Jeff Gordon says that he and Dale Earnhardt Jr. talked Monday about comments they made about each other and bump-drafting earlier this month at Talladega.

Gordon was critical of the bump-drafting -- where a driver pushes a car by ramming it in the rear bumper -- and Earnhardt, who uses the technique often. After the race, Earnhardt responded.

"I pushed Jeff Gordon into the lead five times and every time I do that, he complains that I'm bump-drafting him in the corners and blah, blah, blah," Earnhardt said that day. "So I'm just not going to push him anymore. Besides, every time I help him out, he never gives it back in return. That's why he don't have too many friends out there. I was trying to be his only friend, besides his teammates, who are kind of paid to draft with him."

Gordon said Tuesday that he met with Earnhardt on Monday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where nearly every team is testing this week.

"There's no issue there," Gordon said. "I have more issues with the way the bump-drafting is not being focused on or taken care of when we go to Daytona and Talladega more so than what Junior is doing.

"He's a great drafter. He's got a car capable of pushing guys around, and NASCAR allows him to do it. He's not the only one."

Gordon says that by NASCAR not policing bump-drafting more, it sends the wrong signal to younger drivers.

"As long as NASCAR allows those types of things to go on, then bump-drafting is always going to be an issue and we're going to see big wrecks," Gordon said. "I'm not saying we won't see big wrecks without bump-drafting, but it only contributes to it more.

"When you've got the most popular guy, one of the best drafters out there, doing it to the extreme, it only sets the example for other guys where they think they can go out there and do that, too."

Ad-free races?

Sports Business Journal reports that TNT is floating a package to potential advertisers that would allow advertising during the race broadcast and eliminate commercial breaks. The advertising would take place on the screen during the broadcast and allow continuous race coverage.

TNT will broadcast six Nextel Cup races next summer. The story reports that officials from Turner and NASCAR would not comment. The story also reported that TNT's Cup ratings are down 8.3 percent from last season.

Busch debut

Chip Ganassi Racing announced Tuesday that Juan Pablo Montoya will make his Busch series debut Oct. 28 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Montoya has competed in two ARCA races as he prepares to move to Nextel Cup full time next season.

Crew chief change

Haas CNC Racing announced that Harold Holly will replace Robert Barker as crew chief for Jeff Green. Holly and Green won the 2000 Busch title together. Barker will replace Holly as crew chief for Johnny Sauter in the Busch series.

Improving

Bobby Labonte's fifth-place finish on Saturday night in the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway was his third top-10 finish in the last four races. He has moved four spots to 23rd for Petty Enterprises during that time.

Truckin'

The Craftsman Truck series joins the Cup series this weekend at Martinsville Speedway.

Todd Bodine leads Johnny Benson, who drives for Bill Davis Racing, by 113 points entering Saturday's Kroger 200.

David Reutimann, who moves to Cup next season, is third in the standings, 255 points behind Bodine.

Pit stops

Ward Burton, who returns to the Cup series this weekend for the first time since the 2004 season, will need to qualify on speed for the Subway 500 at Martinsville. Morgan-McClure Motorsports is not guaranteed a starting spot. ... NASCAR's driver diversity combine featured 19 drivers at South Boston Speedway this week. The combine allows drivers to show their talent in hopes of getting a ride in a late model series or above next season.