Which is it?

First, ESPN.com reported over the weekend at Indianapolis that Martin Truex Jr. had signed a two-year contract extension with Dale Earnhardt Inc., which would keep him with the company through the 2010 season.

Then, Truex angrily denied the story, telling The Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service, "That's [expletive]. I don't know what the hell [the reporter] is talking about."

Yet ESPN.com still reports the extension is all but done. Is this a case of shoddy journalism, or does David Newton have something from a reliable source to which the rest of us aren't privy? Truex's denial doesn't really mean that much to me, since people make public denials all the time ... only to have the story they denied turn out to be true anyway.

Right, Roger Clemens?

Assuming the report is true, and that Truex is indeed staying at DEI ... sad as this might sound (and anyone who's read this blog knows how I feel about DEI), this was probably the best Truex could do, given the circumstances. Truex had been rumored to be moving to the No. 12 at Penske Racing, the new No. 33 at Richard Childress Racing, and even a possible third car at Stewart-Haas, but at the end of the day, the best Truex could've likely hoped for was a lateral move.

The No. 12 isn't the premiere ride it was when Newman broke into Sprint Cup, winning 12 races in his first four full seasons. Penske's equipment is lagging behind, much like DEI's.

Stewart-Haas might be competitive and successful in a few seasons' time, but I don't see the change being immediate. Tony Stewart has a lot of work ahead of him with that two-car operation, so much so I don't pay any mind to rumors he'll add a third car. Maybe in three or four years, but certainly not in 2009.

Which leaves RCR's No. 33. While Childress is one of the better organizations in the Sprint Cup garage, with three cars capable of qualifying for the Chase for the Sprint Cup, I'm not sure how smooth the introduction for that fourth car will be. I don't think the General Mills-sponsored No. 33 would be a Chase contender right out of the gate.

So at the end of the day, maybe Truex is best-served staying with DEI for the next two seasons. Either the organization will improve and Truex will eventually the kind of driver that organization can build itself around, or once 2010 wraps up, Truex could find himself with a better crop of rides from which to choose.

If things hold true to form (and if the last two seasons are any indication, how likely is that?), the No. 5 at Hendrick Motorsports could be open. Stewart-Haas, if competitive by this point, might go ahead and add that third car, which would also be a viable option for Truex.

The options could certainly be better than they are now; the best ride available right now is the No. 20 at Joe Gibbs Racing, but unless your name is Joey Logano, I don't see you getting into that car -- regardless of age or experience or anything like that.

So maybe Truex is best-served staying where he is and waiting things out -- assuming DEI doesn't go belly-up within the next two years.

And I'm not convinced that won't happen.

Why So Serious?

Anyone who questions how serious Randy Moss is about succeeding in NASCAR need look no further than his announcement on Wednesday that Jimmie Johnson would drive his truck in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol later this month.

Randy Moss Motorsports, which in its first two races has finished a respectable 13th and 14th, will put a two-time Sprint Cup champion in the wheel at one of NASCAR's most exciting tracks. It's a smart move, and even if Johnson doesn't win the race (which I kind of doubt he will, this being his Truck Series debut), it shows just how seriously Moss is taking this venture.

Moss has already shown he's serious enough to shell out his own money in the event of a lack of sponsorship, and he's already shown how serious he is by starting off in the Craftsman Truck Series, the perceived lowest of NASCAR's three national touring series.

Previous NFL players-turned-NASCAR owners failed, in part because they started in the Sprint Cup Series, a series dominated by four super teams that leave little room for anyone else. Moss, by starting off in the Truck Series and being willing to fund it himself, is showing he's trying to learn from the mistakes of others, and putting a driver like Johnson behind the wheel, even if only for a race, gives that team credibility.

And by agreeing to drive that truck, Johnson is in a way validating Moss' effort. Who knows? If a sponsor or up-and-coming driver sees Johnson climb into the No. 81 and have a solid run ( atop-10 would go a long way), they might decide to latch on, giving Moss even more stability and the chance for future success.

Even with everything Moss is doing right, though, even he can't find a solution for the tire debacle at Indy. Oh well, we can't all be miracle workers ...

Back in America

According to published reports, the NASCAR Nationwide Series will not return to Mexico City for the 2009 season. Though officials have not announced which track might take the road course's place, it is believed it will be a track in the United States, and the Charlotte Observer reports that sources say it could be Iowa Speedway.

Iowa, a 7/8-mile tri-oval which currently hosts IndyCar and NASCAR Camping World East events, could be a perfect fit for the Nationwide Series, which already runs a good bit of its schedule on short tracks not otherwise used in NASCAR's top national series (along the same vein as O'Reilly Raceway Park just outside of Indianapolis).

Add to that the quality of this season's IRL race at the track, and the Nationwide Series just seems like a perfect fit. In the meantime, NASCAR's move out of Mexico City isn't as much of a negative as it might seem on the surface. Though attendance had been on the decline in recent years -- and the event had its smallest crowd earlier this season when Kyle Busch won -- NASCAR's plan ultimately was to help stock car racing as a whole grow in Mexico.

And considering the steady growth the NASCAR Corona Mexico Series is seeing, I would consider the sport's foray into Mexico a rousing success. And with this weekend's race in Montreal the lone international date left on the NASCAR docket, it's possible a return stateside is part of CEO Brian France's preseason pledge to bring NASCAR "back to basics," a campaign that has, by and large, been a success.

Now, if we could just get a good tire to Indy ...