by Ron Fleshman  |  About The Author   |  Discuss

Who would have ever thought those three names in the title of this story would come up at the same time? Well, there's a story to tell about all of this, and it's shaping the season as we know it. No, it's not about the usual characters which would be Chevrolet, Hendrick Motorsports, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. They've taken a back seat to new characters and I find it refreshing.

First, let's look at Darlington. It's one of my favorite tracks. I've hard a lot of grumbling about Saturday night's race and I can't figure out why. They put down new pavement, sold the place out, and put on a good race and still people think the old Darlington is gone. Not so. It's still a hard lady to conquer and there were more "Darlington Stripes" than any mathematician could count last week. The egg-shaped track is still "too tough to tame" and many proved it during the practice sessions and the race itself. One might think he had to do with who won, but that's another story for another day.

The race saw 35 lead changes among 15 drivers. Every make of car led at one point or another. There were over 30 caution laps and even though Greg Biffle had the fastest car, no one seemed to dominate, at least until the end. I call it a fine race on a fine night in South Carolina. The only troubling news was that all the talk about the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series moving the Labor Day race back to this historical track was just that. Talk. It was made apparent that the move wasn't going to happen this week. That's more than a travesty. It's plain stupid. NASCAR needs to respect traditions, but the dollar signs seem to indicate we'll be going to California for the foreseeable future.

Travis Kvapil is a big surprise. Even though he doesn't qualify well (usually about 30th according to NASCAR statistics), he's managed to end up in the top 10 a total of 3 times and has even scored a top 5 finish this year. That's nothing short of phenomenal. His Yates Racing Ford is without permanent sponsorship, and regardless of whether or not you think that Jack Roush is pulling the strings there (Doug Yates and Max Jones say no), this under funded team continues to finish better than many better healed teams. I hope someone steps up to the plate and offers them funding for the rest of the year. Kapil has shown that he belongs in the top series and the team is capable enough.

A lot of people laughed at Toyota's efforts last year, but the last laugh has been enjoyed by the Japanese manufacturer. In the 11 races so far this year, Toyota has won four of the races and has looked pretty up and walking good while doing it. All of these wins have come from Joe Gibbs Racing, but the record stands. Three of those wins have come from Kyle Busch, but all three of Fords wins have come at the hand of Carl Edwards, too. Chevrolet has won the most poles (5), but the leading team, Hendrick Motorsports, has won only one race after nearly sweeping last year's season. Ford's Matt Kenseth, a perennial Chase qualifier, is way behind, and Dodge just doesn't seem to have what it takes to win at this level. On the surface, it looks like parity (Toyota as 4 wins, Ford and Chevrolet 3, and Dodge 1), but the truth is the Toyotas are the class act of the series. I'm sure that ruffles some feathers in NASCAR circles, but that's the way it is. Toyota had the good sense to lure Gibbs away from Chevrolet and that has been the difference. Will it change before the season's over? We'll see.

We're heading to Charlotte for the two weeks of high profile racing we always see. It will be interesting to see if Toyota will continue it's run. To be frank, it's been refreshing in a lot of ways. The same names at the top of the standings can get boring, but one has to wonder if running second to Camry's will continue throughout the season. It seems like a little like life in the automobile business. Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge have been chasing Toyotas in the sales of automobiles for a long time. Maybe NASCAR can change that. At least on the track.

You can contact Ron at ron.fleshman@verizon.net

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