Rick Minter's OBSERVATIONS

Testing mandate to ease economic woes

HELTON To help its financially struggling race teams, NASCAR has suspended testing in 2009 for its Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World (now Craftsman) Truck, Camping World East and West Regional series at tracks that host any of those events.

That means Cup teams can't spend weekdays at places like Kentucky Speedway or Nashville Superspeedway as they have in recent seasons. Those were the preferred test tracks because NASCAR didn't allow private testing at tracks where the Cup Series raced.

Now testing is limited to places like Rockingham Speedway, which also has a Martinsville-like short track, because that facility no longer hosts NASCAR races. Also gone are the preseason tests at Daytona International Speedway and the full-field test sessions at other designated tracks.

NASCAR President Mike Helton said in announcing the change that the move should save the industry millions of dollars. Many in the sport applauded the decision, but Jimmie Johnson told reporters that he wasn't among them.

"I think it's a mistake," he said. "I think the teams need a chance to work on their cars to improve their programs, to put on a better show."

He suggested allowing teams to run data-acquisition equipment on Fridays at each track to allow teams to better tune their cars.

And he said that even in tough economic times, most teams will find some way to test.

"We cannot sit still, and we won't," he said.

Bad economy leads to layoffs

The economic squeeze is expected to result in the layoffs of up to 1,000 people in the NASCAR industry, which put a damper on the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

One big shoe dropped last week with the announcement of a merger between Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Chip Ganassi Racing, a move that is expected to put as many as 130 people out of work.

No teams appear to be immune. Even the Nationwide team owned by the sport's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., is shedding about 20. Bill Davis Racing has slashed its payroll, and even the powerful Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing teams have reduced staffs.

Some cuts could come in the executive offices, especially where mergers are involved. The new Earnhardt-Ganassi team seems to have an excess of bosses now. At Ganassi, there are John Fernandez, Steve Hmiel and Tony Glover, among others, and at DEI, Max Siegle, John Story and Richie Gilmore are at the top, in addition to the two car owners, Chip Ganassi and Teresa Earnhardt.

The turmoil does seem to be making it somewhat easier for Tony Stewart to hire new crew members to prepare the cars he and Ryan Newman will race next year. There are lots of talented people looking for jobs these days.

"It's kind of like going to a buffet," Stewart said.

Big points race at the back of the pack

In the Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead, there was almost as much points drama at the back of the pack as at the front. While Jimmie Johnson had a comfortable points lead from start to finish, the battle for the final spot in the top 35 in car-owner points was a nail-biter. That's the final position in which the team will be guaranteed a starting spot for the first five races of 2009.

Team Red Bull's No. 84 Toyota team wound up with the 35th spot, when Marcos Ambrose in the No. 47 Ford popped the wall, lost laps, finished 42nd and dropped to 36th.

In an effort to grab the final car-owner spot, Red Bull switched drivers at Homestead, putting veteran Brian Vickers in that car and rookie Scott Speed in Vickers' No. 83. The effort might have been wasted. Speed started on the outside pole and finished 16th, while Vickers finished 32nd.

Also making the cut were the No. 7 of Robby Gordon and the No. 41 at Ganassi, which is vacant now that Reed Sorenson is leaving to drive Gillett Evernham's No. 10, which is outside the top 35. Also without guaranteed starting spots are the No. 77 at Penske Racing, the No. 96 of Hall of Fame Racing, the Wood Brothers' No. 31 and Petty Enterprises' No. 45.