The race at Phoenix is just another chapter in what has seemed
to be a disasterous year to be a crew member for some
teams. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s crew is a firm example.  Every race
has seen Jr.'s chances of winning a race quickly evaporated by a
pit miscue. Everything from loose lugnuts to a shortened pit
sign have transpired. Loose lugnuts clearly being the problem,
Jr. has seen many mistakes by his team that would
personally have slayed me after the third straight race.  The
problem doesn't come with Jr.'s crew as much as it does by the
new rule mandating that the fifth lugnut must be placed farther
against the wheel than the other four. Why NASCAR made this rule
change I don't know but it will require Jr.'s crew hitting the
practice wheel a couple more times than usual if they want to
make a run at the championship.  It's never to late to correct
mistakes, for example, take Mark Martin winning at Phoenix.