Rick Minter's OBSERVATIONS Key story lines this week in NASCAR.

ROUSH There are ways for teams to get around the testing ban. Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, which has the old one-mile oval and a Martinsville-like short track, is available for testing because it does not host NASCAR races. The same is true for oval tracks like Pikes Peak (Colo.) International Raceway, North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway and Texas World Speedway, as well as road courses like Road Atlanta and Virginia International Raceway. And teams could build test tracks.

Team owner Jack Roush told reporters recently that he'd rather not get in the business of circumventing the intent of the rules, which were imposed in an effort to help teams save money.

"I have neither the money nor the inclination to build a test track ... and I don't have any intention to try to get around their test rules," Roush said. "If we could organize a situation where all the established teams would hold hands and resolve not to test outside of the NASCAR mandated or approved testing, not go to the skid pads, not go to Canada, not to go to Pikes Peak or any of the places they're checking on, I'd be happier with that than to skirt around."

But if other teams do, he'll have to follow suit or fall behind.

"If everybody else does it, we may have to do it, too," he said. "But that's certainly not in the spirit of trying to save the teams money and trying to operate in these severe economic circumstances."

TV ratings offer mixed tale

Numbers usually tell the story, and this year's TV ratings for NASCAR races tell an interesting tale.

Ratings for Sprint Cup races were about the same as last year, even as the numbers lagged for some of the later Chase races, including the finale at Homestead, which drew a 4.0, down from last year's 4.2, according to a Street and Smith's report.

But the networks that broadcast the other two major NASCAR circuits are boasting about improved ratings and viewership, even though the audiences are far smaller than those for Cup races.

ESPN2, which broadcasts Nationwide Series races, announced last week that the No. 2 circuit's season finale at Homestead drew a 1.6, an increase of 33 percent from last year's 1.2.

Overall, the 23 Nationwide Series races in 2008 averaged a 1.5 rating, a seven percent increase from last year's 1.4. ESPN2 reports that the Nationwide races are its most watched broadcasts.

Speed, which covers the Craftsman — soon to be called Camping World — Truck Series, reported that the truck finale at Homestead had a rating of .96, up 146 percent from last year's .39.

For the season, 19 of 22 truck broadcasts drew a bigger audience than last year with double-digit percentage increases on 15 occasions.

Big names could exit NASCAR

For years, the faces in the NASCAR garage have continuously changed, but there may be some extraordinary differences next year. The news already is beginning to get out.

Ray Evernham, one of the brightest minds in the business and a former crew chief for Jeff Gordon and former owner of Evernham Motorsports, is on the verge of going into the dirttrack racing business. The Lincoln [N.C.] Times- News reports that Evernham is planning to purchase the East Lincoln Speedway and plans to retire from NASCAR.

Evernham already has sold most of his race team to the Gillett family, which owns the Montreal Canadiens.

Furniture Row Racing is cutting back to a limited schedule next year and therefore has had to buy out the contract of driver Joe Nemechek.

"This buyout of Joe's contract has nothing to do with his on-track performance," team president Joe Garone said in a statement. "But our contract with Joe for 2009 was for a full schedule, and we're not able to fulfill that part of the deal."

Chad McCumbee told reporters at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway last weekend that he may not be a full-time driver for Petty Enterprises next year because of a lack of sponsorship. The team already has essentially released Kyle Petty. And veteran crew chief Todd Parrott appears to be out at the No. 28 Yates Racing team.