Restrictor plates have produced spectacular wrecks (ask Kyle Busch), but they've also provided some of the season's most exciting finishes.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

I'm a bit torn on the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona Saturday night. With restrictor-plate racing, you can bank on the fact that the last few laps will be tight racing. As a fan, I love Talladega and Daytona – my two "sure thing" races. But what makes them great is also what makes them dangerous.

Carl Edwards had the big last-lap crash in April at Talladega and then Saturday's winner Tony Stewart got into it late with Kyle Busch on Saturday. Busch went hard into the wall after he tried repeatedly to block Stewart from the lead spot. Luckily he was OK.              

I don't watch MMA because I think it too brutal. Sometimes I wonder if I should feel that way about restrictor-plate races. I know it's apples and oranges, and NASCAR certainly isn't akin to MMA.

I do, however, know the reactionary nature of the sport and NASCAR in general. If Kyle Busch doesn't walk away from his crash Saturday night, there would be a huge reaction and we'd see changes. Nevertheless, If you watch the aftermath of the Busch wreck, check out the fans in the stands … they loved it. Can you blame them? A spectacle was taking place in living color, just yards away from their seats.

So let me know what you think. Are restrictor-plate races too dangerous or just exciting?

Meanwhile, a sneaky story that's not getting much play is that Juan Pablo Montoya is sitting 11th in points in July. JPM has eight top-10 finishes, and is ahead of such drivers as Mark Martin, Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Three years ago this week, JPM announced plans to move to NASCAR. He did struggle early, as expected, but his driving talent combined with a few seasons in the sports is starting to pay off.

Now onto the story that just won't go away: Jeremy Mayfield.

Question: If you were a team owner or a sponsor, would you hire Jeremy Mayfield? Right now, Mayfield is way too much of a negative from a PR standpoint and is not a sure thing ON THE TRACK. Mayfield stands by his denial, while NASCAR stands by his positive test for methamphetamines. If Mayfield were a top-10 driver, he would have a chance for employment even with the ugliness swirling around him right now. Here's the thing, even if he's somehow proven to be innocent, will the cloud around him dissipate enough for him to get backing? Would you sign him?