When the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule was announced the immediate presumption was that the off weekend should probably occur just after Bristol or Martinsville. After a week (or two) of short track racing the week without racing would provide some time for fractured egos to heal and flared tempers to simmer.
Few would have expected the need for an off week after the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. With the ‘main event’ each week consisting of the No. 12 Dodge versus whomever chooses to race in or around the now infamous MOPAR, Carl Edwards became the opponent for the Cup rookie who each week figures to be the second coming of ‘The Intimidator.’
Remembering back many years to a parent, who upon discovering spilled milk in a puddle on the kitchen floor would ask: “…who spilled the milk…” and the almost instantaneous response from all within earshot: “not me.” The parent then responding: “…we now know who didn’t spill the milk; I still want to know who DID spill the milk.”
While the cars circled the track after an early race incident that disabled the race cars of Carl Edwards and Joey Logano, that same voice, who “didn’t spill the milk,” pleading his case for innocence as the voice from the in-car radio spoke: “I didn’t hit him, I didn’t touch him.” Again, we now know who didn’t do it, what we are looking for here is the person that caused the accident.
Oh, but ‘driver beware’ of the tell-tale television camera zooming ever close in on the front bumper of the car of whomever ‘didn’t do it.’ The only explanation to be imagined for the early race damage to the front bumper of the No. 12 would have been an unusually early season attack of the southern variety of the hybrid mosquito. This vicious carnivore attacked the front bumper of the No. 12 Dodge with reckless abandon making an impression comparable to a car, unknowingly, bumping a Ford Fusion and driving it up the track and into a Toyota. The voice again echoes across the radio: “I didn’t hit him.”
Fast forward, much later in the race, a repaired Ford Fusion returns to the race. Lo and behold the No. 12 (remember: the one who “didn’t do it”) looms directly ahead. A racing incident occurs and the No. 12 of Brad Keselowski spins out and comes to rest on the front stretch. The circumstances have been reversed…except for one small factor. This time no one comes across the radio to proclaim his innocence. Another voice is heard to say: take the car to the hauler and report to the trailer – for aggressive driving.” Orders are received and obeyed. Carl Edwards goes to the trailer, receives his deserved tongue-lashing for aggressive driving and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will move on to Bristol.
As NASCAR told the drivers prior to the season: “have at it boys,” and they did. The drivers will police themselves. And that roar of approval for the ‘boys having at it’ did not emanate from the stands but from under the breath of the majority of the other drivers in the garage who have quickly tired of the young upstart’s brashness. Lesson learned, let us move on.
Aside from the on-track, racing incidents of Sunday afternoon and no doubt a side-note on the day, Kurt Busch survived two green-white-checkered flag restarts to capture the Kobalt Tools 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Leading six times for 129 laps, the driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge was easily the strongest car on each of the final restarts.
Kevin Harvick, languishing in mid-pack for virtually the entire race, picked his way in, around and through late race carnage to bring home his fourth consecutive top 10 of the four-week old 2010 campaign. Starting 35th on the grid, the driver of the No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet, it looked to be a long day for the point’s leader. Patience, persistence and hard work paid off for the first of three Richard Childress Racing teams currently sitting first, fifth and sixth in the point’s standings.
Matt Kenseth, with four top 10 finishes over the first four weeks of the season, has quietly moved into second place in the points. Solid runs in the season’s first three events and a runner-up finish at Atlanta indicate the driver of the No. 17 Valvoline Ford Fusion is intent on returning to the chase in 2010.
Greg Biffle, along with Kenseth and Harvick, has run off top 10 finishes in each of the season’s first four races and is making a statement for the resurgence of Roush-Fenway Racing. Sitting third in the points, the driver of the No. 16 U.S. Census Ford Fusion could be challenging for the top spot in points as the series visits some of ‘the Biff’s’ favorite tracks.
Jimmie Johnson, with an uncharacteristic non-top 10 run at Atlanta, not only failed to win but also did not lead a lap during the Kobalt Tools 500. The four-time champion and driver of the No. 48 Lowes Chevrolet, started 16th on the grid, finished 12th and sits fourth in the Championship Chase four weeks into the season.
Clint Bowyer, the second of three RCR teams in the top six of the point’s standings, experienced his first non-top 10 run of the young season at Atlanta on Sunday. Starting and finishing in mid-pack, the driver of the No. 33 BB&T Chevrolet never got a good handle on the car and was not a factor throughout the race.
Jeff Burton, with one top five and three top 20 runs thus far this year, is sixth in the points and, like Bowyer, started and finished mid-pack. Making the most of a less-than-perfect race car, both Burton and Bowyer managed to pick up bonus points for leading a lap and salvage points for a day that could have been far worse for both teams.
Mark Martin, the second of three Hendrick Motor Sports teams in the top 12 in points, also experienced his first non-top 20 of the 2010 season. Running a lap (or more) down for most of the race, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet was involved in a late race eight-car accident resulting in a 33rd place finish on the day but still runs seventh in the Championship Chase points standings.
Tony Stewart continued to search for the magic that allowed him to run a 9.1 average finish over the first 26 races of 2009. With a 13th place run at Atlanta on Sunday, the owner-driver of the No. 39 Office Depot Chevrolet is eighth in the standings but could not get to the front on this race day.
Paul Menard, no doubt a surprising entry into the Championship Chase picture, resides ninth on the point’s chart, after a career-best fifth place finish in the Kobalt Tools 500 in Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. The driver of the No. 98 CertainTeed/Menards Ford started 23rd on the grid and competed for the win throughout the final laps as the race closed with two green-white-checkered flag finishes. Sunday’s top five finish, combined with three top 20 runs to start the season, place Menard well ahead of other many bigger name drivers who are still struggling to even get into the top 12.
Kurt Busch brought his No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to the checkered flag at Atlanta on Sunday after withstanding the challenge of not one but two green-white-checkered flag restarts. The former champion no doubt felt as if he had won the race on three occasions by the time the ‘blue deuce’ was wheeled into Victory Lane. Penske Racing was all smiles as Busch celebrated the victory at NASCAR’s fastest track.
Jeff Gordon, the third of three Hendrick Motor Sports teams currently in the top 12 in points, was never able to get a good handle on their race car at the fast Atlanta Motor Speedway. Starting in the third row, the driver of the No. 24 DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet fell to mid-pack and struggled throughout the day. With only one top 10 in the season’s first four events, Gordon will be looking to make a statement as Thunder Valley looms just over a week away.
Scott Speed, the second of two surprising entries (along with Paul Menard) in the top 12 points standings, picked up his first top 10 of the 2010 campaign, coming to the checkered flag in 10th place on Sunday afternoon. Three top 20 finishes to go with his top 10 have the driver of the No. 82 Red Bull Toyota showing a 15.5 average finish on the 2010 season and possibly looking to run under the radar as he challenges the big names of the Cup series.
A number of the sport’s biggest name drivers are currently running just outside the top 12 but will be looking to re-capture their momentum over the coming weeks. But with next two races taking place on the circuit’s two shortest tracks those drivers who are able to keep their wits about them while all others are losing theirs will gain the most points. A short trip of just less than 200 miles, over the hills and through the woods to Thunder Valley will be just what the fans are craving after an off-week on the schedule. The groundhog’s six more weeks of winter will finally be coming to an end as the boys again ‘have at it’ (again) on the world’s fast half-mile. The mountain air may be brisk but a few extra ice cubes around the driver’s necks may be needed to keep tempers and temperatures in check when the green flag falls.
It’s Bristol and time to go short-track racing!
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