Penske Racing South

When Brad Keselowski started the race, the only concern everybody had was if he'd able to make his way through the field. Keselowski proved that as he was in the top five before the halfway point.

With nine laps to go under caution after Danica Patrick spun, Keselowski took the gamble and took four tires on pit road, passing Mike Bliss for the win with two laps to go.

"You make the right adjustments, you give him the right car, he can get to victory lane," Crew Chief Paul Wolfe said after the race.

Keselowski started at the back of the pack as a result of missing Nationwide Series qualifying earlier that day due to being in Martinsville practicing his Sprint Cup Series car.

"When Bliss got the lead, I thought he'd be gone," Keselowski said of the race at the end. "He had the best short track car and got a break and got to him, was able to get him loose. I thought our teammate Justin was going to win, though he had some issues on pit road, but good job to him."

In the spring, Keselowski led the race right down to the final lap coming out of the final corner when he was turned by championship rival Carl Edwards for the win. In a way, the victory was redemption for that.

‎"I try not to hold grudges and that was key today," Keselowski said. "You can't be panicked about the past, you got to be able to move on with your life and we did that today."

Bliss finished second after starting fourth.

‎"We were alright today, we weren't as good as I expected in long runs," Mike Bliss said. "With taking two tires, we got a good finish out of it."

Allgaier, who had the dominant car and started on pole, finished third after having multiple issues on pit road today.

‎"We knew we had a good car, we sat on the pole," Allgaier said, who doesn't have a ride for next season. "I had the dominant car of the race and we just couldn't get off pit road and we made the wrong car at the end.

"I just want to say that I love this Nationwide Series and thank Nationwide for what they do for the sport."

The race was held up with a 20-minute red flag after a wreck blocked the front straightaway involving over 10 cars.

"You're going to get a lot of depressed drivers, but I'm not going to be one of them," Sean Caisse said afterwards. "I am thankful for the opportunity.

"There's just a lot of guys who aren't respectful out there. Brendan Gaughan being one of them as he took me three wide, Danica being another as she took me four-wide. It's too early to be going three and...four wide. A lot of guys talk about being respectful, but being in my fifth start, I saw people make stupid mistakes and making unneeded moves."

With the win, Keselowski extends his points lead over Edwards to 485 points, pretty much having the championship locked up.

"13 months ago, Discount Tire called me and told me they wanted to drive this car and I knew it'd be something special." Keselowski said.

Justin Allgaier, the highest running regular Nationwide driver in points, looks to be without a ride in 2011.  Penske Racing stated that sponsor Verizon has decided to change plans, leaving the program with no funding.

For the next four races to close out the season, Allgaier looks to be prove that he belongs in top tier ride, looking to score some consistent good finishes.

"One that sticks out for me is Gateway," Allgaier said on NASCAR.com. "Being close to home, being that we've run fairly well there but maybe not had the finishes to show for it...That stuff definitely bodes well going into the last couple of races."

Allgaier hopes to showcase to an owner that he has the talent and should be competing in the NASCAR ranks.

"I feel like as far as being in a race car, I've got the talent to be here," Allgaier said. "To be a part of as large a corporation as Verizon is and to have the branding they've put in place, I feel that definitely helps.

"Me personally, I'm a good person. Most of the crew guys here would stand behind me and say they really enjoy working with me and that goes a long way for me, making sure I treat my guys well."

Allgaier's stats back up what he is saying as last year, he finished sixth in points with three top fives and 12 top 10s. This year, he currently sits fourth with a win (Bristol), seven top fives and 18 top 10s.

In years past, a driver of Allgaier's talent would've easily been able to secure a ride. However, with the sponsorship dollars being tight, it's been hard to find a good deal. Allgaier says though that he's seen the support from people who would like to hire him.

"Lots of teams are needing sponsorship for next year," Allgaier said. "Teams that do have sponsors signed deals right before I was told. I was in a little bit of bad shape just because it kind of happened extremely late. But a lot of people in this garage have tried to help me in a lot of different ways. They say things like, 'We don't have money, don't have a sponsor, but we could maybe put you in for a couple races that we don't have a driver for.' There's just been a lot of outpouring of help and things you don't normally see."

So where could Allgaier end up in 2011?

On the Cup Series side, there a couple different scenarios that could play out well. David Ragan hasn't done much in his Cup deal at Roush-Fenway as he currently sits 24th in points with two top 10s.

Though within the Penske organization, the No. 77 of Sam Hornish Jr. is losing Mobil 1 to Tony Stewart. With Hornish not having the must stellar results, could it be time for the Captain (Roger Penske) to take a chance and put Allgaier in the car?

On the Nationwide Series side, Allgaier could also end up staying with Penske Racing if they find sponsorship.

He could also end up in a Roush-Fenway ride as neither Ricky Stenhouse Jr. or Colin Braun have done that well this year. Jack Roush has already signed Trevor Bayne to a one-year deal to replace one, but he could also replace the other.

Lastly, Allgaier could also end up at Tuner Motorsports as with being a new team (David Turner taking over Braun Racing), the driver line-up is not secure yet as nothing of certainty has been announced.

Either way, Allgaier is open to any opportunity.

"If I could find a situation where I could run both, that would be my ideal goal," Allgaier said. "I don't know that I see myself in the Nationwide Series for another five years as only a Nationwide driver. If that's the opportunity, I'll take it because I want to be in this sport.

"If there is a Nationwide-only team and midseason a Cup team comes to me and wants me to drive, I wouldn't be opposed to that either, as long as the teams can work together. Ryan Newman has shown that could work. I'm not really limiting my choices as much as I want to be able to make it to the Cup level and I know that's going to take some give and take."

Kurt Busch was in a position to minimize the damage. After fighting an ill handling race car for most of the afternoon, he had clawed his way into the top 10 on Sunday at the Pepsi Max 400 at AutoClub Speedway.

Then, disaster struck another Chaser.

Coming off of turn four with just seven laps to go, David Ragan swept up out of the corner and squeezed Busch into the wall. It was the first multi—car incident of the day, and the only one that mattered to the driver of the Miller Lite Dodge.

“With 20 to go, it looked like we were going to come out of here with a solid top-10 finish, but it was not to be,” said a disappointed Kurt Busch afterwards. It was a solid finish after a not—so—solid day dashed within sight of the checkered flag.

That wreck cost Busch at least 34 points in the standings provided he had just finished 10th instead of 21st. The points margin now is 140 between him and leader Jimmie Johnson. It’s much more daunting than a manageable 106.

For the second week in a row, and for a second Busch brother, a non—chaser has badly damaged title hopes.

Last weekend at the Kansas Speedway, Kyle Busch was running seventh when David Reutimann took a retaliatory strike in response to a perceived bump earlier in the race. The accident damaged Kyle Busch’s car enough to take him out of contention for the win, relegating him to a 21st place finish.

The accidents, and the results, seemed eerily similar. Both brothers were taken out of presumed top—10 finishes and dealt damaging days points wise. One was accidental, the other intentional, but in the end the outcome and message was the same.

Good runs won’t separate you from the pack in the Chase, but bad runs can be lethal.

When you’re in the Chase, most guys you’re racing for the Championship run up front. There are gains to be made by finishing a couple of spots ahead of the points leader, but on a day where six Chasers finish in the top 10 (including the top five in the points standings), a 21st place finish is a killer.

The guys at the top of the standings have made their living racing in the top 10 every week. That’s how they got in the Chase to begin with. If you find it difficult to race in their world, you can’t be the Sprint Cup Champion. It’s just that simple.

That’s why Talladega has become the wild card.

With huge packs and wild swings in position during a plate race, it’s easy for a Chaser to find himself mingling with non—chasers: Drivers with different agendas battling for the same piece of real estate. The results can be a disaster for someone trying to avoid the bad run and escape with a top—10 finish.

Recently, I advocated a points system that would minimize the points damage during incidents like the last two weeks (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/482110-nascars-kyle-busch-david-reutimann-could-help-re-invent-chase). It would keep non—Chasers from being able to dramatically impact the points standings either by accident or intention.

If NASCAR is going to make the Chase a 12 driver run to the finish, let’s compare how they run and not how they dodge the wrecks precipitated by drivers running on a different agenda. Let’s not make this Championship about who can dodge the wrecks, but a true contest between the 12 drivers.

As it stands now, a little wreck with a little damage might mean a little loss, but a big wreck with big damage can mean a big loss. The points difference can simply be a function of the severity of the accident, often times at the hands of a non—Chaser.

Guys who didn’t make the Chase have their own prizes: collecting wins and getting as close to 13th in points after Homestead. Either of those goals provide a great stepping stone for next year.

But along the way, they might damage the chances for someone who’s time is now.

Two weeks in a row, with separate incidents, a driver outside the Chase has severely damaged a Chaser's shot to take down Jimmie Johnson. It will happen again. This Sprint Cup Championship may just be decided by the guy who can dodge the bullets.

Maybe we should find a way to crown a Champion who doesn’t do the best job of dodging the worst, but who stands tallest among the best of the best: his other Sprint Cup Championship contenders.   

Last week, Penske Racing president Tim Cindric announced that prospect Justin Allgaier was free to explore other options for the 2011 NASCAR season.

With this decision, Penske Racing is giving up on their future to focus on their present team of Kurt Busch and Brad Keselowski.

One of NASCAR’s top young drivers, Allgaier has the potential to become the next superstar in Sprint Cup given a few years time.

Justin showed tremendous improvement in the Nationwide Series the last two seasons. He was the 2009 Nationwide Rookie of the Year with three Top Five and six Top 10 finishes.  This season, he won his first Nationwide Series race at Bristol and is currently fourth in the championship standings.

Oh, and he is only 24 years old.

Allgaier’s youth and potential will intrigue teams into signing him for 2011 and the foreseeable future.  He is in a win-win situation for himself and the team that decides to sign him. Here are three reasons why:

1. Allgaier could sign with a top Sprint Cup team in the hopes of getting a full-time ride in 2012. He can use next season to further develop in the Nationwide Series and compete for the championship, gaining valuable experience for himself while helping his team make money on their Nationwide Series operation.  By 2012, Allgaier will be that team’s first choice to replace a struggling driver.

Teams that would be a good fit: Richard Childress Racing, Roush Fenway Racing

2. Allgaier can fulfill his dream of racing in Sprint Cup by 2011 by signing with a low-budget team that is looking to fill its roster.  He can learn how to drive the Sprint Cup car and gain valuable seat time against the best stock car drivers in the world.  The team will easily acquire a sponsor for the entire season with Allgaier, who will compete for Top 10 finishes, which gives a team more money to improve their cars.  If Allgaier has a strong rookie season, he will be able to sign with a top team in the future.

Teams that would be a good fit: Richard Petty Motorsports, Red Bull Racing, and Wood Brothers Racing

3. Penske Racing allowed Sam Hornish Jr. to look at other rides for 2011 due to lack of sponsorship.  Allgaier could stick with the organization that initially signed him in hopes of taking Hornish’s ride next year.  Penske could pick up a few sponsors for their third car so Allgaier can race every week.  If that fails, Allgaier could race part time in Cup and full time in Nationwide.  Roger Penske will be able to keep his dream lineup of Kurt Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Justin Allgaier for the next few seasons.

If you browse a lot of IndyCar sites, you probably have found some pretty amazing claims passed off as news this week. As always, the pundits and fans engage in serious debate about what the rumors really mean.

Instead, here's a real piece of news that was reported last week and almost entirely ignored. Last Saturday, John Sturbin's article in Racin' Today (linked below) contained some interesting quotes from Helio Castroneves.

Castroneves wasn't rehashing the Edmonton call, or complementing security chief Charles Burns for his unflappable smile. Castroneves was talking about his boss, and dropping a hint about the future.

Penske Racing will not be constructing aerodynamic "kits" for the 2012 Dallara chassis. At least that's the direct quote from Castroneves, who should be an accurate source of information and a man who is choosing his words carefully of late.

The excerpt from John Sturbin's article, and Castroneves's quote...

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However, Castroneves said bossman Roger Penske – owner of the most successful team in domestic open-wheel history has no plan to manufacture an “aero kit” for use with the basic chassis to be produced by Dallara Automobili. “No, he’s not,” the native Brazilian said. “I heard something around but he said no, he does not want to because if you got to do it for one car you got to do it for all the rest. It’s another thing Roger might not want to be involved in at the moment.”

Full article:

http://www.racintoday.com/archives/20594

__________________________________________________________

That is not a small bit of news about the development of the 2012 IndyCar, since the "aero kit" plan was an essential ingredient in the search for variables in both style and performance.

Penske's decision seems to support the opinion that the R&D costs of the design and construction for a package of wings, sidepod covers, and engine covers isn't worth the investment.

There may, in fact, be competition for market share among several aero kit suppliers. Lotus has been the first company to express a serious interest in competing with the Dallara "standard equipment" to be supplied as an option with their new chassis.

With the sale price of each kit mandated by the IRL, there can only be one winner in this battle for market share. The kit which demonstrates the best compromise of lowest drag and highest downforce will win. This is not a styling exercise; this is racin' today.

As Castroneves pointed out, any aero kit manufacturer will be required to supply the entire grid. There would be no competitive advantage to Penske or any other team. It all boils down to a simple business investment.

Penske doesn't see the point. Why Ganassi Racing, Swift, Lola, or Boeing would disagree remains to be seen.

Notes on Chicago Qualifying

Scott Dixon will start from row eight. There was no explanation given for his poor qualifying speed, and his pace was competitive in the practice session which followed. Watching Dixon fight his way to the front should be entertaining as Saturday night's race unfolds.

Dario Franchitti has a sizable margin to make up in his championship points battle with Will Power. Normally, qualifying P2 and ahead of Power in P3 would bring some sense of satisfaction. But...

With Ryan Briscoe on pole, and Castroneves in P4, Franchitti will be surrounded by Team Penske. Perhaps engulfed will be a better word. Power's teammates will be sure to help protect his position, both in the race and the points standings.

Unpredictable factors aside, Franchitti will have a tough night unless his wingman can get into the battle up front.

And if we add in the invisible factors, the Ganassi cars will still be at a slight disadvantage. Team Penske already does their own aerodynamic development work.

And this year, they don't have to share it.

He stood confidently on pit lane, laden in shades, donning his dark Mopar cap on Friday afternoon during the qualifying session for the Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.

As usual, he carried his usual cool demeanor, almost as if he knew that he had a quick bullet that would negotiate the sweeping two-mile speedway for his pivotal time trial laps.

These days, life's been good for Kurt Busch, as he's compiled some excellent performances and finishes in recent races. With finishes of 18th, third, 19th, first, and sixth, the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team appears to be on the right track to challenge for another Sprint Cup title, in spite of the fact that they're running a relatively endangered specie with a Dodge.

"With the odds stacked up against you, you always feel like you're running an uphill battle," Busch said per AP sportswriter Will Graves' article .

Those words couldn't have been more true for the 31-year-old Las Vegas native, whose stock value in NASCAR looked quite shaky following his magical championship season in 2004. The world of auto racing turned upside down for the former Ford prospect, whose attitude got the best of him during the heat of the moment.

Fumed out of the Roush-Fenway Racing collective prior to the season finale in 2005, Busch bolted for Penske Racing South, taking over the famous No. 2 ride that was piloted by '89 Cup champ Rusty Wallace, who also knows a thing or two about blowing a fuse in terms of his personality.

Fiery and outspoken prior to his arrival at Penske's operation, the young gun was harnessed over the years. In the words of the late T. Wayne Robinson's thoughts on Jimmy Spencer (yep, that guy who Busch called a "decrepit old has been"), Busch had to "go a little slower to go a little faster."

For a vast majority of his career, Busch was praised for his willingness to race to the front, often winning his fair share of races with his aggressive driving style. However, that kind of racing also landed him on the hot seat at times, often finding himself embroiled in post-race altercations with crew members from other teams as well as his colleagues on the track.

Of course, he still has that flare and glint of a champion who refuses to take any prisoners, driving the wheels off his Dodge. Rest assured, he's going to give you 110 percent in terms of going for the win rather than stroking for a conservative finish.

It doesn't matter if you're his crew chief, in this case Steve Addington, or car owner and boss Roger Penkse, a multi-millionaire business mogul. When it's the heat of the moment, in talking to Busch, he's about as cagey and willed up in that machine, he's going to muscle the Miller Lite machine to the lead, even if he has to call you "dude" out of slight disrespect.

That said, when he's got a bullet under him, he'll give proper acknowledgment to the team that prepares those fast Dodges. Such was the case on Friday afternoon, grabbing the pole for Sunday's Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400.

"I give all the credit to the crew and Steve Addington for making the sharp decision that it takes to set a car on the pole and stay on top of changing track conditions," said Busch following his successful pole run.

Busch added, "You've got to have the horsepower...aerodynamics...(and) you've got to have the handling."

Those are just some of the aspects that have been on all eight cylinders for the veteran racer, all this despite the fact that his Penske team is the only one on the circuit under the Dodge racing banner.

Often overlooked by his younger and feistier brother Kyle, who has also compiled quite the season in 2010, it's Kurt who has earned the praises and respect of his fellow peers and critics on the Sprint Cup tour, as it appears that the champion has honed his style on and off-the-track.

It's been paying off big time for Busch, sweeping both races at Charlotte, which included the All-Star race and the grueling Coca-Cola 600. Winning a race at NASCAR's backyard is quite the morale boost, so just imagine the emotional highs that the No. 2 unit had following their triumphant homecoming.

In cases where he recognizes that he may not have a winning car under him, he'll bring home a good finish, although the taste of victory's much sweeter for the 11th year driver.

Thus far in 2010, he's logged a pair of wins at Atlanta and Charlotte, three more top five finishes, and an additional trio of top 10 performances. At the end of the day, those look like numbers that are more than enough to carry Busch and the No. 2 team back into the playoffs for a third time.

But before thoughts of the Chase can be conceived, it's the race to September that the Penske operation have to think about. Depending on where they'll be down the stretch, they could play the conservative strategy if they're atop the points race or go all out for victories if they're on the brink of elimination come post-Labor Day weekend.

Following the winding turns of Infineon Raceway later this month, the circuit will pay its annual second visits to a majority of tracks in the second half of the season, including Daytona, Fontana, Atlanta, Bristol, Richmond, Pocono, and Michigan.

At those tracks, he placed 23rd, sixth, first, third, 18th, and sixth, averaging a 9.5 place finish during the first trips at those facilities. While the variables will differ greatly in terms of competitiveness, rules changes, and weather conditions, it can't be ignored that Busch and Addington will be serving up some heat to the competition, looking to score additional wins to collect pivotal bonus points for a higher Chase seed.

Now it's possible Busch may crumble down the finish, which is a scenario that all the Chase contenders fear most as the postseason lies less than two months away. This season may be the best opportunity for Busch to silence those notions and critics who may feel that the encouraging start to his season is all but a fluke and stroke of luck.

When all's said and done in the 2010 season, while the storylines often preside with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart, it may be Kurt Busch who'll be the man who came out of nowhere to capture his second championship—this time, in the right way, with dominance and cool.

Aggressive racers aren't exactly a new breed of drivers in motorsports, as they often bring excitement, controversy, and attention to the sport.

They're the breed of men and women who leave it all on the line, willing to do what it takes to win, and often leave the track with discontent after defeat.

Some of the best in NASCAR were the hard chargers, including the late Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, and recently Kurt and Kyle Busch.

Each possessed some kind of talent to race to the front, even if it meant banging some sheet metal and bruising some egos along the way.

In a sport that's said to have some vanilla personalities, there are the few who aren't afraid to truly be themselves. They let it show with the press, fans, and their peers on the track.

That's the case with 26-year-old Brad Keselowski, the talented and remarkable second-generation racer, whose father Bob and uncle Ron were quite the respectable stock car racers from the Midwest. Racing has been in their blood for a long time, often as winners in their leagues.

The young Keselowski has shown some remarkable poise and skill that says winner all over him. He has driven for one of the most respectable organizations in all of auto racing.

With solid backing from team owner Roger Penske, "BK" has all the tools around him to become a regular for victories and perhaps some championships down the road.

Unfortunately, he's not exactly a liked figure among his peers—particularly some racers who've become embroiled in some controversy with the driver of the No. 12 Dodge.

From Denny Hamlin to Carl Edwards, some of that aggressive driving has landed him in some hot water with the sport's veterans, who feel they're victims of sheet metal bumper tag rather than some hard racing.

That said, Keselowski's style is no different than any aggressive racer who's gotten into someone in a variety of ways. The incidents range from slight contact that results in nothing more than a tire mark on the car's side to heavy contact, often ending with mangled sheet metal and tempers flaring hotter than an Arizona heat wave.

Earnhardt made it his brand of racing, often bumping competitors at will, as a means to win races. How else do you suppose he got the nicknames "Ironhead" and "The Intimidator?" Chances are, almost any race that the Big E was a part of had him mixing it up out there, rattling cages along the way.

Ernie Irvan has perhaps the strongest resemblance of the past to Keselowski. He was a young Californian who worked laboriously building grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the late 1980s. Irvan was the pride of Salinas who earned the moniker "Swervin' Irvan" for his "go at 'em" style, banging fenders and crumpling up his Kodak Chevy when he marched to the lead.

Some of those tactics landed him in a world of hurt in 1991-'92, where good intentions often led to Irvan into trouble with his peers. Most notably in the '91 season, he wiped out a number of contenders in the July Pocono race. This lead to numerous racers venting frustration in a pre-race report during CBS Sports' coverage of the DieHard 500 the following week.

"I told Ernie like I told Earnhardt the other day, I'm going to race you like you race me. If you hit me, I'ma crash you," Rusty Wallace said with some disgust.

Humiliated and humbled by the words of his fellow racers, Irvan stepped up to the podium during the drivers' meeting at Talladega, asking for a second chance to prove himself as a legit, hard-racing but clean racer.

Following that incident, Irvan honed himself into one of the finest stock car competitors around, who was able to calculate when to make those daring moves while saving his car for the battles in the end.

As a result, he became a well-liked, popular driver in the stands and garage area for the rest of his career.

It wasn't magic, nor did it happen overnight. Irvan had some growing pains in trying to earn the respect of the garage area. They were all but ready to quit on the driver who messed with the veterans. Eventually, he proved himself without having to change too much of his attitude and style as a racer and a colleague amongst America's finest stock car drivers.

Darrell Waltrip was another brash figure who didn't mind irking the fans and drivers as to who he thought was the best in NASCAR. Back in the 1980s, as Waltrip would put it, he raced "doing whatever it took" to win races.

While he earned three titles, he felt that the victories on the track were somewhat hollow. His rough style as a racer didn't earn him any fans, who weren't afraid to give a piece of their mind (and then some) to the veteran racer.

Perhaps Waltrip's turning point came in the 1983 Daytona 500, when he raced to the line in efforts to get back on the lead lap. Slowed by Dick Brooks, who was preventing the prolific champion from victory, DW's No. 11 Pepsi Chevy Monte Carlo suddenly swerved to the left, spinning wildly into the inside retaining barrier before pit road.

He smashed into the concrete passenger-side first before resting along the frontstretch, all battered up and torn. Miraculously, he survived the incident.

Even so, the crash left quite an impression on Waltrip's mindset as a racer who ruffled the feathers of veteran stars like Richard Petty and Bobby Allison.

Some fans felt that Keselowski "had it coming to him." This was after Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500, in which his No. 12 Mopar FLO TV Dodge Charger went for a flyer into the frontstretch wall, crushing in the roof and breaking the roll cage. Keselowski would walk out of his car, albeit shaken up and dazed by the prolific incident with Carl Edwards.

No matter whose side you're on in this controversial mess, what we saw on Sunday was perhaps a case of a driver frustrated by an earlier incident involving Keselowski. He felt it was time to speak up for some racers who've been involved in accidents with the 26-year-old Nationwide Series graduate.

That said, there's no winner in this situation. There was no right for Edwards to take out Keselowski in the fashion he did, regardless if the No. 12 Dodge flipped or had stayed on track.

After all, that's not how the good ol' boys did it. No, they duked it out in the track. They traded fists and punches rather than using their cars as a means of "unnecessary roughness."

While Keselowski still has lots to learn, perhaps one way for him to earn the respect of the fans and drivers before the race at Bristol, Tenn. is to "man up" to his mistakes, similar to how his predecessors did years ago. There's nothing more humiliating yet career-changing than to speak up, regardless of whether or not it's your fault.

Won't the real Brad Keselowski please stand up? He doesn't have to change entirely. He can be as stubborn as he wants to be. As long as he can own up to his incidents, the respect label will surely find its way to a young man who has the makings to become quite the figure in NASCAR history.

A driver went to victory lane on Sunday afternoon. A team got to celebrate taking a checkered flag.

Trophies were presented, photos were taken, and post-race interviews were conducted. On Sunday, there was a 500-mile race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway that saw Kurt Busch take his first win of the season.

But, is anyone talking about the victory? Is anyone discussing the final pit stops where Busch had to pass three cars to get ahead?

No, they are not.

On lap 323 of the scheduled 325 laps, the story happened. Carl Edwards hits Brad Keselowski, Busch's teammate, and the No. 12 Dodge takes flight. In that moment, the previous 322 laps disappeared.

The pit stops, the passes, the lead changes; everything else disappeared when that car hit the wall.

Why is that?

The answer is simple: it was THE moment. It's the part of the race that we as the media wait for every time the green flag flies. Unfortunately, it's also the moment that makes us all look past what happened before and after it happened.

It's not the first time this has happened. When Dale Earnhardt passed away in 2001, did anyone talk about Michael Waltrip winning his first race? Of course not, the icon of the sport was no longer with us.

Go forward a couple years to Michigan, 2003. It was a day where Ryan Newman took a fuel-mileage gamble to win the race.

What did people talk about after that? It was Jimmy Spencer giving Busch a swift right hook in the garage area. Media swarmed that story like a group of linebackers gang-tackling a running back.

The track that seems to always have this happen is Talladega because of it's history. Last fall, it was Jamie McMurray taking what would then become his last win with Roush-Fenway on a green-white-checkered finish.

But, no one talks about that win. The story was Ryan Newman doing a front flip in his U.S. Army Chevy and having to wait nearly five minutes to get cut out.

McMurray had a similar situation this year at Daytona. Everyone was talking about his win in the "Great American Race." However, the topic of conversation 24 hours later was the pothole that developed in the racing surface.

It's a vicious cycle that we can't seem to get away from, but it's the trend of the media today.

When I look at the Kobalt Tools 500 from 2010, yes I will remember the wreck. But, at the same time, what I remember also is the domination of Busch and Kasey Kahne. Those two had the best cars all day long, and it was going to be one of those two going to victory lane.

Combined, the beer-sponsored cars led 75 percent of the laps. It was a battle of which beverage would be cracked open in victory lane.

I also look at the two green-white-checkered attempts, with the first having a multiple-car pile up, taking out a lot of good cars. Busch had to survive both restarts, plus pass some drivers who went with right-side tires only, hoping to gain a surprising victory.

I remember the struggles of Hendrick Motorsports, with each one having tire issues. Very few teams outside of the Hendrick stable had tire issues with the compound Goodyear brought to the track.

There was Earnhardt Jr. getting his first pole in over a year, giving Junior Nation something to cheer for come race day.

There are many headlines that could have been written about what happened at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, but one story has taken center stage.

We can't help it, because we all have an interest in what NASCAR was going to do after the fact. Even then, the story continues. Was the punishment fitting for the act, was it too lenient, is this a trend the sport is going in? There's more questions than answers coming from an incident that occurred in just a few seconds.

Many of those questions will not get answered until next week when racing returns at Bristol.

Have we beaten the Edwards-Keselowski incident to death? It's highly possible. We all have a take on it, and we've all voiced it at one point. Maybe it is time to simply let it rest and move on to the next headline.

The race in Atlanta was an excellent event from flag-to-flag, and one that will be talked about all the way to the end of the season.

But, much like many other great races in years past, a lot of things got lost in the wreckage.

It seems as though whenever NASCAR makes the trip to Georgia, in some way or another, excitement comes around.

Sunday afternoon, it was no different. The Kobalt Tools 500 lived up to its billing and was certainly by far the best race of the season. So, why waste time, let's get into my race reactions from Sunday afternoon.

First of all, simply awesome run by the Miller Lite Dodge, the Penske team, and Kurt Busch. He and Kasey Kahne were the two guys to beat all afternoon, leading nearly 80 percent of the laps. It was going to come down to a battle between one of these two for the victory, and it was well worth it.

Late in the race, much like last week, the late pit stop was what made the difference. Two guys elected for right sides, while Busch went with new rubber all around.

On the first of the two green-white-checkered restarts, he won that race. A great jump to get ahead of Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer made the difference. The second restart, he just needed the jump on Juan Montoya, and that is what he got.

A strong run for the No. 2 team, and a great victory.

But, speaking of Kahne, he and the entire Richard Petty Motorsports organization had an incredible afternoon. Three of their four cars finished in the top ten.

Kahne ended up fourth, Menard in fifth, and A.J. Allmendinger was sixth.

That is an incredible turnaround for a team that was going through so many changes late in 2009. The Ford power has certainly been a major difference for RPM and I don't expect much to change in the coming weeks.

Awesome job by the entire Petty camp.

And then, there's the wreck. This will be talked about a lot when people look back at this race. Two laps from the scheduled end of the race, it was Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski getting together.

Early in the race, Keselowski got into Edwards, sending him high and into the wall, which sent the No. 99 team behind the wall. Looking at the reply, Edwards says "That wasn't as malicious as I thought," almost as if he wasn't placing much blame on Keselowski. But then, he ends with, "Brad never gives me any room."

Fast forward to the end of the race, and on the front stretch going full throttle, Edwards gets into the No. 12, and the car hooks. The rear end goes in the air, one complete tumble, and the roof goes into the outside SAFER barrier.

Keselowski got out alright, a bit dazed, but overall good. It was after that the sparks soon flew. Outside the in-field care center, Keselowski spoke with FOX reporters about the wreck.

"To come back and just intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool," Keselowski said.

"He could have killed someone in the grandstands."

Edwards was soon told by NASCAR that he was done for the day. In an act of defiance, went around the short 1/4-mile track used for the legends cars on the front stretch and backwards down pit road.

After parking his car at his hauler, Edwards said he "didn't intend to flip him," but said nothing about intentionally spinning him out.

Now, I'm not one to agree with Keselowski, because we all know he's an aggressive driver, but that was a bit over the limit on the part of Edwards.

I knew when NASCAR decided to take the reins off the drivers and basically say, "Have at it, boys," they had an idea what they were doing. I really don't think this was exactly what was on their minds.

That wreck could have sent Keselowski to the hospital, then what would Edwards have said? He feels bad it ended up like that? He didn't mean to send him to the local medical facility? Seriously, what would Edwards have said?

I really don't know what NASCAR is planning to do, as Edwards had to go to the "Oval Office," as it has been nicknamed, for a talk with Mike Helton.

There's probably a lot of fans that lost some respect for Edwards with his actions, both for the wreck and how he acted following his order from the tower. I know there's a lot of Keselowski fans that are calling for a suspension for him when the series goes to Bristol in two weeks.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves, we don't know what NASCAR is going to do until at least Monday. There will probably be a hefty fine, that I can assure you, but as for suspensions, I'm not jumping the gun.

In any case, it's definitely a good time for an off-weekend because there's a lot of guys that need it.

All I can say is that today, we saw good and evil in Atlanta. An exciting race that left everyone speechless when the checkered flag waved.

In a move widely rumored, Steve Addington has made it official: he is moving from crew chiefing Kyle Busch, to assuming the crew chief role of his older brother Kurt for the 2010 Sprint Cup season.

Under Addington's leadership, younger brother Kyle Busch won 12 races in the past two seasons. Addington will be joining the elder Busch, who finished fourth in the championship points this past season.

"Steve Addington has a proven track record of success in NASCAR and we are excited to welcome him to Penske Racing," team owner Roger Penske said of the Addington announcement in a statement shared with the media.

"By adding Steve to the winning Miller Lite team and working closely with Kurt, we believe we have the combination in place to compete for a championship as we head into the 2010 season."

Kurt Busch expressed his enthusiasm with the choice of his new crew chief. "With Steve on board, I am confident we can build on the momentum from 2009 and compete for wins and the series title,'' Busch said.

Addington has had an impressive resume as a crew chief, especially in the Nationwide Series, where he worked with Mike Bliss and Jason Keller. Under Addington's leadership on the pit box, both Bliss and Keller finished in the top 10 in the points standings.

In 2005, Addington was named to the crew chief role of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Cup car in the car then driven by Bobby Labonte. He continued in that role when Labonte left and was replaced by J.J. Yeley.

Addington persevered after Yeley left and Kyle Busch was named the driver of the No. 18 M&M Toyota. He was described as "ice" to Busch's "fire" in his pairing with his new driver.

Addington and Busch were successful together in the 2009 season, but failed to make the championship Chase. Addington was then released from his duties late in the 2009 season and replaced by Dave Rogers, who is set to continue as the crew chief for Kyle Busch next season.

Addington will now face the next chapter in his crew chiefing career, moving from one brother to the next. 

"I am really looking forward to working with Penske Racing, Kurt Busch and the Miller Lite Dodge team," Addington said. 

"This a championship-caliber team with a great driver and with the resources and experience at Penske Racing," Addington continued. 

"We have the opportunity to add to the team's success starting next season."