NASCAR mailbag: How long should Jeff Gordon continue substituting for Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

Between Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s continued recovery from a concussion, Jeff Gordon’s unexpected comeback and Chris Buescher’s surprising victory on Monday that carry significant championship implications, the weekly NASCAR mailbag wasn’t lacking submissions.

Mailbag questions can be submitted by emailing jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

At what point does Dale Jr. just decide to sit out the rest of this year and focus on returning next year? He’s not going to make the Chase, so there isn’t really anything to be gained from coming back.

--T.J.

Even if Earnhardt doesn’t have a shot at the championship, there is plenty of incentive for him to come back immediately once he’s medically cleared.

First, there are commitments to Hendrick Motorsports and respective sponsors. Earnhardt values these relationships immensely. You can hear it in his voice during his weekly updates on his podcast just how much it pains him to not be able to fulfill his duties.

Secondly, by returning for however many races Earnhardt can use the remainder of the season to strengthen his communication with crew chief Greg Ives, an area of weakness that’s hindered the No. 88 and something Earnhardt has said several times needs to improve. Develop that rapport now so when 2017 rolls around and the results start mattering again, it’s a nonissue.

As for the idea of Earnhardt sitting out the balance of the season to lessen the chance of another head injury, well, that possibility will still be there in 2017 or whenever he returns to the track. If the concern of another concussion is that great, then the question becomes whether he should return at all. That’s something only Earnhardt can answer.

Sure, it’s only two races, but Jeff Gordon hasn’t done much subbing for Dale Jr. and considering he doesn’t seem all that thrilled to be back driving again, do you think he’ll stay in the car even if Dale Jr. is out for a while? At least Alex Bowman seemed excited about the chance and actually had the 88 car in the top 10 before crashing.

--Danny

Okay, then. Someone who believes a four-time series champ and an all-time great should essentially be benched because he seemingly doesn’t smile enough.

But despite that perception, Gordon has said repeatedly he’s happy to step into the breach Earnhardt’s absence created. He wants to do right by team owner and good friend Rick Hendrick, who when it became known Earnhardt would be sidelined quickly reached out to Gordon inquiring about his availability. And considering Gordon was coming off a season where he nearly won the championship, only recently retired and has strong ties to the organization, it was a smart move by Hendrick.

Regarding Gordon’s performance, look beyond the box score. Hendrick Motorsports has been struggling -- its last victory occurred in March and recently went three consecutive races without any of its four teams finishing in the top 10 -- so Gordon finishing 13th at Indianapolis and 27th at Pocono (where his seat belt came apart midrace) isn’t entirely reflective of how he’s done overall.

During this company-wide slump, Gordon provides the team with an outsider’s viewpoint of what’s working and what’s not. Bowman simply doesn’t have the experience to help the organization overcome its shortcomings like Gordon can, even if the results don’t materialize.

Seeing that NASCAR is going to later start times next season, won’t that mean the chance of more rain-delayed races like Monday?

--Nick

Taking into account that several tracks don’t have the capabilities to host night races, NASCAR’s decision -- with heavy prodding from its broadcast partners -- to adapt later start times could absolutely result in more postponements simply because there isn’t enough daylight to dry the track and run a race even to halfway to make it official.

That’s occurred twice this summer at Pocono. Even with the use of Air Titans, the 2.5-mile track takes approximately three hours to dry, which made getting the race in on Sunday difficult when the green flag was set for 1 p.m. ET. Now, with its pair of 2017 races pushed back two hours, that doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room should Mother Nature decide to wreak havoc.

And if you’re wondering why Pocono, Dover, Martinsville, Indianapolis and New Hampshire don’t just add lights, the cost to install (upwards of $20 million) them makes it impractical.

Beyond the increased chance of more rain-delayed races, later start times could also adversely impact attendance and television ratings. Fans who need to return to work on Monday morning will now have less time to do so, and while an additional hour or two shouldn’t be a significant deterrent, it is yet another hurdle.

As for the ratings side of things, wanting a Sprint Cup race to bleed into prime time makes absolute sense, as that is when the most eyeballs are watching. NASCAR needs to capture new fans and grow the sport, and getting races on prime time is an ideal way to do just that. Conversely, eight of 10 Chase races next year start roughly in the middle of the Sunday 1 o’clock NFL games; a losing proposition for NASCAR, which should be looking to move away from direct competition with the NFL.

How can Chris Buescher win a race and still not be in the Chase? I thought NASCAR set it up so winning was everything and that if a driver won they were automatically in? You know, the whole win-and-you’re-in concept.

--Kelly

When NASCAR completely revamped the formula to earn playoff eligibility, officials were always careful to say that a regular season victory didn’t guarantee a chance to win a championship. Barring a driver receiving a waiver to miss races -- like Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart and others received -- a participant also must finish 30th or better in points. This was devised to ensure the stars compete weekly and don’t cherry-pick events similar to golfers.

The confusion about whether a driver wins a race and automatically joins the Chase is partly due to the points threshold for Chase participation being so low that the vast majority of race winners aren’t going to have difficulty fulfilling the requirement. So when a Brad Keselowski or Kevin Harvick do win their first regular season race, they’re essentially locking themselves into the Chase due to the minuscule chance they slip down that far in the standings.

Of course, Buescher is the exception to the above principle. As a rookie with a smaller team that struggles competitively, he’s lacked consistency. This is why he’s currently ranked 31st, six points short of the cutoff. But he also has five more races to erase the deficit, and should qualify for the Chase barring a string of back-of-the-pack finishes.