Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson followed his win at Dover with a runner-up at Kansas, second only to race winner Greg Biffle. Johnson also took the lead in the Sprint Cup point standing, and leads Denny Hamlin by eight.

“Our last two results have erased the disappointment of our race at New Hampshire,” Johnson said. “With a win and a runner-up, as well as the points lead, you could say we put that first Chase race, as well as the Chase field, ‘behind us.’”

2. Denny Hamlin: Hamlin struggled with handling in the Price Chopper 400, finishing 12^th and tumbling from the lead in the point standings. Hamlin, who led Jimmie Johnson by 35 entering the race, now trails the four-time defending champion by eight.

“I guess it’s fitting,” Hamlin said, “that one week after the bottom fell out for Clint Bowyer, the ‘top’ fell out for me.

Now, Kevin Harvick and I have supposedly made up from our incident at Dover. And people want to know what’s wrong with NASCAR. I’ll tell you what’s wrong—feuds that last only a week. A quick solution? Put Brad Keselowski in the Chase field.”

3. Kevin Harvick: Harvick led 16 laps and finished third in the Price Chopper 400, as Chase drivers occupied to top seven spots. Harvick improved two places in the point standings to third, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 30.

“Believe me,” Harvick said. “Of all people, I know what ‘striking distance’ is, and we’re well within striking distance. Although I wouldn’t dare do the things to Jimmie Johnson that I’ve done to Denny Hamlin.

And speaking of Hamlin, we’ve mended our differences. At least that’s what we’re telling everyone. The truth is, our truce involves one simple agreement….to disagree.”

4. Jeff Gordon: Gordon posted his first top-5 finish since Chicagoland with a fifth at Kansas, his 11^th top 5 of the year. Still winless in his last 58 races, Gordon jumped three places in the Sprint Cup point standings to fifth, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 58.

“I firmly believe someone could win the Cup without winning a race,” Gordon said. “Of course, there are several other things one can do without winning a race. I know, because everything I’ve done in the last two years has been done without winning a race.”

5. Greg Biffle: Biffle raced to a dominating win in the Price Chopper 500, leading 60 laps on the way to his second win of the year. Back in the title hunt, Biffle is now in eighth, 85 points back.

“The No. 16 Sherwin-Williams Ford was perfect late in the race,” Biffle said. “We may not have been fastest at the start, but we were fastest when it counted. Just call my car the ‘High Plains Swifter.”

6. Carl Edwards: Edwards started 31^st and hit the top 10 midway through the race at Kansas, leading two laps on his way to a sixth-place finish, his 16^th top-10 result of the year. He is now fourth in the point standings, 53 out of first.

“Although I’m from Columbia, Missouri,” Edwards said, “I consider Kansas my home track. But, as my winless streak can attest, even at home I can’t be a visitor to Victory Lane.”

7. Kyle Busch: Busch made contact with David Reutimann early at Kansas, causing Reutimann to spin. Later in the race, with Busch running in the top 10, Reutimann struck back, sending the No. 18 M&M’s Toyota into the wall. Busch dropped to 22^nd after the accident, and eventually finished 21^st, one lap down. He fell four places to seventh in the point standings, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 80.

“If my name wasn’t ‘Busch,’” Busch said, “Reutimann would have never retaliated. It’s difficult to swallow being wrecked by a driver who’s not even in the Chase. Reutimann stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. You’d think I would deserve a break. I guess some free passes don’t come as easily as others.”

8. Kurt Busch: Busch, in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge, finished a disappointing 13^th at Kansas, undone by handling conditions at a track where he’s traditionally struggled. Busch dropped two spots to sixth in the point standings, 70 behind Jimmie Johnson.

“The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge just wasn’t fast enough to challenge for the win,” Busch said. “Unlike my brother Kyle, I didn’t need another car to hinder my Chase chances. The one I was driving handled that fine on its own.

But I‘m surprised David Reutimann wrecked Kyle. Will I seek revenge on behalf of Kyle. Will I take the ‘2’ to tango? Unlikely. I’ve been called many things by many people, but never a ‘nepotist.’”

9. Tony Stewart: Stewart led four times for a race-high 76 laps in the Price Chopper 400, but trouble on late restarts cost him a shot at the win. He finished fourth, and now trails new points leader Jimmie Johnson by 127 points.

“127 points is not an impossible deficit to make up,” Stewart said. “With a rash of failed inspections and a outbreak of practice session feuds, I could be back in business. In actuality, though, the deck is ‘Smoke-stacked’ against me.”

10. Jeff Burton: Late-race handling problems prevented Burton from scoring in the top 5, and he instead settled for a disappointing 18^th-place run at Kansas. Burton fell two places in the points to ninth, and trails Jimmie Johnson by 101 points.

“We’re 101 off the lead,” said Burton, “which doesn’t seem so bad considering there are seven races remaining. But, upon further inspection, that large of a deficit doesn’t really appeal to me.”

For as long as the Chase had been in existence, I have railed about the system. It’s not news that I consider a race within a race more than silly, if not stupid.

It’s happened time after time—a Chase contender gets taken out by a non-Chaser. In MLB, NFL, and NBA, only the championship contender gets to compete for the championship, but this flawed system allows everyone to compete. And then the problems begin. As much as the folks at the headquarters at Daytona Beach want to compete with those stick and ball sports (which is futile), this sport is nothing like baseball, football, and basketball.

Our sport has always been a season-long struggle. The winner of individual races was just as important as the champion. For some odd reason, we’ve now concentrated on the championship from Daytona to Homestead. Ask a true MLB, NFL, or NBA fan, and they will tell you that the championship doesn’t enter their mind until it’s time. In baseball, that’s August. In football, it’s November, and in basketball…well, who knows.

Their playoff system is so intricate that I can’t figure it out. Regardless, we put 43 cars out there and we have 12 championship contenders. Things are bound to happen. On Sunday, it was Kyle Busch and David Reutimann. I’ve never known any trouble between those two, but backmarker Reutimann (and I mean no harm in that statement—only the fact that he is not in the championship run) and Kyle got together in the race. Reutimann retaliated and the result was that Busch lost valuable points and finished 21st. That’s racing. Always has been and always will be, but the age old argument that Busch was going for a championship just doesn’t sit well with me. Not that Busch did anything wrong. It appeared to me that it was just a racing incident.

The problem comes when the flawed system rears its ugly head. On any other day, it would have been just that—a racing incident, but with the Chase system, it becomes a problem. Should those not in the Chase just ride around and not cause any problems? The whole premise of the situation is that NASCAR has created an unnatural situation with the Chase format. Everyone runs and is at the mercy of the other 31 cars on the track. It’s happened several times in the somewhat short history of the Chase. The nature of a race is that everyone is trying to win the race. Even the guy starting 43rd in most cases wants to win and will do anything to accomplish that goal.

In the stick and ball sports, which NASCAR is trying to emulate, that is not the case. Only the champions compete for the win. I don’t know what the answer is. Well, yes I do. Scarp the Chase. Back in my youth, the championship was who won at the end—no one paid much attention to it because the individual race was what was important.

The famed Wood Brothers only ran a select number or races and went for the win in every one. Today, everyone must run a full season to get valued sponsor money. The goal is to make the final cut, and if you do not, you still run to win, but no one notices.

Greg Biffle won at Kansas, but ESPN immediately went to interview Jimmie Johnson, the multi-champion and ask him if he had a few more laps could he have caught Biffle. The winner’s interview was an afterthought, and even then the talk was that he was only 86 points behind Johnson and what he could do to catch up.

The win was secondary. It’s my problem, this hatred of the Chase, something that the media tells us everyone has embraced, but I thought Biffle’s win was significant. It was his second of the year—more than the darlings of the media—and it was only the second Ford win of the year.

Never mind that because Johnson finished second and is “on a roll.” Whatever happened to winning a race? I guess you’ll have to ask those who created the Chase. The single worst thing that has happened to the sport in my lifetime.

The appeal lodged by Richard Childress Racing to the NASCAR Commissioner has been heard and the decision rendered.  John Middlebrook, NASCAR’s Chief Appellate Officer, upheld NASCAR’s penalty of the RCR No. 33 team, with some slight modifications.

The fine for the crew chief of the No. 33 team, Shane Wilson, has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000.  Middlebrook also reduced the race suspensions of Wilson and Chad Haney, the team’s car chief, from six to four weeks, with their suspensions ending on November 3^rd but probation continuing until December 31^st.

One of the most important penalties, the championship owner and driver points, however, remained unchanged.  Driver Clint Bowyer and team continue to have lost the 150 points, keeping them in the cellar of the Chase point standings and virtually out of championship contention.

“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” Middlebrook said.  “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”

This was Middlebrook’s first appeal since becoming the Chief Appellate Officer for NASCAR at the start of this race season.  Middlebrook, a retired General Motors executive, replaced Charles Strang, who had been in the Commissioner role for many years.

This is the final step in the appeal process for Richard Childress and his team and the decision is binding.  Childress felt strongly, however, that he had to take that final step after being denied by the National Stock Car Racing Appeals Panel last week.

“We proved beyond a reasonable doubt how the car was found to be out of tolerance after the race,” Childress said in a statement after the Appeals Panel had ruled, continuing his contention that the tow truck that pushed the No. 33 race car to Victory Lane was the culprit.  “I am disappointed but not surprised by the decision knowing how the appeal system is structured.”

Childress’ driver Clint Bowyer also did not hold out much hope for the appeal to overturn the ruling.

“I’ve told Richard it’s not worth fighting,” Bowyer said.  “In my opinion, their minds are made up.”

“The championship hopes are done for myself,” Bowyer continued.  “The thing that I have to do now is be the best teammate I can be.  We have to bring a championship home.  We still have two shots at that.”

There is no doubt that the focus will now turn to Bowyer’s teammates, Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton.  Harvick, who led the point standings at the end of the regular season, is currently in the 3^rd position in the Chase standings, while Jeff Burton remains less in the hunt in the 9^th spot.

With the mile-sized race tracks in the rear view mirror, there was bound to be drama headed to the first mile and a half track, not only amongst the twelve Chase contenders but also the rest of the field who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. The pressure was definitely on for those Chase contenders in the bottom half of the field, who needed a great run in order to stay in the championship hunt. Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the third race in the Chase competition, with just seven races remaining in the 2010 season.

Surprising: One of those bottom half Chase contenders, Greg Biffle, definitely helped his own cause, qualifying his No. 16 Sherwin Williams/3M Ford in the fifth position and driving strong all race long to claim his second checkered flag of the season. The Biff’s win was the 118th Cup Series win for Roush Fenway Racing and thankfully this time, team owner Jack Roush was in Victory Lane with his driver instead of recuperating in the hospital from a plane crash as was the case when his driver won Pocono. Biffle gained one position in the Chase standings, moving from ninth to eighth, but he is now just 85 points back from the point’s leader.

Not Surprising: In spite of starting at the back of the field and getting trapped in the pits early in the race, Jimmie Johnson, in his No. 48 Lowes/Johns Manville Chevrolet, made his ever-lucky way to the front of the field, finishing in the runner up position. With that finish and as he does so often when the pressure is on, Johnson moved into the points lead, making his presence known for that fifth historic consecutive championship run.

Surprising: In this third Chase race, one of the non-Chasers had a major impact on the Chase standings. Normally good- natured David Reutimann apparently had had enough. After Chase competitor Kyle Busch got into the back of him early in the race and spun his No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota, Reutimann took revenge, coming back onto the track and slamming Busch into the wall. Busch’s car sustained serious damage, in Busch’s words “the car was killed.” This unfortunate turn of events led to a 21st place finish for Busch and a free fall of four positions in the Chase standings, from third to seventh, 80 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.

Not Surprising: While Busch was furious, saying that Reutimann could have wrecked him in any of the races next season and had no right to wreck him in the midst of a Chase run, Reutimann was non-repentant. Reutimann said “It just gets old” and between the urging of his crew chief and his own frustration, Rooty proved that he was just not going to take it anymore.

Surprising: Big Daddy and original four-time champion Jeff Gordon was NASCAR’s biggest winner in the point standings, moving up three spots from eighth to fifth. Gordon, in his signature-colored No. 24 Dupont Chevrolet, qualified in the third spot, led laps during the race, had some stellar pit stops, and finished in the fifth position on the track.

Not Surprising: After a rough run at the Monster Mile, point’s winner of the regular season, Kevin Harvick, redeemed himself with a great run at Kansas. Not only did Harvick bring his No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet to the checkered flag in third place, he also moved up to the third position in the point standings, just 30 points behind Johnson.

Surprising: While not a terrible run, with a 12th place race finish, Denny Hamlin, who has been so strong coming into the Chase and so determined so far throughout the Chase competition, lost the points lead to Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin sits just eight points now behind his nemesis as he desperately attempts to fight his way back to win that coveted Sprint Cup.

Not Surprising: A panoply of Fords graced the top ten at the Kansas Price Chopper 400 presented by Kraft Foods. Carl Edwards, in his No. 99 Aflac Ford, finished sixth. Matt Kenseth, in his No. 17 Crown Royal Black Ford, finished seventh. And Paul Menard, who started on the outside pole, finished eighth in his No. 98 Zecol/Menards Ford. It was no surprise that the Fords were competing so well since the manufacturer put $100,000 on the line as an incentive for the win. Jamie Allison, Director of Ford North American Motorsports, duly pronounced it a “One Ford effort.”

Surprising: Kasey Kahne, in his No. 9 Budweiser Richard Petty Motorsports Ford, led the race to green from the pole position. The driver that is soon to running for Red Bull Racing and ultimately Hendrick Motorsports unfortunately hit the wall about midway through the race and then watched his car fall to pieces as the tire blew the fenders and other car parts all over the race track. After that most promising start, Kahne finished miserably in the 37th position.

Not Surprising: Kahne’s Richard Petty Motorsports teammate A.J. Allmendinger continued his string of great races, particularly after leading so many laps and being dominant early at the Monster Mile last weekend. The Dinger managed to lead a lap at Kansas and again scored a top ten finish in his No. 43 Insignia HDTV/Best Buy Ford.

The Chasers and the rest of the Cup field will now head even further west for the fourth Chase race of the season. The Pepsi Max 400 will run at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California on Sunday, October 10th, with the broadcast on ESPN set to start at 3:00 PM ET.

With ‘silly season’ in full swing as the NASCAR season approaches its finale, this year it seems instead like a game of ‘duck, duck, goose’, with some lucky drivers being tapped for new rides while others are left in lame duck situations, biding their time until their new ride opens up for the 2011 season.

One of the lamest of ducks is Kasey Kahne, currently at Richard Petty Motorsports.  Kahne’s lame duck status was created earlier this year when it was announced that the driver was signed by Hendrick Motorsports for the 2012 season. 

Team owner Rick Hendrick wanted to snare Kahne to ultimately replace Mark Martin, driver of the No. 5 HMS car, whose contract is up at the end of 2011.  Hendrick said that he took this unusual signing route as he was encouraged by his other drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to snag Kahne as quickly as possible.

“In Kasey, we saw an opportunity to cement a big piece of our future,” Hendrick said.  “He possesses incredible talent and a tremendous dedication to his craft, and we know he will be a great fit within our company.”

But in one of the strangest ‘silly season’ twists, Kahne was not only left as a lame duck at Richard Petty Motorsports but was also left out in the cold without a ride for the 2011 season.  Hendrick, making good on a promise to Kahne that he would figure something out, brokered a deal that will put Kahne behind the wheel of a Red Bull Racing Toyota, creating yet another lame duck situation for the driver for the next season.

“RPM is working on their future and I am not part of that,” Kahne.  “It’s kind of a tough situation to be in to tell you the truth.  I didn’t think I would struggle with it but I do at times.”

Richard Petty Motorsports has yet another driver that also fits the lame duck status.  Elliott Sadler announced in July that he was a free agent, saying that he “had no future plans with the race team” for 2011.

“I don’t fit into their future plans,” Sadler said of RPM.  “So we are definitely going our different ways, but we need to end up this season as strong as we can.”

If Sadler cannot find another ride in the Cup Series, he has alluded to the fact that he would entertain a ride in the Truck or Nationwide Series.  Sadler has been “having a blast” driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc. periodically in both a truck and Nationwide car.

Ironically, there is yet a third lame duck driver at Richard Petty Motorsports, Paul Menard.  Bringing his own family money and sponsorship to the table, Menard announced that he too was leaving RPM and will drive for Richard Childress Racing in 2011.

Menard has had quite a journey, starting his career with Dale Earnhardt, Inc., then moving to Yates Racing, which eventually became Richard Petty Motorsports as part of the merger.  Menard, behind the wheel of either the No. 30 or No. 32, will join the three current RCR Chase contenders Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and the recently penalized Clint Bowyer for the 2011 season.

In spite of their lame duck status, two of the three RPM drivers are sitting in the cat bird’s seat for the upcoming Cup race at Kansas Speedway.  Kasey Kahne scored the pole position and Paul Menard will start right next to his current teammate on the outside pole for Sunday’s Price Chopper 400.

While there are lame ducks this ‘silly season’, there are also some very lucky ducks, especially this race weekend.  One of those lucky ducks, Trevor Bayne, did not start out so lucky earlier in the week when he was abruptly released from Diamond Waltrip Racing.

Yet the young, talented driver luckily landed with both feet on the ground and an immediate ride in the Nationwide Series for Roush Fenway Racing.  The 19 year old will be piloting the No. 17 in the Kansas Lottery 300.

In a twist of fate, Bayne also may have potential ties back to Richard Petty Motorsports.  SceneDaily.com reported that the young driver may also be a candidate to replace lame duck Sadler in the No. 19 RPM Cup car, which is affiliated with Roush Fenway, pending sponsorship.

“We are pleased to be able to sign a driver of Trevor’s caliber and character,” Jack Roush said.  “Trevor has exhibited a distinctive ability to run fast, up front and compete side by side with veteran drivers in a relatively short amount of time.”

“We feel that he possesses all of the tools necessary to grow into a top-level driver,” Roush continued.  “We look forward to working with him t o hone his skills as we move forward down the road.”

Bayne also made another driver a very lucky duck as he vacated his DWR ride.  Ryan Truex, younger brother of Martin Truex, Jr. and two-time champion in the K&N Pro Series East, will join his big brother in the Nationwide Series this weekend, piloting the No. 99 OUT! Pet Care Toyota Camry.

“This will be fun,” Truex said.  “My mom and dad will be a nervous wreck but we’ll see what happens.  I hope the OUT! Pet Care people will be pleased and I hope we put on a good show.”

The final lucky duck, at least this week in NASCAR is the driver nicknamed the GOAT.  Ricky Carmichael, who has been slugging out in the Camping World Truck Series, will be making his Nationwide debut at Kansas, driving the No. 10 Braun Racing Toyota.

“It has been really quick,” Carmichael said.  “I got a call from our team owner last week and he said, ‘Hey there’s a possibility we might be able to run you in the Nationwide race next weekend in Kansas.  Would you be up for it?’

After not even a second had passed, Carmichael said ‘yes’ to the offer.  “I couldn’t believe the things that I was hearing,” Carmichael said.

Whether lame duck or lucky duck, NASCAR’s elite will take to the mid-west track in Kansas for the Nationwide race on Saturday and the Cup race on Sunday.  And as lucky ducky Carmichael said, “We’ll just go there and do the best we can.”