Kasey Kahne waited until last month to finally get his season kicked in to high gear. Having some commercials that showcase your boyish GOOD looks help, causing fans to help put you through to the all-star race. Of course, you win it. Then the next weekend you win the race at Charlotte. Then, just to prove a point, you claim the prize at the Pennsylvania tri-oval. Even though a BAD pit stop left a few lug nuts on the ground, requiring a return for service, Kahne was the man in front at the end for his 9th career victory. Yes, it would appear that Kahne can, and did.

Sorry, no win for Dale Earnhardt Jr again last weekend. All he did was take fourth place, to remain third behind Jeff Burton and Kyle Busch in the standings. Burton is now only 21 points in arrears after finishing just behind Junior, while Busch wrecked to wind up dead last. While Shrub (aka Rowdy, Cactus, Thorn...and a few others I've yet to make up) came up second in the truck race at Texas, he was 20th in the Nashville Nationwide race. He was GOOD, BAD, & UGLY all by his own self.

Brian Vickers and Denny Hamlin also were Top Five guys at Pocono, while Tony Stewart went from a GOOD day to a real UGLY one in a hurry. Literally. A pit road violation helped drop him to 35th, the first car a lap down, and kicked him down to the final rung on the Chase ladder. Both David Ragan and Ryan Newman are within ten points of claiming that spot as their own.

Michael Waltrip was BAD enough to slip out of the Top 35 in owner's points, so he'll be sweating out qualifying this week while Sam Hornish Jr will not need to. Then again, if NASCAR took my advice (which they take about as often as they take yours) I would give the pass to A.J. Allmendinger for finishing 12th at Pocono, making Hornish (the 35th place guy) dance for his life. Maybe, instead of just calling it qualifying, we could get Nigel Lythgoe to produce a show called "So You Think You Can Race." Just a thought.

Juan Pablo Montoya might have gotten hot when his car went up in flames after slamming into Clint Bowyer on Sunday, but he is not hot enough to leave Ganassi. Having three crew chiefs in a season can be BAD, make you sad on your way to mad, but this week the Columbian says he is with Chip for the long term. For a driver, that might mean years, but for a Ganassi crew chief, long term could be measured in weeks.

This past weekend saw Amy and I sitting under rain threatened skies as our two young umpires oversaw the action at a Little League baseball tournament. I'm more tired than any of them and all I did was sit on my butt in the fresh air for a few hours eating Spitz. As I write this, I'm scheduled to join my young canoeists and their Fitness classmates on the water Monday of this week. If sitting on my butt wears me out, there is a GOOD chance you might be reading my final column.