(workingonmyredneck file photo)

Now that the biggest of free agent has re-signed with Roush-Fenway, with big financial help from Ford Motor Company, the Carl Edwards story is finished.  According to Jack Roush, Ford Motor Company stepped up  to offer Carl Edwards an incentive program, including  Ford stock that would that would come . . . → Read More: NASCAR “Free Agents” Still Undecided On Future]]>

(workingonmyredneck file photo)

Now that the biggest of free agent has re-signed with Roush-Fenway, with big financial help from Ford Motor Company, the Carl Edwards story is finished.  According to Jack Roush, Ford Motor Company stepped up  to offer Carl Edwards an incentive program, including  Ford stock that would that would come to fruition in the third year of the contract!

Still unsettled contractually, Clint Bowyer has yet to finalize his plans with Richard Childress Racing for 2012.  It is widely assumed that Bowyer will re-sign with RCR for 2012, even though there are some sponsorship questions that still need to be finalized.

Likewise, Juan Pablo Montoya has yet to commit to another year with Target Chip Ganassi.  Like Bowyer, it is expected that JPM will continue driving for EGR #42 Target Chevy in 2012.

However, the future of Brian Vickers is completely up in the air.  Since Red Bull Racing has stated that they are pulling out of NASCAR as a race team, Vickers is scouring the garage area for employment opportunities for 2012.  In looking at all the powerhouse race teams for 2012, it would appear that “there is no room at the inn” for Vickers!  Unless Vickers can bring substantial sponsorship that would allow an established race organization to start a third or fourth team, like Joe Gibbs Racing and/or Stewart-Haas Racing, Vickers may be relegated to an underfunded less competitive race team for 2012.

Now Mark Martin’s future may possibly involve many twists and turns.  It is a given that he is out of the Hendrick Motorsports #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy at the end the 2011 season. That is the only thing that is factual.  However, there could be many possibilities that Martin could be dealing within deciding his future.  First, Martin could get involved in ownership of a Sprint Cup team.  There has been some garage rumors stating that Martin could get involved in a partnership ownership status, possibly with a group to take over the Red Bull Racing team. Secondly, Martin is running a very limited Nationwide and Camping World Truck schedule with Turner Motorsports, that could be part of his future plans as well.  Could that be where Martin lands for the 2012 season, running a part-time schedule in both series?  Could his  future be a Sprint Cup team owner and part-time competitor in Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and/or Camping World Trucks series?

What are your thoughts on where these “free agents” may land next year?  The possibilities are endless!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

Kyle Busch was victorious in the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway Saturday evening, making it three years in row for the Spring race at that facility.  For the last three years ol Kulie has celebrate his birthday with a victory . . . → Read More: Kyle Wins At Richmond Again]]>

(photo courtesy Alan Marler)

Kyle Busch was victorious in the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway Saturday evening, making it three years in row for the Spring race at that facility.  For the last three years ol Kulie has celebrate his birthday with a victory at the Richmond facility!  This victory was his second race win for the 2011 season, the other victory was at Bristol.  Busch led a dominating 236 laps of the 400 lap race.

Busch beat Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin to the finish line by 1.805 seconds as both drivers conserved fuel during an 86-lap green flag to the finish. Busch has won the past three spring races at Richmond, with Hamlin winning the past two fall races.

Busch, who like Hamlin made it to the finish after pitting for the last time on Lap 293 of 400, ran out of fuel during his post-race burnout.

“We were late to the celebration,” Busch said after his car was pushed to Victory Lane. “This is pretty awesome. We had a really good car, and we knew that if we could play through traffic a little bit better than the 11 [Hamlin] that we had a shot at the win, and we did that [Saturday night].

“I learned from Denny Hamlin last fall — and I’m not going to say what I learned, but he might know. We did a good job of doing what we needed to do early in the run, and once we got out [front] and had to go through traffic, the traffic kind of fell our way, so we were able to pick our way through there.”

Hamlin acknowledged helping Busch on the short tracks but said it was a fair exchange for what he had learned from Busch about running intermediate speedways.

“Yeah, I opened my mouth — I never should have told him,” Hamlin said, though he, too, declined to reveal the secret he had shared with his teammate. “That’s the thing. If I don’t tell him the things I know on short tracks, and the crew chiefs don’t relay information, then it’s not a good team.

“We got paid back on the bigger intermediate tracks. I learned so much from him. Yeah, it might cost me a race here or there because he outruns me, but I think, in the grand scheme of things, it makes me an overall better driver.”

After surging to the front of the field during a 107-lap green-flag run to start the race, Busch and Hamlin owned the action — save for a four-lap foray by Jeff Gordon — until Martin Truex Jr. took Busch and Hamlin three-wide to the inside after a restart on Lap 245 and surged to the front on Lap 246.

A bump from Jimmie Johnson sent Joey Logano spinning off Turn 2 on Lap 256. That started a spate of cautions that scrambled the field by virtue of divergent pit strategies. All told, Laps 256-301 brought five cautions, the last of which flew because of a wreck on the backstretch involving Bowyer, Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Paul Menard and David Reutimann.

Gordon retired from the race after his Chevrolet slammed hard into the inside wall.

Busch was fourth and Hamlin fifth for a restart on Lap 315, but Busch charged into the lead around the outside and passed Jeff Burton for the top spot on Lap 317, with Hamlin quickly following into the second position. At that point, both drivers were conserving fuel, but they had enough of a lead over Kahne that they could maintain an even pace without fear of losing their positions on the track.

Juan Montoya and Ryan Newman were involved in a succession of incidents, with Montoya retaliating against Newman on Lap 237. NASCAR warned both drivers.

It appeared to WOMR that JPM (Juan Pablo Montoya) intentionally retaliate and put Newman into the wall late in the race.  At the end of the race Newman was not very happy with JPM!   It also appeared that Newman went “hunting “JPM for a possible discussion of his (JPM’s) heritage!

Here is the unofficial results from the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

Next week it is on to Darlington!

TIL NEXT WEEK, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

Photo courtesy Johns Harrelson/Getty Images

Jamie McMurray greatly increased the quality of his racing resume Sunday with The Brickyard 400 victory.  He now has joined some very good company with the likes of Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett.  Johnson and Jarret were the only other NASCAR drivers to win The Daytona 500 . . . → Read More: McMurray Wins The Brickyard 400]]>

Photo courtesy Johns Harrelson/Getty Images

Jamie McMurray greatly increased the quality of his racing resume Sunday with The Brickyard 400 victory.  He now has joined some very good company with the likes of Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett.  Johnson and Jarret were the only other NASCAR drivers to win The Daytona 500 and The Brickyard 400 in the same season before McMurray’s victory Sunday.  Series points leader, Kevin Harvick, finished second followed closely by Greg Biffle in third.

Juan Pablo Montoya led the most laps, 86, but again had fell disappointingly short when his team opted to pit for four tires while leading with 23 laps to go. Six others took two tires and that pushed Montoya back to eighth on the restart and two laps later, he crashed while scrambling to make up lost position.

That crushed Montoya, who refused to comment immediately afterward. His equally crushed crew chief took the blame.  “Bad call,” Brian Pattie said. “Crew chief error. We should have taken two tires.”

This is the second consecutive year that Montoya was the most dominating race car at the brickyard 400 and failed to win the race!  Last year he was issued a “speeding ticket” leaving the pits.  However, this year Montoya was subject to his own aggressiveness trying to make up for what turned out to be a poor strategy decision on the pit stop.

Nevertheless, team owner Chip Ganassi was not crushed by Montoya’s failure.  The second team at Earnhardt-Ganassi, the #1 Bass Pro Sports Chevy took up the slack, and rewarded Ganassi with his first Brickyard 400 victory.  McMurray’s Brickyard 400 victory put Chip Ganassi in a class all by himself.  Ganassi is the first team owner to win the three crown jewels of auto racing , the Daytona 500, the Indy 500, and the Brickyard 400 all in one year!

Of being at his best in the big events, McMurray said, “I think it’s coincidence a little bit that we’ve run well at all those big races. After sitting on the pole at Darlington and running second, then going to Chicago with the same car, sitting on the pole, finishing fifth, we had a car that they had given all the updates to, and we were going to bring here. I asked Bono (his crew chief, Kevin Manion), ‘Any chance we could bring the same car we ran at Darlington and Chicago?’  He’s like, absolutely. We raced Chicago Saturday. I went to the shop on Monday, the car was stripped down, they were taking it in to repair it.

Many pundits thought that Jamie McMurray’s racing career was on the downward slide when Roush-Fenway Racing was forced to eliminate one of their race teams due to the new rules limiting owners to a maximum of four race teams.  That rule went into effect at the beginning of the 2010 race season.  However, with McMurray’s Daytona 500 victory, now his Brickyard 400 victory, and a near miss with Harvick at the spring Talladega race, McMurray is making the pundits “eat some crow”!

Here is the unofficial results from the 2010 Brickyard 400.

What is your take on Jamie McMurray’s performance in 2010?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Today Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM) captured the pole for the 17th running of The Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #42 Target Chevy. JPM, the 2000 winner of the Indianapolis 500, won the pole with a lap time of 40.375 seconds and a . . . → Read More: Montoya Captures The Brickyard 400 Pole]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Today Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM) captured the pole for the 17th running of The Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in his Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #42 Target Chevy. JPM, the 2000 winner of the Indianapolis 500, won the pole with a lap time of 40.375 seconds and a speed of 182.278 mph.  Juan appears to be picking up just where he left off in the 2009 Brickyard 400.  He was the most dominate car leading 116 laps until he was issued a “speeding ticket” as he lefts the pits late in the race last year.

Second fastest at the end of qualifying was the four-time champ and three time winner of this race, two consecutively 2008 and 2009, Jimmie Johnson.  Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports team mate, Mark Martin, will come to the green flag in the third starting position.  JPM’s EGR team mate, Jamie McMurray wound up in the fourth starting position for tomorrow’s race.

Montoya could certainly use a victory on Sunday.  A Chaser a year ago, he is 21st heading into the Brickyard.  He sits 242 points out of the final Chase berth.  It would appear that both of the EGR Chevy’s are contenders for the win on Sunday.  Again both cars have been strong every since they unloaded off of their haulers.

If Montoya is successful in capturing the win at The Brickyard 400, he would become the first race car driver to win both The Indy 500 and The Brickyard 400, quite a feat.  Additionally, if either of the EGR drivers, Montoya or McMurray, were to win the race, Chip Ganassi would be the first car owner to win The Daytona 500, The Indy 500, and The Brickyard 400 all in one year.  That would be a monumental victory for motor sports!

Sunday could prove to be a very exciting race at The Brickyard 400.  There are a quite few side stories that can possibly unfold, and make for great entertainment:

1.  The Ganassi boys and Chip’s place in history;

2.  Johnson going for 3 wins in a row at Indy;

3.  Gordon trying be a 5 time winner at Indy;

4.  A change in the “chasers” standings;

5.  Edwards and “Blazingly Bad” Brad K;

6. Could Kurt Busch give Penske his first Brickyard 400;

The story lines could get very interesting before the race comes to it’s conclusion!

Here is the starting lineup for The Brickyard 400.

TILL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

JPM, aka Juan Pablo Montoya, grabbed another pole at Louden, N.H. this afternoon for Lennox Tools 301. JPM proved that you don’t have to perfect to be on the pole.  Coming out of turn #3 Montoya had to catch thebackend of his EGR #42 Target Chevy as  the . . . → Read More: Montoya Racks Up Another Pole]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

JPM, aka Juan Pablo Montoya, grabbed another pole at Louden, N.H. this afternoon for Lennox Tools 301. JPM proved that you don’t have to perfect to be on the pole.  Coming out of turn #3 Montoya had to catch thebackend of his EGR #42 Target Chevy as  the backend started to step out and get sideways!

Despite the loose condition of his Chevy he posted the fast time and a speed of  132.337 mph.  Montoya is currently in 20th place in the standings and 161 points out of the coveted 12th position in the Chase for the Cup.  Right now JPM is a long shot to make the Chase, unless his teams really kicks it up several notches.

Rounding out the top five starting  positions are Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, and Ryan Newman.

Check out the remaining starting line up of Sunday’s Lennox Tools 301.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first . . . → Read More: It’s Time To Go!]]>

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

NASCAR has just had a rare weekend off in its grinding 36 race schedule.  For several teams it should have been a relaxing weekend to their grueling schedule.  However, for some race teams this off week was spent stewing over their lack of performance over the first 6 races!

Among those not doing so well in the early part of this season is Juan Pablo Montoya, who made the Chase last year and fully expects to do the same in 2010.  Thanks to some ill fortune, Montoya sits in 25th place in the 2010 standings.

Of course, there’s still plenty of time to move up, and Montoya can always look at what Mark Martin, one of his racing idols, did last season. Martin was 27th after the first six races, but went on a run, including four victories, that carried him to the Chase.  Martin began his comeback with a win at Phoenix, which just happens to be the next race on this year’s Cup schedule as well.

But Montoya’s record on the one-mile Phoenix oval doesn’t foster great optimism about a quick turnaround. The former Indy car and Formula One star hadn’t finished better than 16th at Phoenix until he came in eighth last fall, his sixth race at the Arizona track.

And this season hasn’t done much for his spirits, either.

JPM is not alone in his struggles this season.  Of the 12 drivers that made the Chase in 2009, 6  of those drivers are outside the top 12 now!  So for those outside the top 12, they need to “grab a gear” and “get up on the wheel”!  This week it is the first evening event of the year, The Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway.

SO IT’S TIME TO GO!

TIL THE NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

One might wonder just how much venom would have spewed Sunday after the Las Vegas Shelby American 400, had not Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray been teammates?  As it was there was plenty spewing out  to go around!

The two team mates collided with each other . . . → Read More: Montoya Has A Chapped Buttocks!]]>

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

One might wonder just how much venom would have spewed Sunday after the Las Vegas Shelby American 400, had not Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray been teammates?  As it was there was plenty spewing out  to go around!

The two team mates collided with each other in turn #3 early on in the race at Las Vegas Sunday.  Afterwards, JPM was anything but delicate with his angry remarks about  his new teammate, who won the season opener, the Daytona 500.

“He( McMurray) ran straight into my ass”, Montoya, who appeared to have had at least a top five car for the Las Vegas race, finished 37th as a results of that wreck, said.  “He nearly ran me into the fence (in turn# 2)  as well.  I don’t know.  He is not doing himself any favors.”

“Just Jamie, plain and simple just wrecked us,” the former F1 driver said.  “Every time I am around him, he wants to run the s**t out of me!  I don’t know if I can say that, but I just did!  On the restart, I was inside of him, I think he got tight and never lifted, I didn’t hit the fence because….it was just a miracle.  I then arched it into turn 3 and he plain and simple just wrecked us.  I am sure on the radio it was, ‘Ah, I didn’t mean that.’  He is trying to prove to people that he can drive a race car and I guess he isn’t doing too many favors on this team.”

McMurray waived off his teammate’s criticisms!

So it this reporter’s opinion that the “honeymoon” is over for the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammates!!  Stay tuned for the rest of the serial adventures of, “The Juan and Jamie Show”!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(Photo courtesy of NASCAR)

At the last Martinsville race in the Spring, Jimmie Johnson punted Denny Hamlin for the victory.  Sunday in the Fall race at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin found the perfect fix to that problem.  Hamlin, in his JGR #11 FedEx Toyota, simply didn’t allow the #48 HMS Lowe’s Chevy to . . . → Read More: Hamlin Wins At Martinsville]]>

(Photo courtesy of NASCAR)

At the last Martinsville race in the Spring, Jimmie Johnson punted Denny Hamlin for the victory.  Sunday in the Fall race at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin found the perfect fix to that problem.  Hamlin, in his JGR #11 FedEx Toyota, simply didn’t allow the #48 HMS Lowe’s Chevy to get close enough to his bumper to replay the end results of the Spring race!  Therefore, Hamlin was fortunate enough to score his third victory of the season and his first in this season’s Chase races.

However, this victory for Hamlin has come much too late to allow him any chance to catch the leader.  After the Martinsville race, Jimmie Johnson has a 352 point lead over Denny Hamlin.

The Chase for the Cup standings looks like this, the HMS #48 Lowe’s Chevy appears to be heading for his fourth consecutive championship!  Johnson is still leading the points with the HMS #5 Kellogg’s/Carquest Chevy driven by Mark Martin still in second place trailing the leader by 118 points.  Still holding on third place is the HMS #24 Dupont Chevy driven by Jeff Gordon trailing the leader by 150 points.  The Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy is in still fourth position back 192 points.  Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM) moved into fifth place in his EGR #42 Target Chevy back 200 points from Johnson.

Next Sunday is Talladega!  This race is always exciting and could prove to be one of the top five Chase cars’ down fall, if they are involved in one of “THE BIG ONES” that can occur there!  ” THE BIG ONE” most definitely will happen and take out a number of cars, you just have to figure out when it is going to happen at Talladega!  With even a smaller restrictor plate for this Talladega race, the cars will be bunched even tighter.  That may lend itself to triggering “THE BIG ONE”! That could spell catastrophe for some Chase teams!!

Traditionally the fall race in Talladega comes up with some very surprising finishes.  Remember the fantastic driving of Dale Earnhardt, Sr?  He started the last restart from something like 18th place and drove through the crowd to win his final NASCAR race before his untimely death in the following Daytona 500.  Last year, Carl Edwards started the multi-car crash that ended his chances of dethroning Jimmie Johnson.

Workingonmyredneck is anxiously awaiting his trip to Talladega to witness this race for the first time!  Having made six Daytona 500′s in the past, this trip to Talladega is like a cherry on an ice cream sundae!

The end of the season is in sight with only four more races left in 2009.  What is your take on who will be crowned the 2009 Sprint Cup Champion at the Miami-Homestead Speedway?  Is it time to turn out the lights and give the championship for the fourth consecutive time to the #48 Lowe’s Chevy? Can Martin or Gordon mount a charge to overhaul the leader?  Can “Smoke” smoke them all?  Can JPM pull off the all time fairly tale in NASCAR?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy of racintoday.com)

Twelve drivers, ten races, one championship.  That is the cast of characters, the venues, and the grand prize  in what is known as The Chase to the Sprint Cup!

The cast of viable characters has now dwindled, venues have now shrunk to six, but there is still only . . . → Read More: Welcome To The Hotel California!]]>

(photo courtesy of racintoday.com)

Twelve drivers, ten races, one championship.  That is the cast of characters, the venues, and the grand prize  in what is known as The Chase to the Sprint Cup!

The cast of viable characters has now dwindled, venues have now shrunk to six, but there is still only one champion to be crowned.  NASCAR just finished their pilgrimage to the West Coast with the culmination of the race at Auto Club Speedway( the former California Speedway).  At the end of the race, the cast of characters that have a realistic chance has shrunk to most probably just six.

It is about this time in the Chase for The Cup, at least for the past three years anyway, that the Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy revels their “killer instincts” for all to see!  Sunday was witness to this fact!  With Sunday’s victory,the #48 Lowe’s Chevy has now won 2 out the 4 races ran in The Chase in 2009.  They have now won 16 race out of the 54 races in this new format.  Does that make them a dynasty?   Do the math, that is a winning record of 29%, think about it!

My point is that, as much as I have said that the #48 Lowe’s team can’t win four championships in a row, it sure has the familiar smell to it!  ( Oh by the way, does anyone know where I can order up a Crow Dinner?)  The other five teams that still have a legitimate shot at capturing the Championship need to REALLY step up their game, because the three time champion has just “let the dogs out of the yard”!

By virtue of the victory at Auto Club Speedway Sunday,  Jimmie Johnson moved into the points lead over the HMS #5  Kelloggs/Carquest Chevy, driven by Mark Martin, by a mere 18 points.  The Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing #42 Target Chevy, driven by JPM (Juan Pablo Montoya), is still holding onto third place, back 58 points from the leader. Next in the pecking order is the Stewart-Haas Racing #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy, driven by Tony Stewart, currently in fourth place- down 85 points from Johnson.  Meanwhile, the HMS #24 Dupont Chevy of Jeff Gordon is holding down fifth, 105 points behind the leader.  And lastly, the Penske Racing #2 Miller Lite Dodge, driven by the crew chief impaired Kurt Busch, mired down in sixth place back 121 points from the leader.

The positions 7 thru 12 are more than one race worth of points behind the leader and, therefore, virtually they no chance of catching the leader!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

In comparison, if Richard Petty would have won 29% of all his 1200+ races he would have won in excess of 348 races!  As it was, the King won a remarkable 200 races, while second place David Pearson has a very distant total of 104!

I will leave you with the lyrics to, what I believe is the world’s greatest rock and roll song!  Addtionally, it contains the greatest rock and roll guitar solo! Long live Don Henley, Glen Frey, Joe Walsh, and Don Felder!

WELCOME TO THE HOTEL CALIFORNIA!!!

“On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair.

Warm smell of colitas rising up thru the air.

Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light.

My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night”

(The Eagles)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea0CDieb4yM

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy of Leon Hammack)

Even though Jimmie Johnson is in close proximity in the standings, Mark Martin subtly reminded the media that he is still leading the points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.  As they, Martin and Johnson, put some distance between Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM), Kurt Busch, and . . . → Read More: It’s A Tight Chase Race]]>

(photo courtesy of Leon Hammack)

Even though Jimmie Johnson is in close proximity in the standings, Mark Martin subtly reminded the media that he is still leading the points in the Chase for the Sprint Cup.  As they, Martin and Johnson, put some distance between Juan Pablo Montoya (JPM), Kurt Busch, and Tony Stewart, that trio made their presence known at Dover with position gains that further defined the group trying to deny Johnson a record fourth championship in a row.

This year the margin that separates the top five drivers is 106 points.  Each of the top five teams came away from Dover with something to build on for the race this week at Kansas.  Montoya (JPM) moved into third place in the standings via a fourth place finish in the race at Dover.  Kurt Busch, the 2004 Cup Champion, ran to a drama- fifth place at Dover.  Remember his crew chief, Pat Tryson, is banned from the race shop except for the Tuesday post-race briefing.  Tony Stewart moved into fifth place in the standings with his  finish  of ninth in the race at Dover.  Of the rest of the competitors in the Chase, only Jeff Gordon gained on the leaders in the Chase.

Even tough Mark Martin is in the lead, it is of the slimmest margin, just 10 points!  To most observers that is most likely considered a dead heat, in view of the killer instincts of the  #48 Lowe’s Chevy race team!  Johnson and crew have won 15 out of the 52 total races ran during the Chase!  That is dominance, pure and simple!

The championship picture will start to sort itself after this Sunday.  There will probably be a couple of teams that will mathematically eliminate themselves form being a serious contender for  2009.  Nevertheless, the race from Kansas will be as exciting and as thrilling as it was last year when Carl Edwards tried to dive under Johnson, bounce off the wall and drive on to victory, but he failed!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!