RCR auctioning off Clint Bowyer's 2007 Daytona 500 wrecked car, and much more!

NASCAR fanatics, find your perfect Christmas gift here! Richard Childress Racing is auctioning off a wide variety of items today, from a wrecked Daytona 500 car, to a transporter, to pole- and race-winning memorabilia, to race-ready ARCA and late model vehicles.

You can find information on the auction and view  pictures of the items being offered here: http://www.ironhorseauction.com/index.php?subp=1&sct=109&pg=ap&pid=24384&ap_sub=fp

Can Kurt Busch Get Anything Right?

The order and placement of words is important after all, not that NASCAR's resident genius Kurt Busch would know, of course.

After his mutual release from Penske Racing and decision to see a sports psychologist, Kurt Busch said "I never want to take for granted that it's a privilege to earn a living as a NASCAR driver."

Hmm. I'd think he WOULD want to take it for granted that it's a privilege to make a living driving race cars. Looks like the elder Busch bro got a little mixed up in a pseudo-double-negative type of situation. What he said is the equivalent of "I want to take for granted that it's my right to earn a living as a NASCAR driver." Oops.

Kyle Busch to Present Award at American Country Awards

Kyle Busch's crazy year is taking another interesting twist. Tonight, the Sprint Cup driver will present the Female Artist of the Year award at the second annual American Country Awards at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.

The awards show will air live on FOX from 8-10 p.m. ET, and the five nominees for Female Artist of the Year are Sara Evans, Alison Krauss, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood.

Jeff Gordon shows off break dancing skills in Vegas!

Tony Stewart gets call from President ... and is worried about reception aboard Air Force One!

Speaking on Day 3 of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas, Tony Stewart had this to say on a call he received from Mr. Obama.

“It is a huge honor to get a call from the President of the United States,” Stewart said. “I was more nervous that I wasn’t going to be able to hear on the phone very well, being from Air Force One, but they got great service up there. He just congratulated us on a great season. … The First Lady was giving him updates from the track, so I was really proud that he was following our sport and cared enough to call yesterday.”

Homestead musings: Tony Stewart, Five-Time and more

I may have whiffed on a number of my Homestead predictions, but I nailed the biggest one.

That is, I predicted that there was exactly one way for Tony Stewart to win the 2011 Sprint Cup championship: Win the race.

And that's exactly what Smoke did. He refused to be denied in his quest to win a third career championship, and first as an owner/driver.

Carl Edwards did just about everything in his power to earn his first career Cup title—winning the pole and leading the most laps—but in the end Stewart did the one thing he absolutely had to do to steal the title.

It was disappointing to see Jimmie Johnson go down in the fashion he did on Sunday. The no-longer-efending-Sprint-Cup-champion was running in the top five but had an issue with his carburetor, relegating him to a quiet 32nd-place finish. For the first time in his 10-year career, Johnson finished outside the top five in the final standings (sixth, to be exact).

All in all however, it was an incredible race. NASCAR couldn't have scripted the final chapter in the championship battle any better. The one thing that put a damper on the entire affair was the weather. The three cautions for rain—one causing a red flag period lasting over an hour—were unfortunate, but completely out of NASCAR's hands.

Congrats to 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart!

Tony Stewart Wins Third Sprint Cup Title!

Tony Stewart earned his third career title in dramatic fashion, winning the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Carl Edwards hot on his tail.

When the race ended, Stewart and Edwards were exactly tied in the points. However, Stewart won the tiebreaker based on his greater number of victories throughout the season.

Stewart led 65 laps en route to his fifth win of the 2011 Chase, breaking Jimmie Johnson's record of four wins in a single Chase. Stewart, the last driver to win a championship prior to Jimmie Johnson's five-year title reign, became the first to win after the end of Johnson's streak.

It was the first time an owner/driver won the title since Alan Kulwicki won the Winston Cup in 1992, driving for his own underfunded single-car team. Stewart isn't the underdog that Kulwicki was, but it's remarkable to see an owner/driver win the title in this era of NASCAR.

Read the complete story here!

Homestead predictions: Carl vs. Tony and more

There's no shortage of storylines at Homestead. By far the biggest is the championship battle between Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. Here are six predictions for Sunday's race, from least important to most.

6. Brian Vickers will wreck someone, and be wrecked—and he won't be back in the Cup Series in 2012

Brian Vickers has been a wrecking machine the last few weeks. At Martinsville he seemed to be involved in altercations with half the field, and last week he took Matt Kenseth out of the race. I'd be surprised to see him still running at the end of the race on Sunday.
And Vickers hasn't done himself any favors with potential employers for 2012. After this type of behavior, I doubt he'll find a viable ride in the Cup series for next season.

5. There will be a fight

We’ve seen some entertaining fights at Homestead in recent years—the 2009 fight between Tony Stewart and Juan Montoya comes to mind.

Candidates for a fight include Vickers, Montoya and Martin Truex Jr. I would have included Kyle Busch on this list a few weeks ago, but I don’t think he’ll be stupid enough to do anything foolish at this point, possibly putting his entire NASCAR career at risk.

4. Lame-duck drivers will not run well

I don’t think that David Reutimann, Mark Martin, Brian Vickers, or Clint Bowyer will have strong runs in their last races with the current team.

Sure, these guys and their teams are competitors at heart, but there’s not much to race for and lame-duck teams are at an inherent disadvantage. The one exception to this is Kasey Kahne, who has been running lights-out all Chase long and won the race at Phoenix last week.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr. will fall out of the top 10

Junior is sitting seventh in the standings, but he won’t rise any higher; Matt Kenseth in sixth is 32 points ahead of him, too far ahead to catch.

However, the four drivers behind Earnhardt in the standings are within 10 points of his position. Junior has no top-10’s at HMS and has finished 27th or worse in the last four races at the track. With another finish like that, he could easily slip to 11th in the standings and miss out on the championship celebrations in Las Vegas next month.

2. Jimmie Johnson will get his 10th straight top-5 points finish

Johnson is currently fifth in the points, two ahead of Matt Kenseth and three behind Brad Keselowski. I don’t think he’ll win on Sunday, but he generally runs well at Homestead and he’ll finish in front of at least one of the two drivers around him in the points.

However, Johnson will finish with fewer than three race victories in a season for the first time in his career. His only wins this season came at Talladega and Kansas.

1. Stewart will win the race and become a 3-time champion

Tony Stewart is three points behind Carl Edwards heading into the finale, and Edwards runs extremely well at Homestead. I think the only way Stewart wins the title is by winning the race—and I predict he’s going to do just that, winning his third championship in emphatic fashion. With five victories during the Chase, no one could say he didn’t earn it.

One-on-one interview: 2003 Trucks champion Travis Kvapil looks to raise his game

There is a lot of uncertainty in the NASCAR garage right now. David Reutimann recently lost his job at Michael Waltrip Racing and Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 38 Ford for Front Row Motorsports, is another driver whose ride is in limbo.

I had the opportunity to interview Kvapil at Martinsville on October 29. Kvapil hasn't had a Top 10 finish since 2008 while driving for Yates Racing, but the No. 38 team achieved a major goal two races ago with a 21st-place finish at Talladega, moving into the Top 35 in owners' points and guaranteeing the team a starting spot in future races.

The main goal for the team over the remainder of the season is to stay in the Top 35 in owners' points, guaranteeing them a Daytona 500 starting position. Kvapil gave the team a boost by finishing an impressive 16th and on the lead lap at Martinsville.

Of course, Kvapil isn't certain he'll even be with the team in 2012. He certainly hopes to be and he's giving the team his best effort in the meantime.

"Looking forward, I'm not sure how it's going to work out. I hope I’ll be with the team, but we don’t have plans worked out past this year," Kvapil said. "I think leading into 2012 the big priority for the 38 car is keeping it in the Top 35 in points...Obviously, to start the year off guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500 and the first five races is a huge asset for this team, so that’s goal number one."

Kvapil discussed the challenges his underfunded team has faced throughout the season.

"We’ve had a lot of bad luck and misfortune and just odd things happen to us through the season to hold us back, but hopefully we got that all behind us and we’ve turned the page. The last month or so has gone really well, we’ve had some really good races, and so because of all that we got ourselves back in the Top 35 and we’re just maintaining through the rest of the year."

Kvapil has driven several seasons in NASCAR's Truck series, with nine wins and the 2003 championship to his credit. I asked him whether he'd consider moving back to the trucks if there was a good ride available.

"If there’s an opportunity, you’ve always gotta look at it," Kvapil said. "My goal personally is to be in the Sprint Cup series. I feel like I’ve proven myself at this level, and my biggest career challenge is to ultimately have success and to win races in the Sprint Cup series. I’ve been able to do that—win races, win the championship—in the truck series, so I kind of want to keep moving forward and accomplish the goals that I have."

Kvapil believes that his team is on the cusp of greater things, and hopes to stick around to reap the results of the labors during the past few seasons.

"Front Row Motorsports is a small team, but we’re growing. This is only its fifth or sixth year, and it’s made huge strides in all aspects from being a car that’s just there to a car that is competitive at times," said the 35-year-old driver. "We’re looking to make it a Top-20 car week-in and week-out, and I feel like our team, personnel-wise, is in place. Ford sounds like they’re possibly willing to help us out some more technically, and a few of those things fall into place, and this team can be pretty competitive. I’ve been here for two years now, and I’d like to stay with them and keep growing with them."

I asked Kvapil about the success of Regan Smith and the one-car Furniture Row Racing operation. Smith achieved his first career Cup series win at Darlington earlier this season. "That was really big for Regan. They have a great affiliation with Childress and engineering support, but still, they’re a single car team based out of Denver and doing their own thing. You look at Trevor Bayne, driving part-time in the Wood Brothers car, who was able to go out and win the Daytona 500.

"The way that NASCAR has the rules structured, everybody has a pretty small box to work in, and all the cars are as equal as they’ve ever been," explained the Wisconsin native. "Getting the right equipment, the right people around you, and maybe some sort of technical alliance with a bigger team, are the keys to the smaller teams finding success and having a chance to win races."

Kvapil isn't sure where whether he'll be returning to the No. 38 team in 2012, but with the success he has achieved in his NASCAR career, he should be able to find owners willing to offer him a ride at some level.

5 Reasons Carl Edwards to Believe Carl Edwards Will Win the Title at Homestead

On Sunday, we will witness the perfect NASCAR showdown: Carl Edwards vs. Tony Stewart.

The Ford Nice Guy against the sometimes cantankerous owner/driver.

Only one driver will emerge victorious with the title of NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Sunday evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The title fight has never been closer heading into NASCAR's season finale. Edwards leads Stewart by the slimmest of margins, a mere three points—three positions on the track, or less than the points differential between first place and second.

Who will be Sprint Cup champion come Sunday evening?

Click here for five reasons to believe Carl Edwards is the man to get the job.

My first 2012 prediction: Johnson will be back with a vengeance

For the first time since 2005, Jimmie Johnson will not be hoisting the Sprint Cup championship trophy at Homestead-Miami Speedway following the season finale.

After finishing 14th at Phoenix on Sunday, Johnson is 68 points behind leader Carl Edwards and is mathematically eliminated from title contention.

Now that Jimmie Johnson's unprecedented title streak is finally over, the question is how the No. 48 team will respond in 2012.

Will they fade into the pack and lose their perennial status as the team to beat? Or will they be back with renewed hunger for the title?

To find the answer to that question, let's turn to what Johnson himself has to say regarding the end of his era of dominance. After last week's race at Phoenix, Johnson addressed how he is dealing with the fact that he won't be NASCAR's champion for the first time in six years.

"There's definitely disappointment," Johnson said. "I think that will be the emotion I deal with first. And then over the offseason, I'm sure it will kick in some and reflect. I'll reflect then, but still—in order for us to be where we want to be next year, we've got to work very, very hard during this offseason to understand what's up, and that's not going to make it all that relaxed. So, I'm up for the challenge. This team is. My guys work so hard, and we'll learn and grow from this."

Read my complete analysis on Bleacher Report here.

Debate: Who will win the title, Stewart or Edwards?

Edwards has the obvious advantage in the standings. He leads Stewart by three points heading to the finale at Homestead, a slim lead, but a lead nonetheless.

Edwards is also lights-out at HMS, not to mention being the defending race winner.

For his part, Tony Stewart has the advantage of experience. He's a two time champ, and he's the only driver to win championships under both the old model (points accumulated over the entire season) and the Chase system.

More importantly, Smoke is red hot. He has four wins in the Chase, compared to none for Edwards.

Of course, Edwards has obviously been running well too, or he wouldn't be the points leader.

I predict that Stewart will find a way to get it done, quite possibly winning Sunday's race to earn a third career title in emphatic fashion.

Thoughts?

Jimmie Johnson's Title Streak Officially Over

The No. 48 waits to do battle at Martinsville on October 30.

Before Jimmie Johnson came along, no one had ever won five consecutive NASCAR championships.

 

Nor had anyone won four in a row.

 

In fact, only one other driver had ever won as many as three straight Cup titles—Cale Yarborough, back in 1976-78.

 

It's all over now. 68 points behind leader Carl Edwards and with only the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway remaining on the Sprint Cup schedule, Johnson is mathematically eliminated from the possibility of winning a sixth consecutive title.

 

There will be time for Johnson digest his unprecedented title run's place in history during the offseason. But first, Johnson must deal with the reality that it has come to an end.

 

"There's definitely disappointment," Johnson said on pit road after Sunday's race at Phoenix. "I think that will be the emotion I deal with first. And then over the offseason, I'm sure it will kick in some and reflect. I'll reflect then, but in order for us to be where we want to be next year, we've got to work very, very hard during this offseason to understand what's up, and that's not going to make it all that relaxed. So, I'm up for the challenge. This team is. My guys work so hard, and we'll learn and grow from this."

 

2011 hasn't provided the results Johnson was hoping for. He was solidly in title contention after winning the Chase race at Kansas, but things have gone downhill since that race in early October. Johnson has only two wins this season, which would be his lowest total ever since becoming a full-time Cup driver in 2002.

 

Johnson finished fourth in the final standings in his rookie season of 2002, and has never finished worse than fifth since. The No. 48 is currently fifth in the points—just two points ahead of sixth-place Matt Kenseth. He'll need a strong run on Sunday to keep that streak of top-five points finishes intact.

 

Johnson is undoubtedly one of the greatest drivers in the history of NASCAR. Now that it is at an end, his incredible title run will begin to be put into perspective.

But one thing is sure. Whether or not Johnson wins another title—or another race, for that matter—his place in NASCAR history is secure.

Michael McDowell trusts God for his future

While covering the Sprint Cup NASCAR weekend at Martinsville Speedway I had the opportunity to meet Michael McDowell. I interviewed the driver of the No. 66 Victory Junction Toyota immediately after he had posted the fastest time in Happy Hour on Saturday.

A start-and-parker for the majority of the season, McDowell's best 2011 Cup finish is 30th at Sonoma in June.

However, he has made the most of the opportunity to drive several races for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Nationwide Series. In five 2011 Nationwide starts, McDowell finished no worse than 12th with a best finish of third. He led 66 laps, including 30 at Road America, where he had the dominant car and won the pole.
The chance to run in top-notch equipment was a breath of fresh air to McDowell.

"Everybody at this level (Sprint Cup) has won a lot of races somewhere. For me, it's been a humbling experience to come into NASCAR and struggle like I have. To get in great equipment at JGR and have a shot to show people what I can do is a lot of fun."

That's not to say McDowell has never made an impression in the Sprint Cup Series. McDowell is perhaps best known for his spectacular crash during Sprint Cup qualifying at Texas in 2008. The video has since become a  YouTube sensation.

"When it first happened, I didn’t know whether it was going to stop. It felt like everything happened in super slow-motion, and it felt like it was never going to stop," said McDowell. "My initial response was, “I hope I don’t lose my job,” because it was only my second Sprint Cup for Michael Waltrip. The team was underfunded at the time anyways, so to go out there and crash in qualifying was not a good thing for my career."

"But to walk away from that is nothing short of miraculous. For me, it just gave me the faith and the confidence that God has me here for a reason. He’s used that crash as a witness tool and a platform for me to share my story."

McDowell, a strong Christian, believes God has a purpose for him being in NASCAR. McDowell doesn't define his life by NASCAR, saying "it's not who I am; it's just what I do."

"I think the faith is something for me that’s not just a backup plan or an emergency thing, it’s a way of life," McDowell added. "To walk away from some of the accidents I’ve walked away from and to stay in this sport and to have the opportunities I’ve had, to drive for JGR this year, I know those are all things God has provided.

"It’s not something I’ve worked for or necessarily earned or deserved, and my perspective on that this is that God can do whatever He wants with whoever He wants, and if He wants me to drive the 24 for Hendrick next year, He could make it happen."

Well, McDowell recently got his wish...almost, anyhow, and a lot sooner than he had imagined.

Mere days after my interview with the driver of the usual start-and-park No. 66, McDowell was called upon to drive the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 machine usually piloted by Kyle Busch.

Busch, of course, had been parked by NASCAR for the Nationwide and Cup events at Texas Motor Speedway after intentionally wrecking truck series championship contender Ron Hornaday Jr. under caution during Friday night's race.

Although McDowell finished in 33rd place, three laps off the lead, the No. 18 car looked as good as new when the race was over and the other two JGR cars had struggled during the race as well.

Looking to the future, McDowell's expectation for 2012 in the Cup series is "to race the 66; we're definitely racing the first five events. We'll try to get ourselves locked in the top 35 and take it from there, and try to build it into something that we can race every weekend," said the 2007 ARCA Series Rookie of the Year.

"This year we’ve been gearing toward that, been buying good cars and running really well. We’re moving in the right direction and hopefully we’ll be able to get locked in and start off the year by making Daytona."

At his core, McDowell is just an ordinary guy, and he's certainly not living the glamorous lifestyle of a Tony Stewart or a Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"I’m 26 years old, I’ve been married for six years now and have almost a three-year-old son. I’m the oldest 26-year-old I think, at least that I know. This sport makes you grow up fast."

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings after Phoenix

Chasers struggled for the most part on Sunday, opening the door for non-Chasers to steal the limelight.

One of them, Kasey Kahne, took the win from under the noses of Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. After his Phoenix win, Kahne is clearly the best non-Chaser and arguably the third-best driver in NASCAR at the moment.

Only the title contenders-Stewart and Edwards-have been better lately.

Power Rankings:
1. Tony Stewart
2. Carl Edwards
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Kevin Harvick
6. A.J. Allmendinger
7. Brad Keselowski
8. Ryan Newman
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Jeff Burton
12. Jeff Gordon

Read the complete story here.

Kasey Kahne wins at Phoenix!

Kasey Kahne earned his 12th career Sprint Cup win at Phoenix International Raceway, breaking an 81-race winless streak and winning Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500. 

The victory came in Kahne's second-to-last race for Red Bull Racing. Kahne will be driving the No. 5 car for Hendrick Motorsports next season.

Title contender Tony Stewart dominated the first half of the race...

Read the complete race recap here!

Regan Smith hopes 2011 Darlington win leads to 2012 Chase berth

While covering the NASCAR weekend at Martinsville Speedway for Bleacher Report, I had the chance to interview Regan Smith.

Regan is a very likable young man, just an ordinary guy with an insanely cool job. Seriously, who wouldn't want to race cars for a living?

Here's the article I wrote up for B/R based on my interview.

Go No. 78!

Damage to Kevin Harvick's No. 29 after contact with Greg Biffle at Martinsville

At the end of Happy Hour at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 29 (the only Sprint Cup practice all weekend due to rain), Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick had an on-track altercation.

Biffle wasn't happy, and after the conclusion of practice he made it known as the cars moved through the pits area to their garage stalls. He nudged the No. 29 with his No. 16, causing the slight damage seen in the photo.

Gotta love the drama and tempers of NASCAR.

Provided, that is, you're not Ron Hornaday at the receiving end of Kyle Busch's ire at Texas.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. needs a strong run at Watkins Glen to keep his Chase hopes afloat

You probably know Dale Jr. isn't a fan of road courses. But you probably don't realize just how awful he's been at Watkins Glen lately. In order to keep his Chase hopes running strong, he'll need to reverse that trend.

These 5 Veteran Drivers are Washed Up

Eventually, even the best of athletes has to admit his best days are past. I like these drivers, some of them a lot (Mark Martin and Jamie McMurray especially), but their days as relevant title contenders appear to be over.

Rowdy ticketed for doing 83 mph OVER the speed limit

Kyle Busch just can't get enough of a by speed rush running in all three NASCAR series. Or maybe he gets to used to going fast all the time and then can't slow down when he's out on the road.

Either way, Busch was pulled over doing 128 mph in a 45 mph zone near Troutman, N.C., according to nascar.com.

Busch was cited for speeding and for careless and reckless driving. He'll face a mandatory court appearance and maximum penalties of $1,000 and suspension of his license for 12 months.

NASCAR's All-Star race weekend will feature plenty of action

Dale Jr. is the main story of the weekend, but there are plenty of other storylines to follow, from the feel-good story of Regan Smith to teammate rivalries and more.

7 Bold Predictions for the Monster Mile

What will happen at the Monster Mile this weekend?

I predict another win for Jimmie Johnson (winner of three of the last four Dover events), struggles for Paul Menard and Kasey Kahne, and...well, read on to find out what else.

The 10 best young drivers in the history of NASCAR

NASCAR's Sprint Cup series has seen surprisingly few wins by drivers under the age of 25. Winning a race at NASCAR's top level takes a level of maturity and patience that few young drivers are able to achieve, even with a load of talent and a fast race car.

According to jayski.com, a mere 63 of 2,290 Cup races have been won by a collective 17 drivers under 25.

Of that group, just five of them won more than one race before their 25th birthday. Eight of the 17 are still active, and two of them are still under 25 (Trevor Bayne and Joey Logano). Bayne, 20, joined that group with his thrilling win in this season's Daytona 500.

Click here to find out if that's enough for him to make the cut as one of NASCAR's best young drivers ever.

7 Bold Predictions for the Lady in Black

Darlington Raceway is one of the oldest tracks on the Sprint Cup schedule, having hosted its inaugural race in 1950. For many years it witnessed two races per season, although since 2005, the Cup series has visited just once each year.

Darlington is known by several colorful names, including the "Lady in Black" and the "Track Too Tough to Tame." It is infamous for leaving the "Darlington Stripe" on the right side of many cars before the night is over as drivers struggle to navigate the tricky egg-shaped oval.

The current Cup car has proven resilient, however, as Kyle Busch demonstrated by winning the race despite brushing the wall several times in 2008.

Jeff Gordon is the active wins leader with seven victories at Darlington Raceway. Only Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt have more.

But can he win again? Gordon hasn't won at the Lady in Black since 2007 and has just two victories in the previous 18 Darlington races. Last year he came in fourth after leading 110 laps.

What can we expect from the Track Too Tough to Tame on Saturday night? Read on to find out.

Denny Hamlin shows his team isn't going anywhere

Before Saturday night, Denny Hamlin had just one top-10 all season. He was stuck at 17th in the points and hadn't so much as sniffed the lead at any point late in a race.

Then Richmond happened. It started with Hamlin winning his charity race at the track on Thursday night. Then he won the Nationwide series race on Friday night.

By the time the Cup race started on Saturday night, Hamlin was brimming with confidence.

Sure enough, he had driven his No. 11 FedEx Toyota from an 11th-place starting position into the lead by lap 74. Hamlin ran in the top five all race long, eventually finishing a strong second to teammate Kyle Busch, who has won the last three spring Richmond events.

Hamlin didn't gain any positions in the standings, but he picked up a good chunk of points for his runner-up finish. Perhaps more importantly, he can use the confidence gained on Saturday night as a springboard for continued success going forward.

There is plenty of time for Hamlin to move into the Chase zone, and he can do it either by consistent finishes to move into the top 10 or by winning a few races to enter the Chase as a wild card. Hamlin is fully capable of making the Chase by either method, and his strong Richmond performance indicates that his team is far from done this season.

Richmond mayhem shakes up Sprint Cup standings

Kyle Busch moved up three spots in the standings, as did Clint Bowyer. What else happened in the points following a wild Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway?

Find out here.

Three Richmond favorites qualify poorly

Three Richmond favorites qualified outside the top 10 for the Sprint Cup race tonight.

Denny Hamlin (11th), Kyle Busch (20th), and Jimmie Johnson (30th) all had disappointing qualifying efforts. Hamlin was also terrible in Happy Hour, posting just the 40th-fastest lap, while Busch and Johnson were not much better (34th and 22nd, respectively).

Hamlin has won the last two fall Richmond races, while teammate Busch took home the checkers in the last two spring events. Johnson has three Richmond victories, all coming in 2007 and 2008, and finished 10th and 3rd at the track last season.

Losing streaks will continue at Richmond

I predict that we won't see the end of any major losing streaks at Richmond Saturday night. That means Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Burton, Kasey Kahne and Mark Martin will not reach Victory Lane to end 50-plus race winless streaks. Nor will Brian Vickers, Joey Logano or Brad Keselowski.

Of that bunch of drivers, Logano might have the best shot after running a strong fourth in last fall's Richmond race, but JGR has been down this year and Logano is mired in 24th place in the standings with a single top-10. He'll need to show consistent improvement before hoping for a win.

Junior has been strong at Richmond in the past and has three career wins here, but has finished outside the top 20 in the past four races. He's been strong this season, but Richmond's not a likely place for him to finally break through for his first win in nearly three years.

Burton has been fairly good at Richmond recently, with top-5s in the last two spring races, but he has struggled mightily this season and it's been 13 races since his last Sprint Cup top-10. The No. 31 team has significant improvements to make before Burton will return to Victory Lane.

Martin, Kahne, Vickers and Keselowski have also been struggling this year, and their teams will have to pick it up before they can expect to break their winless streaks.

Vickers and Keselowski are nowhere close to winning anytime soon, while Martin and Kahne are in their last seasons (and in Kahne's case, his only season) with their teams. Martin has a better shot than Kahne at winning this year, but the odds are against him.

Seven Bold Richmond Predictions

Richmond International Raceway is known for producing thrilling excitement on the track. At three-quarters of a mile, it is the third-shortest track on the Sprint Cup circuit and there is always action going on somewhere.

Like the other short tracks, Richmond tends to be a track that certain drivers get dialed in and proceed to dominate for several races. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had two wins and a runner-up during a five-race stretch from 2004-2006. Jimmie Johnson won three of four races in 2007 and 2008.

Lately, it's been the Joe Gibbs drivers dominating, with Kyle Busch winning the last two spring races and Denny Hamlin the last two fall events.

What will happen at Richmond on Saturday night? No one knows, but here are my best predictions at what to expect.

Read more here.

Edwards vs. Keselowski: Who's Most to Blame?

Who is most at fault in the well-chronicled history of altercations between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski?

Keselowski often comes across as a brash young man who speaks his mind—remember his introduction at Bristol last August when he referenced Kyle Busch in a none-too-favorable light.

Meanwhile, Edwards is a polished marketer for his sponsors and has an engaging personality.

But to find out who's really at fault in their history of on-track incidents, let's look at the facts. And the facts clearly illustrate that Edwards has a history of overreacting and making questionable decisions and then blaming the results on others...

Click here to read on!

Dale Jr. and other surprises in the Sprint Cup standings

Junior Nation has to be excited. NASCAR's most popular driver has climbed all the way to third in the standings, and it's looking like he'll make the Chase for the first time since 2008.

After ranking 25th and 21st the last two seasons, this is a stunning turnaround.

Sure, Junior hasn't broken that winless streak, which stretched to 101 races after a fourth-place run at Talladega...

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NASCAR celebs in the news

Today there are two items of interest that have nothing to do with racing regarding people affiliated with Hendrick Motorsports.

First, Emily Maynard has broken off her engagement with Brad Womack about one month after they became engaged on "The Bachelor." Maynard was the fiancee of Ricky Hendrick when he died in a plane crash in 2004. She said Womack had exhibited "hurtful and erratic behavior."

Second, Jimmie Johnson is appearing tonight (9:30 pm ET) in an episode of Fox's comedy series "Breaking In." Johnson is playing himself, and the plot centers around the need of Johnson's race team for security assistance.

David Gilliland has more top-5s and top-10s than.....Denny Hamlin??

Who would have thought that eight races into the 2011 season David Gilliland would have more top-5s (one) and top-10s (two) than Denny Hamlin (no top-5s, one top-10)?

For that matter, Gilliland has more than Jamie McMurray, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr. and A.J. Allmendinger as well; like Hamlin, they each have just one top-10 and no top-5s.

Hey, at least Paul Menard has more top-5s (two) and top-10s (three) than Gilliland.

Admittedly, Gilliland is just 29th in the standings, lower than any of these other drivers. Even still, the fact that Gilliland has more top-5s and top-10s than drivers with much better equipment and more talent serves to illustrate how lackluster of seasons these drivers have been having.

Top drivers finally rising from the bottom of the standings

Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton and Joey Logano were mired around 30th in the points standings after the first few races this season. They are finally starting to make a move up the standings, although it may already be too late for Burton and Logano to make the Chase.

With a 10th place run at Talladega, Logano moved up four positions in the standings to 24th. He's 66 points back of Clint Bowyer for 10th place, the cutoff line for making the Chase (other than the two wild-card drivers who will qualify based on wins). Making up that much ground will be a tall order.

Burton finished just 16th at Talladega, but still moved up three slots in the standings to 22nd. However, he is still a daunting 60 points behind Bowyer in 10th.

Biffle, meanwhile, is much closer to making up his early-season deficit. He finished a strong 7th at Talladega to gain two positions in the points, moving up to 16th. He is now just 26 points out of 10th place.

The three drivers have a long ways to go if they want to make the Chase. They do have the wild-card option, and Biffle especially is capable of winning a few races to sneak into the playoffs using that method. There are still 18 races to go before the Chase cutoff race, but for these drivers to make it, they'll have to make a move up the standings in a hurry.

Three quick observations from Talladega

1. It's not real racing when the cars are lined up two by two. The competitors said it themselves, from Dale Jr. before the race to Matt Kenseth during the race after being wrecked. It takes great concentration but more luck than actual skill to run up front. (Come on, why else was Dave Blaney leading laps for much of the afternoon? I have nothing against the guy...but I'm just saying.)

2. Kurt Busch is a menace in the two-car packs. He seemed to single-handedly cause most of the cautions that were not for debris. Twice Busch wrecked the driver he was pushing, and although he stayed out of trouble himself, he deserved nothing better than the 18th-place finish he ended up with.

3. The Hendrick cars proved that the boring strategy was the safest and best strategy. Despite having arguably the best cars (they swept the top four positions in qualifying), they ran in the back of the pack for most of the afternoon, only charging to the front in the final 30 laps or so. In the end their cautious approach paid off, as Jimmie Johnson won the race and all four finished in the top eight.

Kyle Busch just 2 wins away from tying all-time Nationwide record

With his win in today's Aaron's 312, Kyle Busch won his fourth race of the Nationwide season.

It was also his 47th win in his Nationwide career, just two shy of Mark Martin's all-time mark of 49 wins.

Martin won earlier this year at Las Vegas, leading just one lap when Brad Keselowski blew a tire after taking the white flag as the race leader. But that will likely only set Busch back by a week or two in his quest for the record.

Busch has been winning races at an amazing rate in recent seasons. In 2008 he tied the single-season mark with ten victories. He followed that up with nine in 2009, and then broke the record with an incredible 13 wins last season while only participating in 29 events.

Busch is once again not running a full season in 2011, but at the rate he's been winning it's reasonable to expect him to match and break Martin's record by June at the latest.

Hilarious prank by Dale Earnhardt Jr. on JR Motorsports personnel!

Dale Jr. plays a snake prank on several people, including Aric Almirola, Tony Eury Jr., and Tony Eury Sr.

Watch it here!

Comprehensive and definitive Talladega predictions, team by team

Which team is the best at Talledega? (Hint: It's Hendrick Motorsports, who else?) Which drivers can expect to do well? Find out here!

Are the Fords in trouble at Talladega?

It may be early in the weekend, but only two Fords were in the top 20 on the speed chart in the first practice session on Friday. And neither of them were from Ford's powerhouse team, Roush Fenway Racing.

David Gilliland, the third-place finisher in this year's Daytona 500, was ninth-fastest, while A.J. Allmendinger was fifth-quickest. The next-highest Ford driver was Greg Biffle in the 21st position.

Should the Ford camp be worried? Recent history is certainly against them.

Chevrolet has won 20 of the past 24 Talladega Sprint Cup races, and the Chevys are looking strong for Sunday. 11 of the top 20 cars in practice were Chevrolets, including three of the top four (Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson).

It may turn out to be a statistical anomaly, and engines typically aren't an issue at restrictor plate tracks, since all cars essentially end up with the same horsepower. But placing just two cars in the top 20 is far from encouraging, any way you look at it.

Who will win the Nationwide championship?

Right now the Nationwide standings are as follows:

1. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. 218
2. Jason Leffler 204
3. Justin Allgaier 194
4. Elliott Sadler 188
5. Reed Sorenson 188
6. Aric Almirola 187
7. Trevor Bayne 181
8. Brian Scott 173

Who will win the championship come November? Elliott has been making a move the last few races, while Trevor Bayne and Aric Almirola are doing their best to recover from rough starts to the season. This could be the year Jason Leffler has been waiting for, now that Cup drivers cannot compete for the NW championship. Can Ricky Stenhouse Jr., last year's Rookie of the Year, hold them all off?

Leave a comment below to voice your opinion!

Jimmie's chances at Talladega

Talladega hasn't been kind to Jimmie Johnson on the whole.

On the other hand, he does have a 2006 win at the track, as well as two runner-up finishes to Jeff Gordon in 2007. Since 2007, he has three top-10s but also two finishes of 30th or worse.

What will happen on Sunday? Look for Johnson to do his best to stay out of trouble for the first 150 laps or so (never a guarantee at 'Dega).

Then with 20-30 laps to go, he'll get hooked up in a two-car draft, most likely with an experienced drafting partner like Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. They'll storm towards the front, just as Jeff and Jimmie did last fall.

From there...it's anyone's guess.

Perhaps Jimmie will get caught up in a late-race Big One. Maybe everything will go his way and he'll be in front when the checkered flag waves.

Whatever happens, it'll be sure to be an exciting finish. Anything can and will happen. It's 'Dega, baby!

When will Dale Jr. win another Sprint Cup race?

It has now been 100 races since Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s last win, at Michigan in June 2008.

When and where will he win again? This article examines the 10 tracks where Junior is most likely to once again reach Victory Lane.

What to expect at Talladega: Menard, Ragan and 2x2 racing

What's going to happen at the Aaron's 499 this Sunday?

As with all restrictor plate racing, expect the unexpected. But there are some things we can reasonably predict will happen. Read on to find out.

Final Texas predictions

I predict tonight's winner will come from the top 11 on the starting grid. Edwards from P2, Kenseth from fourth, Jimmie from sixth or Kyle Busch from 11th.

Hamlin won't get a third consecutive win at Texas, and Harvick won't get a third consecutive win after taking Fontana and Martinsville (at least he'd better not, or I'll be very unhappy tonight). Dale Jr.'s winless streak will stretch to 100 races. Look for him to have better luck at Talladega!

Predictions for Sunday's Race at Texas Motor Speedway

Here are seven predictions for Sunday's Sprint Cup race, ranging from Paul Menard to A.J. Allmendinger to, of course, Jimmie Johnson.

Click here to read the full article.

Dale Jr. blows chance at victory

Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have won Sunday's race at Martinsville Speedway had he been in Junior's position. Or he would have wrecked trying.

Can Junior be a championship contender without being willing to beat and bang for wins? Read about it here.

Kevin Harvick shows he's a legit title contender

Once again, Kevin Harvick ruined my Sunday. After Jimmie Johnson's speeding penalty, seeing Dale Jr. win at Martinsville would have been at least some consolation. But there was no such luck, thanks to Kevin Harvick and his unfortunately timed display of championship form. Read about it here.

Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon two of the favorites in Martinsville race

Martinsville winners tend to stay at the top of the heap for years at a time. Jimmie Johnson has five Martinsville wins, while Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with seven, although he hasn't won at the track in several years.

Here's hoping one of them can break through and break Denny Hamlin's streak of Martinsville wins at three!

Jimmie Johnson ALMOST wins California

Needless to say, I was not happy at the end of this week's Sprint Cup race.

Sure, it was an exciting finish, but it's pure torture to watch your driver first take the lead with just 2 laps to go, and then lose it (to Kevin "Happy" Harvick no less) coming off the final turn of the race.

It took me several minutes before I had recovered from the disappointment. It's been a while since Jimmie won a race (Dover last September, a race I attended), and I'm more than ready to celebrate a race win again.

This week I am heading to Martinsville for the race. I saw Jimmie during his last win there in 2009, and let's hope he can find his way to Victory Lane there once again!

NASCAR Girl Power: Female Drivers on the Rise (It's More Than Just Danica)

The last couple of seasons have seen more females competing in NASCAR than there have been in many years. These drivers are enjoying success undreamed of even a few seasons ago. They have a long ways to go, but drivers such as Johanna Long and Danica Patrick are showing a lot of potential.

How far can they go? Read about it here.

These struggling Chasers from 2010 need good runs this week at Fontana

After four races in 2011, Jeff Burton sits 29th in the points. His Chase hopes are already looking bleak, and several other 2010 Chasers have looked weak out of the gate in 2011 as well. Which of them can jumpstart their seasons beginning with this Sunday's race?

Read about it here.

Johnson, Kenseth Headline Fantasy Picks for California

"Which drivers should be on your fantasy roster at California?

The favorites hail from Roush Fenway Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. The two organizations have combined to win eight of the last 10 races at the track.

Who are this weekend's favorites? Here are the top five drivers at Fontana, along with three more to keep an eye on."

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Danica's Dose of Reality: Bristol Brings Patrick Back to Earth

"For the past two weeks NASCAR was abuzz with the news of Danica Patrick's historic fourth-place finish in the Nationwide race at Las Vegas.

Did this prove Danica was for real in NASCAR? Could she win a Nationwide race this season? Was she ready to run with the big boys? Might she even join a Sprint Cup team such as Joe Gibbs Racing or Red Bull in 2012?"

Read full the full article here.

Jimmie Johnson Needs Strong Run at Bristol Motor Speedway

"Jimmie Johnson is in need of a strong run on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway after struggling two weeks ago at Las Vegas."

Read the complete article here.

6 Reasons Jeff Gordon Will Win the 2011 Championship

"Jeff Gordon's last Cup series championship came in 2001. Since then, he has watched his teammate and protege Jimmie Johnson win five championships, one more than Gordon's career total of four.

Gordon is as hungry as ever to win another championship, and everyone knows it. Could 2011, 10 years after his last title, be the year he finally gets it done?

Here are six reasons to believe that Gordon's Drive for five is alive."

Read the complete article here.

Looking ahead to Bristol

The Sprint Cup series heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next Sunday. Last March Jimmie Johnson got his first career win at Bristol, beating Kurt Busch to score the win. Jimmie charged from sixth to first in the final ten laps in an impressive display of tenacity and driving ability.

Can Johnson defend his win this time around? Although he hasn't performed particularly well so far in 2011, I look for him to have a strong run. The Lowes team is always strong on short tracks, and this could be the perfect place for Jimmie and Chad to kick the 2011 season into high gear.

Hendrick struggles in Vegas

It was far from a banner day for Hendrick Motorsports. One week after placing each of its four teams in the top thirteen and winning the race in Phoenix, Hendrick gave a poor showing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought home the team's only top-10 finish.

Jeff Gordon, last week's winner, had a decent car at Las Vegas, but a cut tire on lap 194 caused significant damage to the right side of his car and ended his day. Jimmie Johnson, four-time Las Vegas winner and defending race champion, never got the handle on his car en route to a 16th place finish. Mark Martin struggled to an 18th place result, while Dale Jr. ran in the top five before fading late to finish in eighth place.

This was a surprising result for one of NASCAR's top organizations. Jimmie Johnson is known as one of the sport's top closers, often coming out of nowhere to win races after running mid-pack most of the day. At one point, that seemed to be happening on Sunday, but after climbing into the top ten, Johnson had a poor pit stop and lost track position. He never recovered, and finished outside the top fifteen with an ill-handling race car. It was a similarly frustrating day for Mark Martin, who never ran with the race leaders.

But it wasn't all bad news for Hendrick Motorsports. Jeff Gordon led a couple of laps early and ran in or near the top 10 all race before his tire problems. Dale Jr. appeared to have a car capable of contending for the win, and his strong run was another sign that 2011 could be the year he turns his career around after a couple of frustrating years. He seems to be enjoying his relationship with new crew chief Steve Letarte, one of the most encouraging crew chiefs in NASCAR. A positive outlook could be just what Earnhardt needs to begin running in the front of the pack and winning races again.

It is too early to draw definite conclusions after the first race at the many mile-and-a-half tracks that dominate the Sprint Cup circuit, and it may be a while before we will know how the rest of the year will look for the Hendrick cars. The series heads next to the short tracks at Bristol and Martinsville and the flat 2-mile oval at Fontana, which require entirely different setups than do the mile-and-a-half intermediate tracks. But what we do know is that although Hendrick gave a weak showing at Las Vegas, history tells us that they will fix whatever problems they may have and be prepared in April when the series visits the next intermediate track on the schedule, Texas Motor Speedway. Look for the Hendrick brigade to be near the front when the checkered flag waves.