I'm not saying there won't be caution flags. But many of them will be based on the intensity of the racing right now and will not be a result of the track surface.

I think the biggie is still to come, ... That's the heating bill. In December, people will get fuel bills for November. That will hit race fans harder in January and February. We've got to be prepared for that.

I don't think the track will be in the form it currently is the next time we race here (in May). I'm satisfied with what we have for Saturday night, but we'll make some changes before the teams come back next year.

[He predicts that fans will return regardless, a projection based on experience with the first gas crisis 30 years ago, wars and recessions.] People will take just so much black and white in this world, ... After a while, they want some Technicolor. If they have to chop something else out, they will. If they want to go to the races, they will.

On the other hand, it let Tony Stewart move into new prominence and establish his name. He has probably picked up more popularity this year than any driver that we've had in a long time. He's at the point right now where he's knocking on the door that had been reserved for Earnhardt Jr. and Gordon. I've followed Stewart since he was 18 years old, through his success at Indy, and he has a lot of appeal to women.

Since the price of gas is on everyone's mind, let's compare how the price of gas and the prize money for he UAW-GM have changed since the first race in 1960,