Rain still a threat for Coca-Cola 600

Threats of thunderstorms and rain showers will be the biggest obstacle for today’s rain-delayed NASCAR Sprint Cup race. (The first delay came on lap 75). It was washed out Sunday for the first time in the 50-year history of the race.

Cars could not be touched after Saturday’s final practice. That means set-ups intended for a 600-mile race scheduled to start in daylight and that would have finished at night became a daytime race. And on a track that had most of the rubber build-up washed off.

If they get it in it should be a wild one.

Junior needs classes

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports team have had a lot of problems this year, including a few times when he missed his pit box.

Early in Monday’s race he came to pit road and his crew was waving flags and signs to make sure he knew where to stop.

I think he has vision problems and needs glasses.

I’m serious.

Riggs out of Baldwin’s car after 600

Scott Riggs will drive in his last Cup race Monday for the rookie Tommy Baldwin Racing team. Mike Skinner will replace him for all but seven races; Patrick Carpentier will race in five and Brian Simo will handle the two road course races.

Truex to replace Waltrip?

Reports over the weekend have Martin Truex Jr. joining Michael Waltrip Racing next year and possibly replacing Waltrip in the No. 55 Toyota.

For more details, visit MikeMulhern.net.

The biggest lesson NASCAR can learn from Indy 500

The IndyCar Series’ use of split-screen is why it is light years ahead of NASCAR in many respects.

Most national advertisers allowed part of TV screens to show racing while its commercials ran. I didn’t switch channels and watched the commercials.

The IRL already beat NASCAR in developing energy absorbing guardwalls, using traveling safety and medical teams, and having three women in the starting field Sunday.

More thoughts on Indy

Indy drivers are much prettier than those in NASCAR ... and I’m talking about the boys. ...

So much for my pick of Scott Dixon to win. He finished sixth. ...

The victory by Helio Castroneves didn’t seem possible considering he had been out of racing for the first four months of the year while fighting federal tax evasion charges.

His third Indy 500 victory wasn’t his biggest in the past month. He was acquitted of all charges, and that was a lot more important to him than winning the race.

The win showed his talent and the excellence of his Penske Racing team. It is the 15th 500 title for Penske. ...

A great effort by Danica Patrick, who finished third. She remained under control throughout.

Castroneves will get the IndyCar Series tons of media exposure for his unique bars-to-cars story. But a win by Patrick would have garnered even more. ...

The Firestone tire apparently hasn’t mated well with this year’s IndyCar chassis, the reason given for a one-groove track that produced very little passing. ...

It was great to have Jim Nabors back to sing “Back Home in Indiana” after he missed last year’s race with health issues. ...

But it was sad that the late Paul Newman wasn’t there for the first time in many years.

Bus race leaves 11 hurt in Columbus

A pair of full-size school buses crashed through a concrete guardwall Saturday night at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway that injured 11, including three critically.

Dispatch.com reports the crash occurred during the Crash-A-Rama on the short-track that featured figure-eight races. See the crash at wbns10tv.com.