Michigan Saturday Notebook

– Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were the class of the field, but an ill-handling car after a late Stewart pit stop assured all but handed the Nationwide Series win to Edwards. Second place went to Brian Vickers, followed by Tony Stewart. This is the last Nationwide Series race for Stewart for Joe Gibbs racing. Carl Edwards should remember, however, to remove the helmet and HANS device before he does his signature back flip.

– Yes, it's true… the ESPN announcers for the Brickyard 400 thought if was funny — in a sad sort of way — when they followed the Goodyear script that read, "Track-tested tough." However, the script is part of the sponsorship deal, and obviously no one at Goodyear thought to have it pulled before it was read.

– If you saw the reclusive Dario Franchitti on TV this weekend, perhaps you noted his new hair style. "I grew it out," he said, "Just to prove that I still could." Okay, he flies around in a helicopter, he owns a castle, and he is married to Ashley Judd — and he's worried about male pattern baldness? Maybe he's trying to show up former teammate Tony Kanaan?

– Ford is shooting straight with its future in NASCAR. According to a local radio interview, its Craftsman Truck program is under serious re-examination, given the crash in F150 truck sales. The F150 was once the most popular selling "car" in the American market, and now Ford is left with that image which overshadows its fuel-efficient cars. Even more important, the manufacturers are underwriting a much higher percentage of the sponsorship bill than either the Cup or Nationwide series — perhaps as much as 75% in some cases — and no doubt this adds to the questions surrounding the future of the series. Tim Wohlford reporting from MIS