[media-credit name=”Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]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.

The sweeping camera angles as the cars flashed by going nose to tail at high speeds. No way on God’s green earth could we find ourselves heading down a local through-fare with that much trust in those idiots around us, never mind there was not a brake light to be found between them. Even if there were, it would only indicate an impact was probably forthcoming in the next split second.

I like to think that I am a pretty good driver, but I know that running even at close quarters at Richmond or Martinsville would be more than I could handle. What Talladega does is it brings that reality in no uncertain terms to the television audience. We ride with the boys on the seat of our pants while sitting in our favorite chair at home, knowing that even the slightest miscue could take out half the field. If only they could find the camera angles, to discover the shots, that could bring it home to us from all the tracks and not just the super speedways. That would be something.

We got a three car wreck early, just to remind us that these gents are just fooling around early. Carl Edwards went from minding his own business to riding around in a junker as even Landon Cassill drove away from him.

We got Kurt Busch losing power, finding the fence, and just when he has emergency crews leaning in his windows, a bag of their gear atop the car, and even with his own helmet off, Busch fires it up and droves off. NASCAR parked him for his recklessness, but he then proceeds to do all the right things, thanking his crew, giving them hugs, talking sweetly to the cameras. You want to like the guy, but he had just done something stupid, endangering others. Busch finished 39th, the guy he replaces next week in the Furniture Row entry was 5th. At least, I think NASCAR will still let him race next week.

We watched the tight, high speed action. We saw some incredible saves. We also saw one hell of a mess when Michael Waltrip got pushed into Tony Stewart on the final lap, and discovered once again why none of these cars have collision insurance. Matt Kenseth took his little pink car to the winner’s circle, yet sits 12th in the Chase more than 60 points behind Brad Keselowski, who was 7th. Jimmie Johnson is 14 points back, the only guy within 20 of the leader, and he finished 17th in a smoking heap of metal.

I admit, Talladega spoils me, as does Daytona, yet we also have Bristol and Charlotte to usually provide us with a great level of televised excitement. Next weekend, they return home, to the home of the World 600, home of the All-Star race, and home to this Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 in Charlotte, North Carolina. As for the Chase, even with six to go it is all but over unless, or until, Mr. Keselowski has himself a bad day.

Finally, there are those who claim that Talladega is not racing. Maybe they are right, just like the forward pass is not true football or home runs have no place in baseball. However, I know what I like. I watched each and every lap on Sunday. I just wish more televised races caused me, and you, to do the same. Enjoy the week.

[media-credit name=”Credit: John Harrelson/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”271″][/media-credit]As NASCAR’s fourth fiasco ended, Matt Kenseth and a few other lone cars made it back to the finish line in somewhat one piece.

Kenseth held off, blocked and/or kept himself were he needed to be on Sunday and won the Good Sam 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. Kenseth was out in front just enough not to be involved in a huge pileup on the final turn that collected over 20 drivers.

This was Kenseth’s first win at Talladega in his 26th start and his second win of the season. Kenseth has finished third or better in all four restrictor plate races in 2012.

“I just looked in my mirror and saw them coming at me three-wide. I kind of let Tony have his spot there. It didn’t look like he had a big push behind him and lined up with Kevin and we pretty much stayed locked together there until we got to turn three and I thought it was gonna be a drag race to the finish. I didn’t know what was gonna happen and I’m still not sure what happened. Somehow I think Tony got turned and caused a big wreck.” Kenseth said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. summed it up best after being asked by the media, “I know it sucks for you guys but for the fans it’s awesome to watch.” Earnhardt Jr. replies, “Really? It’s not safe. Wrecking like that is ridiculous. It’s blood-thirsty if that is what people want. It’s ridiculous.”

Chase drivers Jeff Gordon finished second, Greg Biffle sixth and Brad Keselowski finished seventh and managed to make it though NASCAR’s misguided restrictor plate non-racing event to capture decent finishes.

“I didn’t see anything but Kasey Kahne’s rear bumper. That was the craziest, craziest finish I’ve ever experienced here at Talladega. For a change, I finally came out on the good side of it. I had my teammate in front of me which is perfect.” Gordon said. “I got hit by the No. 18 and somehow that turned me down on the apron and I just put it back to the floor and drove by every car, and I came out of that second behind the No. 17 car. That is definitely what we needed to do. That is like a win. I am sure we survived it. We’ll see what we can do with it from here on out.”

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. Unbelievable. I was probably 20th and five-wide up against the wall and then cars started wrecking. A car flew over the top of my car as I turned to the bottom and missed guys by three inches. It was like Days of Thunder coming through the smoke and the grass and just kept it going straight. That’s all I did and once I was clear of all the stuff I kept going to the start-finish line, but it was the craziest thing I’ve ever been involved in, in my life.” Biffle said.

Keselowski’s seventh place finish extends his lead to 14 points over Johnson.

“We made all the right calls today. I tried to run up front but didn’t have any success at it. Everyone on the team did a good job executing with a smart race and we got a good finish.” Keselowski said. “That’s pretty big. I just feel lucky to survive Talladega.”

Kevin Harvick finished 11th, Kasey Kahne 12th, Martin Truex Jr. 13th, Denny Hamlin 14th, Jimmie Johnson 17th, Dale Earnhardt Jr. 20th, Tony Stewart 22nd and Clint Bowyer finished 23rd.

Official Chase Standings/Stats
After race 4 of 10
Good Sam 500, Talladega Superspeedway
http://www.speedwaymedia.com/cup/chase.php

*Note: These stats consist of only the final 10 chase races.
(http://www.speedwaymedia.com/cup/chase.php)

Since this is NASCAR’s fourth fiasco of the season, all awards will be off this week.

Biggest loser(s) after race 4: 20+ cars filed up on the frontstretch. But let’s not forget the car owners.

Biggest gainer after race 4: NASCAR! Great job NASCAR!

Biggest movers after race 4 (+/-): Jeff Gordon +4

[media-credit name=”Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]It is time to stop accepting that it’s “just plate racing” or “it’s just what you get at places like this” and start doing something about it.

“There is no right way to do what we do out there. And there is no wrong way to do it other than being the one that runs out of talent. I can’t even say that my teammate (Tony Stewart) ran out of talent. He was just doing everything he could to protect himself. And so it’s a different kind of racing, if they call it that.” Ryan Newman said after the race.

Talladega and Daytona is not racing! Both are a product of NASCAR misguided way to solve safety issues that have just created a big pile of BS, just like the 20+ cars were on Sunday.  Parity is not always a good thing.  Drivers need to be able to separate themselves from each other.  Too many rules and regulations.  The yellow line rule is just another simple example of too many rules and things have gone bad.  That rule only places the drivers in a smaller box.  If you don’t want them to drive there, don’t pave it!

As Dale Earnhardt Jr. said after the race, “If this is what we did every week I wouldn’t be doing it I will just put it to you like that. If this is how we raced every week I would find another job.”

Did you find this exciting? Earnhardt Jr. did not. “Really? It’s not safe. Wrecking like that is ridiculous. It’s blood-thirsty if that is what people want. It’s ridiculous.”

Greg Biffle’s view of the entire event sounds cool. But what a different story it would have been if someone was hurt or even killed? This is not a movie or a reality show…. It’s real, with real consequences. Wake up NASCAR!

“If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me. Unbelievable. I was probably 20th and five-wide up against the wall and then cars started wrecking. A car flew over the top of my car as I turned to the bottom and missed guys by three inches. It was like Days of Thunder coming through the smoke and the grass and just kept it going straight. That’s all I did and once I was clear of all the stuff I kept going to the start-finish line, but it was the craziest thing I’ve ever been involved in, in my life.” Biffle said.

Rant, chant, ask for Harry Gant… we can’t keep going in this same direction. This has to end.

“It’s really not racing. I don’t know it’s a little disappointing how that all went down. That cost a lot of money right there. If this is how we are going to race and that is how we are going to continue to race and nothing is going to change I think NASCAR should build the cars. It would save us a lot of money.” Earnhardt Jr. said.

This is precisely what would solve the issue and very quickly. What do you think NASCAR would do if they had to fork out the money to build these cars for restrictor plate racing and then bring home nothing but scrap metal? It wouldn’t be long before changes were made. If the bottom line was red, things would change!

Right now they are the benefactor of presenting the “Great American Race” or the so called “wildcard race”. For now, the best nicknames should be, “Scrap metal of the south”.

A good commercial could be, “Come and see whose Sprint Cup Series Championship chances end and maybe their life to”.

Fell free to comment below.  I’d really like to hear the difference of opinions.