Sprint Cup N's & Q's: Gasoline Alley

INDIANAPOLIS -- Some notes and quotes from inside Indianapolis Motor Speedway's famous Gasoline Alley:

*Four-time Brickyard winner Jeff Gordon said Saturday he does not plan on getting any more invasive treatments for his nagging back pain.

Earlier this year an MRI revealed that Gordon suffers from mild arthritis. He underwent a procedure in May to inject anti-inflammatory medicine and Gordon said he's feeling better but credits that mostly to an improved training regiment, not the procedure.

He said some tracks irritate the injury more than others joking that he could take a month off, "then go to Bristol (Tenn.) and it will hurt.""The procedure really didn't have an impact so I made the decision after talking with my doctors not to do anything more,'' Gordon said. "And frankly, I don't like having needles in my back.''*Moments after earning a front row starting spot for Sunday's race Juan Pablo Montoya told reporters his mind was on Felipe Massa, who was injured in a crash during Formula One qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Montoya, a former F1 star, noted the differences between safety in F1 and NASCAR.

Montoya praised NASCAR's COT, the carbon seats used by many drivers and a responsive medical team as being superior to what they have in Europe.

"What really shook me about Massa is how long it took the medical response,'' Montoya said. "I always said that when I was over there, but then you get here and see what NASCAR does. ... ''

Massa was in the intensive care unit of a Hungarian hospital after a piece of steel flew off of another car and struck Massa in the helmet. The debris tore Massa's helmet visor and struck the young Brazilian in the forehead. It comes a week after 18-year old Henry Surtees was killed after being struck in the head by a tire that came off another car in an F2 race.

Another former F1 driver, American Eddie Cheever, said he didn't know enough about the Massa incident to comment directly on that, but did offer, "For open-wheel racing there's always that risk of your head being exposed. Safety is never an issue that ends with one innovation.''

*Brian Vickers has won five pole positions, had eight top-10 finishes, led almost 100 laps this season and qualified sixth here at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Red Bull Racing Team, but the 25-year old still doesn't a have a job for next season.

quot;We've agreed to everything verbally and they've stressed to me time and time again they want me to stay,'' Vickers said of his Red Bull team. "But I look at it as until the contract is signed I'm a free agent. I'm keeping all my options open at this point.''

*Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin topped the speed charts in final practice for Sunday's AllState 400 at the Brickyard on Saturday evening, with defending winner Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and pole sitter Mark Martin rounding out the top-five. Greg Biffle spun on the last lap of practice but didn't hit anything. Two-time Brickyard winner Tony Stewart ran the most laps (50) in practice.