Wheel2Wheel: Saturday Night's All Right, Helio's Impact & Phoenix Favorites

Jump in as FH's Holly Cain & Geoffrey Miller go Wheel2Wheel on a variety of racing topics.

Is Saturday night racing good for NASCAR?

Holly Cain: It is a valid concern that Saturday night NASCAR Sprint Cup racing hurts ticket sales at local short tracks, NASCAR's grassroots. But it's a not an argument the short tracks will win. Going night racing is one of the best moves NASCAR has ever made and I think there should be more races under the lights.

The whole series shines both figuratively and literally - the cars flash around the tracks, the drivers and fans dig the atmosphere and typically the shows are great primetime TV with the kind of excitement that helps NASCAR continue to win over new fans.

Geoffrey Miller: There's something inherently beautiful about watching the Sprint Cup cars and stars under the lights on Saturday night. Sparks fly, the cars look better and Sunday afternoons are left open for everything you were hoping to get done around the house over the weekend. Plus, its easier on the crews and the fans in the stands because Sunday turns into a travel and rest day before hitting the grind again on Monday.

But the best part of Saturday night racing is simply the extra time it affords to all involved in a case of rain. Just look at the Richmond event last fall -- the Sunday crowd after the Saturday night rainout was huge.

What would a guilty verdict for Helio Castroneves do to the IndyCar Series?

HC: The IndyCar Series may insist it's still a great show without Helio in the field and the competitors will promise you, the racing won't lose a beat without. Neither is true.

Helio provided IndyCar something it badly needed: a driver with both skill and personality - the latter something this series is seriously lacking without him. It has talented drivers - Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti - but none that engage the grandstands and television audience as Castroneves can. Danica Patrick, Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal bring the series name recognition and pedigree, but haven't proven themselves consistent championship contenders yet.

If he is acquitted - the jury has reached a partial, undisclosed verdict - I can only imagine what an ultra- motivated Castroneves will accomplish for the remainder of the season. If he is found guilty, IndyCar will have a real void. I know drivers are hired to win races, not win popularity contests. However, while people watch racing for the sport and the technology, they cheer for the driver. And they liked to cheer for Helio.

GM: Look at it this way -- Helio was the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 two years in a row since Al Unser did it in 1970-71. He's the original Spiderman catchfence climber (long before Tony Stewart was doing it) and won the hearts of millions of adoring crossover fans during his run to a 'Dancing With the Stars' crown.

And, oh yeah, he's still vying to win his first IndyCar championship after several close calls and a near-upset of Scott Dixon a year ago. Don't try to argue with his popularity impact on open-wheel racing.

Needless to say, Helio is to IndyCar what Danica Patrick aspires to be -- a character with a track record of multiple wins -- and a loss of him to the sport could be a pretty detrimental blow.

Who's going to win Saturday night in Phoenix?

GM: Obviously it's a little tough to make a complete prediction without so much as a single Sprint Cup having turned a lap around Phoenix International, but that won't keep us media types from trying to be know-it-alls.

My choice? Well, I talked about him a little bit in my post the other day discussing the recent Hendrick Motorsports domination of all things central Arizona. Sure, some might see guys like Tony Stewart or teams like Roush Fenway making a spirited run to victory lane on Saturday night, but to me, such a spirited run couldn't be more needed for my favorite: Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Think about it: he's had a rotten start to 2009, the pressure cooker is nearing inferno and last season's outings at PIR were some of his most successful races. Plus, he's a former winner at the 1-miler. I'm saying we can chalk up a big favorite to the pride of good ol' Kannapolis, N.C. -- Mr. Earnhardt Jr.

HC: Depending on how you read the odds, Jimmie Johnson going for a fifth straight win at Phoenix either makes him a overwhelming favorite or means surely, his time has to be up.

While it wouldn't surprise me to see Johnson win and really start to put the pressure on his teammate Jeff Gordon in the championship, I'm thinking we'll see a new winner for 2009. Tony Stewart won here in his rookie year and this could be where he gets his first victory as a team owner. Don't count out Roush teammates Carl Edwards (six top-10s in eight Phoenix starts) or Greg Biffle, who's led a lot of laps at Phoenix but hasn' won in a Cup car yet.