Joe Gibbs Racing

Back before the season started, NASCAR CEO Brian France announced that NASCAR would loosen the leash for the drivers in 2010. The new edict, now known as “Have At It, Boys” was designed to allow more of the personalities of the drivers to come across behind the wheel.

“It’s time for us to allow the drivers to drive,” France said back in January. “Our history is based on banging fenders.”

He’s right. NASCAR has always had feuds between drivers that have shown themselves on the track. Allison and Yarborough, Earnhardt and Wallace, Earnhardt and Elliott, Earnhardt and everybody, Stewart and Montoya: they are all feuds that at one time or another have captured the attention of the NASCAR fan.

This year it didn’t take long for the long-running dispute between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski to spill off the short tracks and onto the high speed front straightaway at Atlanta, with breathtaking results.

Kyle Busch and David Reutimann made NASCAR’s new 2010 philosophy on self-policing the new Chase reality Sunday at the Price Chopper 400 at the Kansas Speedway.

On lap 51, Busch made contact with Reutimann’s rear bumper, causing him to spin and slam the retaining wall. After repairs, Reutimann returned the favor.

“Just getting wrecked that early in the race gets really, really old,” Reutimann said, clearly frustrated with his hopes for a top-10 finish lost in the crash.

Running several laps down, Reutimann found Kyle Busch running in seventh place and swept across the racetrack to tag Busch in the left rear. The contact sent both cars spinning, with Busch receiving rear-end alignment damage that effectively dashed any hopes of contending for the win.

Kyle Busch stepped on a landmine. Whether or not it was of Busch’s own making is up for debate, but the two combatants are racing for different prizes.

So it’s a tale of two teams: one competing against 11 others to win a Sprint Cup championship, the other trying to collect wins and trying to get as close to 13th in points as he can.

“Then the retaliation—I mean, to a guy that’s in the Chase racing for something, and he’ll be back here next year. He could have wrecked me in any of the first 26 races and that would have been fine,” Busch said after the race.

Reutimann is racing to get wins, run as well as he can, and build something for next year. For Busch, the time is now. He came into the race just 45 points out of the lead, and running seventh he was on track to post another top 10, keeping him in the hunt. Reutimann’s retaliatory strike relegated him to a 21st place finish—80 points out of the lead and flirting with an insurmountable gap.

For Chasers, the consuming force during the race is the position of the other 11 guys they’re competing against for the championship. Who’s ahead? Who’s behind? How many points can we make up if we finish this far ahead of the other guy? All of these issues put Chasers in their own points race against 11 other teams, while 32 others operate on their own agenda.

The conflict of racing one group of drivers for a title and another group of drivers for position is a fine line that every driver in the Chase must walk. They all know that ruining another driver’s day, particularly one not in the Chase; can have catastrophic effects on a championship.

Retaliation is tricky. Ask David Reutimann. During his sweeping run across the track, he ended up with more damage than the intended target. Another chaser might not take that chance if they know there’s the possibility that their car may suffer more damage in the counterattack, hemorrhaging more points than if they had quietly limped along.

On the other hand, who’s to stop someone who is just racing for wins to take a shot once their chances at going to victory lane are slammed into the wall? Nothing would be more devastating than to teach a Chaser a lesson by taking them out of the Championship hunt.

That may have happened to Kyle Busch on Sunday at Kansas.

Just imagine if Kevin Harvick went to Homestead with a slim points lead, and Joey Logano decided that the final race would be a fine time to exact revenge for their early season tussle in the Nationwide series race at Bristol. Harvick’s championship hopes could be dashed by someone who has no shot at winning it.

There’s no easy solution to the problem; in fact, one solution may be to do absolutely nothing. You got in the Chase by racing 42 other teams and being among the top 12. Win the Sprint Cup by doing the same thing again over the last 10 races. Use the points as a performance measurement against the whole field, and let the chips fall where they may.

Then again, are we really looking to figure out how each chase performs against the field? By its very nature, the Chase creates a glass ceiling above 13th place. NASCAR is telling those below, “You weren’t good enough to compete for a title this year. There were 12 guys more deserving. They’re different.”

That’s why NASCAR resets their points and starts them at totals beyond the reach of the rest of the teams. There’s no controversy that way; 13th place in points after Richmond can’t creep into the top 10.

If NASCAR has made the decision that The Chase is an exclusive club, give it an exclusive hierarchy and points system. If a team is out of the Chase and can’t win it, they sure shouldn’t be able to deny it to someone else.

Let’s base the points in the Chase against other drivers in the hunt. Win a race and get 120 points. Second Chaser gets 100. That’s a 20 point difference to emphasize winning. If a Chaser doesn’t win, the highest finisher gets 110. From second back, reduce the number of points by ten with each of the 12 positions. Last among the Chasers on any given weekend gets you nothing.

This improved system would have two benefits: it would keep drivers outside the Chase from being able to impact the points since Chasers are in a 12 driver race, and it would keep the Chase field close. Nobody could get taken out of the Chase with one bad finish. They’d have to consistently finish at the back of the Chase rundown and not earn points.

If you were to end up with a tie at Homestead, season win totals could be the tiebreaker, then it’d go to laps led. That would make a win mean something. As it is now, finish fourth in the first Chase race with four regular season wins and you’ve caught the guy who finished fifth with five overall wins.

Better yet, if you’ve got fewer wins than the other guy and you’re three spots behind him at Homestead, you know you can get by him, earn the points, and take the wins out of the equation.

The objective would become be the best among the best. A non-Chaser running 10 laps down couldn’t knock you out and relegate you to a 21st place finish and a devastating points day. Worst you’d get is 12th place.

Sunday Kyle Busch was the lowest finishing chaser, so he would have gotten nothing. However, he won’t have to gain points by improving position against non-Chasers for the next seven weeks to make it up. Just run better than the other members of the exclusive Chase Club.

Using that system (ignoring the Bowyer penalty) all 12 Chasers would be within 120 points of co-leaders Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick. Four drivers would be tied 20 points behind for second.  Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth would round out the Chase rundown 120 points back. That means all the ground could be made up in one race provided that one of the points leaders finishes last (and received no points) among the Chasers.

NASCAR says that the Chase is its version of the playoffs. In any other sport, teams that have been eliminated can’t impact the ultimate outcome. Why not? They’ve been eliminated. Let’s give the Chasers a chance to fairly compare themselves against the best: the other 11 drivers on that podium at Richmond.

Leading up to the 2010 Sprint Cup Series season, many marked Denny Hamlin as the driver to dethrone four-time reigning champion Jimmie Johnson at season's end in Miami. Thus far, Hamlin has lived up to the hype, having won a series-high six races and clinching the first seed for the Chase.

The Chesterfield, Va., native started the season off slow, having a best finish of 17th at Daytona in the first five races. However, his luck changed in March where he won the first race at Martinsville with the spoiler back on the car.

After winning the race, Hamlin boarded a plane back to Charlotte to have knee surgery to repair a torn ACL that he suffered the offseason.

With critics doubting whether Hamlin would be able to contend for the championship, he won again two weeks later at Texas. Since the knee surgery, Hamlin has silenced the critics by winning another four times and starting the Chase at the top of the standings, placing himself in great position to contend for the title.

Hamlin has everything that is needed in a driver to win the most coveted trophy in the series. He drives for arguably the second-most dominant team in Sprint Cup along with with fellow teammate and Chase contender Kyle Busch. Together, they have a total of nine wins, 19 Top Fives, 27 Top 10s, three DNFs, and a combined 1,883 laps led this season. Late in nearly each race, at least one of these Joe Gibbs Racing drivers are in contention for the win.

Denny has the privilege of driving behind the excellent leadership of team owner Joe Gibbs, a former NFL coach for the Washington Redskins who has won the Sprint Cup championship three times since 2000.

Gibbs has had his hands full at Charlotte during the All-Star Race, however, when Hamlin and teammate Kyle Busch butted heads after a late-race incident.

The calm and collected team owner defused the situation and urged the drivers to focus on the big picture: the championship. Having won the Super Bowl three times, Joe is an excellent team builder who places the right personnel with the right driver.

This is where Hamlin's crew chief, Mike Ford, comes in. Ford was a jackman and mechanic for Dale Jarrett from 1996-1999. Together, they won 18 races: the 1996 Daytona 500, two Brickyard 400s, and the 1999 Cup championship. Plus, he never finished lower than third in points.

Before being named Hamlin's crew chief, he sat atop the pit box for Bill Elliott and Dale Jarrett, winning five times, including the 2002 Brickyard 400. With Ford's leadership, Hamlin has won 14 times since his rookie campaign in 2005, and has consistently provided excellent cars for Denny to drive.

With all the positive leadership in place and competing for the great team that is Joe Gibbs Racing, there is still one major unknown for Hamlin and the No. 11 FedEx Toyota: mechanical failures. During the 2009 Chase, Denny fell victim to engine failures at Charlotte and Talladega,  finishing 37th and 38th, respectively.

During the offseason Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) made leaps and bounds to increase the reliability of their engines and cars and have had one engine failure (Hamlin at Atlanta earlier this month) compared to the four they suffered last season. With the engine woes of 2009 seemingly laid to rest, it will be important to see if the cars hold up during the next nine weeks when performance matters the most.

With every driver in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup having his own demons to overcome in order to hoist the trophy at season's end, Hamlin is the only one whose issues ride more on the hands of his crew members at the track and back at the shop in Huntersville.

If reliable cars are loaded on to the hauler the next nine weeks and the pit crew keeps up with the car by making the correct adjustments, Denny Hamlin is primed to dethrone Jimmie Johnson and bring the championship trophy back to Joe Gibbs Racing.

For the latest NASCAR talk and information, you can find Kyle on Twitter using the handle @TheKyleBrandt.

If the NASCAR czars had a conversation with the non-chasers, what would of sound like?

Will they tell them to go out and race like they were competing for the Cup?

Would they tell then to race “but” be conscious of the fact the chaser earned the opportunity to race for a championship, so give them all the room in the world?

Or will they just flat out tell them “to stay away from the Bushes, Johnson, Gordon, Hamlin, and the rest of the chasers?"

What do you think NASCAR would say in that meeting?

The participation in a championship of teams who don’t make the playoffs is unique to this sport. After all, you won’t see the New York Yankees play the Cleveland Indians in the 2010 ALCS.

That’s the reason I’m having second thoughts about the chase concept, the participation of the non-chasers has no relevance to the championship. Let me qualify that, it does have relevance for the mega teams, they can use them to experiment with setups during the race (just guessing).

I understand the non-chase teams also use this ten races to prepare for next season, that’s all good but again it has nothing to do with the Cup championship.

NASCAR knows it can’t have a 12-car show, that would be a disaster, imagine 12 cars and four or five-hundred miles of racing with the leader in clean air and no traffic to slow him down. Can you say boring? Of course you can!

NASCAR needs to have a “wild card“ in the chase. If someone outside the top 12 (13 to 43) has a good run during the chase and wins the points race, they would win the championship. That would add a fun twist to the Cup and give a team who had a good end-of-season run a second chance (of course, they would add the 5,000 points to his total chase points).

Agree?

As always, this is a fan's opinion, and from what I understand everybody has one and I thank God for that.

Enough said.

 I say that because last year I heard many of the commentators praising the non-chasers for staying out of the way, in other words not to race the twelve teams competing for the championship.

I may be wrong but that was the impression I got from those comments.

If that’s the case , then why should the rest of the field be in the mix, it would make perfect sense if only the chase teams participated. What to do with the rest? Maybe they could run a shorter race before the main event.

Does that make sense?

Maybe not, but the chase concept needs some kind of incentive other than the top 35 to make the rest of the field relevant, right now they look to be just fillers.

What could make the rest of the field part of the chase mix?

What if NASCAR inserted a wild-card in the chase, lets say a sort of “ the best of the rest” in other words having the rest of the field participate in the chase, stay with me on this. Lets say going into the championship races you’re 27 th. in the standings but all of the sudden your team gets hot and your winning the chase points race , you would win the championship as a wild card.

To keep it fair for the teams who fought to get into the top 12 “the best of the rest” can’t move into the top 12 standings at seasons end, they can only win the championship.

You understand what I’m saying?

 Imagine , if there was a -wild-card Mark Martin, Juan Pablo Montoya, J. McMurray, David Reutimann,Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman, Joey Logano and Martin Truex Jr. would have a chance at a championship, I understand a small chance but at least they get a second chance.

 Would that be something that would help interest in the chase?

Does that sound silly? Maybe but if you got a better plan please tell us.

Just saying.

By the way Mr. France if you like my idea please have your people contact my people and lets work out a consulting fee, I’m cheap but not free. (I’m on the floor laughing at my own silliness)

Don’t you just love NASCAR, I do, what a great soap opera .

As always this is just a fans opinion and from what I understand everybody has one and I thank God for that Enough said.

Many times, a race that has known to be exciting would end up being more exciting than it was ever expected. Look at the spring race at Talladega, no one could have expected 88 lead changes or three green-white-checkered attempts.

But, other times, a race that is usually exciting can fall well short of expectations.

In the case of Richmond, it turned out to be a case of the second idea. Only three caution flags slowed the field, but there were intense battles every lap and every corner.

Our creatures knew that there were a few drivers to keep an eye on heading into the race. The entire Gibbs team was going to be tough, as they had won the previous three races at RIR. At the same time, teams like the No. 99 of Carl Edwards and the No. 14 of Tony Stewart were showing they would be hard to beat.

Edwards would be the pole-sitter for the Air Guard 400 on Saturday night, and through the first 100 laps he was the dominant car. But, as the night continued his car lost the handle and he would finish ninth.

For most of the night, the battle was between three cars. Joe Gibbs teammates Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch swapped the lead late, but Clint Bowyer was making his charge at making the 2010 Chase for the Cup.

Bowyer would keep the good run going and finished sixth, easily locking himself into the Chase.

Out front, the teammates would put on an intense battle in the late stages, with neither wanting to yield to the other. But, Busch began complaining that he used up the tires, and that was the opening Hamlin needed to put distance on his fellow driver.

Hamlin took the checkered flag, giving Joe Gibbs Racing four consecutive wins at Richmond. More importantly it gave Hamlin a season-defining sixth win. That win gives Hamlin the Chase lead starting at New Hampshire, which could be critical early as this year's Chase field is wide open.

Some of our creatures knew exactly who would be tough this weekend. All but three picked either Hamlin or Busch to win, with three of them picking up a victory of their own.

Sadly, this would be the final race of the regular season. So, we now must crown a regular season champion.

Here is how the creature points ended following Saturday night's Air Guard 400:

Kara Martin (3,697) Denny Hamlin WON (3)

Christopher Leone (3,669) Kyle Busch finished second (4)

Billy Fellin (3,615) Kyle Busch finished second (3)

James Broomhead (3,580) Denny Hamlin WON (4)

Dustin Parks (3,578) Denny Hamlin WON (4)

Misan Akuya (3,408) Tony Stewart finished 16th (2)

Rob Tiongson (3,407) Jeff Gordon finished 12th (1)

Patti Rodisch (2,960) Kyle Busch finished second (0)

Alan Wade (1,892) Kyle Busch finished second (1)

Kyle Brandt (927) NO PICK SENT (2)

Many congratulations go out to columnist Kara Martin. She had many good picks earlier in the season and kept the momentum throughout the summer. She didn't have the most wins, but much like NASCAR, consistency proved huge.

The points themselves at the end of 26 races were extremely tight the last month. In fact, everyone in the top-five kept the points close the last month. At the end of Richmond, there was only a 119-point gap from first to fifth.

Everyone did an exceptional job these first 26 races. But now, the real race begins.

The next 10 races will determine the new champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Just like the sport itself, the standings will be shuffled once again among our 10 writers. Wins have proved to be huge as the creatures have been correct in many races this season.

Now, wins could prove to be the difference maker in the title hunt. Our creatures have done well through the first 26 races. How will they fair now when the pressure is on?

Here is how our writers will stack up heading into the final 10 races:

1.  James Broomhead, 5040 points

2. Christopher Leone, 5040 points

3. Dustin Parks, 5040 points

4. Kara Martin, 5030 points

5. Billy Fellin, 5030 points

6. Misan Ayuka, 5020 points

7. Kyle Brandt, 5020 points

8. Rob Tiongson, 5010 points

9. Alan Wade, 5010 points

10. Patti Rodisch, 5000 points

NEXT RACE: Is there any chance of someone finding some magic at the "Magic Mile"? That's what many teams are hoping for as the series heads north to New Hampshire.

This track proved to be a huge stepping stone for Mark Martin last year when the Chase began as he won this event. Could it be someone else that uses this opportunity to make their championship run this season?

We will have to wait and see.

Creatures, please have your picks for the Sylvania 300 emailed to me by Thursday, September 16, at 7 p.m. ET.

NOTE: I will email everyone about the Chase format Sunday night or Monday morning.

The cliche is to "expect the unexpected." At Bristol, that is normally a way of life.

Anything can happen when it comes to this track, whether it happens on the racing surface, or on pit road following the checkered flag.

However, in a surprising twist, the night race at Bristol only had fireworks going off in the air. A new result for a track known for confrontations and angry drivers. But, despite that fact, there was some great racing for the entire 500 laps.

So, here are my race reactions for all the action in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol.

The one thing I will say about Bristol is that the one thing the track officials know how to have fun. There is no other track that drivers enter to their own theme music. It's almost as if they turn into WWE or TNA stars when greeting the fans.

Sure, the Budweiser Shootout has the competing drivers come out on stage all at once, but that's nothing compared to what Bristol does.

I have yet to visit this great track, but then again getting a seat there is practically impossible. That's always expected when it is the most popular track on the circuit. Even when the Nationwide race was held the night before, the crowd was phenomenal.

Every race at this track is an adventure, and once again the stars of NASCAR didn't disappoint. Like the saying goes, it's Bristol baby.

The race itself had two drivers be the class of the field. Unfortunately both drivers ended at opposite ends of the spectrum.

The first two-thirds of the race belonged to Jimmie Johnson. Started on the pole, had the best pit stall, and had the most dominant car.

But, as quickly as it looked like his night was going to be prosperous, he end up at the bottom of the barrel. His run-in alongside Juan Pablo Montoya ended with his No. 48 car in the outside wall entering turn 3.

At the time, Johnson had a right to be frustrated, as he thought he was clear of the No. 42. Maybe he felt that Montoya was the guilty party by turning him.

But, I'm sure by now he has seen the replay and saw that no one was at fault. Even Montoya felt bad about what happened as his crew told Johnson after the race.

Still, it appears that the momentum Johnson had the last few years entering the Chase is nowhere to be found. Has his "golden horseshoe" disappeared, or is it hiding?

In my opinion, I believe it is gone, and the rest of the field is ready to pounce.

The other driver who was at the front was Kyle Busch. The big difference is that when this night ended, he had many reasons to be jubilant.

On Wednesday night, Busch took his own team to victory lane in the Camping World Truck Series. On Friday, in the Nationwide Series race, after a huge battle with Brad Keselowski that ended with a spin to the outside wall, Busch went to victory lane a second time.

Finally, on Saturday night, the No. 18 Doublemint Toyota got to the front before the halfway point. At that point, every fan, media member and driver knew that it was going to be hard to beat Busch.

Busch got the lead for the final time on lap 429, and no other driver had anything for him.

After missing out on sweeping an entire NASCAR weekend, Busch finished the trifecta in winning the Irwin Tools Night Race. He deserved to take every bow after grabbing that checkered flag, and the boos from the crowd were almost encouragement. After the "dumping" of Keselowski in the Nationwide race, even more fans decided to hate the guy known as "Rowdy."

But, I think he got some more fans, and above everything else, more respect from his competitors. There's no question that Busch is a great driver, and by sweeping this past weekend's races, he has taken a giant step forward.

Thankfully, the Sprint Cup Series has a week off, so maybe then the competition can figure out a way to beat Busch.

Whether they can or not is probably uncertain.

In the 1990's, country music star Garth Brooks had a single titled, "Thunder Rolls." Although the song was about the disasters of love, the title is the perfect way to describe Bristol.

There is nowhere to hide when trouble strikes, as the close racing puts everyone at risk. Hot tempers soon follow, with some so called "discussions" turning into confrontations.

Who could forget Kevin Harvick leaping off pit wall right into the face of Greg Biffle, or Ward Burton showing his displeasure of Dale Earnhardt Jr. by throwing his foot shields at his window.

Then there's Jimmie Johnson who decided to tell Robby Gordon, "You're number one" without opening his mouth.

It's the Bristol Motor Speedway, it's Thunder Valley, and it's the reason over 160,000 people surround this 0.533-mile oval. Every race has something new, something exciting, and something that will leave the fans wanting more.

Tonight, we have 43 drivers ready to tackle the high backs. Out front is Johnson, who won at Bristol in the spring. He has been in a downward spiral the last month, as bad runs, bad luck, and unfortunate circumstances have taken him down in the point standings. However, he has the best view of everyone when the green flag drops. But the question remains: can he keep his car there?

So far, this entire week has been the Kyle Busch show. He won the caution-plagued Truck Race on Wednesday night. Last night, he and Brad Keselowski had an intense battle out front.

It was Busch taking the win after "dumping" Keselowski into the wall. After the race, he told the media: "He does it to everyone else. Why can't I do it to him?"

Tonight he goes for the trifecta. No driver has ever won the Truck, Nationwide, and Sprint Cup races at one track in one weekend. Busch had this same opportunity at Texas last year, only to run out of fuel in the late laps.

If there was ever a track that he can get the job done, Bristol is that track.

But there's plenty of hungry drivers that want to prevent that from happening. Guys named Gordon, Edwards, Earnhardt, and others are craving a win. They will put everything on the line tonight, and will go all out for that checkered flag.

NASCAR Countdown will start tonight's activities at 7 p.m. on ABC. Alan Bestwick, Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty, and Ray Evernham will host the preview show.

Then, at 7:30, the Irwin Tools Night Race will be ready to roll as Marty Reid, Andy Petree, and Dale Jarrett have the call in the booth.

CHECKERED FLAG: It is a complete sweep for Kyle Busch as he wins the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol. Reutimann finishes second, and McMurray comes all the way from two pit road penalties to finish third.

Jeff Gordon clinches his spot in the 2010 Chase for the Cup with his 11th-place finish.

Lap 500: WHITE FLAG-Busch in front.

Lap 496: Good battle for fourth between Bowyer and Kahne, as Bowyer has a 100 point advantage on Martin in 13th.

Busch is saying the track bar mount or may have a flat tire.  Firmly in hand.

Lap 493: Busch is beginning to get close to Keselowski, but looks like no retribution will happen tonight.

Lap 487: Earnhardt Jr. falls back to 13th, last car on the lead lap. Say's he's just holding onto the car, as it is wicked loose.

Lap 482: Under 20 laps to go, and it's over a two-second advantage for Busch. Unless we get a caution, this race appears to be in the bag for the No. 18.

Lap 467: Only 13 cars on the lead lap, with the first car one lap down being the points leader, Kevin Harvick.

Lap 462: It's down to 39 laps to go, and it's unclear as to whether the fireworks are going to happen in this race.

But, anything can happen.

Lap 429: LEAD CHANGE-Reutimann gets loose and it allows Busch to get to the inside and retake the top spot.

Lap 414: RESTART-Reutimann brings the field to green, and is holding off Busch at every challenge.

Behind them, McMurray and Bowyer battle for position. Kahne also is now in the mix.

Lap 409: CAUTION No. 7-Debris on the track. Pit stops have been done, but damage is noticed on the No. 18 at the right-front corner. Was going to come in, but faked and stayed out.

Lap 404: Majority of the field has come in for service, and it's currently Reutimann at the front via him being the first car coming in for service.

Lap 390: LEAD CHANGE-McMurray goes to the front using the high line.

Lap 384: Kasey Kahne slows on the track, as yet another right-front tire goes down.

Lap 375: McMurray is closing in on the lead as the lead is down to less than a second. Busch lost a lot of time as he got caught up behind Keselowski.

No contact this time.

Lap 353: Matt Kenseth hits pit road for a two-tire stop. Looks like another right-front issue.

Lap 325: Johnson set to come back onto the track after repairs. He is listed in 35th, and will probably end up ninth in the standings after this weekend.

Lap 312: Busch's lead is now 1.5 seconds over Reutimann. Clint Bowyer is running third after using strategy early to gain positions.

He currently has a firm grasp on the 12th spot in the points, the last spot in the Chase.

Lap 268: RESTART-Busch gets another great jump, Montoya has a huge tire rub.

Johnson's team discovered a cracked oil cooler, causing them to head to the hauler for repairs.

Lap 265: Denny Hamlin goes behind the wall, as he's complaining of a vibration in the shifter. Johnson also goes behind the wall, and he's heading to the truck.

Montoya shows the damage to the left-front, evident he got into him.

Lap 262: Johnson was running with Montoya, and the two get together. Looks like the No. 42 hooked him, and Johnson is the one at the bad end.

Johnson on the radio: "I gave him room, what the hell?!"

Lap 261: RESTART/CAUTION No. 6-Busch gets a great run.but the action came from behind.

Johnson was running with Montoya, and the two get together. Looks like the No. 42 hooked him, and the No. 48 is the one at the bad end.

Lap 258: Edwards leaves pit road with a missing lug nut, must come back in to put a new one on.

Lap 253: CAUTION No. 5-Bobby Labonte blows his right-front tire. The harder tire Goodyear brought this weekend is creating a little havoc, as that's now four that have gone just in the first half.

Lots of cars have scrapes on the right side of the cars, including Johnson and Juan Pablo Montoya. Many cars complaining of being loose, get adjustments on pit stops.

Busch beats Johnson off pit road to hold the lead. 

Lap 243: While leading by 2.5 seconds, Busch now records his 1,000th career lap led at Bristol.

Lap 241: Both Reutimann and Edwards are challenging Johnson for the second spot.

Lap 236: Good recovery for McMurray as he's running 12th, and that's after two pit road penalties.

Gordon still on the move, almost in the top-five. He can clinch his spot in the Chase depending on his finish tonight.

Lap 200: RESTART/LEAD CHANGE-Johnson brings the field to green, but is caught three-wide entering turn 3 and is the meat in a Toyota sandwich.

Busch goes to the lead, and David Reutimann goes to second. Johnson now is in third and trying to come back.

Lap 196: LEAD CHANGE-Johnson takes the lead on pit road, but keeps the spot coming out as he barely beats the No. 18 to the line.

Lap 192: CAUTION No. 4-Scott Speed has his right-front tire go down, gets into the wall out of turn 2. He was only a few lengths in front of the leader.

Lap 172: LEAD CHANGE-The high side is the way to go for Kyle Busch as he puts the No. 18 out front for the first time.

This could be the night that the trifecta is completed.

Lap 167: All four Hendrick cars are in the top-12. Johnson has been dominating the race to this point, leading all but two laps.

Both Gordon and Junior have moved up to the front, as Gordon is ninth and Junior is 12th. Martin is in 11th, which means a great turnaround for the entire organization from last week.

Lap 141: RESTART-Field is rolling again with Johnson out front, however Kyle Busch is right there.

Lap 136: CAUTION No. 3-Regan Smith blows the right-front tire, gets into the wall. A shock lying on the track gets run over by Denny Hamlin.

Hamlin does enter pit road to get service and check the car.

Lap 132: RESTART-Johnson uses the outside line to bring the field to green, but behind him now is the No. 18 of Kyle Busch.

Lap 127: CAUTION No. 2-David Ragan spins into the wall in the No. 6 Ford after contact with A.J. Allmendinger.

Regan Smith also spins entering turn 3, but Stewart has damage on the back, a result as Tony Raines couldn't check up in time because of the caution.

Lap 100: With one-fifth of the race in, Johnson looks extremely tough. Could be a bad omen if his momentum continues tonight.

Lap 87: Lead for Johnson is a half second, but Stewart appears fast on the bottom

Lap 63: LEAD CHANGE-Johnson goes back to the front.

Lap 62: RESTART/LEAD CHANGE-Johnson in the lead from the outside, but it is Stewart taking the lead at the line.

Lap 56: CAUTION No. 1-David Gilliland gets into the wall in turn 4. Pit stops do not shake up the field much as Johnson and Stewart exit first and second. Jamie McMurray slides through his stall, loses several spots.

Clint Bowyer gambles and goes with two tires early, gaining 12 spots. That strategy will work now at this track.

Lap 42: Jeff Gordon is making the move forward as he cracks the top-20. This car he's running will not run anymore this year. Could mean he'll sacrifice the car if need be tonight.

Lap 13: Johnson is already in traffic, giving Tony Stewart a chance to catch him.

Lap 10: Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski get alongside each other early, but give each other room. It's early, things could change.

Lap 1: Jimmie Johnson leads the first lap.

7:49 PM: We are green. 

7:41 PM: Delwyn Thorton gives the command.

7:32 PM: The children from tonight's starting grid, both drivers and pit crews, sing the National Anthem.

7:31 PM: Invocation by Ruth Graham.

7:20 PM: The ESPN team discuss the "boys will be boys" idea that has been reintroduced this year. Is it good for the sport, or could NASCAR be walking a very fine line on this idea?

Bristol could bring out the devil in many drivers tonight.

7:00 PM: NASCAR Countdown begins with a talk about Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch from last night's Nationwide race. Meanwhile, driver introductions include drivers coming out to their own theme music.

Busch comes out to a roar of boos, says "You guys are so loving. I am ready to win it again."

Keselowski comes out and says "Kyle Busch is an ass." The crowd goes insane. Could set the stage for tonight's race.

6:44 PM: There is a 30 percent chance of rain in the forecast for tonight's race. Current conditions are partly cloudy and the temperature is 77 degrees. However, with dew points in the low 70's, it will be rather muggy for everyone at the track.

The low for tonight's race will be 71 degrees, so expect a warm and sticky concrete surface for the teams to race on.

For a race that started out rather gloomy, boring and lack-luster, there was no shortage of stories when the checkered flag waved.

So why waste any time?  Here are my reactions from Sunday's race in Pocono:

First off, you cannot help but feel bad for Clint Bowyer and how his night ended. For the first 100 laps, he definitely had the best car of the field. Through two pit cycles, he never lost the lead, and his crew pulled off excellent pit stops.

They just got behind and caught up in traffic, putting them mid-pack where they had to settle for only a top-10 finish.

Bowyer will get a win. Where is yet to be determined, but I believe he will break through and get his first win with the No. 33 team.

But at the end of the day, the best car definitely did go to victory lane. This Pocono race was all about two drivers battling for the win. One was Bowyer, and the other was Denny Hamlin.

Without question, Hamlin was the car to beat. Everyone in the garage said that he was the car to watch, and they definitely were on the ball.

Even we as fan writers knew he was the car to beat. Hamlin has ran seven races at Pocono, and has won four of them.

If there's anyone that could challenge Jimmie Johnson for the title this year, the No. 11 team is the one that can do it. While Johnson experienced his struggles in recent weeks, Hamlin has capitalized.

Momentum is key in this sport, and Hamlin has it right now.

But, even with Hamlin getting his fourth win of the season, and his fourth at Pocono, it was another Joe Gibbs driver getting the headlines.

Under normal circumstances, my photo for this column is of the winner in victory lane, the team getting drenched in champagne, or the winning burnout.

However, in this case, something else stole the headlines.

As Hamlin came to the white flag, teammates Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick battled into the third turn. Each were racing hard, going side-by-side, battling for a top-five position. Then, the two touch, and Logano gets the raw end of the deal.

Logano literally drifted through the entire third corner, never lifting off the accelerator until he spun out.

But, after the race, it was time to have the face-to-face meeting.

Now, I'm sure everyone is going to have their own opinion on the incident itself, so here's mine. That incident was just a racing incident. Harvick went up, and Logano came down. Two cars going for one lane, and one car lost the battle.

I can understand why Logano was upset, and why he parked by Harvick's car to confront him. But, that is where I saw both good and bad in the situation.

Team members and NASCAR officials did the right thing in keeping them separated. They didn't want any punches or shoves between the two, even if all that Logano wanted to do was voice his opinion. Jeff Burton did it last week with Kyle Busch, and the only bullets he fired were from his mouth.

Logano wanted to do the same thing, but it was the actions of another Logano that got my attention.

His father, Tom, could be seen pulling away one of the Home Depot crew members, and telling his son, "Get him!" while pointing at Harvick.

I completely understand being a passionate parent, and wanting to do what is best for one's flesh and blood. But, pulling away your own son's team members so they can encourage the wrong behavior?

That's like pouring gasoline on an open flame, because all that would happen is an inferno. Logano's father should have never pulled away that crew member, because his son can handle himself.

Now, how Joey handled the situation after meeting with Joe and J.D. Gibbs, that was something no one expected. He needed to stand up for himself, especially for being so young and so laid back.

However, that laid back attitude took a vacation when he met with the media.

His comment outside the team hauler practically stunned the announcers. I'm sure the media center all had to pull their jaws off the floor in shock.

Logano took a shot at one Harvick, but also fired one at another.

"I don't know what his problem is with me but it's probably not his fault. His wife wears the fire suit in the family and tells him what to do," Logano said to the TNT crew.

Voicing one's opinion on a driver is a weekly occurrence. However, what did DeLana Harvick do? If there's one thing anyone shouldn't do in NASCAR is get on the bad side of a driver's wife. And DeLana sure voiced her opinion, but not in voice, but in tweets.

Almost immediately, her Twitter account stated, "with age comes wisdom and respect...Enough said."

The old cliche is "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Kevin may get over this incident by the time next week's race happens.

DeLana, well that is yet to be seen.

One thing is for sure, what started out as a boring race ended with a bang. What can happen next?