Notes: Stremme inherits lead slot for Showdown

CONCORD, N.C. -- Light rain at Lowe's Motor Speedway late Friday afternoon washed out qualifying for Saturday's Sprint Showdown.

So the field was set according to how the cars had randomly drawn their qualifying order. That put the No. 27 of Kirk Shelmerdine technically on the pole for the event, but NASCAR ruled that both the 27 and the No. 46 to be driven by Carl Long would have to go to the rear of the field after the pace car laps (the 27 for "not being able to present himself for inspection" and the 46 for an engine change).

So when they start racing for real in the Showdown, that will put Sprint Cup regular David Stremme, who drives the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing, at the front of the field.

That was news to Stremme. When word came down about it, he was several miles from the track on his way home. He turned his civilian car around and drove back so he could entertain the media a little.

"I was already down the road, on my way home. I was looking forward to getting home -- because dinner is ready and I was hungry," said Stremme, a native of South Bend, Ind. "But that's all right. I was kind of like, this sucks. But then I thought back to when I used to work for the city and had to change snow-plow blades in the middle of the winter. Now that sucked; this job isn't so bad when you think about it."

The top two finishers from the Showdown advance to the All-Star Race, so Stremme said he is appreciative of getting to start up front in the preliminary race.

"I think our chances of making it in are pretty good, given our starting position," said Stremme, currently 27th in Cup points. "We've run well at some places recently, but haven't come up with the finishes to match how we've run."

Stremme said he's pretty sure he knows what to expect in the Showdown.

"I was in one three years ago and there was a big wreck; I was in one two years ago and there was a big wreck; I watched it last year and there was a big wreck," he said. "So within the first five or eight laps, I know there's going to be a wreck. I just don't want to be in it.

"I don't want to tear any cars up, but the top two (in the Showdown) get to stay on the track for the All-Star deal. The longer we can stay on the track, the more information we can gather that might help us in the (Coca-Cola) 600."

Change at RPM

There is a changing of the guard near the top at Richard Petty Motorsports.

Team members were informed Friday morning that Tom Reddin, who had been CEO of RPM, has tendered his resignation. Reddin previously was CEO at LendingTree and also spent time working at Coca-Cola USA before joining Richard Petty Motorsports.

Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Dodge fielded by RPM, said he didn't think Reddin's resignation would have any adverse repercussions within the organization.

"I wouldn't say it's a disruption," Kahne said. "I heard he had some family things he was working on."

Now it will become a bit more of a family affair at Richard Petty Motorsports. The majority owner of RPM is the Gillett family, and Kahne said that Foster Gillett, son of George, will take on an increased role in Ridden's absence.

"As far as our side, Foster is coming back from Montreal and he's going to be more hands-on at the company," Kahne said. "I think that will be fine. I think Foster does a good job with things and he's a good guy to talk to and work with."

Being Dale Jr.?

Sure he's under a microscope, but should we feel sorry for him? His peers weigh in.

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No thanks

Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin repeated his assertion Friday that Dale Earnhardt Jr. "has the broadest shoulders in NASCAR" and that he would not want to walk in his fish-bowl shoes because of all the scrutiny and pressure Earnhardt constantly is under.

Told of this later, Earnhardt said: "I don't think I would want to put anybody in my shoes. Maybe an enemy or two. There are good days and there are bad days, you know. You got a lot of things to complain about and you've got a lot to be grateful for. It's a double-edge sword."

Earnhardt's recent struggles are well-documented. He currently is 18th in points and has won only one race -- last June at Michigan -- since joining Hendrick Motorsports at the beginning of the 2008 season.

"When you're running good, there are no problems," Earnhardt said. "Even if there are, you can deal with them. We just have to get running better and then you can handle everything and nothing is a big deal. When you're running bad, you're just a target -- and you're angry because you're running bad and frustrated. You can't win for losing. If you get angry, you're a jerk; if you take it on the chin, you don't care. Everybody has got an opinion about you."

Asked how much he believed times like these build character, Earnhardt replied: "I don't think it does anybody any good. Not really. If anything, running like this and being frustrated is a challenge on your character. It can make you into a real jerk."

New career?

Carl Edwards could be about to embark on a new career -- or at least a new side career.

He will be a guest star on one of cable television's most popular situation comedies, The Bill Engvall Show, on TBS this summer. In an episode entitled The Way We Were, Edwards will co-star as what the network describes as "the smug, hip manager of a 20-something nightclub." He gets into a run-in with the stars of the show, Engvall's character and his character's wife, Susan, when they attempt to get past the velvet rope and bouncer to get into the club.

The television show's first season in 2007 positioned it as ad-supported cable's No. 1 original sitcom among adults 25-54. During its second season in 2008, it averaged 2.3 million viewers and consistently won its time slot among adults 18-49.

So if the ratings suddenly go south following Edwards' appearance, he'll know to forgo pursuit of a future acting career. If it goes well, who knows?