Wood performed solidly in his debut for his family's team. (LAT photo) » More Photos

FIRST TIMER Jon Wood's debut behind the wheel of his family's NASCAR Nextel Cup No. 21 Ford resulted in a squeaky-clean run and a 29th-place finish. Not a storybook ending, perhaps, but one without any major gaffes at a fast, difficult track. "I wish I could do it again," said the third-generation driver after completing the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "To be honest with you, Cup racing is a lot more giving than taking. And I'm going to say that I'm fortunate that I spent the majority of my time in the Busch Series because I have learned to take a lot and not give a lot, and it's easier to give than take. So, getting into a Cup car now, I know how to race respectfully – at least I think I do, I didn't touch anyone all day. I did everything they asked me to do. I could've raced harder, I could've forced some issues that I didn't, but I did what they told me to do, and that's it."

His father, team co-owner and spotter Eddie Wood, was suitably pleased with his son's effort. "He did exactly, probably for the first time ever, he did what he was told to do," said Eddie Wood. "We told him to just take it easy and to race the track and not to race people and to get some points. We need some points because we haven't finished the first two races, and he did exactly what we told him to do. We had to pull him back, I have to be honest with you, we had to keep pulling him back all day long."

TRACK OR TIRES? While Goodyear's tires took much of the heat for the numerous wrecks over the weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the track surface itself was the subject of complaints from some drivers as well. There were numerous bumps, difficult transitions in and out of the corners and a steep drop at the exit of pit road. What's more, the LVMS extreme makeover didn't wasn't made with NASCAR's consultation because the track didn't need permission from the sanctioning body. "There is no requirement for that, but hopefully when a track is going to undergo a major redesign, we certainly are willing to be part of that process and add input," said NASCAR's Ramsey Poston. "… We're always available and happy to provide input." Poston declined to speculate whether NASCAR will ask the track to redo some of the more problematic areas of pavement prior to returning here next year.

DODGE BOYS BLUE On Friday, it appeared the Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup teams had hit the jackpot in Las Vegas, as six Chargers qualified in the top seven for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, the flagship race for Dodge's parent company. Unfortunately, for the Dodge boys, Sunday's race turned out to be a huge letdown, with Ryan Newman's eighth-place effort in a Penske Racing South Charger proving to be best in class.

"We're happy based on what we've been running in the past," said Newman. "It was a good run for us. We're happy to have the Alltel Dodge in the top 10 on an intermediate track at the end of 400 miles. We've got more things to work on. We were by far not the fastest car, but we've made huge improvements. … It was a good effort for us to fight back the way we did. We avoided a lot of accidents. A lot of crazy things were happening today, but overall it was a good run for us." Ironically, Newman and 13th-place finisher Bobby Labonte – the second-best Dodge on Sunday – were the two worst Dodge entries in qualifying.

NEW MOTOR: Look for Chevrolet's new R07 engine to be phased in over the next few weeks, according to GM officials. It's up to each team to decide when it wants to start racing the new clean-sheet design, which will replace Chevy's venerable SB2 engine. Because teams have the option of when to make the changeover, it will be a gradual process instead of happening all at once.

EVERYTHING ELSE: On hand at Las Vegas Motor Speedway among the myriad personalities were wrestler Bill Goldberg, movie star Mark Wahlberg and comedian Carrot Top. Wahlberg said he'll be starring in a sequel to "The Departed" next year. Goldberg, meanwhile, said he quit wrestling because it had become too sleazy and family inappropriate. Also on hand: Hollywood fashion celeb Melissa Rivers, Blue Man Group and Robin Leach.