Ron Thornton

With this having been the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, there are a number of things I am thankful for. Among them is the track in Talladega, Alabama and a race that lived up to expectations. A race where I watched lap after lap and did not feel compelled to wander away to find a ball game of some sort to break the monotony.

Be it 29 races or the past ten, the cream still rises to the top. Brad Keselowski has been hot over the past ten races, picking up a couple of wins and finishing in the Top Ten in nine of them. Only a 30th place result in Bristol keeps him among the mere mortals.

I keep running Sunday's highlight over and over in my mind. It was incredible. A soon to be 39 year old dashing to his left to make an outstanding grab in Toronto for the Yankees. You may ask just what in blazes Ichiro Suzuki has to do with NASCAR. Sadly, not a damn thing, but at least I had a moment of excitement to tell you about.

Babe Hamlin? Okay, it might not roll off the tongue as nice as Denny Hamlin but, like George Herman Ruth of old, Hamlin was bold enough to call his shot and was good enough to pull it off in winning at New Hampshire last Sunday.

The excitement. The drama. The dreams we have, only to be dashed by the reality. In more ways than one, this was Chicago. Thankfully, there is the personal video recorder.

This wise man noticed that in 13 of 15 attempts, Mr. Busch had finished not worse than sixth. That would leave no room, one would think, for Jeff Gordon to make up a 12 point deficit. It seemed like a pretty good bet. Thank God that wise man didn't wager on the outcome.

Atlanta, the place where Richard Petty made his exit and Jeff Gordon made his Cup entrance back in 1992. It is where Alan Kulwicki claimed his title. It was the venue from which Sunday's action was telecast, but after the initial broadcast hype I found these old eye lids fluttering like I was a damsel meeting Prince Harry in Las Vegas for the first time. To ask if I found much of the race boring, especially the first two-thirds, is like wondering if the Pope is German.

Lord, I wish to give thanks for the return of Bristol to being Bristol. I don't know if the shaving down of the track made the difference, but something was different from what we saw in the spring. There was action that kept you watching, and I'm not just talking about the one's that gave the bodymen and mechanics some extra work.

Three races to go before the Chase deadline. Some like it hot, but over the course of the season find themselves needing wins, not just points, to make the cut. Some have been good over the season, but could last about 5 minutes as legitimate contenders for the title based on how they have performed lately.

As they were revving up the engines in Michigan, I was listening to the Sirius radio in my car as we drove west of Rocky Mountain House en route to the Columbia Icefields and Jasper. It was a great way to follow the race, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, listening to the live action, and not a word from either Rusty and Brad. Yes, life can be sweet.