NASCAR Cup Series

On what has become a Mother’s day weekend tradition at the historic Darlington Raceway, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the 64th annual Bojangles’ Southern 500.

What a difference a couple of weeks can make. Matt Kenseth had just won at Kansas, only to be docked 50 points, among other team fines, penalties, and suspensions. Not good. After taking it in the teeth he rebounded to finish seventh at Richmond, eighth at Talladega, and then things really perked up. NASCAR gave him back all his points from Kansas, except for a 12 point slap, and they reduced his crew chief's suspension to just one race. The last one he ran.

Johnson finished fourth in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington, posting his sixth top 5 of the year and increasing his points lead. He now leads Carl Edwards by 44.

Yes, Jimmie Johnson has a considerable margin over the field right now (44pts) but Matt Kenseth who sits 3rd in the standings has put up performances as good as if not better than the 5-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. Through just 11 races, he's led 781 laps which is already more than 9 of his 13 previous Cup seasons including his 2003 championship run.

Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race may be pointless, but it provides a valuable learning tool for Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 Cromax® Pro team.

Michael Waltrip Racing will host its annual Fan Fest in the fall at the height of NASCAR’s “Chase for the Sprint Cup.” The event at MWR’s headquarters in Cornelius, N.C., has traditionally been held during Charlotte Motor Speedway’s May events, but this season the race shop is undergoing some capital improvements to further enhance the visitor and employee experience.

NASCAR® and Sherwin-Williams today announced a multi-year partnership designating the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies as the ”Official Paint of NASCAR.” Sherwin-Williams, a FORTUNE 500 company, will leverage its new designation for architectural paint and the power of NASCAR’s intellectual property to activate at its more than 3,500 stores nationwide and ignite the passion of its customers – many of whom are fiercely brand-loyal fans of the sport.

A few times a year, I’m privileged to be able to go to a NASCAR race as part of the media. It’s a unique experience that allows me to be a small part of something that has an enormous impact on so many. What may surprise you is that it is often the little things that make it so special.

Matt Kenseth is a man of history. Rarely have we seen anyone more excited than Matt Kenseth for winning Darlington’s Southern 500. In my youth, this was one of the sacred crowns of the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit until the powers that be decided that the old track was not worthy of two races a few years ago. The track is tough and it takes a special talent to win at the egg-shaped track, but few had as much fun winning a race here than Matt Kenseth.

NASCAR is that one sport we have in America that has just as many pros as it has cons, but the cons unfortunately outweigh the pros. What it is going to take for NASCAR to grow a pair and make the right calls? What is it going to take for NASCAR to realize that their stupidity doesn't bring more fans to the track?