The Tailpipe

What If...

2010-09-22T01:50:00.000-04:00

NASCAR recently announced they were thinking about limiting Sprint Cup drivers in the Nationwide Series. No one exactly knows how they will do this, or if they will at all. After all, the Cup drivers put the butts in the seats and the big stickers on the cars. But they also have taken away seats from young drivers looking to make names for themselves.

The series (called the Busch series until 2007) was designed to develop young drivers. Cup drivers have always competed, but mostly only 5-10 races a year, and it wasn't for their Cup owners. The Cup stats mostly drove for small, independent teams. Throughout the 90s, more Cup teams expanded to include Busch teams. But they didn't run their Cup stars full time.

Busch Series in 1982

That all changed in 2001. Following Dale Earnhardt's death, Richard Childress decided to but his young Busch driver, Kevin Harvick, in the Cup car. Instead of removing him from his Busch ride, he ran both series, which had never been done before. Harvick dominated the Busch series that year and won the title. In addition he had a stellar rookie year in the Cup series, winning two races. This showed all drivers and owners that the "double" could be pulled off successfully. Since then, Cup drivers have basically dominated the series, including winning the last four (soon to be five) championships. And they've done it driving for the same team they drive for in the Cup series. The smaller, non-Cup affiliated teams don't have a chance. The last to win the championship was Ppc Racing in 2000 with driver Jeff Green.

Darrell Waltrip - Nashville 1995

So what if NASCAR had eliminated full time Cup drivers from competing this year? Here's what the points would look like:

1. Justin Allgaier
2. Trevor Bayne
3. Steve Wallace
4. Jason Leffler
5. Brendan Gaughan
6. Michael Annett
7. Brian Scott
8. Reed Sorenson
9. Tony Raines
10. Mike Bliss

Jimmie Johnson's first start - IRP 1998

Only Allgaier has a victory this year, coming in the spring race at Bristol. Here's what the win totals would be with full time Cup drivers removed from the race results:

Justin Allgaier - 5 wins
Reed Sorenson - 5 wins
Jason Leffler - 4 wins
Trevor Bayne - 3 wins
Brendan Gaughan - 2 wins
Ron Fellows - 2 wins
Aric Almirola - 1 win
Jason Keller - 1 win

Jeff Green leads in 2003

Boris Said - 1 win
Brian Scott - 1 win
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. - 1 win
Steve Wallace - 1 win

Only Allgaier and Said have actual wins. All the rest have been won by Cup regulars. Imagine Jason Keller scoring an upset win at Talladega in an unsponsored car. Or better yet, how about Braun Racing, winless in 2010, dominating with ten total wins. How about Steve Wallace finally breaking into victory lane? These would all be great storylines.

This is just something to think about, vote of the Tailpipe Poll with your opinion!

Underdog Bowyer Wins Round One

2010-09-20T01:23:00.001-04:00

Going into the Sylvania 300, this year's Chase had the feel that it would be more wide open that any other Chase before it. That feeling was felt even more after the conclusion, that saw 12th seed Clint Bowyer steal the race from a sputtering Tony Stewart.

Bowyer had dominated the first two-thirds of the race, leading 177 laps total. But Tony Stewart seemed destined to win, as took he lead with 52 to go and held a large lead. Fuel mileage would be an issue, however, as Stewart ran dry coming to take the white flag. Bowyer held off a charging Denny Hamlin to take his first win since the spring 2008 Richmond race.

With his second place finish, Hamlin holds on to the points lead. Bowyer is 35 back with Kevin Harvick lurking in third, 45 points behind he leader.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Amp/National Guard Chevy. Gotta give a little love to Junior. He scores his first top five finish on a non-restrictor plate track since Michigan last year.

-Kevin Harvick, #29 Shell / Pennzoil Chevy. Happy's car was evil at times, but he rallied to score a fifth place finish. This team just might be destined to win the Cup.

-Sam Hornish Jr., #77 Mobil 1 Dodge. It was announced that Sam's looking for a ride for next year, and a solid top ten finish will help his cause.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Dodge. Kurt looked like a dart without feathers out there in the final 100 laps. He finished 13th, but he could have had a top five. Can't shoot yourself in the foot like that in the Chase.

-Matt Kenseth, #17 Crown Royal Ford. The #17 team is on their third crew chief of the year, and still they made the Chase. But they entered with the least amount of momentum, and contact with Brad Keselowski sent Matt into the wall and a 23rd place finish. I agree with SPEED's Larry Mac, Kenseth and the #17 team are done already.

-Tony Stewart, #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy. Darian Grubb's decision not to pit for fuel earlier cost Tony not only the win, but 89 points. It's going to be real tough to make up those points in the final nine races.

Next race, the AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. Broadcast live on ABC Sunday, September 26th at 1 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images and Motorsport.com)

Busch Dominates Again at New Hampshire

2010-09-20T00:46:00.001-04:00

With two laps to go in the The Race Raffle Series.com 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch had to take back what was stolen from him. Kevin Harvick had pushed up into Kyle while racing for the lead with ten laps to go, allowing young James Buescher to take the lead. But when Ron Hornaday crashed with five to go, it set up a green-white-checkered finish. Busch quickly disposed of Buescher and held on to win his fifth Truck series race of the year.

Points leaders Todd Bodine and Aric Almirola finished tenth and ninth respectively.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-James Buescher, #31 Wolfpack Rentals Chevy. James ties his best career finish (2nd) and proved that he can run up front with drivers such as Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick. If he were to run full time next year, he could be a contender for the championship. Something tells me he'll be back in the Nationwide series in 2011, however.

-Matt Crafton, #88 Menards Chevy. Matt's fourth place finish is his sixth top five of the year, and it catapulted him from seventh to fifth in points.

-Bobby Hamilton Jr., #47 GreetingsExpress.com Chevy. Bobby Jr. gets his first top ten finish since 2006, and the first of the year for the #47 truck.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Ricky Carmichael, #4 Monster Energy Chevy. Ricky turned in a solid top 15 qualifying run, but then lost control on lap 3 and pancaked the wall. Tons of bad luck for RC the second half of this season.

-Eddie MacDonald, #71 Grimm Construction Ford. The 30-year-old MacDonald's Truck series debut was cut short with a crash halfway through the race.

-Ron Hornaday, #33 EZ GO Chevy. The defending champ's bad luck season continues. Contact with Timothy Peters with five laps to go put the #33 in the wall. The 24th place finish drops him to seventh in points.

Next race, the Smith's 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, September 25th at 9:30 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Hamlin Wins; Takes 1st Seed In Chase

2010-09-12T17:37:00.000-04:00

Since the inception of the Chase in 2004, the fall Richmond race has been filled with drama. That is, until the 2010 race. Only one driver, Clint Bowyer, could fall out of the Chase, and that's only if he finished 28th or worse. His pursuers, Mark Martin and Ryan Newman, had not been running well enough to challenge for the win, so this was basically locked up from the beginning.

Denny Hamlin, who had previously been tied with Jimmie Johnson for the most wins this year with five, took advantage of the Chase cut-off race to take the win in the Air Guard 400. With that win, he now holds the point lead going into the final ten races, known as the Chase. Here's a quick recap of the new point standings.

Hamlin
Jimmie Johnson -10
Kevin Harvick -30
Kyle Busch -30
Kurt Busch -40
Greg Biffle -50
Tony Stewart -50
Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, and Clint Bowyer -60.

Only those twelve drivers matter now. Does this mean Hamlin is now the favorite to win the Sprint Cup? Hardly. Harvick has had the best year to this point, and Johnson is still the four-time defending champ. He always steps up his game in the final ten.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Marcos Ambrose, #47 Kingsford/Kroger Toyota. For the second time in his career he finishes in the top five on a short track. Well done, mate.

-Juan Pablo Montoya, #42 Target Chevy. Five top ten finishes in a row for the #42 team. He's moved from 21st to 16th in points in that span.

-A.J. Allmendinger, #43 Best Buy Insignia Ford. The Dinger qualified third and finished a solid eighth. Good weekend.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Mark Martin, #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy. He came into Richmond with an outside shot at making the Chase. But the car was slow all night, 20th place for Mark in what has been a disappointing season.

-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Amp/National Guard Chevy. Six laps down? Are you kidding me? Granted, one of those was lost in the pits. But damn.

-Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford. Ever heard of momentum? That's what the Biff will be looking for going into the Chase. Sorry performance at Richmond, 32nd place.

Next race, the Chase begins at New Hampshire, it's the Sylvania 300. Broadcast live on ABC Sunday, September 19th at 1 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images and Motorsport.com)

Harvick Wins Despite Presence of Kittens, Bunnies, and Little Baby Seals

2010-09-12T17:11:00.000-04:00

Kevin Harvick dominated the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway for his third win of 2010. It was also his 37th career Nationwide Series win.

The race was the third of four for the "next generation" car, and while there was good side-by-side racing (as there always is at Richmond), Harvick's domination made the race a bit of a snoozer. Happy Harvick led 170 of the 250 laps. Point leader Brad Keselowski made a run for the lead in the closing laps, but didn't have enough to pass Harvick.

Not that it's worth talking about, but BK extended his point lead to 373 over Carl Edwards, who finished tenth.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Trevor Bayne, #99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota. T-Bayne continues to impress. He equals his best career finish of third.

-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #6 Citifinancial Ford. Ricky has two top five finishes in three races in the new car. This team in finally starting to gain momentum.

-Reed Sorenson, #32 Dollar General Toyota. Reed took a car that ran 10th-15th all night and pulled off a fifth place finish, thanks mostly to a great final restart with 40 laps to go. He's only finished outside the top ten five times this year.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Clint Bowyer, #21 Zaxby's Real Chicken Chevy. Thanks to fresh tires, Clint had been running down the leader when he ran over the lapped car of Brian Scott, bringing out the caution. The #21 team was out of sticker tires, so Clint was forced to race on used tires. Had the caution not come out, Clint likely would have won the race.

-Brian Scott, #11 BigSpot.com Toyota. First Brian is forced to the garage with a ruptured oil line. Then he gets spun by the third place car. Bad night, 38th place.

-Tayler Malsam, #10 Iron Horse Jeans Toyota. If this kid wants to progress in NASCAR, he's going to have to perform better. An average finish of 21.9 won't cut it.

Next race, the Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN2 Saturday, September 25th at 3:30 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Rowdy Makes It Four In A Row In Chicago

2010-08-28T14:46:00.000-04:00

Not a whole lot of drama in the Camping World Truck Series EnjoyIllinois.com 225 at Chicagoland Speedway. No intentional wrecks, no driver meltdowns, no taunting. Just good hard racing, just what the trucks provide the best. Kyle Busch, with new sponsor Traxxas radio controlled cars, dominated the race, leading 121 of the 154 laps to take his fourth truck win of the year. It was also his fourth NASCAR win in a row, after sweeping Bristol last week.

His only real challenge came from point leader Todd Bodine, who could run with Busch, but couldn't pass him when it counted. Bodine opened up his already huge point lead to 236 over Aric Almirola, who finished sixth.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Johnny Sauter, #13 In Country Television/Mike Curb Records Chevy. With his fourth place run, Johnny scored his eighth top five finish of the year, and in doing so, moves into third in points.

-Rick Crawford, #73 Superseal Chevy. When Circle Bar Racing closed up shop in April, we didn't know he future of Crawford in the truck series. He teams up with little-known Tagsby Racing and comes away with an eighth place finish.

-David Starr, #21 ASI Limited Chevy. Earlier this week, David lost his Randy Moss Motorsports ride. He steps into the #21 truck, vacated earlier this week by Donny Lia, at the last minute. He gets a 10th place, the team's best finish of the year.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Shelby Howard, #2 Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy. The sometimes dominant #2 truck suffers a blown engine with young Shelby behind the wheel. 31st is the team's worst finish of the year.

-Ricky Carmichael, #4 Monster Energy Chevy. Ricky's been a lot faster in his second full season in the trucks, but just hasn't had any luck recently. An oil leak sent him to the garage early.

-Timothy Peters, #17 Red Horse Racing Toyota. Chevys weren't the only engines to succumb to Chicagoland's high speeds. Peters grenades his motor with three to go, ruining his top ten run. He falls to fourth in points.

Next race, the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Broadcast live on SPEED Friday, September 3rd at 8 pm/et.

Harvick Takes Michigan

2010-08-15T19:11:00.001-04:00

Kevin Harvick passed Tony Stewart with ten laps to go and didn't look back , as he won the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway. In doing so, he became the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase. It was his first Cup victory at Michigan.

Also, after tangling on the track, Joey Logano and Ryan Newman had a sissy shouting match after the race.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Carl Edwards, #99 Aflac Ford. Six weeks ago, he was out of the Chase. Now, after six straight top tens, he's sixth in points.

-Tony Stewart, #14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy. After leading 36 laps, Tony faded to sixth at the end. Still, he moved up from eighth to fourth in points.

-Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford. Greg finished fourth, his third top five in the last four races. Exactly what he needed to stay in the Chase. It will take an epic failure in the next three races for the Biff to miss the Chase.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Mark Martin, #5 Go Daddy.com Chevy. Mark came into the race barely hanging on to 12th place in points. He couldn't hang on any longer. An ill-handling car was only good for 28th place, and now Mark's on the outside looking in, 35 points behind Clint Bowyer for the final Chase spot.

-Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Vortex Dodge. A blown engine relegated him to a season-low 40th place. Kurt fell from fourth to tenth in points. Ouch.

-Jeff Gordon, #24 Dupont Chevy. Jeff suffered a cut left front tire with 45 laps to go, and never marched back to the front. His 27th place finish is his worst since the June Pocono event.

Next race, the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN Saturday, August 21st at 7:30 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

The Onion Wins Two Straight

2010-08-15T18:40:00.000-04:00

Todd Bodine slowly worked his way up from his 8th place starting spot, finally took the lead with 47 laps to go, and never looked back as he took his third win of the season.

Bodine is now running away with the championship, and it's no wonder. In only three races has Bodine failed to finish in the top ten. He now has a huge 247 point lead over Aric Almirola with ten races remaining.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Timothy Peters, #17 WISS/Cleco Luftkin Toyota. Peters finished a strong second in his first race at Darlington. He now has nine top tens in his the last ten races. He's now breathing down Almirola's neck for second place in points.

-Austin Dillon, #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. Man, this kid is good. Pit strategy put him out front near the end, and he hung on for fifth, his eighth top ten finish in a row.

-Ken Schrader #2 Stubb's BBQ/Kroger Chevy. Tenth place, pretty good considering he had to start last after his truck wouldn't start. All he does in finish in the top ten every race he enters.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Justin Lofton, #7 VisitPit.com Toyota. Justin qualified a solid third, but was involved in a crash and finished thirteen laps down in 20th.

-Ricky Carmichael, #4 Monster Energy Chevy. Ricky had a solid run going on this tricky track until he was caught up in Mario Gosselin's wreck. 24th place.

-T.J. Bell, #50 Liberty Tire Recycling Chevy. T.J. and the newly-formed MAKE Motorsports had a fast truck, but a run-in with the wall on lap 73 ended their night. 26th place.

Next race, the O'Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Broadcast live on SPEED Wednesday, August 18th at 8 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

BK Wins Two Straight at Home Track

2010-08-15T18:10:00.000-04:00

Brad Keselowski won for the second straight year at Michigan International Speedway. The Carfax 250 was his fourth victory of the year, and tenth career Nationwide Series win.

Keselowski clearly had the fastest car all race long. A faulty clutch caused him to lose the lead twice during pit stops. A late caution helped him catch leader Carl Edwards, and he took the lead back for good on the ensuing restart with eight laps to go. Carl Edwards finished second, and Kyle Busch third.

Busch slammed Joe Gibbs Racing after the race, claiming they were "so far behind" with the next generation Nationwide Series car. Busch and Joey Logano have a combined average finish of 4.5 in the two races with the new car.

Oh, and Danica finished 27th, four laps down.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Justin Allgaier, #12 Verizon Wireless Dodge. Old car or new car, Lil' Gator can run with the best of 'em. His fourth place finish is his sixth top five finish of the year. Clearly the best of the Nationwide regulars.

-Colin Braun, #16 Con-way Freight Ford. Good solid ninth place for Colin, his fourth top ten of the year.

-Ryan Truex, #00 Napa Toyota. Only the second time out for Martin's younger brother. Also the biggest track he's ever been on. He qualifies second, runs in the top five for most of the race, fades to 12th at the finish, but shows he is the real deal.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Ryan Newman, #1 Phoenix Racing Chevy. After qualifying fifth, he slapped the wall in the early laps, and never recovered. 36th place.

-Jason Leffler, #38 Great Clips Toyota. Jason led a lap early, but then his engine went just before halfway. His seventh DNF of the year in a disappointing season.

-Robert Richardson, #23 R3 Motorsports Chevy. A tap from Steve Wallace sent him into the wall, and into the hospital. He's OK, though. 33rd place.

Next race, the Food City 250 from Bristol Motor Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN Friday, August 20th at 8 pm/et.

(Photos by Motorsport.com and Getty Images)

Kahne To Red Bull in 2011

2010-08-15T17:30:00.000-04:00

Motorsport.com Photo

Kasey Kahne, the Hendrick Motorsports driver-in-waiting, has announced the he will drive one season for Red Bull Racing.

Hendrick preferred to put Kahne in a Chevrolet for 2011, but settled on Red Bull, who fields Toyota Camrys. Team Red Bull has said that they are prepared to field a three-car team if necessary, but it remains unclear if they will. Brian Vickers' health remains an issue, as it will not be known for a few months when he will be able to return to the driver's seat. Scott Speed has been slow to develop; his job may be in jeopardy.

So, in conclusion, Kasey Kahne goes to Red Bull for one year only, then on to the #5 Hendrick Motorsports ride.

New Cup Team: Stavola Labonte Racing

2010-08-15T17:15:00.000-04:00

Jayski.com Image

Two-time Sprint Cup champion Terry Labonte has joined forces with veteran car owner Bill Stavola to form Stavola Labonte Racing. Stavola is best known for his #8 car which competed in the Cup series in the 80's and 90's with such drivers as Bobby Hillin Jr., Dick Trickle, Jeff Burton, and Hut Stricklin.

Gander Mountain will sponsor the car for three races in 2010; Richmond, Charlotte, and Texas. No word on their schedule in 2011. They will field Chevys, and will get both their cars and engines from Richard Childress Racing.

Montoya Wins at the Glen

2010-08-15T17:05:00.000-04:00

Juan Pablo Montoya earned his second career Sprint Cup victory Sunday at the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen. The win is a bright spot for Montoya, who has had fast race cars, but disappointing results. The win was his first top five finish since Darlington in May. He moves up to 19th in driver points.

Points leaders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon finished 11th and 10th respectively.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Vortex Dodge. Kurt isn't really considered a road course driver, but he outdueled Marcos Ambrose late in the race to score a second place finish. That catapulted him from seventh to fourth in points.

-Marcos Ambrose, #47 Little Debbie Toyota. Ambrose expects to win at road courses, but I suppose he'll take a third, his best finish of the year.

-A.J. Allmendinger, #43 Insignia HDTV/Best Buy Ford. After signing an extension with Richard Petty Motorsports, he rewards them with a strong fourth place finish, also his best of the year.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Boris Said, #83 Red Bull Toyota. Boris has come close to winning road course races in the past, and he certainly has a cult following in the Watkins Glen area. Those fans left unhappy after a tangle with Tony Stewart led to a pitiful 38th place finish.

-Denny Hamlin, #11 FedEx Freight Toyota. Denny was collected in Jimmie Johnson's crash with 20 laps to go. The 37th place finish is his worst of the year, and it drops him from third to sixth in points.

-Robby Gordon, #7 SpeedFactoryTV.com Toyota. Robby's another one who puts all his efforts into the two road course races. Mechanical problems haunted him all day, and his engine finally gave up with 18 to go.

Next race, the Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN Sunday, August 15th at 1 pm/et.

Point Leader Bodine Runs Away at Nashville

2010-08-08T19:35:00.001-04:00

It took him seven tries, but Todd Bodine finally won at Nashville Superspeedway. After starting from the pole, Bodine fell back quickly, but through pit stops, regained the handle on his #30 Germain.com Toyota. He led the final 89 laps en route to his 19th career Truck win.

Rookie Austin Dillon finished second, while Aric Almirola finished third. Bodine opens up his point lead to 174 over Almirola with eleven races remaining.

3 DRIVERS WHO WITH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Austin Dillon, #3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevy. Seriously, how good is this kid? He's got seven straight top seven finishes. In that time, he's rocketed from 14th to 5th in points.

-Justin Lofton #7 visitPIT.com Toyota. The second-best rookie in the series, Justin records his second top ten finish in a row.

-Ken Schrader #2 Moore's Marinades Chevy. His tenth place finish is his worst in Kevin Harvick's truck. He's got an average finish of 7th in four races in the #2.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Johanna Long, #15 Visit Pensacola Toyota. Her second career start only lasted three laps, as she was taken out by the #60 of Narain Karthikeyan.

-Jason White, #23 Gunbroker.com Dodge. J-White suffers a blown engine early, relegating him to 28th. Only his third finish outside the top 20 this year.

-Mario Gosselin, #12 TireMonkey.com Chevy. Contact with a lapped truck send Mario hard into the frontstretch wall. Mario has had fast trucks this year, but has few good finishes to show for it.

Next race, the Too Tough To Tame 200 at Darlington Raceway. Broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, August 14th at 7:30 pm/et.

Ambrose Wins Third Straight at the Glen

2010-08-08T18:32:00.001-04:00

Marcos Ambrose is now batting .1000 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2010. He dominated the Zippo 200 at the Glen, his third consecutive victory at the Watkins Glen road course. In fact, the three are his only NASCAR wins.

The only other drivers to lead the race were Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Joey Logano and Kyle Busch. Neither had anything for Ambrose, however.

Ambrose, who recently announced he was leaving JTG Daugherty Racing at the end of the year, surely helps his chances of finding a full-time ride in 2011.

Points leader Brad Keselowski finished fourth, while Carl Edwards suffered engine trouble and finished 33rd. BK now has an astronomical 327 point lead with thirteen races remaining.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Nelson Piquet Jr., #27 Arcsight/G2 Gemini Ford. Nelson the Brazilian finishes seventh in his Nationwide Series debut.

-Steve Wallace, #66 5 Hour Energy Toyota. Two top ten finishes in two road course races for Steven. He's starting to look like a chip off the old block when it comes to turning left and right.

-Michael McDowell, #81 K-Love Dodge. Despite a damaged race car, Michael gets his first top ten of the year.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Carl Edwards, #60 Fastenal Ford. The last thing he needed was a blown engine. It will take an epic comeback for Carl to win his second Nationwide championship.

-Jason Leffler #38 Great Clips Toyota. Leffler has a reputation for poor finishes at road courses, and Saturday was no exception. Contact with another car set off a multi-car crash on lap 23. 35th place.

-Justin Allgaier, #12 Verizon Wireless Dodge. On a day where he could have gained points on Carl Edwards, he was involved in the "big one" and finished 34th.

Next race, the Carfax 250 at Michigan International Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN Saturday, August 14th at 2 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images and Motorsport.com)

Biffle Gets Ford's First Win; Sadler Survives Vicious Crash

2010-08-08T16:46:00.001-04:00

The 2010 Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 from Pocono Raceway will most likely not be remembered as Ford's first trip to victory lane since last year. It will be remembered as the race with the really big crash involving Elliott Sadler.

Elliott was hit in the rear while trying to slow down to avoid the spinning Kurt Busch. He hit the inside guardrail at the worst possible spot, where the rail angles back toward the track. The resulting impact ripped the engine and transmission from the car. Both the car and the engine came to rest on the track. Thankfully, no other cars were involved.

Greg Biffle passed Sam Hornish Jr. on the last restart and held off Tony Stewart to grab his first win of the year, further solidifying his place in the Chase. Points leaders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Gordon finished fourth and sixth respectively.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Jeff Burton, #31 Caterpillar Chevy. Jeff's solid eighth place finish catapults him from seventh to fifth in points.

-Carl Edwards, #99 Aflac Ford. Carl is one of the bubble drivers, and his third place helps to hive him some breathing room from 13th place.

-Sam Hornish Jr., #77 PPG/Olympic Dodge. Sam's tire strategy gamble helps him to 11th place, which ties his best finish of the year.

-3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Kurt Busch, #2 Miller Lite Vortex Dodge. Kurt destroyed his car after some aggressive bump-drafting from Jimmie Johnson. His 33rd place is his worst finish since Phoenix in April.

-Elliott Sadler, #19 Air Force Ford. Nothing much to say here. He's lucky to walk away with only minor injuries. Another tough year continues for Elliott.

Joey Logano, #20 Home Depot Toyota. After an impressive run in the June Pocono race, Joey fails to repeat, coming home in 25th place.

Next race, the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen from Watkins Glen. Broadcast live on ESPN Sunday, August 8th at 1 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Busch Wins Again

2010-08-01T00:39:00.000-04:00

Kyle Busch dominated the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway for his 9th victory of the season. He has now won more than half the races he has entered in 2010, including six of the last seven. He would be running away with the points title is he were running the full schedule. As it is, he's third in points despite missing four races. He is the poster child for NASCAR wanting to limit Cup drivers in the Nationwide Series.

Point leader Brad Keselowski came home a solid fourth, and Carl Edwards brought it home in 10th. Brad opens up his lead on Carl to 231 points.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Jason Leffler, #38 Great Clips Toyota. Jason's the only Braun car to not encounter trouble Saturday night, as he scores a third place, his best finish of the year.

-Trevor Bayne, #99 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota. Third straight pole, third straight top five. This kid's on a serious hot streak.

-Shelby Howard, #70 International Trucks Chevy. Shelby's third straight top 15 finish vaults the #70 car into the top 30 in owner's points.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Morgan Shepherd, #21 Victory In Jesus Chevy. Morgan's three race top 25 streak is over. He spun on the first lap and was struck by Tayler Malsam, another driver down on his luck.

-Reed Sorenson, #32 Dollar General Toyota. Reed was the first of four drivers to hit the wall due to right front tire failure. Only his second finish outside the top 30 of the year, but the #32 team loses a spot in owner's points.

-Brad Baker, #43 Pinnacle Truck & Trailer Sales Ford. The #43 team starts & parks, and in doing so, falls outside the top 30 in owner's points. They must qualify on speed starting next week.

Next race, the Zippo 200 at the Glen, at the Watkins Glen road course. Broadcast live on ESPN Saturday, August 7th at 2 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Inaugural Pocono Truck Race Sees First Time Winner

2010-07-31T18:27:00.001-04:00

As expected, the Camping World Truck Series put on a great show at Pocono Raceway. Three and four wide racing was the norm, and Elliott Sadler won his first career truck race in his eighth career start. Elliott now has victories in all three of NASCAR's major touring series. He's the 21st driver to do so. It's also the third straight victory with three different drivers for Kevin Harvick Inc.

Point leader Todd Bodine had a rough race. He and Austin Dillon made contact with ten laps to go, sending Bodine spinning through the grass. "The Onion" recovered to finish 12th, but his point lead shrunk to 149 with 12 races remaining.

Two Cup drivers who normally don't compete in the trucks raced today. Kasey Kahne finished second in Kyle Busch's #18 truck, and Denny Hamlin finished 9th in the #15 truck, owned by Billy Ballew.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Matt Crafton #88 Ideal Doors/Menards Chevy. Four straight top five finishes for Crafton. He moves up two more spots to 5th in points.

-Justin Loftin, #7 VisitPit.com Toyota. Justin's fifth place run is also his best since Dover back in May. It's also his second career top five finish. He moves up two spots to 12th in points.

-Brent Raymer, #85 Ford Drive One. Ford. Career-best 16th place for the 24-year-old Raymer.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Ron Hornaday, #33 Ollie's Bargain Outlet Chevy. After winning last week, Ron's season came back crashing down as he was tapped by Johnny Sauter during a green-white-checkered, sending him spinning into the inside wall. His 29th place finish drops him from 4th to 7th in points.

-Bobby Hamilton Jr., #6 Matthews Mobile Media Chevy. Competing in his first truck race since 2006, Bobby Jr. cut a right front tire and hit the wall, ending his day on lap 26.

-Chase Mattioli, #64 Pepsi Max Chevy. 20 year old Chase, grandson of the owners of Pocono Raceway, makes his truck debut driving for Stacy Compton. Unfortunately, his run was cut short with five laps to go, when he couldn't avoid the spinning truck of Donny Lia.

Next race: the Nashville 200 from Nashville Superspeedway. Broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, July 7th at 9 pm/et.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Labonte To JTG Daugherty Racing in 2011

2010-07-31T15:17:00.000-04:00

JTG Daugherty, co-owned by Tad Geschickter and ESPN's Brad Daugherty announced that former Cup champion Bobby Labonte will pilot the #47 car in 2011. He replaces Marcos Ambrose, who annouced earlier in the week that he and the team were parting ways. Clorox will return as a sponsor next year.

Ambrose is rumored to be joining Richard Petty Motorsports.

This will definitely be an upgrade for Labonte. Unlike the other rides he's had in the past two years, this one is perfectly capable of finishing in the top 20 every week. With affiliate Michael Waltrip Racing gaining momentum, perhaps those finishes could be better. Expect a lot more from Bobby Labonte in 2011.

"Money" McMurray Wins Brickyard

2010-07-26T00:36:00.000-04:00

Most folks thought Chip Ganassi's other driver, Juan Pablo Montoya, would be the one to give the owner the ultimate American auto racing trifecta - the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400 - all in one year. Jamie McMurray had won the Daytona 500, and Dario Franchitti had won the Indy 500 earlier in the year.

For the second straight year, Montoya dominated, but once again ran out of talent late in the race. He failed to hang on to a loose race car and slapped the wall in turn 4, coming back across the track to collect Dale Jr. in the process. McMurray passed Kevin Harvick on the ensuing restart to claim his second win of the year. His two wins just happen to be the biggest races of the year.

Harvick's points lead opens up to 184 points over Jeff Gordon with six races until the Chase.

3 DRIVERS WHO WITH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Greg Biffle, #16 3M Ford. The Biff's third place finish ends a mini-slump. As a Chase bubble driver, he needed that.

-Clint Bowyer, #33 Wheaties Fuel Chevy. With a solid fourth place, his cushion over 13th place in points grows from 15 points up to 62 points.

-Tony Stewart, #14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevy. His fifth top five finish of the year helps to solidify his place in the Chase.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Ryan Newman, #39 Haas Automation Chevy. Body damage caused two flat tires for Newman, who finishes 17th. He's now a distant 147 points out of the Chase.

-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #88 Amp Energy/National Guard Chevy. Junior's Chase hopes may have died at Indy. What would have been a solid top 15 run was ruined by Juan Pablo Montoya's lack of driving ability. He drops to 14th in points, 93 out of the Chase.

-Elliott Sadler, #19 Stanley Tools Ford. If it weren't for bad luck, he wouldn't have any at all. After being involved in the lap one crash, Elliott finishes the race 105 laps down in 38th.

Next race, the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Broadcast live on ESPN Sunday, August 1st at 1 pm/et.

KB Back In Victory Lane

2010-07-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

With his dominating win in the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis, Kyle Busch now has eight wins in 16 starts in 2010. That's right, he's won half the Nationwide Series races he's entered. He has a ridiculous 5.9 average finish. It's also his 38th career Nationwide win.

Brad Keselowski may be fighting Carl Edwards for the driver championship, but he's in a tight battle with Joe Gibbs Racing for the owner's title. Brad's #22 car holds a slim one point lead over the #18 car.

With his second place finish, Carl Edwards reduces Keselowski's point lead from 228 to 205 with 15 races remaining.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Aric Almirola, #88 GT Vodka Chevy. JR Motorsports has said they're auditioning drivers for full-time rides in 2011. Aric Almirola makes a strong statement with a 3rd place finish. Look for him to run more races this year in the #88 car.

-Trevor Bayne, #99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota. Second straight pole, second straight top 5 finish. Moved from 11th to 9th in points in that span, also.

-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #6 Citi Financial Ford. The best finishing rookie of the race, Ricky brings it home with a solid 11th place. Since getting benched earlier in the year, Ricky has an average 14th place finish, not bad for a rookie.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Jason Keller, #35 Chevy. Jason and Tri-Star Motorsports are having some real tough luck this year. A crash with Kevin Swindell results in Jason's fourth DNF of the year. They're now dangerously close to falling out of the top 30 in owner's points, and the guaranteed starting position that comes with it.

-Matt DiBenedetto, #20 Game Plan For Life/IAmSecond.com Toyota. Another driver down on his luck this year. A blown engine relegates him to 31st place, his third finish of 29th or worse in four starts this year. Ouch.

-Ron Hornaday Jr., #33 Jimmy John's Chevy. Making his first Nationwide start in exactly a year, Ron was running second when contact with the lapped car of J.C. Stout put his car hard into the turn three wall. 28th place.

Next race, the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN2 Saturday, July 31st at 7:30 pm/et.

The Champ Is Back

2010-07-25T23:16:00.000-04:00

Ron Hornaday, the defending Camping World Truck Series Champion, broke through a long winless drought to capture his first checkered flag of 2010. He led 129 of 200 laps en route to his 46th career truck win. The win moved Hornaday up to 5th in points, 212 from leader Todd Bodine, but just 35 from second place Aric Almirola.

Todd Bodine's point lead grows to 177 with 13 races remaining.

3 DRIVERS WHO WITH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Matt Crafton, #88 Menards Chevy. Matt's third place finish is his third consecutive top five finish. He's also moved from 10th to 7th in points in that span.

-Brad Sweet, #90 Great Clips Toyota. Not bad for a 24 year old sprint car driver from California. Brad records his best career finish with an eighth place.

-Shelby Howard, #2 Foretravel Motorcoach Chevy. After showing steady improvement driving a mid-level Nationwide car, Shelby gets a shot with a top truck team, and turns in a solid 11th place effort.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Aric Almirola, #51 Zyclara by Graceway Pharmecuticals Toyota. An early-race accident left him with a 31st place finish. He's still is second in points, but now 177 out of the lead and just 5 points from third place Johnny Sauter.

-Chris Jones, #87 Copy Wizard Chevy. This low-budget team is normally a start-and-park, but this time it was a start-and-crash. Only 6 laps for Chris, and last place is the result.

-Mike Skinner, #5 International Trucks Toyota. A long, tough night for former champ Skinner results in a 15th place, his worst since March. He also falls to 8th in points.

Next race, the Pocono Mountains 125 at Pocono Raceway. Broadcast live on SPEED Saturday, July 31st at 1 pm/et.

Edwards Loses Mind, Wins at Gateway

2010-07-25T22:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not the first---and I certainly won't be the last---to question Carl Edwards' sanity. After receiving a lap to the left rear in turn one of the last lap of Saturday's Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 by Brad Keselowski, Carl deliberately turned Brad right into the outside frontstretch wall coming to the checkered flag. The result was a spectacular crash that severely damaged 6-7 cars.

Carl says that his and Brad's actions were the same, only the results were different. I'm sorry Carl, but a slight tap in the corner is different than hooking someone down the straightaway.

NASCAR let Carl know that he had crossed the line with a 60 point penalty and $25,000 fine. Carl says he won't appeal the penalties, but clearly still believes he did nothing wrong. As ESPN.com's Terry Blount says, Carl just doesn't get it.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Reed Sorenson, #32 Dollar General Toyota. Gateway has always been one of Reed's best tracks, and he proved it once again, charging to the front late in the race to finish 2nd.

-Trevor Bayne, #99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota. Third place is T-Bayne's best career finish. He also led 19 laps.

-Steven Wallace, #66 5 Hour Energy Toyota. Steven's first top 5 finish of the year. Hooray.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Shelby Howard, #70 Foretravel Chevy. Shelby had a top ten run going, but was involved in the last-lap crash and limped across the line in 12th. It still ties his best career Nationwide Series finish.

-Ryan Truex, #00 Napa Toyota. Ryan, younger brother of Sprint Cup driver Martin, made his Nationwide Series debut Saturday night. Unfortunately, it ended against the wall and a 28th place finish.

-Justin Allgaier, #12 Verizon Wireless Dodge. The normally solid "little gator" suffered a flat tire that led to a crash, only his second DNF of the year.

Next race, the Kroger 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Broadcast live on ESPN Saturday, July 24th at 8 pm/et.

Harvick Dominates Truck Race

2010-07-18T00:31:00.000-04:00

As competitive as the Truck Series is (it's the best in NASCAR), sometimes you still get a snoozer. This was the case for the Campingworld.com 200 at Gateway International Raceway. Kevin Harvick led all but 17 laps to claim his third victory of the year in only four starts.

The race was pretty uneventful...Todd Bodine extended his points lead over Aric Almirola to 101 points.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Brad Keselowski, #29 Dodge. Brad's runner-up finish was actually his first top 5 finish in 47 truck starts.

-Johnny Sauter, #13 In Country Chevy. Johnny's third place moves him up two spots in points to third.

-Brian Ickler #18 VIASYSTEMS Toyota. Brian overcame a flat tire early to finish ninth. He has an average finish of seventh in his four starts this year.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Ricky Carmichael, #4 Monster Energy Chevy. Ricky was running in the top ten when contact from Mike Skinner sent him hard into the turn 3 wall. 29th place.

-Jeffrey Earnhardt, #6 Fuel Doctor Chevy. Jeffrey was making his first ever Truck start driving for Rick Ware, but got caught up in Ricky Carmichael's wreck and finished 30th.

-Ron Hornaday, #33 Charter Communications Chevy. Ron probably would have finished in 2nd place and gained a lot of points. But a broken sway bar mount cost him nine laps and most likely, a championship.

Next race, the AAA Insurance 200 at O'Reilly Raceway Park. Broadcast live on SPEED Friday, July 23rd at 8 pm/et.

I Guess Nice Guys DO Finish First

2010-07-12T04:36:00.000-04:00

Second year Cup driver David Reutimann powered past Jeff Gordon late in the LifeLock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway to take his 2nd career victory. This win sort of removed the monkey off his back, as his first win was a bit of a rain-shortened fluke. David proved he was the talent to win Saturday night, however.

The win also moves "Beaker" up two spots to 15th in points. He's 96 points out of the Chase, so he's not out of it yet. Carl Edwards finished a season-best 2nd place, and helped to solidify his place in the Chase.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Clint Bowyer, #33 Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy. Clint's fourth place was his best finish since Daytona in February, and it helped him move back into the top 12 in points.

-Paul Menard, #98 Menards Ford. Paul recorded his third top ten finish of the year. Paul has had fast cars all year, but needs to start recording better finishes. At least he has a job next year.

-Jamie McMurray, #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevy. Jamie's Chase hopes are still hanging on by a thread. His 5th place finish is his best since Charlotte in May, getting him out of a five-race slump.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Jimmie Johnson, #48 Lowe's Chevy. Jimmie led a race-high 92 laps, then his night just went downhill. A spin through the grass followed by a slap of the wall led to a 25th place finish.

-Kevin Harvick, #29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevy. The point leader suffered a rare fuel pump problem, costing him 16 laps in the garage. 34th place.

-Greg Biffle, #16 3M Filtrete Ford. Drivers on the bubble of making the Chase don't need to be blowing engines. The Biff's 35th place finish caused his cushion over 13th place to go from 103 to just 21 points.

Next race, the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Broadcast live on ESPN Sunday, July 25th at 1 pm/et.

Busch Dominates; Then Lucks in to Chicagoland Win

2010-07-12T04:06:00.000-04:00

Despite an early pit road speeding penalty, Kyle Busch led over half the laps at the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. Late in the race, however, Busch found himself in 4th place with a green-white-checker finish looming. But when 2nd place Brad Keselowski ran out of fuel coming to get the green flag, Busch moved up to the outside of leader Joey Logano, who had older left side tires than Kyle. Busch easily drove around Logano and took his seventh Nationwide Series victory of 2010. Logano finished second.

Danica Patrick finished a career-best 24th, two laps down.

3 DRIVERS WHO WISH THEY RACED HERE EVERY WEEK

-Brian Scott, #11 AccuDoc Solutions Toyota. Career-best third place for Scott, who led a quartet of Braun Racing cars who all finished in the top eight.

-Parker Kligerman, #42 Getmorevacations.com Dodge. 19-year-old Parker now has two consecutive 13th place finishes, and is starting to turn his season around.

-Carl Edwards, #60 Fastenal Ford. With Keselowski's problems combined with Carl's 14th top ten finish of the year, Edwards takes a 50 point chunk out of Brad's points lead.

3 DRIVERS WHO WANT A DO-OVER

-Brad Keselowski, #22 Discount Tire Dodge. Brad was all set to extend his already large point lead, but his gamble on fuel set him back to 21st, his worst finish of the year.

-Trevor Bayne, #99 Aaron's Toyota. T-Bayne was running in the top ten all night, until contact with another car pushed his fender in on the left front tire, eventually cutting the tire, sending him hard into the wall with less than ten laps to go. 32nd place was the result in a trying year for the young driver.

-Ricky Stenhouse Jr., #6 Citi Financial Ford. After getting his best career finish last week at Daytona, Ricky drove a solid race, but was caught up in a big last-lap crash and finished 19th, the last car on the lead lap.

Next race, the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Broadcast live on ESPN2 Saturday, July 17th at 8 pm/et.