Category: Featured Stories

With six races left in the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, the race for the NASCAR championship is heating up. However, that’s not the only battle that is left in the Cup Series.

The top 35 is another battle, between four teams as they try and guarantee themselves into the 53rd Daytona 500 in February and the first five races of the 2011 season.

For those of you unclear about the NASCAR rule, the top 35 teams in owner points at the end of 2010, will race in the first five races of 2011, guaranteed. That gives them a big jump start on the season.

Let’s take a look at those cars fighting to get or stay into the top 35. Right now the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet is sitting 34th in the standings, just 53 points to the good. The No. 7 Robby Gordon Motorsports Toyota sits 35th just 25 points ahead of The #38 Front Row Motorsports Ford who sits 36th. Lagging back in 37th, with still a shot however, is the No. 26 Latitude 43 Motorsports Ford, just 170 points back with six races remaining.

Don’t think these guys are taking it seriously? Think again.

Front Row Motorsports has made many crew chief changes on their team to try and get themselves into the top 35. Just recently y it was announced that veteran crew chief Peter Sospenzo would take over the 38 team for the rest of the year.

Robby Gordon Motorsports even decided to bring down their No. 07 Toyota this weekend in an effort to try and knock out the No. 38 team from this weekends Bank of America 500.

Latitude Motorsports has hired veteran Ken Schrader to run at Martinsville and Talladega for them, as they try and claw their way into the top 35. Think they would have hired him had they had just given up? Me neither!

Some people say that some teams will be bumped into the top 35 because Richard Petty Motorsports is losing a team. However, that is not something you want to bet on for next year.

I understand Richard Childress Racing is expanding its organization with Paul Menard. I understand they will need to get points from somewhere, somehow. But who will it come from? The only theory to me is that the No. 71 team gives up their points to Richard Childress. However, I don’t see TRG Motorsports doing that. Still, leaves the No. 98 points out and no clue where they will go for 2011. Rumors are the No. 19 car might come back next season, so they may try and use those points.

Yet, when you are talking to a sponsor it’s easier to say, “Yes we are in” than “Well we may be in,” especially in this economy.

All four teams fighting to stay in the top 35 do not have full-time sponsorship for 2011. Not only that, it’s been announced that a few more teams will try and run full time making it even tougher to get into the field come next February.

So when you say the racing in the back of the field isn’t good and they don’t care. That is absolutely false. They do care and for many teams the top 35 is the difference between racing next year and packing it in.

Sunday night in California. The NASCAR Sprint Cup cars are growling around the track and the racing is three, four, and even five wide at times. Tony Stewart won the race and nearly 2 million less viewers watched. The attendance was estimated at 70,000 (21,000 less than capacity), the same as the last couple of races there. This is not an indictment of Auto Club Speedway; rather it is a symptom of what the average NASCAR fan is thinking in the year 2010.

Listening to fan comments this week, it may be a combination of things. Witness this scene as described to me by a fan that had a little race watching get-together at his home Sunday night. As he described it, there were seven fans gathered in his family room watching the big screen television.   

Most were in the 50-60 year old age group. There were fans of every brand and every driver. His recollection was that the minute that Jimmie Johnson took the lead, the discontent started. Then, as the race went on, the lack of cautions caused more discontent among the group. Half the crowd left before the race ended. The final four stayed until the end and none were happy. Why?

As much as NASCAR has tried to expand the sport to younger fans, they are in the minority. NASCAR has a base of fans in the age group mentioned earlier that seriously want their NASCAR back. More often than not, I hear fans wish for the days of Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty and David Pearson. Go to any track, and the No. 3 flag is dominant in the campgrounds, an area I consider to be the core fans. They come to the track early and stay late. These campers spend more money and are more rabid than any other. And their numbers are shrinking. As we head to Charlotte for another race, last May there were spots empty for the first time in memory.  Many would say it’s the economy, but it’s much more. I contend that it is boredom.

A few years ago, NASCAR started to police the sport. Don’t touch was the rule. How many times were drivers “warned” during a race to watch what they were doing? The result was that drivers were not taking the chance because they knew the trip to the NASCAR trailer was the next step. When things started going south, NASCAR decided to let them race. I give credit to Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and others who continued on with what they do best, but they are in the minority. On top of that was the emphasis on the championship. The creation of the Chase has made drivers more tentative and more cautious. The result has been that the core fan is simply turned off. A man I know who attended every race at Bristol Motor Speedway from 1994-2006 summed it up best. “They ruined my track and they ruined my sport. I’m done.”

Yes, the racing was good at Fontana, but it didn’t feed the core fan. A long discussion happened on NASCAR radio today whereby the question was asked if the lack of “wrecking” was the reason for the lack of viewers and attendance. There are varying opinions on this. Racing incidents have always been a part of this sport, and we don’t see so many these days. Also, there is the feeling among racing purists that if the competition is good throughout the field, it’s a good race. Unfortunately, there are many of us who understand, but the majority of fans want to see rubbing and action. That was sorely missing at Fontana and many races throughout the season.

Then there’s Jimmie Johnson. Among many fans, it is a conceded fact that he will be the champion for another year. Who wants to watch the same story over and over? Outside of the usual Christmas specials and “Blazing Saddles” (remember, I’m talking NASCAR fans here), no one does.   People turn the race off or leave when Johnson seems to be winning another championship. It’s not Johnson’s nor the Lowes team’s fault, but it has become very old to many NASCAR fans. If there was ever a time the multitudes wish for a new champion, it’s this year. And many realize that it’s not going to happen. 

So they turn the race off, watch the NFL, and ratings and attendance suffers. So what’s the answer? Handicap the field? Scrap the Chase? Do away with the monetary advantage that the championship brings? I do not know. I just think that something needs to be done. Television ratings and attendance is important to the sport. And unless this slide is stopped soon, we may not have racing on the tube every week. That would be a tragedy.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson increased his points lead over second-place Deny Hamlin with a third in the AutoMax 500 at California. Johnson started the day with an eight point edge over Hamlin; J.J. left with a 36 point cushion.

“I increased my points lead by 28 points,” Johnson said. “In NASCAR speak, that’s a SAFER barrier.”

But, there’s a reason they call this the ‘Chase.’ And that’s because the eleven other drivers come ‘after’ me.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished eighth at California, losing ground to points leader Jimmie Johnson, who finished third. Hamlin trails Johnson by 36 with six races left in the Chase, with a pivotal race at Charlotte Motor Speedway next on the schedule.

“Engine failures have taken their toll on Joe Gibbs Racing cars,” said Hamlin. “Not only this year, but in years past. Apparently, JGR engines come with an expiration date, with that date being ‘during the Chase.’”

3. Jeff Gordon: Gordon overcame a pit lane speeding penalty late in Sunday’s race which ruined his shot at an elusive win. But he recovered to post a solid ninth-place finish, and moved up to fourth in the Sprint Cup point standings. Gordon now trails Jimmie Johnson by 85.

“Once again,” Gordon said, “a mistake cost us a chance at winning. It seems that we’ve often been fast, but we’re always slowed down by a mistake, whether by me or my crew. If you’re looking for words to describe this season, I think ‘Whoa is me’ works just fine.”

4. Tony Stewart: Stewart battled Jimmie Johnson on the final restart in the AutoMax 500, holding the No. 48 at bay while collecting his second win of the year, and one that salvaged his Sprint Cup title hopes. Stewart now trails Johnson by 107 in the point standings.

“There was ‘Smoke’ in California,” Stewart said, “and, for once, it’s not from a wildfire. We’re hot right now; I just wish our misfortune at New Hampshire hadn’t prevented us from adding fuel to the fire.”

5. Kevin Harvick: Like Gordon, Harvick’s day was offset by a pit road speeding penalty, but he still managed to finish seventh and keep Johnson in view. Harvick is 54 points behind Johnson with six races remaining.

“A pit road speeding penalty,” Harvick said. “A failed inspection. A denied appeal. A phantom debris caution. NASCAR obviously has a problem with Richard Childress Racing. And NASCAR obviously doesn’t like their decisions questioned. NASCAR touts its insistence that everyone follow the rules, but we here at RCR have found ourselves asking ‘Are they playing fair?’”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards No. 99 Aflac Ford suffered an ignition problem on lap 58 at California and stalled on the track, requiring a push to return to the pits. He finished 13 laps down in 34th, and now trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 162.

“Let me tell you,” said Edwards, “ignition problems are a real ‘turn off.’ I’ve heard of ‘start and parkers,’ but we might as well have been a ‘starter and parker’ in California.”

And our chances to win the Sprint Cup are practically gone. They call me ‘Cousin Carl,’ and after the race in California, I’m ready to say ‘uncle.’”

7. Kurt Busch: Busch was running 14th when David Ragan drifted up the track, pinching the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to the outside wall and causing left-front fender damage and a blown tire. Busch limped to the pits and restarted 29th, and moved up to 21st by races end. Busch is sixth in the point standings, 140 out of first.

“The No. 6 UPS car left me nowhere to go,” Busch said. “To say I was ‘UPS-et’ would be an understatement. It seems that, whether accidental or on purpose, other drivers can’t stay away from the Busch brothers.

And speaking of ‘odd attractions,’ can someone explain why Kyle and I have fan clubs?”

8. Kyle Busch: Busch’s engine blew on lap 155 and immediately declared his championship hopes over, ending what earlier had looked like a promising day in the AutoMax 500. He tumbled two spots places in the Sprint Cup point standings, and now faces a 187 point deficit to Jimmie Johnson.

“Hey, my engine isn’t the only thing that quits,” said Busch.

9. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer edged by Jimmie Johnson on the final lap at California, taking the runner-up spot in the AutoMax 500. Bowyer was leading with ten laps remaining, but NASCAR spotted debris on the track and through a caution, bunching the field.

“Just another example,” Bowyer said, “of NASCAR seeing something that wasn’t there. I insist there was no debris on the track, so NASCAR had no right to throw a caution. For that reason, I’d like to file an appeal to ‘reason.’”

10. Greg Biffle: Biffle, who won last week at Kansas, saw his chances of back-to-back wins vanish when his engine blew on lap 40, becoming the first of several Chasers to face trouble at California.

“It was a disastrous day for Roush Fenway Racing,” Biffle said. “There were so many engines letting go, I thought a Cheech and Chong movie might break out.”

During the course of the previous NASCAR weekend at the Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana-California, we watched “Smoke” elevate his championship status and we watched the status of other championship efforts go up in smoke. We watched another milestone from the Joe Gibbs Racing Series-er excuse me Nationwide Series, and, oh yeah, Danica was there. With those thoughts in mind let’s begin with:

HOORAH to Tony Stewart and his #14 Stewart-Haas team for winning Sunday’s Pepsi Max 400.. “Smoke” clearly proved that his focus on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship is firmly intact. Sunday’s win moved the team from tenth in the standings to fifth and only 107 points out of first.

 Stewart scored his second win of the season, his 39th career win and he removed the Auto Club Speedway off of the list of tracks he hasn’t won on. Stewart led the Pepsi Max 400 three times during the day for a total of 27 laps including the final 11 circuits around the raceway’s mammoth two mile oval. Stewart shared the front row with Jimmie Johnson during a green-white-checker finish and won the race by a mere margin of 0.466 seconds.

For Stewart the Pepsi Max 400 was a resurgence from the first Chase race at New Hampshire when his car, on the way to the win, ran out of gas with less that two laps remaining. Had this incident never occurred Stewart would now be second in the Chase standings and only 13 points away from first.

Stewart gets another HOORAH for spraying that large Pepsi Max can with Coca Cola during the victory lane ceremony. The Pepsi can was part of the beautiful winner’s trophy. Stewart has an endorsement deal with the “other” soft drink company and is a member of the Coca Cola Racing Family.

A HOORAH goes out to Darien Grubb, the race winning crew chief, who was treated to a nice birthday present. Grubb turned 35 last Saturday.

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While Tony “Smoke” Stewart was burning up the competition at the Auto Club Speedway, there were other Chase contenders who spent the day helplessly watching their championship runs going up in smoke. Reluctant WAZZUPS goes to the following:

Roush Fenway Racing. Despite three cars in the Chase that were considered pre race favorites to win the race, Jack “The Cat in the Hat” Roush had absolutely no reason to smile during his California weekend.

The California Carnage began on lap 41 when Greg Biffle’s engine blew up. After winning the Kansas race the weekend before, Biffle arrived in California eighth in the standings and 85 points out. He left the “left coast” with a 41st place finish along with tenth in the standings and 241 points out.

The next blow came on lap 58 when the Roush Ford of Carl Edwards dramatically stalled on the track and had to be escorted to the garage via a wrecker. A faulty distributor turned out to be he culprit and that led to a 34th place finish. Edwards fell from fourth in the standings, 53 points out, and plummeted to seventh and minus 162.

The hits just kept on coming for Roush Fenway when Matt Kenseth’s engine began smoking during the waning laps of the race. The driver started going backwards through the field and the 30th place finish landed him 11th in the Chase standings at minus 241.

But wait there’s more. The fourth Roush Fenway Ford, driven by David Ragan, found himself in the middle of a hard crash with only seven laps remaining in the race. The other car involved in this crash belonged to Chase contender Kurt Busch who remains in sixth in the standings but falls from minus 70 to minus 140.

The news wasn’t any better for the other Busch brother. With 45 laps to go Kyle Busch’s engine blew up with the result being a 35th place finish. The teams slipped from seventh to ninth in the standings and are 187 points out. Busch came over the radio saying “anyone who wasn’t sure that this championship is over, it’s certainly over now.”

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A rarely issued HOORAH-WAZZUP-HOORAH combo package goes to Jeff Gordon and his #24 Hendrick Motorsports team. First off the team pulled off a four tire stop in an amazing 11.8 seconds. Sub 12 second stops are a very rare sight these days.

Unfortunately it turned sour, with 44 laps to go, when Gordon had to serve a penalty for speeding on pit road during another pit stop. Despite the huge loss of track position, Gordon climbed up on the wheel and drove to a ninth place finish. The effort elevates him one position in the Chase standings. He’s now fourth at minus 85.

HOORAH to Jimmie Johnson, and the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team, for again turning up the heat during Chase fever. Their third place finish kept them on top of standings while increasing their points lead to 36 points over Denny Hamlin.

Speaking of Hamlin, his Joe Gibbs Racing team gets the HOORAH for making chicken salad out of chicken do-do. A sudden need for a transmission change relocated the #11 Toyota to the rear of the starting field prior to the race. Then there were frequent struggles with the restarts following caution flags that hindered maintaining track position. Despite this Hamlin drove his way back to an eighth place finish and remains second in the standings.

HOORAH to Mark Martin for once again looking like the Mark Martin of old during the Pepsi Max 500. After the season this team has endured, a sixth place finish had to seem like a win. Martin led the race twice for a season high 41 laps and the crowd went crazy.

WAZZUP with Dale Earnhardt Jr for having to announce that he’s not a “whacko” during the race? Sunday was NASCAR’s most popular driver’s 36th birthday and he was hoping to give himself a special present by generating a strong finish in the race. Unfortunately his afternoon in Fontana was another round of enduring an ill handling race car and a 16th place finish. That’s something we’ve seen too many times this year. After several minutes of listening to his driver’s frustration over the radio, crew chief Lance McGrew said “look, I know it’s your birthday but you’re freaking out of control.” Earnhardt responded with “don’t take it personal, I just want to do better, I’m not being a whacko or anything.”

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HOORAH to Kyle Busch for winning Saturday’s Camping World 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race at the Auto Club Speedway. The win was his unbelievable 12th of the season and his fourth at the Fontana track. Interestingly enough, it also marked the third time this season Busch won a Nationwide Series race after having to work his way back from a penalty for speeding on pit road.

You know that old saying that goes: “if you think you’ve got problems stop and look around’? Well, if you’re feeling a little down then look on the bright side. What is the bright side? You’re not a member of Kevin Harvick’s Nationwide pit crew.

WAZZUP with the pit road meltdown this crew experienced? One of their pit stops was a whopping 17.7 seconds and that level of performance consistency cost their driver valuable track position. The problem also caused Harvick to completely lose his temper. After the race Harvick said expect to see changes on pit road adding “this is not what we’re about, it’s terrible, if they can’t stand the pressure then they’re going to have to look for something different to do.”

HOORAH to Danica Patrick and the progress displayed during her ongoing transition from Indy car to NASCAR racing. This accolade is despite the disappointing finish. With ten laps left in the race, Patrick was hit by James Buescher and sent hard into the backstretch wall and her 30th place finish does not reflect how well she performed during this race.

Her goal was more educational seat time and a top 15 finish. Patrick raised more than a few eyebrows by her fourth place listing on the speed charts following the series’ practice session. She qualified her car with a highly respectable 14th and she was on her way to obtaining that top 15 finish before the late race accident.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this transition is being handled with a great deal of intelligence by both the driver and her team, JR Motorsports. I will again stand behind another observation from the past: if you’re looking for instant gratification then call your local pizza delivery company.

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The final HOORAH this week goes to the Auto Club Speedway. Both races during their NASCAR weekend were very exciting. The Pepsi Max 400 Cup event was aptly described as one of the speedway’s best races ever. Driver and fan reaction to this race being shortened from 500 miles was very positive.

The speedway also deserves a HOORAH for their promotional ideas that often demonstrates a willingness to think and work outside of the box. This was certainly true of the wedding opportunity they presented to their fans. On Sunday morning, marriage and commitment renewal vows were exchanged on the start-finish line. Speedway President Gillian Zucker, adorned in a judicial robe accented with a checkered flag collar, presided over the ceremonies for a reported 69 couples. NASCAR driver/team owner Michael Waltrip was the official best man while Miss Sprint Cup was the matron of honor. This is yet another reason why a NASCAR weekend at the Auto Club Speedway is so special.

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The final WAZZUP of the week goes to Jim Hill, sports anchor for the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles. He’s another one of these L A based sports authorities who have the stick and ball syndrome. In other words: if it doesn’t have a stick and ball then it’s probably not really a sport.

Hill was attempting to cover the Auto Club Speedway race, in the shortest amount of time possible, and it was clearly obvious that it was a struggle. During the broadcast he said “Stewart held off Clint Bowyer”, (while totally mispronouncing Clint’s name), and then added “Stewart moved up to fifth but still keeps the overall lead.” WHAT???

I single out Jim Hill because I happened to be watching the Channel Two late news that night. He’s typical of the stick and ball television sports anchors who often display a lack of knowledge and interest in auto racing unless there’s some death defying accident involved in the race. Anyone who watches a sports segment from a Los Angeles based television station knows exactly what I’m talking about.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C. is the Mecca to which fans and anyone who has been involved with NASCAR can visit and pay homage to those who have made NASCAR the sport that it is today.

Every facet of NASCAR is addressed in the spectacular attraction opened in May of this year. History from the last 60 years is displayed, as racing artifacts, actual race cars and most importantly the Hall of Fame honoring drivers, owners, crew chiefs and others who have made tremendous impact on the sport.

The first class was inducted to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May. The five inductees were Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Junior Johnson.

On July 1, 2010, 25 nominees were announced to be eligible for the second class to be inducted. On October 13 the Hall of Fame voting panel will meet to determine the five new inductees who will forever be enshrined at the HOF at a ceremony in 2011 and they will be announced that same day.

Fifty three ballots will be cast based on decisions made by 21 members of the nominating committee, 14 media representatives, one representative from Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota respectively, four retired drivers, three retired owners, three retired crew chiefs, four recognized industry leaders and one vote from the fans.

Eligibility for the HOF requires drivers and non-drivers to have been involved in NASCAR for 10 years and retired for at least three years.

One former driver certain to be part of the second class is David Pearson. The Spartanburg, S.C. driver known as the “Silver Fox” has 105 wins and 113 poles to his credit.

Pearson has three Winston Cup (Sprint Cup) Championships and never ran every race in any one season. Only Richard Petty had more wins and the two battled fiercely against one another.

Another good bet to be inducted is Raymond Parks. Parks was one of the participants at a meeting with Bill France, Sr. and others in the Streamline Hotel on Daytona Beach in 1947 that resulted in the formation of NASCAR.

The Georgia businessman fielded a car driven by Red Byron which won the first Cup Series Championship in 1949 which was also the first season for NASCAR.

Parks was an integral part of NASCAR and donated a great deal to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Some think he should have been inducted in the first class and sadly he died June 20, 2010 at the age of 96.

Bobby Allison is another driver who may well be in the second class of inductees. Allison was the 1983 Series Cup Champion and has 84 career wins. He was forced into retirement in 1988 after a crash at Pocono Speedway in Pocono, Pa. that

nearly took his life.

Allison was one of the NASCAR’s favorite drivers. He lost his son Clifford Allison in a racing accident during practice for the Busch series (Nationwide) in 1992 and his son Davey Allison was killed in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway in 1993 when his helicopter crashed.

Bud Moore is a car owner who quite possibly will make the second class of inductees. He ran cars in NASCAR’s top tier some 37 years and amassed 63 wins and 298 top-five finishes with drivers including Fireball Roberts, David Pearson, Buddy Baker, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison and others.

Known as a country mechanic who could “make em’ run fast,” he was and is highly respected by those in NASCAR, having contributed much to the sport.

Dale Inman was Richard Petty’s crew chief for some 30 years. He just may be the first crew chief to be inducted in to the NASCAR Hall of Fame with his time coming in the second class.

Inman was innovative as a crew chief and brought status to the position especially after 1967 when he and Petty won 27 races, ten of them consecutively.

Those five men may be the best bets to be inducted in the second class. Other’s who will absolutely be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame are Lee Petty, Glen Wood and T. Wayne Robertson. Should any of the five picks listed above not make the upcoming induction, one or two could come out of these three men who are certainly worthy of going in the second or third class.

This list of best bets to be announced October 13 are based solely on the opinion of the writer.

In spite of California’s Auto Club Speedway being admittedly hard hit by the economy, high unemployment, and by NASCAR, losing its second race for the 2011 season, the track put on a surprisingly good show, with the stands being fairly full and the racing on the track being unexpectedly exciting.

Here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the fourth race in the Chase competition, with just six races remaining in the 2010 season.

Surprising: On a track of only three where he has never claimed a Cup victory, Tony Stewart battled Clint Bowyer to claim the checkered flag by a mere .466 of a second. Smoke also catapulted himself out of tenth place in the Chase standings all the way up to fifth, breathing new life into his championship hopes and possibilities. In addition to Stewart’s win, the race team that bears his name shone with teammate Ryan Newman bringing his No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet to the finish line in fifth, a great coup for the Stewart-Haas Racing in front of their sponsor’s and team co-owner’s hometown crowd.

Not Surprising: Clint Bowyer, who was in his own words “in search of redemption” after his points penalty and suspension of his crew chief was upheld by NASCAR’S Commissioner, did indeed find saving grace in the runner up position. Substitute crew chief Scott Miller even kept his driver calm during his debris caution fit late in the race which did indeed impact the outcome, costing Bowyer the perfect redemption of a race win.

Surprising: In a race that was purposefully shortened from 500 to 400 miles to build excitement but also to save wear and tear on the cars, there were a surprising number of blown engines and engine malfunction, particularly for the Roush Fenway drivers. First to fall out was last week’s race winner Greg Biffle, whose engine gave up the ghost around lap 40 of the race. Next up was Carl Edwards, who had an engine failure, a rotor in the distributor, that cause a nightmare for his team throughout the race. In the waning laps of the race, Matt Kenseth’s car began to emit that tell-tale smoke, although he was able to nurse it to the finish line. Biffle finished 41st, dropping two places in the Chase standings to tenth, while Edwards and Kenseth finished 34th and 30th respectively, dropping Edwards to seventh in the points while Kenseth held firm in the 11th position.

Not Surprising: With six laps to go in the race, David Ragan in the No. 6 UPS Ford caused the only wreck of the day, damaging his car significantly but also collecting Chase competitor Kurt Busch as part of his collateral damage. Busch’s ‘Blue Deuce’ was relegated to a 21st place finish, leaving him in the sixth position, 140 points back in the Chase point standings.

Surprising: Two veteran drivers in the thick of Chase contention got tagged for speeding penalties. Jeff Gordon saying “It was my fault on pit road” was tagged for speeding into the pits while Kevin Harvick was penalized for being too fast on exit. Gordon salvaged a ninth place finish with a gutsy call by crew chief Steve Letarte to take two tires during the last race caution. Gordon was also rewarded for his hard charge to the front with an advancement of one position, up to fourth, in the Chase standings. Harvick also redeemed himself from his pit road issues to finish seventh in the race, maintaining his third place position in the point standings.

Not Surprising: Jimmie Johnson, at a track that always feels very much like home to the California native, continued his good Chase running with a third place race finish. Sporting the colors of the Jimmie Johnson Foundation and fresh off another successful charity event, Johnson also strengthened his lead in the championship standings, now 36 points ahead of second place Denny Hamlin.

Surprising: After an incredibly strong run and win in the Nationwide car at Fontana, Kyle Busch had a surprisingly dismal day at the track in his Cup car. He too had engine difficulties, with a ventilation hose vibrating off and then a total engine failure with just 46 laps to go in the race. Busch, completely frustrated, pulled into his pit stall and pronounced his “championship now over”. The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota finished 35th and lost two positions, falling to ninth, in the championship point standings.

Not Surprising: After having some private words and some more supervised words in the NASCAR hauler with Kyle Busch following their Kansas altercation, David Reutimann clicked off another top-10 run, bringing his No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine to the checkered flag in the tenth position.

Surprising: In a most pleasant surprise, the driver of the No. 5 Carquest/Go Daddy.com Chevrolet Mark Martin had a great run at Cali, dicing his way through the field and leading laps. Saying “God, it’s been a long time,” after become the seventh race leader, Martin went on to secure a top-10 finish, coming to the checkered flag in the sixth position.

Not Surprising: Although Hendrick teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. wowed the crowd with a top-10 qualifying effort at Fontana and even led some laps by not pitting with the rest of the crowd, the performance of his car fell off as it habitually does throughout a race run, leaving him with a 16th place finish at Fontana.

The Cup Series will return for a weekend of racing in the heart of NASCAR at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The fifth race of the Chase, the Bank of America 500, will run under the lights on Saturday, October 16th at 7:30 PM EDT, with live coverage on ABC.