If you could pick just one person to win this weekend’s Amp Energy Juice 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, it may be best to pick either Jamie McMurray or Kevin Harvick. In the past year on the restrictor plates, it seems that the races come down to a battle between them with one of them winning.

In the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July, Harvick took the win after working with McMurray for most of the race.

In the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega in April, Harvick took the win there also as he made a textbook last lap move on McMurray coming through the tri-oval on the final lap.

In the Daytona 500 at Daytona in February, McMurray took the win in the biggest race of the year after getting a jump on Harvick on the final restart.

In this race last year, McMurray won the race after holding on the late charges at the end from the field.

The last restrictor plate race not won by either was at Daytona last July where Tony Stewart turned Kyle Busch on the last lap.

The success of neither driver is a surprise as both drivers have been frontrunners at the restrictor plate tracks throughout their career.

For Harvick, in his past 19 starts at Talladega, he has one win, four top-fives, eight top 10s and an average finish of 15.5. His restrictor plate success also includes two Daytona 500 victories.

For McMurray, in his past 16 starts at Talladega, he has one win, five top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 18.1. His restrictor plate success also includes a win in the Coke Zero 400 in 2006.

So who could break the streak?

Well, it could be Tony Stewart as he was the last one before them to win a race and has always been strong on the restrictor plate tracks. In 23 starts at Talladega, he has one win, nine top-fives, 12 top-10s and an average finish of 14.8.

Then there is Stewart’s past wingman – Dale Earnhardt Jr. Before Harvick and McMurray at the beginning of the decade, Earnhardt was known as the king of restrictor plates as he was always in the thick of it for the win, including his four wins in a row at Talladega. In 21 starts, he has five wins, eight top-fives, 11 top-10s and an average finish of 13.3.

However, it could also be someone that’d surprise everyone – Kurt Busch or David Ragan. Busch holds the best average finish at Talladega with a 12.8, while Regan has the second highest at 13.3. Could they finally break through in the win column?

No matter what way this swings, it’ll definitely be an interesting race as Talladega always provides exciting side-by-side three-wide racing with a dramatic finish, as of late. Will this trend continue or will things change as Talladega gets haunted by Halloween, becoming Hallo-Dega?

In the only short track race of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series Chase, more drivers than not were reaching for the race sponsor Tums during this intense 500 lap dash to claim the grandfather clock.  Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the half mile track affectionately dubbed the “Paper Clip”:

Surprising:  Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. surprised and delighted the fans in the stands at Martinsville with strong runs, including Martin finishing in the runner up position and Earnhardt in seventh.  Martin was undoubtedly the happiest driver at Martinsville, recovering from a close encounter with the wall on lap 226 to working his way back through the field to finish right behind the race winner. Earnhardt, while taking advantage of some pit strategy and a strong race car, actually led some laps, the first time since March 2008 when he had done so at Martinsville.

Not Surprising:  Although the other two Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon disagreed on the track, they agreed on one thing, their animosity toward the Busch brothers.  Hearkening back to their disagreements at Sonoma earlier in the year, Gordon and Kurt Busch got into it, with Gordon getting the worst of the altercation, resulting in a hard encounter with the wall.  Gordon went on to finish 20th, declaring his championship hopes all but lost.  Johnson and Kyle Busch had their own difficulties, with Busch deeming it a “heated battle” and Johnson admitting that he took advantage of the opportunity to give the other Busch brother the “one-fingered salute.”

Surprising:  While short tracks are known for creating even shorter tempers, the amount of aggression between drivers, especially teammates, was surprising to say the least.  Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon got into it early, beating and banging for position, causing the original four-time champ to “ask the 48 if he has a spotter.”  Richard Childress Racing and Chase contenders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton also got into some on-track pushing and shoving.  While Harvick deemed it “just racing”, Burton begged to differ, saying “I’m a good teammate but I will not put up with him running into me.”

Not Surprising:  Denny Hamlin, typically strong at Martinsville, became only the fifth driver to win at his home track.  Although Hamlin struggled at the start of the race, falling back in the field after starting from the pole, he and his crew kept adjusting on the car throughout the race until the checkered flag flew.  Hamlin won his third straight race and the season sweep at Martinsville, tightening up the championship battle to striking distance to just six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson.  Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also finished in the top ten, with Kyle Busch finishing fourth and Joey Logano finishing sixth.

Surprising:   While Greg Biffle traditionally has not run so well on the short track in Virginia, it was surprising just how bad his race day was.  Biffle, starting from the third spot, deemed the day “unfortunate”, having a right-front tire go down, which led to suspension troubles.  Biffle also was penalized twice for pit road altercations, including having his pit crew go over the wall too soon.  In spite of all the troubles, resulting in a 33rd place finish, Biffle put on a surprisingly happy face, saying “We qualified well and practiced well this weekend.”

Not Surprising:  Kasey Kahne, who made headlines with his release from Richard Petty Motorsports, took the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota.  Kahne, running continually around his old No. 9 RPM Budweiser Ford now piloted by Aric Almirola, finished with a top-15 run and a hearty welcome from his new pit crew.  Almirola, on the other hand, placed 21st, with his future, as well as the future of RPM, still uncertain.

Surprising:   While most eyes were on the Chase racers, one young up and comer and soon to be Nationwide champion Brad Keselowski had a great short track run.  In spite of a speeding penalty early in the race, Keselowski battled back to get his first top ten finish for the 2010 Cup season.

Not Surprising:   AJ Allmendinger continued to show his strength, in spite of all of the chaos at his Richard Petty Motorsports team.  Allmendinger finished the race in the 12th position, also marking the first time that he had finished all 500 laps at the track.  “After everything this week, I’m just proud of my guys,” Allmendinger said emotionally.

Surprising:  With a surprisingly strong run, in spite of causing a caution at lap 133, Kenny Schrader definitely deserves a “shout out”, as well as an “A” for effort.  Schrader, making a rare Cup appearance in the No. 26 Air National Guard Ford, brought his race car in for a top-20 finish, scoring the 18th position.

Not Surprising:  In spite of the “high stakes, high stress and a very, very small race track,” Carl Edwards admitted that it was “just a good day.” Edwards brought his No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion home in the eighth spot and gained one spot to sixth in the Chase standings.

The Cup Series will compete next, on Halloween no less, at the track that all agree is the wild card in this year’s Chase competition, Talladega Superspeedway.  The seventh race in the 10-race Chase, the Amp Energy Juice 500, will take the green flag on Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

With clear skies over the speedway at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin took both the green and the checkered flags in the top spot. 

“Who said it was over? It isn’t over.” Hamlin jokingly greeted the media post race. After dropping like a rock after starting on the pole, many thought Hamlin’s chances of pulling of the season sweep was slim.

Watching a Chevy dominate race, the bets were on to see if the Gibbs teams would bring their defensive game.

Jeff Burton and teammate Kevin Harvick made excellent bids as the most dominate cars on Sunday. Between them, RCR lead 231 of the 500 laps. Despite being teammates and sharing the domination on the track, the “love” was not being shown in the RCR camp as several times the two were seen bumping, rubbing, and roughing each other up on track.

The surprise of the Tums Fast Relief 500 wasn’t the triumphant victory of Virginia’s “favorite” chaser, but the second place finish of Hendrick driver Mark Martin. The No. 5 team struggled throughout the day. After starting the race in 21^st Martin had worked his way into the top 15 before he and AJ Allmendinger got together on lap 227 giving the No. 5 car damage. Battling the odds they fought their way back to finish a solid second.

“We were two laps down and to be honest we were going to finish 28^th. So, boy; what an incredible race car, man!” Martin said post race.

All told it was the Gibbs Toyota of Denny Hamlin who stole the glory.  Sunday’s win was the 15^th victory of his Sprint Cup Series career, his fourth win at Martinsville (the last three consecutive).  Taking the race win closes the gap between him and Jimmie Johnson to 6 points. They now share the closest margin between first and second with four races remaining since the beginning of the “Chase format era”.

Unofficial Race Results

Tums Fast Relief 500, Martinsville Speedway

October 24, 2010 – Race 32 of 36

http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/Race.asp?Race=32

Here is what was surprising and not surprising from the half mile track affectionately dubbed the “Paper Clip”:

Surprising: Hendrick Motorsports teammates Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. surprised and delighted the fans in the stands at Martinsville with strong runs, including Martin finishing in the runner up position and Earnhardt in seventh. Martin was undoubtedly the happiest driver at Martinsville, recovering from a close encounter with the wall on lap 226 to working his way back through the field to finish right behind the race winner. Earnhardt, while taking advantage of some pit strategy and a strong race car, actually led some laps, the first time since March 2008 when he had done so at Martinsville.

[media-credit id=5 align=”alignright” width=”400″][/media-credit]

Not Surprising: Although the other two Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon disagreed on the track, they agreed on one thing, their animosity toward the Busch brothers. Hearkening back to their disagreements at Sonoma earlier in the year, Gordon and Kurt Busch got into it, with Gordon getting the worst of the altercation, resulting in a hard encounter with the wall. Gordon went on to finish 20th, declaring his championship hopes all but lost. Johnson and Kyle Busch had their own difficulties, with Busch deeming it a “heated battle” and Johnson admitting that he took advantage of the opportunity to give the other Busch brother the “one-fingered salute.”

Surprising: While short tracks are known for creating even shorter tempers, the amount of aggression between drivers, especially teammates, was surprising to say the least. Teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon got into it early, beating and banging for position, causing the original four-time champ to “ask the 48 if he has a spotter.” Richard Childress Racing and Chase contenders Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton also got into some on-track pushing and shoving. While Harvick deemed it “just racing”, Burton begged to differ, saying “I’m a good teammate but I will not put up with him running into me.”

Not Surprising: Denny Hamlin, typically strong at Martinsville, became only the fifth driver to win at his home track. Although Hamlin struggled at the start of the race, falling back in the field after starting from the pole, he and his crew kept adjusting on the car throughout the race until the checkered flag flew. Hamlin won his third straight race and the season sweep at Martinsville, tightening up the championship battle to striking distance to just six points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin’s Joe Gibbs Racing teammates also finished in the top ten, with Kyle Busch finishing fourth and Joey Logano finishing sixth.

Surprising: While Greg Biffle traditionally has not run so well on the short track in Virginia, it was surprising just how bad his race day was. Biffle, starting from the third spot, deemed the day “unfortunate”, having a right-front tire go down, which led to suspension troubles. Biffle also was penalized twice for pit road altercations, including having his pit crew go over the wall too soon. In spite of all the troubles, resulting in a 33rd place finish, Biffle put on a surprisingly happy face, saying “We qualified well and practiced well this weekend.”

Not Surprising: Kasey Kahne, who made headlines with his release from Richard Petty Motorsports, took the wheel of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota. Kahne, running continually around his old No. 9 RPM Budweiser Ford now piloted by Aric Almirola, finished with a top-15 run and a hearty welcome from his new pit crew. Almirola, on the other hand, placed 21st, with his future, as well as the future of RPM, still uncertain.

Surprising: While most eyes were on the Chase racers, one young up and comer and soon to be Nationwide champion Brad Keselowski had a great short track run. In spite of a speeding penalty early in the race, Keselowski battled back to get his first top ten finish for the 2010 Cup season.

Not Surprising: AJ Allmendinger continued to show his strength, in spite of all of the chaos at his Richard Petty Motorsports team. Allmendinger finished the race in the 12th position, also marking the first time that he had finished all 500 laps at the track. “After everything this week, I’m just proud of my guys,” Allmendinger said emotionally.

Surprising: With a surprisingly strong run, in spite of causing a caution at lap 133, Kenny Schrader definitely deserves a “shout out”, as well as an “A” for effort. Schrader, making a rare Cup appearance in the No. 26 Air National Guard Ford, brought his race car in for a top-20 finish, scoring the 18th position.

Not Surprising: In spite of the “high stakes, high stress and a very, very small race track,” Carl Edwards admitted that it was “just a good day.” Edwards brought his No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion home in the eighth spot and gained one spot to sixth in the Chase standings.

The Cup Series will compete next, on Halloween no less, at the track that all agree is the wild card in this year’s Chase competition, Talladega Superspeedway. The seventh race in the 10-race Chase, the Amp Energy Juice 500, will take the green flag on Sunday, October 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

On Friday at the Martinsville Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t a driver who sounded like he was enjoying his job.

In a season that can’t wait to be put behind both himself and his fans (no wins, no Chase bid, and only two top fives and seven top 10s before Martinsville), Earnhardt Jr. said that there was nothing in his team’s performance that makes him optimistic about the rest of 2010 or heading into the 2011 season.

“Even if we run good I would need a little more convincing,” Earnhardt Jr. “We need more than one good run. … If it hadn’t happened all year, I don’t believe anybody believes it will happen the rest of the year.

“We’re going to show up and work hard and try not to give up,” he said.

After 500 laps on Sunday the paperclip it would be strange if Earnhardt Jr. wasn’t just a little convinced and looking forward to the next race. Not only because it’ll come at a track that he’s won at five times, but also because his No. 88 team finally has a little bit of momentum.

And momentum in this sport can go a long way.

Denny Hamlin, who closed the championship lead to within six points of four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson, won the TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville. The Chase is first and foremost on everyone’s mind and as such Hamlin and Johnson will continue to earn much attention heading into the final four races of the season.

Elsewhere “Junior Nation” has awoken from their two-year slumber and are ready for their moment in the sun. It took until the second half of the race but their voices were heard loud and clear and for all the right reasons.

Qualifying 28th didn’t set a great tone early in the weekend and neither did a spin in final practice on Saturday.  but Martinsville is one of Earnhardt Jr.’s better tracks and thankfully it’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. In his first career start in Martinsville Earnhardt Jr. hit everything but the pace car, getting his NASCAR short track career off to a rocky start.

The driver has come a long way since then and this has been a place where he’s proven to be a contender. As such it’s sent a strong message that it’s not just restrictor plate tracks he can excel on.

His Martinsville statistics, which were all improved upon Sunday: 21 starts, 10 top 10’s and eight top fives finishes with 758 laps led. That includes a memorable race in 2006 where he drove his then No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet to a fourth place finish after tearing off the right front fender.

Sunday, Earnhardt Jr. was ran between 10th and 20th the first 150 laps as he battled the likes of Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. Pit strategy then took him to the top 10 and finally to the lead when he drove around teammate Jeff Gordon on lap 285 who later said that Earnhardt Jr. was doing an awesome job.

“He’s making a race out of it now,” Gordon radioed as Earnhardt Jr. closed in. “He’s going to make a lot of people happy.”

When the caution came out and the leaders came down pit road, the AMP Energy/National Guard team went to work and busted off an 11.7 second pit stop to keep their driver in the lead. Earnhardt Jr. went on to lead 90 circuits, even holding off dominant Jeff Burton through lap 300.

It was Burton’s teammate Kevin Harvick that got the best of Earnhardt Jr. on lap 378 as Earnhardt Jr. then faded throughout the rest of the race.

The radio communication between driver and crew chief Lance McGrew got heated, nothing new, as Earnhardt Jr. tried to understand why the car was reacting differently than it had during the first half of the event.

At the end of the day it was a seventh place finish. Much needed and hard earned and now onto the next one.

Talladega has been circled on many driver calendars; it’s expected to shake up the Chase. But, non-Chase drivers have faired well at the superspeedway and next weekend on Halloween anything can happen. Jamie McMurray and Dale Jarrett each pulled off a victory at the 2.66 mile beast and Earnhardt Jr. wants to get back to victory lane in Alabama for the first time since 2004.

Should it happen it would be his sixth win at the track and Junior Nation is looking at it as potentially their last chance in 2010 for a victory. The No. 88 will be watched very closely by both fans and competitors on Sunday and not just as an expected factor but for a new paint scheme he’ll be sporting.

Earlier this year AMP Energy and director Terry Gilliam paired to produce a short film titled “The Legend of Hallowdega,” which will air Chapter 1 of the story prior to Sunday’s race. David Arquette and Justin Kirk will star as Earnhardt Jr. and Darrell Waltrip make a special appearance.

In connection to the movie Earnhardt Jr. will run a black and yellow “Legend of Hallowdega” car for the AMP Energy Juice 500. A new look, a little momentum from Martinsville, a very special and successful track and a whole lot of fan support can lead to a big weekend at the big track for Earnhardt Jr.

And maybe it’ll help him be more optimistic than he’s been this season.

In a profound statement about the status of Richard Petty Motorsports, reeling from the abrupt departure of driver Kasey Kahne and overwhelming financial challenges threatening its future viability, Robbie Loomis, RPM Director of Competition said simply, “Today is all we really have.”

Loomis spoke to the media outside the No. 43 team hauler prior to Cup practice, addressing the multiple issues that his company and his teams have faced throughout the week, as well as the long-term future of Richard Petty Motorsports.

Loomis likened these challenges to the obstacles that he faced six years ago at Martinsville Speedway. In 2004, Loomis was crew chiefing for Jeff Gordon at Martinsville when his driver hit a huge piece of the track that had come loose, destroying the right front corner of his race car, ruining a dominant car and ending what seemed to be an assured victory.

“I told the guys yesterday, I sat back at lunch and said, ‘Look, this is no different than running a race when you’re a crew chief,” Loomis said. “I’ve been right here at Martinsville leading a race and all of a sudden hit a pothole and you’ve got to figure out what to do and how to react to it and move forward. That’s what we’re looking forward to do with Richard Petty Motorsports.”

Loomis also had nothing but praise for RPM departed driver Kasey Kahne, former driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Ford and now driver of the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota for the Martinsville Race. Kahne left the car last race weekend after brake issues forced him off the track and never looked back, letting JJ Yeley finish the race for him.

“Kasey did a great job for us and if you look at the banners in the shop, a lot of them are there from Kasey,” Loomis said. “I really wish him well in his new deal.”

Loomis also confirmed that the only changes so far at Richard Petty Motorsports are the departure of Kahne, as well as his spotter, Kole Kahne.

“The only change we’ve really had is Kasey and his spotter, Kole,” Loomis said. “Kole is a great spotter for Kasey, those are the two guys that are gone.”

With Kahne out of the No. 9 car and into the No. 83 Red Bull Toyota, and with Aric Almirola, who had been scheduled to drive the No. 83 Red Bull car, out as a result of Kahne’s early arrival, Loomis and Richard Petty Motorsports moved quickly to snatch Almirola and get the young talented driver into their No. 9 RPM seat.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the job the guys have done with the Aric Almirola seat change on Thursday at the last minute,” Loomis said.

Loomis would not, however, speculate into the future about Aric Almirola and the remaining races for the 2010 season in the No. 9 RPM seat.

“Aric is somebody we were looking at to drive for us next year,” Loomis said. “But the timing of it didn’t work out and come together, so he got the deal with Dale Junior’s Nationwide deal, which is a great opportunity for him and a strong organization.”

While unsure of Almirola’s future, Loomis expressed extreme confidence in the future of Richard Petty Motorsports, expressing high praise for RPM’s relationship with Roush, the team’s face and namesake Richard Petty, and team owner, the Gillett family.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about our relationship with Roush,” Loomis said. “Roush has been great to us. They’ve been a great sponsor, a great provider and work for us in a lot of different ways to help us from the engine shop side with Doug Yates. They work really hard to provide good cars for us.”

“I think a lot of people have their thoughts and prayers with Richard,” Loomis said. “We might see Richard up here tomorrow. He usually comes to Martinsville on Sunday but right now he’s spending a lot of time with Lynda (Petty’s wife who has been ill).

“The Gillett’s, they’ve been through a lot obviously – everyone knows that,” Loomis said. “They’ve worked really hard to be a four-car team last year and continue it this year, and now we’ve got to look at what our teams are gonna look like going into next year.”

Whatever the future struggles for Richard Petty Motorsports, Loomis has one eye currently on this weekend’s Martinsville race and the other looking ahead to Talladega, where Loomis confirmed the team, or at least some iteration of it, will race next weekend.

“Yeah, we’ll be at Talladega,” Loomis said. “I hope we’re all in Talladega. It’s our full intention to keep rolling right along.”

“Like I said before, there’s been a lot of speculation about things, but what gives me confidence is that we’ve always had the ability to move forward,” Loomis said. “You can’t look too far out in the future because today is all that we really have.”

There is a giant sucking noise at Hendrick Motorsports. It is the sound of NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver being swallowed in the muck and mire of a dysfunctional relationship that once held so much hope.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in year three of his five year contract. In 2008 he managed a win and finished last place in the Chase.

The 2009 season was his worst ever finishing 25th in points, but with a few more poor finishes he can claim the 2010 season as being pretty dismal as well.

Going into the Martinsville race he is 19th in the point standings. In the last 13 races he has finished 15th or worse 11 times. As pretty much expected, his qualifying for the Tums Fast Relief 500 is 28th at Martinsville.

Rick Hendrick insists he will keep Lance McGrew in place as crew chief for Earnhardt Jr. in 2011.

Perhaps he learned from the Kasey Kahne/Mark Martin media debacle, that it is best to just state a fact until it changes.

Rumors are spreading within the garage area according to several media outlets that McGrew will be out in 2011 as crew chief for the No. 88.

Listening to the radio communications between McGrew and his driver during a race often shows the blatant dysfunction between the two.

In public, Junior and McGrew appear smiling and joking, claiming some type of friendship is actually in place.

It is evident even if McGrew is a nice guy, he is not capable of getting Junior to the Chase, let alone in contention for a championship. It seems challenging to even unload a car that can run in the top-10 or qualify near the front.

Rick Hendrick is known as a master manipulator for putting deals together. After signing Kasey Kahne in April, he eventually solved the “where will Kasey drive” issue to everyone’s satisfaction.

It appears Jimmie Johnson is well on his way to a fifth consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup title no matter how many stop-sticks get thrown in his path.

Hendrick needs to exercise his people skills to put together a team for Dale Jr. and the No. 88 Amp Energy/National Guard team that can win.

The continuance of poor performance with that team needs to come to an end. Just because the cash cow is still healthy despite lack of wins, a third half-hearted season is just not an option.

Either Hendrick can pull the No. 88 team out of the quagmire or Earnhardt Jr. needs to move on to something else besides driving at Hendrick Motorsports.

Junior’s dream of wins and perhaps a championship when he signed with Hendrick have probably turned to wondering if he can even make the Chase again.

The ball is in Hendrick’s court. If Johnson can get his fifth consecutive title, how cool would it be to follow-up with Earnhardt Jr. having a winning season in 2011 before Kasey Kahne becomes the new golden boy in 2012 at HMS.