Category: The Final Word

[media-credit name=”Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]A maximum of 96 points are left on the table as the boys and Danica move on to Phoenix and Homestead, which comes as bad news for pretty much anybody not named Jimmie Johnson or Brad Keselowski. Two of the 12 championship apostles are already eliminated, seven more should see the gates close after this weekend. Even for third place Clint Bowyer, 36 points in the bushes, his chances hinge on both the leaders spending some time in the garage either this upcoming Sunday or next.

Jimmie Johnson dominated the first half in Texas, led half of them on the day, and remained in the top three the rest of the way before passing Kyle Busch in the final laps to salt this one away. It marked his 60th Cup victory, the fifth of the season, and pushed him seven points ahead of Keselowski in his fix for six. His main challenger finished second, Busch third.

For a moment, there was a glimmer of hope for the rest of the pack. With under ten to go they went door to door, came together, each wobbled but managed to continue on without much break in momentum. It the kind of action fans love to see, and what a handful of drivers hope to see happen again, and soon, just with a different result. On this occasion, Johnson and Keselowski finished with cars that looked like cars and even shook hands in Victory Lane. However, like the handshake, the gloves are now off.

Fellow chasers Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and Dale Earnhardt Jr grabbed the next four spots at the line. Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle also had Top Tens. Jeff Gordon had a tire problem that took him out of contention, while Danica Patrick was 24th, the final car on the lead lap. It was her best result and it came in her first race with Tony Gibson as crew chief. The pair will be together next season when Patrick runs full-time.

The other news coming from Texas was Harvick’s car being sandbagged before the race. Literally. It was dangling from a big ole Texas flag trailing a parachuter and clipped the “door”, right on the #29, putting a bit of a dent there. NASCAR allowed the crew to take it back to the garage to make some repairs. Now, had it clipped the #2 or #48, I’m sure the conspiracy theorists would have had a field day.

This Sunday is Remembrance or Veteran’s Day, depending on what side of the line you live on. A couple of hours after we observe the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour  those who have served our respective nations in our armed forces, the engines come to life in Phoenix.  The only two questions we need answered Sunday is how close did Jimmie and Brad finish, and how well did they finish. Something tells me this could be a week of close finishes.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]It was truly a Tale of Two Cities kind of day at Martinsville last Sunday afternoon. You know, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times…  It could not have been much better for Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski, who came away from the contest two points apart on top of the standings with three to go.

Johnson dominated a good portion of the contest, at least when he wasn’t sharing the lead with Clint Bowyer or Jeff Gordon. Johnson was up front when it counted as he kept Kyle Busch at bay in order to take his 59th career victory, his seventh at Martinsville, and the fourth of this campaign. Keselowski just wanted to be close, to keep his hopes alive, and a sixth place finish did exactly that for him, with only Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead left on the calender.

Denny Hamlin thought a win was in order for him to keep his hopes burning brightly. Instead, they got as soaked as a boat cruise on the Hudson River this week. Twice he got caught speeding on pit row, twice he let out the reins to get back near the front. Fate then stepped in and stepped on him as a short developed in the master switch to kill the juice in the car. He wound up 33rd, 49 points out. Hamlin deserved better.

Fans got what they deserved, as this was an entertaining affair. It was short track racing at its best, as they busted down the straightaways at 120 mph before hitting the brakes, trying to stay off the guy running beside them. Sometimes it did not exactly work out. Dale Earnhardt Jr was doing well in his return until he met up with Carl Edwards in the final laps as the duo saw their hopes for a good finish spin away.

Good things came the way of Bowyer and Kasey Kahne. Both were in the Top Five at the end, and presently are the only two drivers in position to move up should our two leaders falter. Bowyer is 26 back, Kahne is 29. Ask Hamlin how easy it is to have things go bad unexpectedly. You could say that for a precious few, this remains a season of light, the spring of hope, but for most of their championship hopes it ‘tis a season of darkness, a winter of despair. The Dickens, you might say.

If we have indeed identified our final four, only Johnson and Kahne have won in Texas, and only once. Johnson averages a Top Ten there in 18 starts, Bowyer’s is just over 13th in 13 tries. As for Keselowski, his best Texas finish is 14th.  It just might take a far, far better thing for him to do than he has ever done before just to stay in the hunt. What do you think?

[media-credit name=”Tyler Barrick/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”299″][/media-credit]Now, that was a race worth watching. The lead changed, some cars got bopped. It did not look a thing like Formula One where every one goes real fast in a single line train, where one lap looks just like any other. Kansas provided every argument as to why we watch NASCAR.

Sure, we had new pavement and tires that when pop a little too soon. The cautions threw a new wrinkle into the action, as well as a few entries. Nothing was etched in stone as cars did their own etching on the fence. Leaders came to the front, faded to the back, and while Matt Kenseth returned to win it all, some were not so lucky.

Aric Almirola, looking like a young pre-mustache Richard Petty, took his #43 car for a good ride up front for a time. That was before he eventually touched the wall a couple of times to end his day early. Jimmie Johnson rode up front, put his back end to the wall, and saw his crew work some real magic to keep him running to come home with a rather miraculous Top Ten performance.

Payback is a bitch. Just ask Landon Cassill. Getting upset with a fellow competitor is understandable. Trying to wreck the SOB is not out of the ordinary. However, when attempting a PIT manoeuver on the track, it is best to retain control of one’s own vehicle so it is the other guy parked in the garage. Danica Patrick is still learning.

In Charlotte, Kurt Busch finished 21st while the guy who he replaced, Regan Smith, wound up 38th after the engine blew on Dale Earnhardt Jr’s usual ride. In Kansas, Smith took his Juniormobile to 7th, while Kurt wound up in 25th. Maybe what is keeping Furniture Row from running with the big boys has nothing to do with their driver. With Earnhardt returning this weekend, Smith is out but I think he more than helped his cause for a full-time ride somewhere for next season.

The Chase is down to no more than five drivers contending for the title, unless bad things happen to Brad and Jimmie over the final four events. Keselowski retained a seven point lead over Johnson, with Denny Hamlin (20 points back), Clint Bowyer (25), and Kasey Kahne (30) in the rearview. Not bad, but the change in the points system has provided evidence that maybe the Chase is not only an artificial way of providing late season excitement, but an unnecessary one.  After Kansas, the non-Chase standings would show…

1 Jimmie Johnson –  1114 pts
2 Brad Keselowski – 1109       -5
3 Greg Biffle ——- 1096       -18
4 Matt Kenseth —- 1089       -25
5 Clint Bowyer —– 1077       -37

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Just as having the fastest 36 cars qualifying make the race, with the rest filled in by being amongst the best on the season just having a bad day, again making sense, so does having a champion declared by their season-long performance. Sometimes change is a good thing, but not always. It would appear that NASCAR really should have changed the points system first, instead of instituting the Chase.

This Sunday the boys (and girl) head to Martinsville. It is a place where Jeff Gordon has won seven times, Johnson has six, with Hamlin having collected the checkered flag four times. In five attempts, Keselowski has finished between 9th and 19th. Sunday could turn out to be a very good day for one of our top three. What do you think?

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]It is a good thing we live in this modern era, where by the push of a couple of buttons one does not have to choose between watching the Yankees play the Tigers or watching NASCAR from Charlotte. A fella can watch both. View one while recording the other, then when you hit a bank of commercials or return to real time, you simply reverse the process. Non-stop Saturday night action.

One contest was missing a star performer, as Dale Earnhardt Jr sat one out due to his concussion. The other saw Derek Jeter leave the field due to a fractured ankle. One saw Brad Keselowski surrender a chance to win to pick up fuel; the other had Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano, and Curtis Granderson unable to win as they were discovered to have no gas in their tanks thus far in the playoffs. One was exciting, with the outcome in doubt to the end, the other was a race in Charlotte.

Yet, to be fair, the long expected outcome did not materialize in North Carolina. After watching Brad, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin pretty much represent the boys up front all day, it was Clint Bowyer who wound up with the sticky shower as he picked up his third win of the season. Once again fuel mileage decided this one, and thank goodness it did. While no one ran out of gas to get their hearts broken, the possibility was there and the outcome was in doubt. In fact, even the winner proved to have little to spare, with Clint having to walk to his post-race celebration and his car needed a push to get there. In a way it was like Sunday’s ball game in San Francisco, where St. Louis went up 6-0 to seemingly have a lock on things, only to see the Giants storm back with four of their own to put it in doubt. The one difference is that while San Francisco held on to win, Keselowski did not.

I have not seen the ratings from Saturday night, but I would be interested as to how the race fared against the baseball playoffs. The boys on the diamond featured some action that had folks talking about what they had seen after the lights went out. I’m not so sure they were doing the same after the race. I loved Talladega, some did not see it was real racing. Charlotte bored me, yet some might think it was just dandy. Maybe it comes down to taste. I can’t stand watching basketball or soccer, yet others love those sports. Maybe it is just me. Then again, the television ratings these past few years seem to suggest I am not alone.

Other than Junior’s injury, there does not seem to be many story lines here. The new rides for Regan Smith, Kurt Busch, and A.J. Allmendinger were noted, but not exactly riding the heights as a trio of Yankee stars batting a combined .101 between them in the post-season. Of course, there is also  Jeter’s injury, the brutal performance collapse of a Detroit reliever, the performance of older gentlemen named Ichiro or Ibanez, or a team losing the face of the franchise during the off-season only to contend once again for the championship. In NASCAR, we have Keselowski on top, now seven points ahead of the former five-time champion, and 15 ahead of Hamlin. Until such time as Keselowski does something akin to a crash and burn, at least enough to allow his challengers to catch up, that is how it will remain over the next five weeks. In a world with no distractions that might work, but unless you are a racing fanatic that is not the way things are.

This Sunday, the action moves to Kansas where Bowyer would love to win one at the track just a 90 minute drive from his hometown. Even so, he remains in fourth, 28 points out of the hunt. At present, our sole purpose in watching will be to see if Keselowski has enough of a problem to allow Jimmie or Denny to move up. If that is not enough for you, there is always the chance that there will be a ball game on at the same time.

As I think about it, I think if NASCAR had changed up its points system first, they might not have even needed a Chase. Today’s points system is more forgiving over the long haul than the old one, but brutal for those who stumble over the short run. If they had reversed how they had done things, and forgot the whole Chase concept, Johnson would be leading the standings by 9 over Keselowski and 16 over Greg Biffle. It might even be a reason to turn on the boob tube to catch the action. Let me know what you think..

[media-credit name=”Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]With this having been the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, there are a number of things I am thankful for. Among them is the track in Talladega, Alabama and a race that lived up to expectations. A race where I watched lap after lap and did not feel compelled to wander away to find a ball game of some sort to break the monotony.

The sweeping camera angles as the cars flashed by going nose to tail at high speeds. No way on God’s green earth could we find ourselves heading down a local through-fare with that much trust in those idiots around us, never mind there was not a brake light to be found between them. Even if there were, it would only indicate an impact was probably forthcoming in the next split second.

I like to think that I am a pretty good driver, but I know that running even at close quarters at Richmond or Martinsville would be more than I could handle. What Talladega does is it brings that reality in no uncertain terms to the television audience. We ride with the boys on the seat of our pants while sitting in our favorite chair at home, knowing that even the slightest miscue could take out half the field. If only they could find the camera angles, to discover the shots, that could bring it home to us from all the tracks and not just the super speedways. That would be something.

We got a three car wreck early, just to remind us that these gents are just fooling around early. Carl Edwards went from minding his own business to riding around in a junker as even Landon Cassill drove away from him.

We got Kurt Busch losing power, finding the fence, and just when he has emergency crews leaning in his windows, a bag of their gear atop the car, and even with his own helmet off, Busch fires it up and droves off. NASCAR parked him for his recklessness, but he then proceeds to do all the right things, thanking his crew, giving them hugs, talking sweetly to the cameras. You want to like the guy, but he had just done something stupid, endangering others. Busch finished 39th, the guy he replaces next week in the Furniture Row entry was 5th. At least, I think NASCAR will still let him race next week.

We watched the tight, high speed action. We saw some incredible saves. We also saw one hell of a mess when Michael Waltrip got pushed into Tony Stewart on the final lap, and discovered once again why none of these cars have collision insurance. Matt Kenseth took his little pink car to the winner’s circle, yet sits 12th in the Chase more than 60 points behind Brad Keselowski, who was 7th. Jimmie Johnson is 14 points back, the only guy within 20 of the leader, and he finished 17th in a smoking heap of metal.

I admit, Talladega spoils me, as does Daytona, yet we also have Bristol and Charlotte to usually provide us with a great level of televised excitement. Next weekend, they return home, to the home of the World 600, home of the All-Star race, and home to this Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As for the Chase, even with six to go it is all but over unless, or until, Mr. Keselowski has himself a bad day.

Finally, there are those who claim that Talladega is not racing. Maybe they are right, just like the forward pass is not true football or home runs have no place in baseball. However, I know what I like. I watched each and every lap on Sunday. I just wish more televised races caused me, and you, to do the same. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”238″][/media-credit]I keep running Sunday’s highlight over and over in my mind. It was incredible. A soon to be 39 year old dashing to his left to make an outstanding grab in Toronto for the Yankees. You may ask just what in blazes Ichiro Suzuki has to do with NASCAR. Sadly, not a damn thing, but at least I had a moment of excitement to tell you about.

I could tell you about the excitement at Dover, but what you saw on lap fifty you pretty much saw on lap 350. Not much change among the top dozen as the boys, and Danica Patrick, went round and round. Thank God for fuel mileage races, as the prospect of somebody running out of gas was just about as good as this got.

Kyle Busch once again dominated and once again that meant nothing at the end. He needed petrol and sunk from first to seventh, Brad Keselowski did not and he won his 9th, and fifth of the season, to move 5 points ahead of Jimmie Johnson in the standings.

Not much excitement, but there were some interesting moments. Kasey Kahne was a challenger until somebody thought he only needed four lug nuts to land him back in 15th. Tony Stewart started deep, went to the pits under green only to see it turn to yellow…twice. 20th was to be his fate. Matt Kenseth was inside the top twenty, but that was as good as it got as he broke a suspension part to leave him bouncing off the walls to wash up in 35th.

Kenseth is 75 away, Hamlin is third, 16 off the pace, Johnson and Keselowski up front with nobody else within 25 points of them. Still, we must await Talladega, where a big wreck could turn the standings upside down. Talladega, where we might finally see some action that will get us excited and keep us glued to the screen.

Kyle Busch has had some time to think this season during his stops in the garage. He figures the Chasers should have their own little points system to keep them more bunched up. So, instead of Kenseth picking up 9 for finishing 35th and Keselowski 47 for winning the race (a difference of 36 points), Kyle supports Kenseth getting 1 point for being the last Chaser and Keselowski getting 16, getting 12 for being first amongst the Chasers, 1 for leading a lap, and 3 for his victory. That would be a difference of only 15. Might I suggest Chasers get enough of a break by the rejigging of points and the 3 point per win bonus after 26 races. If he wants to be really fair, Busch should be advocating for the abolishment of the Chase and the return to the top gun over the course of the season winning the crown.

What would the classic standings be, using our new points system?

1051 – Jimmie Johnson
1040 – Brad Keselowski
1033 – Dale Earnhardt Jr
1025 – Greg Biffle
1012 – Denny Hamlin
1009 – Clint Bowyer

That would be six contenders within 42 points of one another. In the Chase, we have eight. Not much of a difference, and you tell me what would be more legitimate. No, the Chasers don’t need any more breaks. They already got it pretty good, yet most seem like they can’t do anything with it.

What fans need, those who watch these races on television, is a break from the mundane; something damned exciting. Something to have them talking about what they saw come Monday morning when they head back to work. Something to get even the most casual observer excited. I believe they call it Talladega. I think even Ichiro would agree. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit name=”Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]Babe Hamlin? Okay, it might not roll off the tongue as nice as Denny Hamlin but, like George Herman Ruth of old, Hamlin was bold enough to call his shot and was good enough to pull it off in winning at New Hampshire last Sunday. Yes, I still don’t love him, I may still think of him as a bit of a SOB, but you got to admit that this SOB has style.

The race still was not one of those visual fiestas, such as what we expect to see in a couple of weeks in Talladega, but it was not bad for a one trick pony event. For much of it, Hamlin led, so you had to find the pop elsewhere. Kyle Busch might not have made the Chase, but it was great to watch him near the front until his engine went pop, and so did a couple of veins in the lad’s neck in frustration.

We watched to see where the dozen Chasers sat as the crawl went across the top of the screen, to see whose car and heart got broke this time. For the most part none were ever found outside the top twenty. You can’t write a guy off just yet until he at least slips a good 50 points out, and none are quite there yet. Jimmie Johnson is a point up on Brad Keselowski, with Hamlin seven back, Tony Stewart is 10 in the distance, as Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne remain within 15. Jeff Gordon is in the rear, but even though he is 45 points off the pace even he made up some ground on Sunday.

It was more a day about what might have been. Might someone catch Hamlin? No, as it turned out. Might someone wreck? Not really. Might someone find their hopes good and dashed? Unless you consider Martin Truex Jr and Greg Biffle finishing 17th and 18th a disaster, not so much.  Just about the only thing we might have watched for, and got rewarded for doing so, was to see if Hamlin could make good on his promise. He ran out of gas and finished 16th in Chicago so he declared he was going to come back to win it all this time out. Could he, did he? Damn right he did. It marked his 5th win of the season, and the 22nd of his Cup career. In his seventh full season, the 31-year old has never finished outside the top twelve. A SOB with style, indeed.

While Hamlin did win at New Hampshire previously five years ago, we are discovering past success or a lack of it does not mean a whole bunch. That might not be the case in Dover. Jimmie Johnson has won seven in 21 tries at that venue. Seven. Add his ten Top Fives and 15 Top Tens, and one starts to get the feeling that odds are Jimmie is going to have a good weekend.

As for Hamlin, he has four Top Tens in 13 attempts. It might not look promising, but after that called shot, maybe he will now promise some young boy that he will win at Dover on Sunday. Whatever happens, it might be wise for Joe Gibbs not to trade him anywhere, or he might not win the Sprint Cup title for another 86 years. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”231″][/media-credit]The excitement. The drama. The dreams we have, only to be dashed by the reality. In more ways than one, this was Chicago. Thankfully, there is the personal video recorder.

Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski led the race last Sunday afternoon. Unlike Daytona, for example, where the guy leading might switch places with the guy in 20th place on any given lap, what you saw in Chicago you saw for lap upon lap. When you got enough of that, and especially when you catch up to the live fed, you let the program record as you leave for awhile. There is something to be said about that, as you catch up with the latest happenings on the diamond or the gridiron. You get to see stuff live, such as a last second botched field goal attempt that left the New England Patriots sitting second best on the day. You discovered there was not much hope on the weekend for those self-destructing zany Saskatchewan Roughriders. Then you come back to the race.

When I came back, there was either Jimmie or Brad still leading the race. However, after the final pit stops, Keselowski was better and ran off to win his eighth career event and fourth of the season to take the lead in the Chase. With nine to go, he leads the runner-up Johnson by three points and defending champion Tony Stewart by eight.

Yes, there was more news to be had other than who ran first or what ran second. Jeff Gordon, he of the big Richmond comeback, got bit by a hung throttle that caused him to bite the outside wall which resulted in a 35th place, which really bites. Now 47 points out of the hunt, he will need to discover another comeback or his championship hopes will be about on par with those of Kyle Busch.

Matt Kenseth lost a shock, and wound up 18th. Denny Hamlin ran out of fuel on the last lap, and his fate was 16th. Still, only Gordon, Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex Jr are more than 20 points out at the moment. In the novelty section, Danica Patrick ran 25th.

25th is probably the maximum number of actual contenders we have in Sprint Cup. If changes are to be made in who gets a free pass each week, I would lower it from 35 to 25. Bobby Labonte currently is in 24th place, fifty some points ahead of Mark Martin, who has missed nine races this year and is still eleven points better than Kurt Busch. The Top 25 should keep the marquee drivers in, while leaving the rest with a shot at competing for a place. Now, if your race week might be ruined by not seeing Casey Mears, David Gililand, David Ragan, Travis Kvapil or Landon Cassill out there, well, too bad. Let those boys race in if they can. If they can’t beat out Joe Nemechek, they should not be there.

Joe was not last on Sunday. Nemechek ran 52 laps to finish 40th, while Michael McDowell went all of 38 of 267, less than 15% of the contest. My solution? Give the boys a base amount for making the race, say $20,000, then give them 100% of the remainder owed for whatever position they finish in if they run 100% of the laps. Run only 15%, you get just 15% of the remainder owed. If you get crashed out or caught in someone else’s mess, tough luck. If you want to play with the big boys, be sure you can at least run with the big dogs. I wouldn’t mind 25 contenders and 18 pretenders running out there, as long as they at least try to be the best in class.

Now that I’ve solved all of NASCAR’s problems, next week I’ll either tackle the NHL lockout, the Chicago teacher’s strike, or world peace. In the meantime, we have a race coming up in New Hampshire. Eight of the Chasers have won there, while Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Keselowski have not. Mind you, Keselowski had not won at Chicago before last weekend, and neither had Johnson. So much for that statistic. Jeff Gordon has three wins at Loudon, but none since 1998. If nothing else, Gordon has to be not just good, but great this Sunday, or the excitement, the drama, the dream for him will truly come crashing to an end. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”229″][/media-credit]Not so long ago, a wise man (hey, I can dream can’t I?) once said that Kyle Busch would claim the final Chase place at Richmond. This wise man noticed that in 13 of 15 attempts, Busch had finished not worse than sixth. That would leave no room, one would think, for Jeff Gordon to make up a 12 point deficit. It seemed like a pretty good bet. Thank God that wise man didn’t wager on the outcome. Sometimes nudity, even if only to lose one’s shirt, is not a good thing for any of us.

Rain delayed things in Richmond for a couple of hours, then more rain put a halt to the action short of the midway point. Crew chief Dave Rogers left Busch out for track position, just in case the rains continued. They did not. Kyle Busch wanted to pit. He did not. They then hoped for a caution, maybe hoping Brad Keselowski might toss out another water bottle, thermos, or even the entire cooler. He did not. What they would wind up needing was to pit under green for servicing.

Busch came in, the tires went on, but there was something missing. From my couch, a 2400 mile drive away from Richmond, I could see the official in white frantically waving at the missing lug nut on the passenger rear tire. Rogers, from a few feet away in the pit box, apparently did not. After a painful pregnant pause, the man with the airgun returned, fixed the problem, and Busch drove off. Precious time and positions were lost, and in the end Kyle lost his Chase spot to Gordon by three little points.

Jeff was ecstatic. When they had halted for rain, he thought he was done like dinner. Instead, he marched forward, Busch faltered, then they took the gun to his foot and pulled the trigger. Gordon led two laps and finished second, Busch led none and wound up 16th for his second worse finish there in eight seasons. When he pulled in, Joe Gibbs stuck his head in the window to remind his driver to handle the situation the right way. For his trouble, he got a face full of Busch butt as he got out of the car and out of Dodge, but not before stating that they missed it and that there was “no right way to handle it.”

Gibbs claims “we love Dave Rogers.” I’m not sure who “we”includes, but I have a suspicion as to one who might not. It should be interesting to see how this plays out over the course of the next ten races. Meanwhile, Gordon said if he made the Chase he was going to bring back that cheesy mustache he sported back when he first broke in, and he is a man of his word. I guess we can blame Dave Rogers for that, too.

Heading to Chicago, Denny Hamlin enters the Chase with a 12 point bonus to lead the way, three up on Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Keselowski. Those with 2006 points, six off the pace, are Richmond race winner Clint Bowyer, who led the final 86 laps, and Greg Biffle. Three behind them we find Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Matt Kenseth, with Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex Jr, Kasey Kahne, and Gordon all starting with 2000 points. Four cars owned by Rick Hendrick, two by Jack Roush, and two by Michael Waltrip, with Childress, Penske, Stewart, and Gibbs each with one.

So, it is off to Chicago and the nitty gritty portion of the season. Tony Stewart won there last season but, based on what happened last Saturday night, yesterday’s results might mean squat coming into this weekend. Still, Smoke has won there three times in eleven attempts, Harvick has a couple, with Junior and Jeff with one apiece. Stewart might be the favorite coming in but, as we have discovered, it is what it is heading out that really counts. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”233″][/media-credit]Atlanta, the place where Richard Petty made his exit and Jeff Gordon made his Cup entrance back in 1992. It is where Alan Kulwicki claimed his title. It was the venue from which Sunday’s action was telecast, but after the initial broadcast hype I found these old eye lids fluttering like I was a damsel meeting Prince Harry in Las Vegas for the first time. To ask if I found much of the race boring, especially the first two-thirds, is like wondering if the Pope is German.

Then were was the ending. Jeff Gordon tried desperately to catch Denny Hamlin, to claim that elusive second victory that could push him into the Chase. It did not happen. The Pied Piper won his fourth of the season, 21st of his career, and moved alone to the head of the class with just one to go before the Chase contenders are locked in. It was not 1992 all over again, though it got interesting in the end, and even for a lap or two it might have actually be termed exciting.

It was, well, just racing. They can’t all be spectacles, though there was the wreck that collected Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, and Sam Hornish, Jr. Just a racing deal, where one of the three made a minor mistake at a high speed that resulted in bad things happening. It was worse for Newman, one of those needing a win or at least to be within hailing distance of Kyle Busch in the points, and wound up with neither.

In the end, 11 drivers found themselves locked into the Chase. Tony Stewart will either make it on points or by his three wins. Sitting in tenth heading to Richmond, Stewart is 18 points up on two-time winner Kasey Kahne, 23 ahead of Kyle Busch, with Jeff Gordon 35 points away. It only gets interesting if Stewart has a bad day.

Then there is the second wildcard berth. Busch, Gordon, Marcos Ambrose, Newman, and Joey Logano can claim that with a second win this weekend. It only gets interesting if at least one of these fellows is very near the front. If not, then it comes down to a points race in which only two would be contending, as Busch leads Gordon by 12. It is a tall order, but sure better than the 40 points Ambrose would need to make up to be relevant. As for the winless Carl Edwards, he needs to win and finish 26 points ahead of Busch on Saturday night.

To make it real simple, it sounds like Rowdy needs to be roughed up early, Gordon needs to take flight, or one of the trio involving Ambrose, Newman, and Logano needs to find Victory Lane to give us some drama.  The last time Gordon won there was in 2000; Newman in 2003. The last time Kyle Busch won at Richmond was last April, his fourth straight spring victory on the track.  Richmond, where in 15 races run Kyle has finished 20th once, 15th once, 6th once, and a dozen times in the Top Five. In fact, the last time Kyle Busch finished outside the Top Six at Richmond was September 7, 2008, winning four of the past seven. Like last week, the television boys and girls will probably hype Saturday’s race, showcasing the six contenders seeking that one final Chase position. However, I think this battle is already over. Enjoy the week.