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NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch finished second in a wild and crash-filled Geico 500 at Talladega as Brad Keselowski captured the win. Busch is second in the Sprint Cup points standings, nine behind Kevin Harvick.

“I finished second,” Busch said, “and Carl Edwards finished 35th. Just like last week, I see Edwards behind me.

“Everybody knows I owe Carl Edwards. Carl knows, too. I told Carl I’d give him fair warning, though. That’ll come in the form of Jamie McMurray. When Carl sees McMurray, he’ll know he’s got ‘1’ coming.”

2. Kevin Harvick: Harvick’s strong day at Talladega ended on a sour note when he was sucked into a last-lap pileup. He finished 15th.

“Danger is always a factor at Talladega,” Harvick said. “Nothing speaks to that better than the fact that Busch beer was on the No. 4 Chevrolet for the race. Whether you’re headed to the mountains of Busch or the air of Talladega, you’re likely to get wasted.

“Tony Stewart started the race. Ty Dillon took over after the first caution. That was at the orders of Tony’s doctors. So, it was good news for Tony’s back, and his stomach.

3. Carl Edwards: Edwards suffered damage in a lap 96 incident, then blew a tire on lap 111 and slammed Jimmie Johnson. The wreck ended Edwards day, and he finished 35th in the Geico 500 at Talladega.

“I still haven’t spoken to Kyle Busch about bumping him out of the lead at Richmond,” Edwards said. “I expect I will at some point. When I do want Kyle’s attention, I’ll just tap him on the shoulder.”

4. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski led a race-high 46 laps and won the Geico 500.

“There are two types of people that love racing at Talladega,” Keselowski said. “Fans, and the race winner.

“But seriously, Brian France claims to have safety in mind for the drivers, but what’s more likely to be hurt are his feelings, not a driver. If you can’t take criticism from Tony Stewart, you’re not fit to be in this sport, because everyone’s been criticized by Tony.”

5. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s day ended early after a lap 160 incident with Kurt Busch that sent Johnson into the wall. Johnson finished 22nd, six laps down.

“Busch just ran right through me,” Johnson said. “Kurt’s been known to charge with full ferocity. But it’s one thing to pin your ears back surgically, which Kurt had done in 2006, and pin your ears back figuratively, which he did at Talladega.”

6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt started third at Talladega and struggled from the start, spinning on lap 50 before being taken out by Carl Edwards after the No. 19 car blew a tire. Earnhardt finished 40th.

“My steering wheel came off at one point during the race,” Earnhardt said. “Here’s the interesting thing: that’s the best my car drove all day.”

7. Kurt Busch: Busch ran up front for much of the day at Talladega and delivered an eighth-place finish in the Geico 500.

“To succeed at Talladega,” Busch said, “you have to find the right balance of patience and aggression. The problem with fellow drivers have with me is they lose their patience altogether.”

8. Joey Logano: Logano finished 25th at Daytona, with a strong run negated by a last-lap pileup that victimized the No. 22 and several other cars. Logano is fifth in the points standings, 35 out of first.

“Cars were going airborne right and left,” Logano said. “As a driver, you hate to see that. It sends a chill up your spine and makes your testicles retract way up into your abdomen. That’s a real ‘aero package.’”

9. Chase Elliott: Elliott won the pole at Talladega, thirty years after his father Bill did and came through with a fifth in the Geico 500.

“’Like father, like son,’ as they say,” said Elliott. “I guess it runs in the family. I could say, ‘I have speed coursing through my veins,’ but I’d rather not be mistaken for Jeremy Mayfield.”

10. Austin Dillon: Dillon finished third at Talladega, earning his third top-five of the year.

“There was a lot of duct tape used at Talladega on Sunday,” Dillon said. “That’s not unusual. This is Alabama. Duct tape is a part of life. Heck, it’s part of the state flag.”

May 3, 2016
The Final Word – Talladega; what could possibly go wrong?

Bad things happen at Talladega. If you are not barrel rolling or wall smacking, you just had yourself a nice, pleasant day in Alabama. That kind of thing, in fact, can get you a win, as was the case with Brad Keselowski on Sunday. The White Deux actually looked pretty good at the end, as the 2012 champ won his 19th career race, and second of the season. When all the smoke had cleared, the driver leading the most laps was leading the last one.

For some, things did not quite work out. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is always seen as a favorite, but after the 50th lap, not so much. He lost control, collected teammate Kasey Kahne, and they went back to check out the snacks available in the garage.

Tony Stewart, under doctor’s orders to protect his back, used the caution to crawl out and let Ty Dillon take that ride home. A seventh place finish proved that they had a plan that worked. Most planned to stay on all four tires, but that idea went tumbling down the track for Chris Buescher who did a few barrel rolls after being caught up in some four-wide racing.

Good news for Junior and Kahne fans, as both returned. Maybe that was bad news. Earnhardt actually had his steering wheel come off under caution and did some shaft driving before he reattached it. This is after he helped Carl Edwards avoid the wall when Edwards shot up the track and sandwiched Junior to a merciful conclusion. A few laps later, Kahne could no longer handle his car, which also shot up into the outside wall and he was finally done, too. At least both Hendrick boys got, not just one but, two post-wreck interviews. You got to keep them sponsors happy.

With less than thirty to go, we managed to rid ourselves of yet another Hendrick car. Kurt Busch influenced Jimmie Johnson to move up to take out fellow Top Ten driver Paul Menard in a mishap that involved 17 drivers. Yet, a less numerous yet more spectacular meeting of the metal took place about 20 laps later when Danica Patrick got turned to the inside and invited Matt Kenseth to space camp, who exposed the bottom of his car to the television viewers as it launched. Patrick, meanwhile, made some solid contact with the wall to feel the agony of de fence. Both were done as another half dozen cars got bent out of shape to some degree in that one.

If you thought we were done, you were just ignoring your inner Ricky Bobby. As Keselowski thundered to the line, with Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, and Jamie McMurray behind him, more boys were beating the stuffings out of their boogity boogities. Kevin Harvick, who almost went wheels up, A.J. Allmendinger, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Martin Truex Jr. were among those making mangled metallic memories.

Seven of the Top Ten at Talladega currently hold down a Chase place. Ryan Blaney is just nine points out while Stewart returns to the driver’s seat this Saturday night in Kansas. Thanks to his relief driver, he only has to make up 61 points and pick up a win, to claim a Chase place. Clint Bowyer had a Top Ten and a win still gets him in, or he has 68 points to make up on 16th place. When you think on it, the odds still might favor Stewart. Bowyer has gone winless in 15 attempts in Kansas, and considering the quality of cars he has been blessed with this season, his odds are definitely not terribly high on Saturday.

May 2, 2016
Hot 20 – NASCAR gives Tony grief last week, and now some relief at Talladega

Just a week after Tony Stewart criticized NASCAR for its rather lax rules regarding tightened lug nuts, and having to cough up a $35,000 fine for doing so, guess who is once again mandating that all lug nuts be tightened? Apparently there are no “whistler blower” provisions in effect when it comes to spotlighting stupidity. Look at the shock on this ole face. At least a few of Stewart’s peers were outraged enough to go in together to pay the fine for him. Sure, NASCAR could just say “thanks” to Tony and move on. Actually, based on what we have seen over the year, no, they could not. They just do not have it in them.

Coming to Talladega, I doubt many fans have forgotten the fine handed out to Dale Earnhardt Jr. after he won there in 2004. When asked about taking his fifth career victory at the big track, Junior responded on television with “It don’t mean shit right now. Daddy’s won here 10 times.” That cost him $10,000 and a few points. Hell, it is a good thing I am not a driver. I would be broke by June.

Try as they might, they just cannot seem to do what is right. While Stewart looks at his fine as an investment into the safety of the sport, NASCAR spouts off about how its drivers cannot question the integrity of the sport, even if its integrity is sometimes suspect. Their response to a host of issues has been found wanting, both on the track and off it. You would have thought that by now they would know if something could pose a danger, one day it will for someone. A lack of lug nuts, exposed concrete walls, seating too close to the action are among them.

NASCAR has done some good things. The safety of the car is the biggest one, in my opinion. Despite my initial misgivings, I do like the Chase, I do like the new points system, and I do like having wins have more meaning. That said, do you really think Stewart should make the Chase if he cannot complete a race? Ty Dillon will relieve him at some point this Sunday, with Tony getting credit for the points picked up, and even a victory should that happen. Really? Those have long been the rules, but I think time and recent rule changes have made that archaic. If you have to get out of the car, you park the car. No exceptions. Poor NASCAR, even when they try to be understanding, they either fail to understand or they are misunderstood.

You would think NASCAR would even have a team in place to quickly address social issue controversies, especially in these times. When we are actually having unisex changing rooms at swimming pools, washrooms of the same design were not far off. They do not have to buy into what everyone is selling, but NASCAR should at least be prepared to respond one way or the other in terms they are willing to stand by.

Hiding attendance figures is not exactly the response of an open, transparent, people friendly outfit, either. NASCAR even has its own way of eliminating the question of whether a glass is half empty or half full by just tearing down grandstands and calling the smaller configuration a better glass. Some like to think they and their sport or favorite team are in it together. NASCAR does not allow that. That is not helpful when one is going through tough times.

Shooting the messenger, then immediately acting on the message, does not help much either. Having Talladega on tap for our Hot 20 does.

1. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS – 331 PTS
Loves, loves, loves to love tap his teammate.

2. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 310 PTS
Stewart got fined, but Jimmie, Junior, Kyle, Brad, Denny and Kevin paid it…and happy to do so.

3. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS – 302 PTS
If Kyle does not pay Carl back, Samantha just might.

4. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 324 PTS
His sponsor promotes drinking beer and going fishing. What possibly could go wrong?

5. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 258 PTS
From the Drivers’ Council: NASCAR, you did Tony wrong. Love, Denny and friends.

6. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 255 PTS
Tony will pay his own fine, but thanks to Brad and company a donation goes to fight autism.

7. JOEY LOGANO – 299 PTS
Would love to see what happened last fall repeat itself this spring.

8. KURT BUSCH – 279 PTS
Maybe he could start a Formula One race, and have Lewis Hamilton sub for him.

9. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 278 PTS
Junior loves Talladega, and the fans there love him right back.

10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 246 PTS
Top 10 in the standings, more than likely a top 10 on Sunday.

11. CHASE ELLIOTT – 234 PTS
When does this racing thing get hard?

12. AUSTIN DILLON – 234 PTS
Having a good year, yet everyone is talking about brother Ty coming into the weekend.

13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 224 PTS
Five mph above the speed limit is his street limit. Considering radar is now a cash cow, good thing.

14. KASEY KAHNE – 222 PTS
A career revival constitutes making the Chase and doing well once he gets there.

15. MATT KENSETH – 212 PTS
Having the worse kind of season 25 other drivers can only dream of having.

16. RYAN NEWMAN – 205 PTS
Second-best average finisher at Talladega the past two years. That has to count for something.

17. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 204 PTS
Some drivers do well with one-car teams. Others are named Clint Bowyer.

18. TREVOR BAYNE – 196 PTS
With an average Talladega finish outside the Top 25, he could see a lot of Danica on Sunday.

19. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 193 PTS
Richmond penalty costs the team Crew Chief Nick Sandler this weekend.

20. RYAN BLANEY – 187 PTS
Here partially in thanks to Paul Menard, Kyle Larson, Greg Biffle, and Bowyer

April 27, 2016
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Richmond

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch: Busch led 78 laps at Richmond, including 35 of the last 36, but couldn’t close the deal on the win as Carl Edwards bumped him out of the lead on the final lap. Busch’s runner-up finish was his seventh top five of the year and he is now fourth in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“I’m very emotional after losing,” Busch said. “You could say I was ‘moved’ by Edwards.

“I want to talk about Edwards about as much as I do about hitting a fan at Bristol. Really, I don’t want to talk about that fan I hit. That’s what happens when the ‘shhhh’ hits the fan.”

2. Carl Edwards: Edwards led 151 of 400 laps at Richmond and stalked Kyle Busch for several laps before bumping him out of the way on the final circuit. Edwards took his second consecutive win while Busch was prevented from capturing his third victory of the year.

“I know Kyle is one of my Joe Gibbs Racing teammates,” Edwards said, “but a win is a win. Thus, you saw my celebratory back flip preceded by the predatory backstab.”

“I’m sure Kyle would have done the same thing had he been in my shoes. And I mean that as a compliment to Kyle. And I’m sure he’ll return the favor.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick started on the pole at Richmond after qualifying was rained out and finished fifth for his fourth top five of the year.

“It’s good to see Tony Stewart back in racing,” Harvick said. “And I think it’s ludicrous that NASCAR chose to fine him. If you’re going to mention ’35,000’ and ‘Tony Stewart,’ it should only be in a discussion of his weekly calorie intake.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson finished third at Richmond, posting his fifth top-five result of the year.

“It’s good to see Tony Stewart back in a race car,” Johnson said, “and I applaud his critical comments of NASCAR safety. Tony speaks for a lot of us because he’s not afraid to say what’s on his mind. It takes bravery to say the things Tony does. Let’s just say where balls are concerned, Tony has a huge pair. With that comes great responsibility, and I surely wouldn’t want to lug those nuts around.”

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt saw a potential top-10 finish fall by the wayside after a late restart shuffled him back in the field. He finished 13th and is seventh in the Sprint Cup points standings.

“Can you imagine the turmoil had Jimmie Johnson bumped me out of a sure win?” Earnhardt said. “The fans of Junior Nation would have rioted. They certainly would have tossed their beer cans onto the track. Only the empties, of course.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch led 55 laps and finished 10th in the Toyota Owners 400, scoring his sixth top 10 of the year.

“My brother Kyle was very disappointed in losing that race,” Busch said, “and so was his wife Samantha. So much so that she uttered the ‘S’ word on national television. But Kyle wants everyone to rest assured that she’s not the only one on the ‘S’ list.”

7. Joey Logano: Logano fell a lap down early at Richmond but rebounded and came home with a ninth-place finish.

“I made contact with Tony Stewart early in the race,” Logano said, “and it resulted in a flat tire for Tony. I’m sure he wasn’t happy about that. He probably uttered some profanities directed at me. Samantha Busch used the ‘S’ word; Tony used the ‘little S’ word.”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin started fifth and finished sixth at Richmond as Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch finished 1-2.

“NASCAR fined Tony Stewart $35,000 for his comments regarding lug nuts,” Hamlin said. “I disagree with this. Tony should be able to speak his mind freely without the threat of retribution. So, he should be given the same privilege he refuses to give anyone else.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 11th in the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond while Penske Racing teammate Joey Logano finished eighth.

“I don’t blame Carl Edwards for bumping Kyle Busch,” Keselowski said. “If the tables were turned, I’m sure Kyle would have done the same thing. And speaking of ‘turned tables,’ I’m sure Kyle will flip a few in the next JGR drivers meeting. Heck, Kyle didn’t think twice about hitting a random fan. After what happened at Richmond, I doubt he’ll think at all before bumping Edwards.”

10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex finished ninth at Richmond, posting his fourth top 10 of the year. He is 10th in the points standings, 85 out of first.

“I can’t imagine being bumped out of the lead by a teammate,” Truex said. “That’s because I don’t have a teammate.”

April 27, 2016
The Final Word – A funny thing happened on the way to Kyle’s Richmond celebration

Hey, what is a little bump and run between teammates, eh? Down to the final laps at Richmond, Kyle Busch had it won. Even Carl Edwards thought he had it. However, Rowdy became a bit conservative, or maybe his tires wore down. Just maybe, he thought he had a teammate behind him and could just cruise to the finish line. Obviously, Kyle forgot that this particular teammate has been known wander off his meds on rare occasions. Sometimes Cousin Carl can turn into a doll named Chucky. Just ask Matt Kenseth.

On the final lap, Edwards cut low and stuck. Coming off the final turn, he cut low again and when Busch did the same, out came the fender horn. Kyle got loose, Carl went by for the win. No doubt Carl just hated for that to happen. You could tell how sad he was in celebrating the victory. Sad, my ass. His second of the season was the 27th of his career, marking the first time in 120 races that a last-lap pass for the win took place at Richmond. Mind you, with two wins already to his credit, I think Kyle will be just fine, though I am not so sure his wife will be as forgiving.

Just being back was some kind of victory for Tony Stewart. After missing the first eight of the season mending, now we have to see if he can replicate the kind of campaign that led Busch to a championship a year ago. Stewart was 19th on Sunday, and to make the Chase he now has to win a race and make up the 101 points between himself and 30th place. He has 17 attempts to make it happen.

Edwards and Busch were not alone up front, at least they were not early on. Jimmie Johnson, who finished third, led early while the fourth place finishing Kevin Harvick was a factor for the most part. Denny Hamlin was the victim of a runaway tire in the pits that took him out of it, but he recovered to finish nicely in fifth. Kurt Busch was another we saw lots of, though he faded back to 10th by the time his brother got bumped.

Kasey Kahne did not have a great day, but he got into the mix late to finish third, which keeps him with a Chase place. Top Tens also went to the likes of Kenseth, Joey Logano, and Martin Truex Jr. As for Clint Bowyer, Stewart cannot get out of his ride fast enough to make room for him. Once again, his current ride remains not ready for prime time as he came home 33rd to sit 29th in points. He desperately needs a win, and I would not mind having my hair back. Some things are just too much to ask for.

However, asking for excitement next Sunday at Talladega is not one of them. It is almost a guarantee that fans will be riding by the seat of their pants in the grandstands and in their easy chairs at home, a lot like the drivers they will be cheering on. Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. add to his total of six career wins there, or might Brad Keselowski add another to his three previous wins? Who will make the race, Michael Waltrip or David Gilliland? Who will be involved in the Big One? The answers will come our way this Sunday from Talladega.

April 25, 2016
Carl Edwards ‘Bumps’ his Way to Victory in Richmond

Carl Edwards used the chrome bumper on the final lap to score the victory at Richmond.

The driver of the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota led 151 of the 400 laps and bumped teammate Kyle Busch out of the way exiting turn 4 to win the Toyota Owners 400. It’s his 27th career victory in the Sprint Cup Series and second at Richmond International Raceway.

“Kyle’s an amazing teammate and it’s like he got really slow there at the end,” Edwards said. “Something happened that last lap. It was like his rear tires went off or something. He went down into (turn) one and I drove it in and I got to him and I thought, ‘Man, I’ve got something.’ And he went to get down to the bottom and park it in three and four and I had already decided to go down there so I thought, ‘Man, I’m going to give him a little nudge,’ and we both have got wins and we’re racing for fun getting these trophies and just an awesome day.

“Man, I didn’t think we had anything. Kyle was so good there for that run. I was doing everything I could. He never spun his tires and if Dave (Rogers, crew chief) hadn’t screamed at me to just go get him that last lap I don’t know if I would’ve drove it in there that well. Just a team effort.

“It’s an afternoon race which made it a lot of fun to drive and a bunch of families here. Just very cool…it’s a big win for us.”

Busch wound up in the runner-up spot after leading 78 laps in his No. 18 JGR Toyota.

“It was just racing I guess,” Busch said of being bumped by Edwards. “We had a great car.

“We were fast. Maybe not as good as Carl was on the long run but we did everything right. We did everything we were supposed to do and put ourselves in the right position. Adam (Stevens, crew chief) made some awesome adjustments to this car. We lost it there the second to last run and were fading a little bit but the guys gave me an awesome pit stop, got me track position and got us out front and we had a shot to win so that’s all that matters.”

Jimmie Johnson led 44 laps on his way to rounding out the podium in his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“I think this tire was perfect for what we’ve been asking for,” Johnson said. “We had multiple lanes that laid the rubber in the race track and we didn’t have all those marbles build-up on the outside, where it really limited your opportunities up high. It was fun. The cars were slipping and sliding; there was a ton of fall off. I enjoyed the long runs. I really like sizing up guys that I’m racing with and seeing how that works out. And then, at the end, we had a bunch of short runs.

“We kind of lost our way in the middle part of the race, but we had good pit stops and some great adjustments at the end got us into the top-three.”

Kasey Kahne posted his first top-five finish of the season with a fourth-place finish in his No. 5 HMS Chevrolet.

“The Mountain Dew Chevrolet was great the whole race,” Kahne said. “The pit stops were awesome and just the communication with Keith (Rodden, crew chief) and the team all weekend long; same as last week and same as the weekend before in Texas. It’s been solid and we’re heading in the right direction. It’s been really nice. We got a good restart there at the end. I had pretty good starts all day. I screwed one up and other than that, we had good restarts. It feels good.”

Kevin Harvick led 63 laps on his way to rounding out the top-five in his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet.

“We started really loose to start the race and got into the wall there and we had to make some more adjustments after I self-adjusted it (laughs),” Harvick said. “And then, we had a couple of really good runs there in the middle of the race. As we started adjusting on it, we never could get the rear drive to go along with the turns. It’s kind of a balance of where the turn is good enough and you can still manage the drive, but everybody tried everything we could. We threw a lot at it and just never could find that magic balance for the car that we had there in the middle of the race.”

Denny Hamlin led one lap on his way to a sixth-place finish in his No. 11 JGR Toyota. Matt Kenseth led two laps on his way to a seventh-place finish in his No. 20 JGR Toyota.

“I thought the track was okay,” Kenseth said of the multiple grooves. “There was a little bit more room than there typically was. I never really went for it real far. I got back to about seventh, where we are, and that’s about what I was at the beginning when we had our problems so I could never quite get up there with the best cars. But, it was nice it widened out a little bit.”

Joey Logano finished eighth in his No. 22 Team Penske Ford.

“I needed to find a different lane,” Logano said. “Every lane I found didn’t work. At the end, it started to and I felt like maybe a couple of more restarts and good pit-stops we could have track positioned ourselves to be closer to the front and maybe squeak out a top-five at the end. Taking a car from being the 35th-place car to a top-five car throughout a race is quite impressive for what my team was able to do today. It was great teamwork. Everyone kept working hard and those are great opportunities to implode internally as a race team and completely throw away a whole race and start yelling and screaming at each other but there was not one moment of that today from my team. Everyone was very methodical about the changes and we tried things that didn’t work so we went the other way and it started to work for us. I am proud of the effort from my team today. We need to make the cars a little faster, but I am proud of the effort.”

Martin Truex Jr. finished ninth in his No. 78 Furniture Row Racing Toyota. Kurt Busch led 55 laps on his way to rounding out the top-10 in his No. 41 SHR Chevrolet.

The race lasted three hours, five minutes and 26 seconds at an average speed of 97.070 mph. There were 23 lead changes among eight different drivers and eight cautions for 49 laps.

Edwards leaves Richmond with a seven-point lead over Harvick.

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April 24, 2016
Hot 20 – Excitement at Bristol, more expected for Richmond, but does anyone give a damn?

One hundred forty thousand backsides can be parked around the coliseum that is the Bristol Speedway. Nobody releases any official figures these days, as NASCAR would rather try to keep its head, or yours, buried deep in the sand. However, when less than 100,000 show up, and some think this was a stadium only half full at a track guaranteed to showcase action, something is terribly wrong.

You can blame the economy only for so long. Maybe people are just sick and tired of high ticket costs, concession prices, and what one has to lay out for accommodations. Money is tight, and you better not come across as a robber baron if you want any of it. I mean, $300 a night hotels with a three-night minimum. Really?

Writing this column ensures I watch nearly every event. No one else in my family does any longer. When was the last time a celebrity asked, “How bad have you got it?” No more do the All-State girls stalk Kasey Kahne, no one drives a Big Brown Truck, NAPA is long gone, and we have long since said goodbye to Goodwrench. Maybe it was just a fad, some phase we went through. I guess some just last longer than others. The NFL seems to be doing alright, and there is no better way to spend an afternoon than catching a ball game at Fenway.

I am not going to take the opportunity to slam NASCAR. Not this time. Sure, I still enjoy doing so, but I still enjoy the product. Maybe not with the passion I once had, but I want to see Jimmie Johnson make it seven championships, Dale Earnhardt Jr. to chalk up just one, to watch Austin Dillon, Chase Elliott, and Ryan Blaney succeed. There are so many to cheer for, a few I would rather not and probably for no good reason other than it is fun to jeer them. I mention this because I am concerned. Bristol once was sold out for over 25 straight years, both races each year. Sunday’s attendance came as almost a shock. Not so much that there were fewer fans, just the fact there were fewer fans at Bristol. That just should not happen.

Six of our Hot 20 are champions, one a former six-time title holder. Richmond has been on the schedule since the 1950s. Does it matter? It still does to me.

1. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS – 271 PTS
Winless streak hits three. I doubt anyone is panicking just yet, other than maybe the opposition.

2. KYLE BUSCH – 2 WINS – 262 PTS
Damn tire. Damn wall. Damn penalty. Damn tire. Damn wall. Damn, I am sorry, lady.

3. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN – 287 PTS
I watched Harvick win from the Daytona backstretch. It no longer exists, same with Richmond’s.

4. CARL EDWARDS – 1 WIN – 286 PTS
Where in hell did all my teammates go last week?

5. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 1 WIN – 224 PTS
Three Top Tens, including a win, in his last four Richmond starts.

6. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN – 222 PTS
Dear Carl: Love your car. Hey, I have an idea…

7. JOEY LOGANO – 266 PTS
If the past two years mean anything, Joey is going to love being back in Virginia.

8. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 250 PTS
Let me understand this. They wave the green flag and we go? Does the car know?

9. KURT BUSCH – 247 PTS
Showed last Sunday he is not just another pretty Busch. He was the one with inflated tires.

10. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 214 PTS
A single Top Five in twenty starts does not exactly make him a sure thing at Richmond.

11. AUSTIN DILLON – 213 PTS
Camping World and XFINITY champ continues to show he is more than someone’s grandson.

12. CHASE ELLIOTT – 205 PTS
The way things are going, soon Bill Elliott will be best known for being a dad, not a racer.

13. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 199 PTS
Might not win, but a Top Five is certainly not out of the question this weekend.

14. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 188 PTS
He can turn right, he can turn left, and now he seems able to just go round and round.

15. KASEY KAHNE – 185 PTS
Won at Richmond more than a decade ago, but no sure bet for a Top Ten this weekend.

16. RYAN NEWMAN – 182 PTS
Odds indicate a Top Ten on Sunday for the Rocketman.

17. RICKY STENHOUSE JR. – 178 PTS
Had a long day last week after being spun right round, baby, right round like a record, baby.

18. MATT KENSETH – 177 PTS
After watching the movie Major League, he has an idea. Does anyone have a chicken?

19. RYAN BLANEY – 174 PTS
A quick learner with XFINITY success, but Sunday marks his first Cup appearance at Richmond.

20. TREVOR BAYNE – 172 PTS
Roush Fenway cars still in the mix, with Stenhouse just ahead and Biffle not far behind.

April 20, 2016
NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Bristol

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick finished seventh at Bristol, posting his seventh top-10 result of the year. He leads the Sprint Cup points standings by a single point over second-place Carl Edwards.

“The No. 4 Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet was pretty strong at Bristol,” Harvick said. “Jimmy Johns slogan is ‘Freaky Fast.’ Hunt Brothers Pizza’s logo is ‘You’ll Need A Bathroom—Freaky Fast.’”

2. Kyle Busch: Busch, seeking his third consecutive win, experienced a tough day at Bristol. His day ended on lap 256 when he blew a right-front tire and slammed the wall. He finished 38th.

“I had an early spin,” Busch said, “then suffered a speeding penalty. And I blew two tires. Right-front tires on Joe Gibbs Racing cars were like seats at Bristol Motor Speedway—they were most likely empty.

“While driving to the garage, my car made contact with a fan. I seem to be making a habit of running into fans off the track. That 38th-place finish was only my second out of the top 5 this season. So, relatively speaking, my day was ‘pedestrian.’”

3. Carl Edwards: Edwards started on the pole at Bristol and led 276 of 500 laps, capturing the Food City 500 in dominating fashion.

“Of course,” Edwards said, “I performed my celebratory backflip after the race. Unlike Kyle Busch, the only thing I nailed was the landing.”

4. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson suffered a late loose wheel issue and finished a disappointing 23rd in the Food City 500.

“That loose wheel ruined a potential top 5,” Johnson said. “That’s called getting ‘screwed unscrewed.’”

5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.: After a slow start, Earnhardt recovered to score the runner-up spot in the Food City 500. He is sixth in the Sprint Cup points standings, 37 out of first.

“I accidentally hit the kill engine switch when the green flag dropped,” Earnhardt said. “Those kill switches are necessary in this sport. Now, they’d be of more use if they could be applied to pre-race prayers.

“I was lucky enough to meet Peyton Manning. He gave me a Broncos jersey; I gave him a HANS device.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch led 41 laps and finished third in an entertaining Food City 500 at Bristol.

“My brother Kyle made contact with a fan as he drove his damaged car to the garage midway through the race,” Busch said. “I guess the fan didn’t see Kyle coming. Some say our cars should be outfitted with horns. Others say they shouldn’t because there’s already too many ‘honk-ies’ in this sport already.”

7. Joey Logano: Logano posted a 10th-place finish at Bristol, recording his fifth top 10 of the year.

“How lucky is Dale Earnhardt Jr.?” Logano said. “He got to meet Peyton Manning. But how lucky is Manning? He received the grand tour of Bristol Motor Speedway by Earnhardt himself. Talk about a ‘Thunder Valet.’”

8. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 20th at Bristol as Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards took the win.

“JGR took four of the top five qualifying positions,” Hamlin said. “Only Carl Edwards was able to close the deal, however. By ‘closing the deal,’ I mean driving back to the garage without running over someone.”

9. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski had a top-10 car until a late tire issue set him back. He finished 18th and is now eighth in the points standings, 63 out of first.

“Luckily,” Keselowski said, “the fan that Kyle Busch hit was not injured. I guess God was looking out for her. I like to believe that had I been in that fan’s shoes, a higher power would have pushed me out of the path of the car, hopefully before Kevin Harvick pushed me into it.”

10. Martin Truex Jr.: Truex started eighth and finished 14th in the Food City 500.

“It’s interesting the way Kyle Busch keeps meeting NASCAR fans,” Truex said. “It’s either (get out of) my way’ or ‘the highway.’”

April 19, 2016
The Final Word – Sunday was a strange, strange day at Bristol

There are ways to describe Sunday’s action in Bristol, but to do it justice one would need a blow-by-blow analysis of most of the competitors to figure out what happened, and how it happened. Let us begin with what we know.

We know that Carl Edwards had one of the most dominant cars on the day. So did Matt Kenseth, while Kurt Busch (third) and Kevin Harvick (seventh) gave Edwards some company up front. Still, it was Cousin Carl who persevered, at the beginning, in the middle, and right to the end when he was putting some distance between himself and the field. Wheels that went straight, tires that kept inflated, walls that did not bite him, and the speed to see him lead a majority of the 500 laps allowed him to gather up his 26th career victory, his fourth at Bristol. That we know.

What happened to his Joe Gibbs teammates is a little tougher to analyze. All four entries started in the first five positions, but 20th by Denny Hamlin was the best the rest could do after he sustained some damage in a pit road collision. Kenseth led for 142 laps, but the snake came back to bite him yet again this season. While running first, he lost his right front but found the fence. When he found it again later on, for the same reason, he was done in 36th. It could have been worse.

Kyle Busch had been making a habit of winning lately, after consecutive triumphs at Martinsville and Texas. He took the drama out of it early, losing his right front and slamming the wall just 50 laps in. Sixty laps later, he got tagged from behind by Chris Buescher and went for a spin. Seventy laps further on, he got a pit road penalty. Seventy laps later, he lost another right front, found another fence, and finally put the car out of its misery, finishing 38th. Maybe too much camber angle proved to be the culprit.

Some had bad tidings, but good results. Dale Earnhardt Jr. could not even get up to speed on the green flag lap to start, and was down two laps in no time. At least he did it with 500 laps to go, and due to some good fortune popped up in the end to run second. Even Junior thought he had, at best, a Top 15 ride. Chase Elliott had a tire issue, fell back to 31st by the 200th lap, but was fourth when they waved the checkered. Then there was Joey Logano. He finished 10th, despite an early green flag stop for a vibration that got costlier when their tire rolled away in the pits to sit even one behind Elliott at the time.

Not enough great days for some others this season, but a few had one on Sunday. Trevor Bayne and Matt DiBenedetto were fifth and sixth at Bristol while Clint Bowyer had a Top Ten. Not so for Kyle Larson, as he dropped from third to a good 60 laps in arrears when his track bar broke. Cars seemed to get into trouble, rise out of the ashes, only to have their hopes dashed later on. Danica Patrick was 29th on Lap 200, fourth on Lap 275, and by Lap 435 she was barely in the Top Thirty. The Danica Line at Bristol was 27th, just one back of Austin Dillon and one up on Cole Whitt.

On Sunday, there was no Big One, just a bunch of nasty Little Ones. However, as Talladega promises to do on May 1, that short track in Tennessee messed with people, including the minds of fans trying to keep track of the comers and goers, the heartbreakers and the heartbroken. It was not a boring 3.5-hours.

Before they get to Alabama, they have a Sunday date in Richmond. Despite all his woes this year, Kenseth remains just five points out of a Chase place. Another win, like the one he celebrated last autumn at Richmond, would for all intents and purposes lock him into the championship hunt. Up to now, Kenseth has run well but always waiting for that black cloud to roll in to ruin his day. A single win and he is back to rainbows and blue skies. Funny, blue skies is exactly the weather they are calling for this Sunday.

April 18, 2016
Surprising and Not Surprising: Food City 500 at Bristol

It was Bristol, baby. The half-mile track in “Thunder Valley,” exciting or not, is always eventful. Sunday was no different. Here was what was surprising and not surprising from the 56th annual Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Surprising: After a long day on Sunday, Carl Edwards decisively won the Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol.

The driver they call “Concrete Carl” won his fourth race at Bristol and his third overall victory for owner Joe Gibbs. It’s his 26th career win and first of the season, practically locking him into the Chase. It was also Edwards’ first win from the pole in six years.

“So it was a really great race for us,” Edwards said post race. “It started on Friday –well, started this winter building these cars. But the car was really fast in qualifying, got the first pit stall, and that meant a lot to the guys. They were ready to put last week immediately behind them, and they did.

“They were just flawless on pit road. The car was really fast, and [crew chief] Dave [Rogers] did a good job of managing everything. We didn’t have any trouble, and really it’s just a testament to everybody at the shop and our whole team. Really awesome to have a win so now we can really have some fun and focus on this championship.”

It wasn’t all fun for the other drivers for Joe Gibbs Racing. Matt Kenseth dominated early but an accident for a blown tire left him 40 laps down in 36th at the finish. Denny Hamlin slammed into the wall late due to a blown tire but was able to nurse the car home 20th and on the lead lap.

But the worse day among the Gibbs drivers was reserved for Kyle Busch. Busch, who entered this weekend having swept the last two, had two blown tires causing accidents, a pit road speeding penalty and topped it off by bumping into a fan on his way to the garage. The fan, for the record, has said it was her fault for being in the way.

Busch blamed the 2012 reconfiguration of the track for his recent woes. Busch hasn’t won in five years at the Tennessee half-mile, after winning five times on the older configuration.

“This track has sucked for me ever since the grinding,” The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota said. “I’m about sick and tired of coming here since it sucks to race.”

Not surprising: On the opposite end of the spectrum was Kyle’s older brother, Kurt Busch, who hasn’t won at Bristol in 10 years but still had a great day in third. Busch had to still rally back from misfortune, however.

“We just battled through it,” Busch said. “(Dale Earnhardt) Junior had trouble at the start and I was 40th when we started the race. One car at a time. One set of tires at a time. And then we were in great position around lap 350. We got the lead from (Carl) Edwards for a little bit. And we just kept working on it. And there’s nothing more that I could have gotten out of the car. I’m really happy with the way that everybody worked together. I shouldn’t be happy about finishing third, but I’ll take it.”

Surprising: So, what happened to Earnhardt at the start? An electronic problem on the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet bottled up the outside lane at the very start of the race and “Junebug” found himself two laps down at one point.

Still, Earnhardt was able to rally back and found himself second when the checkered flag fell 500 laps after it seemed his day was over before it began.

“Yeah, we got the Roush system on our cars for the stuck-throttle issue, and just warming the brakes up, I engaged that system to kill the throttle. I was warming the brakes up like I always do, and apparently I applied too much pressure and it killed the motor.

“We’ll work on that and maybe raise that threshold a little bit because I wasn’t really using the brake that much. So I just needed to cycle the ECU, reset that, came to pit road and did that. I probably could’ve done it on the track and saved ourselves a lot of trouble, but you don’t know what’s going on at that particular point, and you listen to the first thing anybody tells you when it comes to direction, and the first thing that my spotter said was that if I need to pit, I need to come on now. We got on pit road, cycled it, lost a couple laps. Greg did a good job getting the wave-arounds and knowing when to take them and stuff, and we got back on the lead lap. We had about a 10th-place car. We weren’t really that good all day. We tried a setup that we’ve never really ran here before, just trying to learn a little something going forward, and we’ll go home and science it out a little bit.

“We got real lucky the last three restarts to be on the outside line. We restarted 10th, sixth and fourth, and when you restart fourth you’re typically going to come out in second place after that. I was hoping we didn’t have any more cautions after that. So it was good. We’ll take it.”

Not Surprising: Chase Elliott continued his stellar Rookie of the Year campaign by finishing fourth. It was his second straight top five and his best overall career finish.

Elliott was fast during the latter portion of the day and found himself second on the last restart before dropping back due to restarting on the inside on the last restart.

“Guys brought a good car this weekend,” the driver of the No. 24 Kelly Blue Book Chevrolet said. “We started a little slow, didn’t qualify as well as we’d like to on Friday but I thought we hit on a couple things yesterday in final practice that fortunately carried over to today and was able to kind of work our way up through there. Hate to have a loose wheel, but guys did a good job overcoming that having a fast pit under green only losing two laps. That was big to keep us in contention there and try to get back on the lead lap. Definitely a long afternoon, but had a fast car, and that was the biggest thing that kept us alive.”

Surprising: Typically, drivers with lower budget teams struggle to even finish on the lead lap outside of Daytona and Talladega.

Sunday was an exception to the rule, as Matt DiBennedetto, driving for BK Racing, finished sixth. It’s the best finish for both the 24-year-old California driver and the Ron Devine owned team.

After DiBennedetto pulled into his pit, suddenly it got a little dusty on pit road for the No. 83 team.

“I’m sorry I’m so speechless – just I’m so thankful to everybody on this team, everybody at BK Racing, Cosmo Motors in Hickory, North Carolina – they’re local to me, he’s my best friend, sells some awesome cars, please check them out – everyone at BK Racing, Dustless Blasting.”

An obviously emotional DiBennedetto told Fox Sports after the race. “These guys, man – that’s unbelievable for a team like to us to be growing this much and for us to get a sixth-place run – I’m sorry I’m so emotional, it’s just this is like a win for us. I am so excited. I see my family back here – my wife, Taylor, my brother is in town from the military and I’m so glad he got to experience this. This is just – this is incredible. I’m so blessed to be here.”

Clint Bowyer, who is in the midst of far and away his worst statistical full-time season in Sprint Cup, also found some relief after he drove his HScott Motorsports Chevrolet to eighth on race day.

Bowyer, for his part, was a little less emotional about his good run.

“It was a good finish and I’m proud of the finish,” Bowyer said. “We had some luck which helped but proud of the result and good that the 5-hour Energy Chevrolet was able to get a top 10 today.”

Not Surprising: It seems like every week since Kevin Harvick joined Stewart-Haas Racing, he has shown up with either the fastest or one of the fastest cars.

And most weeks, things just go a little sour for the 2014 Sprint Cup champion. Sure, he finishes top 10 or even top five, but the “what might have beens” have to be a little frustrating for the 40-year-old.

Sunday continued the trend. Harvick was in the top five for most of the day and even led 13 laps but kept getting stuck on the inside line on restarts and ended up dropping to seventh at the finish.

““Yeah, (restarting on the inside) was definitely the biggest challenge for us,” Harvick said. “The guys did a great job with our Ditech Chevy. We had the speed but it seemed like every restart we were just struggling to make ground on the restart and by the time you get two or three spots back, you battle back to where you were and then the caution would come out again. But there’s nothing you can do about that. We raced hard all day and we’ll go to the next one.”

Next Sunday will be the first scheduled Sunday race at Richmond International Raceway in many years. The traditional Saturday night event has been moved to Sunday afternoon this season in order to both make the race stand out more and make the event a typical three-day weekend rather than two days at the track. Fox’s coverage of the Toyota Owners 400 starts at 1 p.m EST on Sunday.

April 18, 2016