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  • Sprint Media Tour – Day Three – CMS and Hendrick Motorsports

    Sprint Media Tour – Day Three – CMS and Hendrick Motorsports

    Photo Credit: Brad Keppel
    Photo Credit: Brad Keppel

    Day Three of the Sprint Media Tour continued with a trip back to Charlotte Motor Speedway and Hendrick Motorsports on Wednesday. The day will end with a trip to Penske Racing, the home of reigning Sprint Cup Champion Brad Keselowski.

    Officials, including Marcus Smith, Charlotte Motor Speedway CEO and Scott Cooper, CMS Director of Communications promoted the 2013 Sprint All-Star race, which is being advertised as an old west shootout. It was announced that two fans will take parts in the commercials to be aired later this year. Unfinished clips of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Clint Bowyer were shown without the two fans taking part. One fan has already been chose for a part and one more will be picked later.

    The format for the race is yet to be determined, but it will be somewhat different than the 2012 event. “We’ve got to keep the fans interested,” Smith said.

    Next on the agenda was the short trip to Hendrick Motorsports where media representatives were greeted by what is a stable group of drivers for 2013, including Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Team owner Rick Hendrick took the stage with his four drivers.

    After the usual reciting of the past accomplishments of the team, each driver spoke on the outlook for the coming season. Each expressed disappointment that Hendrick Motorsports didn’t win the 2012 Sprint Cup Championship, but were confident that 2013 would be a successful year.

    All teams except the no. 88 of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are fully funded for 2013. Earnhardt’s car is unfunded in 11 races with Pepsico leaving major sponsorship at the end of the 2012 season. Hendrick was not worried about the situation.

    “We have enough sponsorship to get us into summer,” Hendrick said. “I’m not worried about it. We’re close to some deals and it’s a long way to summer.”

    Earnhardt expressed little concern and said he was really looking forward to the new car and the season. When the Daytona testing session was mentioned, he was honest and forthcoming.

    Tonight the Tour continues with a dinner visit to Penske Racing in Mooresville, NC. A full report follows later on tonight.

    “I messed up,” Earnhardt said. “I thought a long time about that and it was probably the most embarrassed I’ve ever been about anything on the racetrack. The bumpers don’t exactly match up like they used to.”

    “I’m a big fan of this race car,” Gordon said. “I love it. I like the body style and I think the teams and crew chiefs do too. That’s one fine looking race car.”

    Kasey Kahne says he is the underdog on the Hendrick Motorsports team. “I have to compare myself to two guys who have won multiple championships (Johnson and Gordon),” Kahne said. “My best shot is in my second year, which is now, but we’ll continue to try to run well and have that as a goal.”

    Also present was developmental driver Chase Elliott, son of superstar Bill Elliott. The schedule for Elliott is fairly busy. Elliott will run five ARCA and nine Camping World Truck Series races in 2013 in the No. 94
    Chevy. His truck schedule includes both races at Martinsville, both Iowa races, Rockingham, Dover, MoSport in Canada, Bristol, and Phoenix.

  • 2013 Sprint Cup Team Preview: Hendrick Motorsports

    2013 Sprint Cup Team Preview: Hendrick Motorsports

    Photo Credit: Brad Keppel
    Photo Credit: Brad Keppel

    Today, our 2013 Sprint Cup team previews move on to Hendrick Motorsports, one of the powerhouses of the sport that is always a threat to win races and compete for championships. The 2013 lineup for Hendrick Motorsports will be the same as 2012, with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Kasey Kahne returning.

    Dale Earnhardt Jr

    The 2012 season was yet another season in which Earnhardt and crew chief Steve Letarte performed well, especially through the midpoint of the year when Earnhardt won at Michigan and took over the points lead. If not for the concussions that Earnhardt suffered at the Kansas test and in the last lap wreck at Talladega, this team could have possibly won another race or two and finished in the top half of the points standings. Both Earnhardt and Letarte return to the No.88 team in 2013. Diet Mountain Dew announced last year that they would be scaling back their sponsorship of this team in 2013 and an announcement regarding who will replace them and join the National Guard as sponsors has not yet been made, but look for one to be made soon.

    After a test of the new Gen6 car in December, Earnhardt said: “I think the car has really awesome potential, and I like it already leaps and bounds beyond the COT. This car really gives me a lot of sensations that are similar to the old car that we ran 10 years ago.” That should make Earnhardt fans happy, as Earnhardt’s best performances of his career were with the old car. Look for this team to contend for race wins and the championship in 2013 and if everything falls into place, this could be the year we see an Earnhardt as champion once again.

    Jeff Gordon

    The old saying of “If I didn’t have bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” fits perfectly with the year Jeff Gordon had in 2012. Gordon struggled throughout the year, picking up five DNF’s along with two wins, in the rain shortened event at Pocono and the season finale at Homestead, and barely making the Chase for the Sprint Cup and finishing tenth in the final standings. Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson team up once again in 2013 with sponsorship from AARP Drive to End Hunger and Dupont. Look for the No.24 team to rebound from the struggles of 2012 and be back in the Chase and a threat for the title in 2013.

    Jimmie Johnson

    As has been the case in recent years, Jimmie Johnson and the No.48 team were once again a championship contender in 2012, but came up short of claiming a sixth title. Despite five wins, struggles in the final two races of the year, a wreck at Phoenix and mechanical problems at Homestead, relegated Johnson to a third place points finish. Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus head into 2013 with the disappointment of the 2012 season still fresh on their minds and as always will be threats for both race wins weekly and for the title as well. After falling short in 2011 and 2012, it’s very possible that Johnson could claim his sixth title in 2013 and move one step closer to tying Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty with their seven Cup championships.

    Kasey Kahne

    The debut season for Kasey Kahne at Hendrick Motorsports got off to a rocky start without a finish higher than 14th in the first six races, but Kahne then reeled off top ten after top ten and won his first race of the season in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte in May and followed up with another win at Loudon in July and a fourth place finish in the final 2012 standings. Look for Kahne and crew chief Kenny Francis to do more of the same in 2013, with wins and a Chase berth sure to come. If Kahne and Francis can avoid the bad luck early in the year, they could join the other three Hendrick drivers as championship contenders.

  • Kasey Kahne Celebrates Season but ‘Wants to Win More’

    Kasey Kahne Celebrates Season but ‘Wants to Win More’

    [media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”217″][/media-credit]As Kasey Kahne completed his first full season with Hendrick Motorsports, finishing fourth in the Chase standings, the 32 year old driver had just one thing on his mind.

    “I want to win more,” Kahne said simply after giving his speech at the NASCAR championship banquet in Las Vegas.

    This was Kahne’s third time qualifying for the Chase, doing so after a two year hiatus. Although rough at first, Kahne rallied later in the 2012 season to finish with two wins, one at Charlotte and the other in the other at Loudon, and four poles.

    “It’s been great to be back in Vegas this year,” Kahne said. “I took two years off so it felt really good to be back from where we started the season.”

    “The way we put it together as a team and made the Chase was awesome,” Kahne continued. “It would have been terrible to miss the Chase and have the other three in it.”

    Kahne has enjoyed every minute of his time with Hendrick Motorsports this year. He especially treasured the 200th win for HMS, as well as his own win shortly after at the Coke 600, which was team Hendrick’s 201st.

    “Being part of the 200th win was awesome and Jimmie (Johnson) deserved to win that one,” Kahne said. “Then 201 a few weeks later felt really good and made me feel a part of HMS now that we have a win.”

    “I’ve shown Mr. H. that I can win and I want to win more.”

    By his own admission, a big part of Kahne’s success has come about thanks to his partnership with long-time crew chief Kenny Francis, who has followed the driver through various team moves over the years. Kahne paid tribute to Francis in his banquet speech and in his remarks afterwards.

    “We’ve been a lot of places and ended up at HMS,” Kahne said to Francis. “Thanks for sticking with me.”

    Kahne also paid tribute to the skills that Francis has brought to Hendrick Motorsports, particularly his expertise at the mile and a half tracks. But he and his team have also benefitted immensely from the HMS approach and integration of all four race teams.

    “I think Kenny (Francis) brought some things front-end wise that all the teams ran and really liked throughout the season,” Kahne said. “That was a big gain.”

    “Everything that HMS, from the drivers to crew chiefs to those building the cars, added so much to what myself and Kenny had in the past,” Kahne continued. “It’s been great to be a part of all that and be given so many great tools.”

    One of Kahne’s biggest pleasures this past year has been participating, twice, in the HMS time-honored tradition of ringing the bell back at the shop after a race win.

    “It was great,” Kahne said. “There were a lot of people that I didn’t even know existed.”

    “We went into some shops that I hadn’t been to before,” Kahne continued. “Every employee gets excited when we ring the bell.”

    “Everyone gets a shirt or sticker,” Kahne said. “It’s nice to be a part of that.”

    “I’m proud to be a part of the company where everyone is working towards the same goal, getting all four teams the chance to win.”

    As with most of the top-ten drivers, Kahne admitted that making his fourth-place finishing speech at the banquet was one of his least favorite things to do. In fact, he admitted that he would much rather be working out and maintaining his intense fitness regime than speaking in front of his racing peers.

    “It’s definitely not what I enjoy doing,” Kahne said after making his speech.” I’d much rather be involved in working out, training.”

    “That doesn’t make me near as nervous as talking to those people at the banquet,” Kahne continued. “I feel good about myself when we train.”

    Kahne did, however, enjoy his time in Vegas, especially getting to know the new champion, hanging out with some of some of his fellow competitors, and celebrating with the fans.

    “I don’t know Brad (Keselowski) real well, but I’ve talked to him a little bit all year long,” Kahne said. “He’s a good guy and I like what he’s done.”

    “I’m impressed with how he has driven the car and how he’s involved in a lot of things,” Kahne continued. “I have a lot of respect for the guy.”

    “I have a lot of favorite moments from Vegas,” Kahne said. “I think driving the cars on the Strip was a high point.”

    “There were a lot of fans watching and so that was exciting,” Kahne continued. “Enjoying it with these guys and getting to spend time with them has also been great.”

    “At the track, we don’t get a lot of time together so away from the track, we’ve all had some fun,” Kahne said. “I’ve had a blast with (Kevin) Harvick and (Clint) Bowyer.”

    But most of all, Kahne is looking forward to putting all of the bad luck from the beginning of the 2012 season far behind him and capitalizing on the latter part of the season as he looks to 2013.

    “There were a few of those bad luck moments this past season,” Kahne said. “We had speed and would run upfront but then something would happen.”

    “As soon as the luck changed, we put together a pretty decent season,” Kahne continued. “It was a good season and we came from a ways back.”

    “To build on that next year at a stable organization will be great.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Phoenix

    [media-credit name=”Simon Scoggins” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski took charge of the point standings with a win at Phoenix, while Jimmie Johnson crashed hard into the wall late. With one race remaining, Keselowski leads Johnson by 22 points.

    “It’s all over but the tweeting,” Keselowski said. “The race at Phoenix had so many acts of stupidity, from drivers and NASCAR officials alike, I’m not sure what had more ‘characters’—the race itself, or one of my tweets.”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s bid for a sixth Sprint Cup championship took a blow at Phoenix, where a late tire problem sent the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet into the wall late. Johnson finished 32nd, while Brad Keselowski came home 6th and took over a nearly insurmountable lead in the point standings.

    “We just cut a tire at the most inopportune time,” Johnson said. “Up until that point, it was a ‘Goodyear.’

    “We aren’t conceding anything. However, it’s a bad sign when you see a fat lady singing about throwing in the towel.”

    3. Clint Bowyer: Jeff Gordon took out Bowyer with three laps to go at Phoenix, in response to contact initiated by Bowyer earlier in the race. Bowyer later tried to confront Gordon in the garage, sparking a brawl between crew members of both team.

    “Did you see me racing to accost Gordon in the garage?” Bowyer said. “I put the ‘sprint’ in ‘Sprint Cup’ and the ‘rage’ in ‘garage.’

    “Luckily for Gordon, Michael Waltrip was holding me back. It’s certainly not the first time Michael’s been seen hugging a man.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished second in the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix, posting his 14th top 5 of the year. Hamlin is fifth in the point standings, 62 out of first.

    “It’s a case of ‘too little, too late,” Hamlin said. “But I can look forward to next year for comfort. I’ll spend the next four months much like my pregnant girlfriend—‘expecting.’”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started fourth and finished fourth at Phoenix, posting his 12th top-5 result of the year. He is third in the point standings, 50 behind Brad Keselowski.

    “NASCAR penalized Jeff Gordon with a vengeance,” Kahne said. “He was docked 25 points and fined $100,000. I believe before he commits such an act again, he’ll think long and hard. In other words, he’ll ‘pre-meditate’ before he does it.”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 14th at Phoenix, behind Roush Fenway teammates Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who finished 7th and 11th, respectively. Kenseth is sixth in the point standings, 74 out of first.

    “People can criticize Jeff Gordon all they want,” Kenseth said, “but I think he showed exceptional driving skill. Like a true professional, he hit all his ‘marks.’”

    7. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished seventh at Phoenix, posting his 20th top-10 result of the year. He is seventh in the point standings, 78 out of first.

    “NASCAR promoted the ‘Boys, have at it,’” policy,” Biffle said, “and they got what they asked for—the ‘Boy Wonder’ versus the ‘Bow’ Wonder.’”

    8. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won for the first time this season, taking the AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix. The win came just days after Harvick announced he will drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014.

    “Along with Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman,” Harvick said, “my addition will give Stewart-Haas three of the most ornery drivers in NASCAR. Stewart likes playing ‘grab ass’ with me, and he definitely ‘grabbed’ an ‘ass’ when he signed me.”

    9. Jeff Gordon: After contact by Clint Bowyer damaged his car, Gordon retaliated by intentionally wrecking Bowyer, taking out Joey Logano in the process and nearly collected Brad Keselowski. The incident sparked a brawl in the pits, and on Monday, NASCAR docked Gordon 25 points and fined him $100,000.

    “I let my emotions get the best of me,” Gordon said. “That just happens to be the only sighting of the ‘best of me’ since my last Sprint Cup title in 2001.

    10. Kyle Busch: Busch came home third in the AdvoCare 500, his third straight top-3 finish and sixth of the Chase.

    “I’m certainly encouraged for next year by my Chase performance,” Busch said. “After not making the Chase, I was saying, ‘Wait ‘til next year.’ Now, I’m saying, ‘Can’t wait ‘til next year.’”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Texas

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson passed Brad Keselowski with two laps to go at Texas and pulled away to win at Texas, his second consecutive win in the Chase. Johnson extended his lead in the point standings, and now holds a seven point edge on Keselowski.

    “That may have been the second-best ‘restart’ of my career,” Johnson said. “The best, of course, would be the ‘restart’ to another multi-Cup championship run.

    “Of course, it was quite fitting that I fired the celebratory ‘six-shooter’ after the race, a sound which heralded my quest for my sixth Cup title. The bullets weren’t real, mind you. Judging by the number of pregnant wives and girlfriends in NASCAR this year, I must have been the only one ‘shooting blanks.’”

    2. Brad Keselowski: Holding the lead with two laps to go at Texas, Keselowski was passed on the restart by Jimmie Johnson and finished second. After leading the championship standings with four races to go, Keselowski is now seven points back of Johnson.

    “Seven points is not insurmountable,” Keselowski said, “but Johnson may be. Unfortunately, I find myself behind the ’48-ball.’”

    3. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished sixth in the AAA Texas 500, earning his 21st top-10 result of the year. He is third in the point standings, 26 behind Jimmie Johnson.

    “Until someone tells me otherwise,” Bowyer said, “I’ll keep racing like I have a chance to win the Cup. Keep in mind, I don’t like people telling me things.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: After his disastrous result at Martinsville two weeks ago, Hamlin finished a disappointing 20th at Texas. Deemed a threat to win the Cup just three weeks ago, Hamlin is now well out of the championship picture, 49 out of first in the point standings.

    “Our Sprint Cup championship hopes came ‘unplugged’ last week at Martinsville,” Hamlin said. “At Texas, we didn’t have electrical issues, but after finishing 20th, there was an ‘outage’—I’m further ‘out’ of the championship picture.”

    5. Kyle Busch: Busch finished third at Texas, backing up his runner-up finish at Martinsville on October 27th. It was his fifth top 5 of the Chase, and tenth of the year.

    “Just once,” Busch said, “I’d like to be dangerous in a ‘Chase’ that doesn’t involve a policeman.”

    6. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished well out of contention at Texas, finishing 25th, one lap off the lead. He is now fourth in the point standings, 29 out of first.

    “It’s come down to a battle between Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski,” Kahne said. “I’m sure Keselowski doesn’t mind hearing, ‘And then there were two.’ But I think he’d much rather hear, ‘And then there was ‘2.’”

    7.  Jeff Gordon: Gordon finished 14th in the AAA Texas 500, and is now sixth in the point standings, 54 out of first.

    “Brad Keselowski is giving Jimmie Johnson all he can handle,” Gordon said. “You could it’s a ‘handful, and then some.’ You could also say that about Jimmie’s soon-to-be growing Sprint Cup championship haul.”

    8. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth led one lap and came home fourth at Texas, posting his 12th top-5 finish of the year. He is eighth in the point standings, 65 out of first.

    “I was out of the title hunt early,” Kenseth said, “but don’t tell me I’m not a man of my word. I told Jack Roush I’d ‘be there at the end’ and I will be, because I’ve got two more races with Roush Fenway.”

    9. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished fifth in the AAA Texas 500, equaling his best finish of the Chase. He is 71 out of the lead in the point standings.

    “We’re mathematically still alive,” Stewart said, “but there’s no chance we’ll win the Cup. And don’t make me say it again. Believe me when I say there will be ‘no repeating.’”

    10. Greg Biffle: Biffle finished 10th at Texas, joining Roush Fenway teammate Matt Kenseth, who finished fourth, in the top 10. Biffle is 83 out of first in the point standings.

    “I could be the next to ‘go,’” Biffle said. “No, I’m not leaving Roush Fenway; I’m the next driver soon to be mathematically eliminated from Sprint Cup contention.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Martinsville

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson started on the pole at Martinsville and captured a huge win, his sixth at the .526-mile track. Johnson passed Brad Keselowski with about 20 laps to go, and held off Kyle Busch down the stretch. He now leads the points standings with a two-point edge over Brad Keselowski.

    “I’ll echo the sentiments of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.,” Johnson said. “It’s good to be back in the ‘driver’s seat.’ Up to this point, Keselowski had a lock on the points lead. Well, that lock’s been ‘Jimmied.’”

    2. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski opted to stay out on a late caution at Martinsville while the leaders pitted. He was quickly passed by Johnson and others on fresher tires. Still, Keselowski finished sixth, his best career finish at Martinsville, but lost the lead to Jimmie Johnson in the points standings.

    “For refusing to play ‘follow the leader,’” Keselowski said, “I was relegated to playing ‘follow the leader.’ I’ve lost my points lead, but not my spirit. Which is good, with it being Halloween. I may need a costume change, since I’ve been posing as a Sprint Cup champion.”

    3. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer finished fifth in the Tums Fast Relief 500, leading 154 of 500 laps, second only to Jimmie Johnson’s 193. Bowyer moved up one spot in the point standings, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 26.

    “I’ll certainly need a boost,” Bowyer said. “Luckily, as the driver of the 5-Hour Energy car, I’ve got that. Also, 5-Hour Energy helps you avoid the ‘crash,’ of which I’m hoping one will strike at Texas.”

    4. Denny Hamlin: Disaster struck at Martinsville for Hamlin, as electrical issues ruined his chances in the Tums Fast Relief 500, and likely the Cup championship. He finished 33rd, 34 laps down, and is now 49 points out of the lead in the point standings.

    “I got ‘clocked’ at Kansas,” Hamlin said. “I was hoping for the same at Martinsville by winning and receiving the grandfather clock trophy. As it was, I did get a clock, albeit one that struck midnight, which is obviously not our ‘time.’”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne finished third at Martinsville, posting his 11th top-5 finish of the year. He is up to fourth in the point standings, and is still alive in the Chase For The Cup, albeit as a decided long shot.

    “I’m having a great Chase run,” Kahne said. “Not good enough to win this year’s Cup, but good enough to be the favorite for next year’s Cup. That’s not really a position I want to be in. I don’t want to be ‘next year’s Carl Edwards,’ or any year’s Carl Edwards, for that matter.”

    6. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led 92 laps and finished seventh at Martinsville, as three Hendrick cars finished in the top 7. Gordon is now sixth in the point standings, 54 out of first.

    “It’s good to run up front again,” Gordon said. “For several laps near the end, I was running second to Jimmie Johnson, which is also known as running ‘interference.’”

    7. Kyle Busch: Busch chased Jimmie Johnson to the finish line at Martinsville, but couldn’t get close enough for the pass and settled for second. It was Busch’s fourth top-5 finish of the Chase.

    “I’m usually good in the Chase,” Busch said, “unless I qualify for it.”

    8. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex struggled at Martinsville, finishing 23rd, one lap down. He is seventh in the point standings, 63 out of first.

    “We know what we have to do in the last three races,” Truex said. “How do we know? Because, in a winless season, it’s the exact opposite of what we’ve done in the first 33 races.”

    9. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth finished 14th in the Tums Fast Relief 500. He is eighth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 65 behind Jimmie Johnson.

    “I’ve got three more races with Roush Fenway,” Kenseth said. “Hopefully, I can win one or more of those three contest. Or, I could, like many other drivers this year, announce that my wife and I are expecting another child. Either way, I would go out with a bang.”

    10. Greg Biffle: Biffle was the only Roush Fenway driver in the top 10 at Martinsville, his tenth besting the 14th of Matt Kenseth and 18th of Carl Edwards. Biffle is ninth in the point standings, 69 out of first.

    “It’s been a tough year for Jack Roush,” Biffle said, “one that may require him to go back to the drawing board. For the man they call ‘The Cat In The Hat,’ I’m sure it won’t be difficult to find a ‘thinking cap.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Kansas Hollywood Casino 400

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Kansas Hollywood Casino 400

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Wesley Hitt/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”236″][/media-credit]On a repaved track that even team owner Jack Roush pronounced surprisingly fast and treacherous and with a record number of cautions to boot, here is what else was surprising and not surprising in the 12th annual Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway.

    Surprising:  While many know his wicked sense of humor through social media, they now know just how much it means for him to stand in Victory Lane, not as a lame duck with a team he will leave at year end, but as the first time race winner on the newly repaved Kansas Speedway.

    “It really means a lot,” Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Zest Ford for Roush Fenway Racing said in Victory Lane, his voice choked with emotion.” I really got to thank God for all the opportunities he’s put in front of me.”

    Kenseth’s victory was not an easy one, having hit the outside wall hard and sustaining right side damage to the car. This was Kenseth’s first Kansas win, his third victory of the season, and his 24th career victory, moving him into a tie for 26th on the all-time Series win list.

    “You never know when your next win is,” Kenseth said. “Especially as you get older, you appreciate it more.”

    “I’m really thankful and humbled to be here honestly.”

    Not Surprising:  Whether the lucky horseshoe or shades of the ‘Six Million Dollar Man’, Chad Knaus and team 48 proved they could rebuild the battered back end of Jimmie Johnson’s wrecked race car, making it better, stronger and faster.

    In fact, Johnson was so much better, stronger, and faster that after the on pit road rebuild, he rallied back to finish ninth in his Lowe’s Chevrolet. And with that comeback, Johnson, not surprisingly, also had a message to share with his fellow Chase competitors.

    “I’m just now getting a chance to look at the damage on the car and it was pretty severe,” Johnson said after the race. “I’m definitely proud of this team and the fact that we never give up.”

    “It’s more mature racing here in 2012,” Johnson continued. “We showed what our team is capable of.”

    “I hope the other guys are paying attention.”

    Surprising:  The championship point’s leader surprisingly continued to have survival on his mind, a theme that carried over from Talladega right into the race in the Midwest heartland.

    Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Blue Deuce, managed to finish eighth, one spot ahead of Chaser Jimmie Johnson, over whom he maintains a seven point lead in the standings.

    “I said when we finished Talladega that somebody should make ‘I Survived Talladega’ t-shirts,” Keselowski said. “Well, I didn’t know coming to Kansas it was going to be the same.”

    “Just wrecks and accidents and blown tires; everything you can imagine happened,” Keselowski continued. “It seemed like every wreck happened in front of me.”

    “I felt really lucky to survive it.”

    Not Surprising:  While Kansas broke many hearts on race day this past weekend, there was no one more heart broken than the driver of the No. 43 Farmland Ford Fusion. Aric Almirola qualified fifth and led over 60 laps of the race before blowing a tire and slamming into the wall so hard that it took his breath away.

    “I have never in my entire life had a race car that good,” Almirola said. “It was just so fast and so easy to drive.”

    “I hate that it ended like this but I have always been told you have to give a few away before you can win one,” Almirola continued. “We certainly gave one away today.”

    Surprising:  It was indeed a tale of two Kansas races, yet with a surprisingly similar result. Martin Truex Jr., in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota finished second for the second time at Kansas Speedway.

    “Well, it’s a lot different mood after this one,” Truex said after the race. “After the first one I was disappointed.  Today, I’m happy with my team and my race car.”

    “We really had to battle for this one,” That’s a good run for us for sure.”

    With his bridesmaid finish, Truex Jr. gained one position in the point standings to sixth, 43 points out of first.

    Not Surprising:   Unfortunately, Kansas was killing Clint Bowyer softly with its song, even though he finished sixth in his No. 15 5-Hour Energy Benefitting Avon Foundation Toyota for Michael Waltrip Racing.

    “I think I started on the outside one time early in the race and just every time it just killed me,” Bowyer said. “I don’t know what the hell was going on behind us.”

    “They kept wrecking,” Bowyer continued. “Restarts kind of killed us all day long.”

    Surprising:  There were a surprising number of temper tantrums, more typical of a short track like Martinsville than the mile and a half at Kansas. Tempers flared between Danica Patrick and Landon Cassill, as they did between Kyle Busch and Ryan Newman.

    Patrick, in her No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet actually took herself out on lap 155 as a result of her on-track tiff with the driver of the No. 83 Burger King Toyota.

    “I have just been really frustrated with the No. 83,” Patrick said. “It’s been pretty consistent with him getting into me.”

    “So, at some point in time, I have to stand up for myself,” Patrick continued. “The bummer is I’m out of the race and he’s not.”

    Patrick finished 32nd, while Cassill brought home his race car for a much better 18th place finish.

    Kyle Busch, in the No. 18 M&M’s Halloween Toyota, finished 31st after a scuffle with the driver of the No. 39 Code 3 Associates Chevrolet. And this one might result in some payback as the 2012 season winds down.

    “Everything is just on edge,” Busch said. “Newman just ran up on the back of me and got me loose.”

    “So, just impatience,” Busch continued. “I’m glad he’s wrecked along with me and he’ll get another one here before the year is out.”

    Not Surprising:  With his crew chief back after suspension, it was not surprising for this driver to pull off a top five finish. In fact, Paul Menard, in the No. 27 Certainteed Insulation/Menards Chevrolet, finished third at Kansas.

    “We had Slugger (Labbe, crew chief) back this weekend,” Menard said. “He is well rested after six weeks off and had some good ideas to try this weekend.”

    “We had a good car,” Menard continued. “It was just a matter of getting us up there.”

    Surprising:  The ‘uh oh’ uttered by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon surprisingly captured the moment late in the race for Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet.

    Kahne, who started out on the pole after shattering the track qualifying record, had a chance to win before he shut off his engine during a caution in an attempt to save fuel.

    As a result, he lost several spots on the race track before getting his car back up to minimum speed, managing  a fourth place finish instead of that oh-so-close victory.

    “It just wouldn’t re-fire,” Kahne said after the race. “Disappointing.”

    “It was coming to me at the end,” Kahne continued. “We just weren’t close enough at that point in time.”

    Not Surprising:  From telling his team to get their heads out of their ‘expletive’ to praising them effusively after the race, Tony Stewart did, in his own words, have ‘an eventful day.’

    The driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet started 33rd, had to overcome a pit stop where his crew left a wrench in the car, battled an incident with Jeff Burton and a spin to finish fifth.

    This was Smoke’s sixth top-five in Sprint Cup starts at Kansas, pre and post repaving, having to pass 74 cars during the race to do so.

    “We had some stuff to deal with, but our guys never gave up,” Stewart said. “We probably had to pass more cars than anybody today, but that seems to be our MO.”

    “That’s how we won a championship last year, by never giving up.”

    Surprising:  While there was a surprising bit of a confusion on the part of team owner Rick Hendrick about the status of Dale Earnhardt Junior’s return to the race car (and he will return at Martinsville), substitute driver Regan Smith was feeling surprisingly right at home in the No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet.

    In fact, Smith felt so much at home that he finished top-ten, in the seventh position.

    “It’s been nice to be able to step in and have them treat me like a normal driver,” Smith said. “I know Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) is excited to get back so that is going to be good for him.”

    “Looking forward to whatever comes next for me.”

    Not Surprising:  The other drivers in new seats struggled on the newly repaved Kansas track. Kurt Busch, in the No. 78 Furniture Row/Farm American Chevrolet, finished 25th and A.J. Allmendinger, in the No. 51 Phoenix Construction Chevrolet, finished even further back in 35th.

    But not surprisingly, both drivers and teams looked on the bright side of life in spite of the wrecks and results.

    “Kurt Busch showed all of us today what an impressive driver he is,” Todd Berrier, crew chief, said. “It was the performance that counted today, not the finishing result.”

    “The car was fast and we were running well,” Allmendinger said. “Tried to save it and I feel bad.”

    “I hope I’m in the car next week, but if not, it’s meant the world to get back to the sport,” Dinger continued. “I love the sport.”

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Kansas

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski finished 8th at Kansas, better than all but Clint Bowyer among Chase contenders. Keselwoski leads Jimmie Johnson by seven, and has a 15-point edge over Denny Hamlin.

    “It was a caution-filled race,” Keselowski said. “With Election Day approaching, it’s no surprise to see so many ‘spins.’ Even Danica Patrick got into the act. She’s just like a woman—can’t get upset without dragging a man down with her.”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson salvaged a ninth-place finish after spinning and nailing the wall in the Hollywood Casino 400. Johnson remained second in the point standings, seven behind points leader Brad Keselwoski.

    “I’ve got to hand it to Chad Knaus,” Johnson said. “He had to do a lot to get us in position for a respectable finish. It was some of Chad’s best work, but not his best. I’ve seen him do more to a car that still passed inspection.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 13th at Kansas and lost ground to both in the point standings to both Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson, who finished 8th and 9th, respectively. Hamlin is 20 out of the lead in the point standings.

    “My weekend didn’t get off to a good start,” Hamlin said. “I crashed on Thursday in a test session at Kansas Motor Speedway. After that, I wasn’t sure if I was in Kansas anymore.

    “With four races left, I need to make a move. The clock is ticking. Luckily, it’s the grandfather clock given to the winner at Martinsville, where I’m always a threat to win. Hopefully, it won’t strike midnight before I put my hands on it.”

    4. Clint Bowyer: Kansas native Bowyer followed his win at Charlotte with a solid 6th in the Hollywood Casino 400, posting his 19th top-10 finish of the year. He is fourth is the Sprint Cup point standings, 28 behind Brad Keselowski.

    “Just call me ‘Clint ‘Home’ Bowyer,’” Bowyer said. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give my fans what they wanted. But they weren’t the only natives who were restless—I’m desperate for a win. I’m even more desperate for a three-car pileup in Turn 1 of lap 1 at Martinsville that wipes out Keselowski, Johnson, and Hamlin. That ‘cream’ of the crop would put me in the cream of the crop.”

    5. Kasey Kahne: Kahne scored his ninth top 5 of the year with a fourth at Kansas. He is now 35 points behind Brad Keselowski in the point standings.

    “I still have a mathematical chance to win the Cup,” Kahne said. “Unfortunately, I’m not good at math, like some drivers. Denny Hamlin, for example, is good at ‘multiplication.’ Matt Kenseth is good at ‘subtraction.’ And Kurt Busch is good at ‘division.’”

    6. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth took his second win of the Chase, and third of the year, with the victory at Kansas. Kenseth, in the No. 17 Zest car, led a race-high 78 laps and outgunned Martin Truex, Jr. at the end.

    “That’s two wins in the Chase,” Kenseth said, “but despite that, I’m still out of the title picture. Does the Chase points format need to be tweaked to place more importance on wins in the Chase? I think so, and I’ll get on a soapbox to say so.”

    7. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex scored the runner-up finish in the Hollywood Casino 400, as his No. 55 NAPA car was the top Toyota in the field. He is sixth in the point standings, 43 out of first.

    “With no wins at all this year,” Truex said, “you could say I’m ‘55 out of first.’NAPA ‘knows how,’ except to win.”

    8. Tony Stewart: Stewart finished fifth at Kansas, his first top-5 result since a fourth at Richmond in September. He is seventh in the point standings, 47 out of first.

    “I should give Danica Patrick a lesson in offensive driving,” Stewart said. “If you want to spin someone, you can’t spin yourself. This may or may not be in the Bible, but Ice Cube once said, ‘Check yo’self before you wreck ‘yo’self.’”

    9. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led two laps and finished 10th at Kansas, joining Hendrick stablemates Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson in the top 10. Gordon is eighth in the point standings, 51 out of first.

    “Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has been cleared to race this weekend at Martinsville,” Gordon said. “I wouldn’t be surprised in the people of Junior Nation commemorate the event with a new drinking game in which you drink for six hours prior to the checkered flag, then try to pass a concussion test.”

    10. Kevin Harvick: Harvick, in the No. 29 Budweiser Chevy, rolled to an 11th in the Hollywood Casino 400. He is tenth in the point standings, 59 behind Brad Keselowski.

    “When I say ‘I’m out of it,’” Harvick said, “it has multiple meanings. I’m too far behind to care, matter, or believe. The only close race I’m involved in is what I give more of—a ‘damn’ or a ‘rat’s ass.’”

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: Talladega Good Sam 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: Talladega Good Sam 500

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Sean Gardner/Getty Images” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]With Chase race four at Talladega delivering on its reputation as the ‘wild card’ and ‘game changer’ in the championship battle, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the 44th running of the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500.

    Surprising:  Manhandling a very free race car and making a miracle save or two did not prevent this driver from being the loneliest, but no doubt happiest, man at Talladega Super Speedway. Matt Kenseth survived the last lap ‘big one’ to score his first ever win at the track.

    Kenseth, in a very pink No. 17 Ford EcoBoost/National Breast Cancer Foundation Ford, notched his 23rd victory in 466 Cup races. This was his second win and 17th top-10 finish for the 2012 season.

    Kenseth’s spotter Mike Calinoff described his driver’s lonely but lucky status best with his radio call on the final lap of the race.

    “They’re wrecking behind you,” Calinoff said. “The whole field is wrecking.”

    “There isn’t anyone who isn’t wrecked.”

    “I looked behind me and saw nothing,” Kenseth said, echoing his spotter’s words. “Being in front of it all was the best place to be.”

    Not Surprising:  Although making the Chase, albeit barely, and admittedly not having the best of racing luck with him for much of the season, this driver was thrilled that things finally went his way at unpredictable ‘Dega.

    “For a change, I finally came out on the good side of it,” Jeff Gordon, who finished second in his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, said. “I really have no idea how we all made it to the white flag because it was three, four wide.”

    “I got hit by the No. 18 and somehow that turned me down on the apron and I just put it back to the floor and drove by every car.”

    “I came out of that second behind the No. 17,” Gordon said. “That is like a win.”

    This was Gordon’s 19th top-10 finish in 40 races at Talladega and his 15th top-10 finish for the season.

    Surprising:  It was a surprisingly humble and contrite Tony Stewart that greeted the media after causing the twenty-four car pileup and flipping end over end in his own No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet amidst the melee.

    “I just screwed up,” Smoke said. “I turned down across, I think it was Michael (Waltrip) and crashed the whole field.”

    “It was my fault blocking to try to stay where I was at,” Stewart continued. “So, I take 100% of the blame.”

    Not Surprising:  Not surprisingly, the theme for the day for the point’s leader Brad Keselowski was simple. He just wanted to survive Talladega and come out intact on the other end.

    Keselowski, in his now familiar Blue Deuce, did indeed survive, finishing seventh in spite of being caught in the pile up. He now has a 14 points advantage over second place Chase contender Jimmie Johnson.

    “We were four-wide for about two and a half straight laps and it was just a matter of time before you are wrecked,” Keselowski said. “It happens but that’s just Talladega.”

    “That’s pretty big,’ Keselowski said of his points lead. “I just feel lucky to survive Talladega.”

    Keselowski was so happy to have survived that he tweeted the following entrepreneurial thought after the race.

    “Someone needs to make a t-shirt that says, “I survived Talladega,” @keselowski said. “Guaranteed at least 43 customers.”

    Surprising:  NASCAR’s biggest loser at Talladega was surprisingly one of Dega’s darlings, as well as fan favorite Dale Earnhardt, Jr.  The driver of the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew Paint 88/National Guard Chevrolet finished a disappointing 20th, dropping four positions in the Chase standings to 11th, all as a result of the ‘big one.’

    And even more surprising, NASCAR’s most popular driver had some pretty harsh words to share after the race, particularly for the style of racing at Talladega and the longevity of the sport in light of it.

    “Yeah, I took a lot of hard shots,” Junior said. “If this is what we did every week, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

    “I would find another job.”

    “The way we are going ain’t the right direction,” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said. “I don’t care what anybody says for the good of the sport; I mean it’s good for the here and now and it will get people talking today, but for the long run that is not going to help the sport the way that race ended and the way the racing is.”

    “It’s not going to be productive for years to come.”

    Not Surprising:   With over half the field involved in the last lap crash, it was not surprising that several drivers, including some of the Chase contenders, were a bit confused as to where exactly they finished. There was so much confusion that crew chiefs gathered around the NASCAR hauler to see indeed where their driver ended up officially.

    “Everybody just merged together and we were all in a big wad at that point,” Jimmie Johnson, piloting the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, said. “Fortunately my car I could still drive to the finish so I passed a couple of guys that were sitting there on the bottom trying to get going themselves.”

    “I guess I finished 17th,” Johnson said. “I don’t know.”

    Teammate Kasey Kahne, in the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, also was a bit confused as to his finishing spot.

    “You are kind of along for the ride once it starts,” Kahne said. “We ended up making it back to the line; a few cars passed us so we might be a little better than 13th.

    Finally, Richard Petty Motorsports driver Marcos Ambrose, piloting the No. 9 DeWalt Ford, was confused but willing to forget about it in the end.

    “We had a strong day,” Ambrose said. “I thought I missed the wreck but at least I didn’t cause it.”

    “I have no idea where I finished, but we’ll just go on to the next one and forget about this.”

    Johnson did indeed finish 17th as he predicted, Kahne finished 12th, a bit better than he thought, and Ambrose ended up in 27th, a finish he most likely will want to forget.

    Surprising:  Kyle Busch became a surprisingly ‘lucky dog’ at Talladega. The driver of the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota was not only the official ‘lucky dog’, getting his lap back after a speeding penalty, but was also a ‘lucky dog’ in navigating his way through the major 24 car pile up to finish third.

    “Our day was pretty good,” Busch said. “I got busted for speeding, so that was my fault and we had to battle through that.”

    “That was probably one of the most tense parts of the race for me was having to race for the ‘lucky dog’ to get back on the lead lap.”

    “But all in all, our guys had some good pit stops and we gained some spots,” Busch continued. “I’m just glad and thankful that I was able to get through with no damage and make it through unscathed.”

    Not Surprising: The two drivers who will apparently swap their rides for the next race, with Kurt Busch going to the No. 78 Furniture Row Racing team and Regan Smith taking over the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet, had polar opposite finishes to their last race in their former rides.

    Regan Smith ended his tenure at Furniture Row with a 5th place finish, his best ever at a restrictor plate track, while Kurt Busch finished 39th after being parked by NASCAR for not heeding their command to stop his race car after his wreck.

    “This is the way my life works,” Kurt Busch said. “I am leading, I wreck, I run out of gas and now I’m in trouble.”

    “This year has been a great year to test me in every way.”

    “What a wild ending,” Smith said. “We restarted the green-white checkered in 28th, picked up a bunch of spots on the first lap and then came the wreck.”

    “Somehow I was able to drive it to the checkered flag with a fifth-place finish.”

    Surprising:  Rather than having a ‘Talladega Nights’ flashback, Greg Biffle was having another movie moment instead.

    “It was like Days of Thunder, coming through the smoke and the grass,” the driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion said. “A car flew over the top of my car as I turned to the bottom and missed guys by three inches.”

    “It was the craziest thing I’ve ever been involved in in my life.”

    Biffle had his own crazy moment in the race, making an amazing save after being turned sideways in the draft. He finished the race in sixth, gaining two positions in the point standings to ninth.

    Not Surprising:  The difficult season for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing continued in agonizing style at Talladega for both of their drivers. Jamie McMurray, former Daytona 500 winner and driver of the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate Chevrolet, finished 34th after leading 38 laps of the race.

    Teammate Juan Pablo Montoya finished 38th in his No. 42 Target/Gillette Chevrolet after an engine failure on lap 156.

    “We were running right up there in the lead pack the majority of the day and then something happened to the motor,” JPM said. “The car started smoking and I felt like it was going to let go at any minute.”

    “We just can’t catch a break.”

    “The Bass Pro Shops Chevy ran great all day,” McMurray said. “It was great to get back up there and lead some laps.”

    “I wish the outcome had turned out differently,” McMurray continued. “The guys did a great job and I felt like we had the car to beat.”

     

  • NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    NASCAR Top-10 Power Rankings: Talladega

    [media-credit name=”Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

    1. Brad Keselowski: Keselowski survived the last-lap pileup at Talladega intact and finished seventh. He remained on top of the Sprint Cup point standings and leads Jimmie Johnson by 14.

    “It appears Lady Luck is on my side,” Keselowski said. “How else can you explain how I emerged from that mess with a seventh-place finish? So what you will, but I’ll never again complain about ‘women’ drivers.”

    2. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson’s No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet was one of several cars damaged in Talladega’s “Big One,” triggered by Tony Stewart on the final lap. Johnson is still second in the point standings, and now trails Brad Keselowski by 14.

    “My car was so damaged,” Johnson said, “I had to hitch a ride back to the pits with Dale Earnhardt, Jr. That was the first time a champion’s been in that car.”

    3. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin finished 11th in the Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500, one of the few cars that escaped the final lap melee unscathed. He held on to the third spot in the point standings, and is 20 behind Brad Keselwoski.

    “I lost my rear view mirror about midway through Sunday’s race,” Hamlin said. “Luckily, it was replaceable, because I couldn’t see myself winning without it.

    4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon led seven laps at Talladega and finished second, after navigating through the carnage that ensued when Tony Stewart was clipped by Michael Waltrip. Gordon now has three runner-up finishes in the Chase, but has made little ground in the point standings.

    “It appears that, despite solid finishes,” Gordon said, “I won’t be able to make up much ground in the Chase. I’m sure some will argue that the Chase format needs more tweaking to reward cases such as mine. And I would be the first to ‘second’ that emotion.”

    5. Matt Kenseth: Kenseth won in a wild finish at Talladega, pulling away for the victory as chaos reigned behind him. It was his second win of the season following his triumph at Daytona in February.

    “That’s two superspeedway wins for me in which I persevered despite major incidents,” Kenseth said. “First it was Juan Montoya starting a fire, then it was Tony Stewart starting a wreck. Just call me the ‘Master Of Disaster.’

    “It was shaping up to be a close finish, but after the crash, I ended up winning easily. With respect to my contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, you could say I won ‘going away.’”

    6. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer was in position to compete for the win in the closing moments at Talladega, but was collected in the “Big One,” triggered when Tony Stewart was turned while trying to move in front of Michael Waltrip.

    “A win was in our sights,” Bowyer said, “and would have been a big lift to our championship hopes. As it was, Tony Stewart got a ‘lift,’ in the air and on my hood.

    7. Tony Stewart: Stewart was leading on the final lap at Talladega, but with Michael Waltrip fast approaching, Stewart tried to move in front of the No. 55. It didn’t work, Stewart spun, and much of the field was affected in the pileup. Stewart finished 22nd, and is now 43 out of first in the point standings.

    “I take full responsibility for the wreck,” Stewart said. “I said as much when I took to social media to explain on my new Twitter account, ‘@fault.’

    “As you have heard, I’ve secure sponsorship from Bass Pro Shops for 18 races in 2013. I’m thrilled. I can’t wait until next year, when I can qualify first for a race and proudly proclaim it a ‘fishing pole.’”

    8. Kasey Kahne: Kahne started on the pole and finished 13th after a wild, last-lap crash that saw Tony Stewart’s No. 14 Chevy on the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevy. Kahne moved up two spots to fourth in the point standings, and is 37 out of first.

    “Aric Almirola handed out 600 pounds of bacon to celebrate Gwaltney’s sponsorship of the No. 43 car,” Kahne said. “Interestingly enough, I later gave Stewart a ‘piggy-back’ ride on Sunday.”

    9. Kevin Harvick: Harvick was battling up front, with a good chance to win, when the inevitable struck at Talladega. When the dust had cleared, Harvick had an 11th-place finish.

    “The Good Sam Roadside Assistance 500 certainly lived up to his name,” Harvick said. “At least the ‘Roadside Assistance” part. Kurt Busch lived up to the name, as well, at least the ‘Roadside Ass’ part.”

    10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Earnhardt finished 21st after order was restored in the aftermath of a massive final-lap crash that left much of the field in wrecked cars. Earnhardt is now 11th in the point standings, 58 out of first.

    “Despite the damage to my car,” Earnhardt said, “I was still able to give Jimmie Johnson a ride back to the pits. It felt good to be able to return the favor, because Jimmie’s ‘carried’ this team for so long.

    “Drivers may not like it, but fans love racing at Talladega. And I’m all about giving the fans what they want, as long as it’s overpriced merchandise bearing my likeness and not wins.”