserting a Car of Tomorrow-style machine into the Nationwide Series, several teams are struggling to justify the expense. Including JRM.

Here's a question: Why doesn't NASCAR foot part of that bill? They need to. It's their decision to completely change the race cars, thereby rendering the teams' current inventories obsolete. That's not good for the sport.

As for Stewart driving a JR Motorsports Cup car in 2009? Um. No.

Marty,

Has there been any more talk of a major NASCAR track in the Northwest? I know, because of the mentality of people up here, it's an uphill battle. But NASCAR has a long history in the NW and a larger fan base than most would think.

There is an abundance of locations that would draw from not only Seattle, but Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C. Yes, weather is a factor. But mid to late summer here is like any other location. If IRL and NHRA make it work, why not NASCAR?

-- Mike, Anacortes, Wash.

There is still interest, Mike. I spoke with Grant Lynch from International Speedway Corp., and he tells me the Seattle Supersonics ran into the same resistance from the same people who blocked ISC in Olympia, Wash. Lynch still feels like ISC had the requisite votes to pass the bill but couldn't get it to the floor.

"With times being as tough as it is at all our facilities, we are not spending a lot of time on new ones," Lynch said.

Marty,

While watching last Sunday's race at Infineon I noticed that the race was 110 laps on a 1.99-mile course. Using my math skills this results in a race that is 218.9 miles long. Can you explain to me why it was called the "Toyota / Save Mart 350" and not the "Toyota / Save Mart 220"?

-- Jeff Ward, Boise, Idaho

Race distances on road courses are measured in kilometers, Jeff. It's 350 kilometers at Sonoma.

I actually had to do the math. My buddy and me and a few beers managed that math. Somehow.

That's my time. Budweiser and the College World Series beckon.

Marty Smith is a contributor to ESPN's NASCAR coverage. He can be reached at ESPNsider@aol.com.