Mark my words; it has all of the makings of a Saturday night showdown when 43 teams from NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series takes the green flag for the Irwin Tools 500. Anytime you place that many cars on a half mile track there is bound to be some sort of driver road rage that frequently becomes motorized mayhem. It’s not a question of will it happen, its more a question of when will it happen and how many times will we see it. The Irwin Tools 500 is going to be more than worth staying home on a Saturday night to watch.

THE STORY BREAKDOWN

We all know what the major story line is. It is, of course, the 12 man line up for NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship. Series points leader Kevin Harvick has already clinched his spot in the Chase based on last Sunday’s win at Michigan. It’s expected that the top nine will follow suit over the next two races.

With only three races left before the 12 man Chase line up is locked in, the drama is located at the very bottom of the list. Clint Bowyer, and his #33 Richard Childress Racing team, sits in the coveted 12th position. But he’s now where near being safe regarding his Chase status. Mark Martin is only 35 points away in 13th and plans on becoming the third team to make the Chase from Hendrick Motorsports.

Behind Martin are four drivers whose Chase hopes are treading water. A win, combined with some strong finishes, within the next three races will greatly help their cause. However, they are still going to have to depend on a low finish from Bowyer and Martin to make the top 12.

Leading that group is Ryan Newman who is 14th in the standings and 103 points away from the top 12. Newman took the green flag at Michigan last Sunday a workable 83 points out. But an early race altercation with Joey Logano cost an angry Newman an additional 20 points and led to the situation he’s in right now.

Jamie McMurray holds down the 15th spot in the standings and is 105 points from 12th. He’s followed by Kasey Kahne at -126 and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at -129. Mathematically speaking these four drivers have not been officially eliminated from making this year’s Chase. But in reality they’re going to need something extremely dramatic at this point in time.

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On the topic of Ryan Newman and Joey Logano’s Michigan altercation, expect to see video replays of their moment both on and off the track. You will likely hear the suggestion that Bristol is a perfect place to extract retaliation and that’s basically true. But don’t expect it. Newman clearly has some digging to do and his focus is going to be on that 12th spot in the Chase line up.

But that doesn’t mean that he’s no longer angry at Logano who criticized him for racing too hard too early in the race. In an interview comment this week Newman was quoted to say that he didn’t know if there was such a thing as racing too hard and further stated “four races to go for the Chase and we are trying to get ourselves in that top 12. He’s not smart enough to understand this position, but he needs to take the time and realize that it’s not all about him.”

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THE VEGAS BREAKDOWN

Despite a field loaded with multiple Bristol winners, the Las Vegas based World Sports Exchange, (WSE), believes that Jimmie Johnson is going to win his second Irwin Tools 500 and has placed him on top of their list at 5 to 1 odds.

Right behind Johnson are the Busch brothers. Kyle Busch is a three time Bristol winner in the Cup ranks, has a win there in the Nationwide Series and won last Wednesday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol for the third year in a row. The WSE has him ranked at 6 to 1 to win Saturday night. Older brother Kurt Busch is a five time Bristol winner, with some impressive stats at this track, yet amazingly is ranked at 7 to 1. The driver of the Miller Lite Dodge would make a very solid wager.

At 10 to 1 is the duo of Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart. Edwards is a two time Cup winner at Bristol and a single winner there in the Nationwide Series. Stewart has a single Cup win there. Both are seeking their first win of the season and each will be looking to solidify their presence in the Chase line up.

The 12 to 1 grouping is led by someone who also must be considered to be a solid wager. Five time Bristol winner Jeff Gordon leads this group. He’s second in the standings, guaranteed to make the Chase and that means he can be expected to race a little harder to collect those ten bonus points that comes with winning to get a better position when the Chase starts next month. The law of averages says that this team is bound to close the deal sooner or later this year and Bristol is a very good opportunity for them. Kevin Harvick is also in this group. Harvick has already clinched his Chase berth and can also afford to race a little harder to collect those bonus points. He’s a former Cup winner at Bristol and has won five Nationwide events there. Greg Biffle completes the 12 to 1 category and has been having some strong runs lately especially after his recent return to victory lane at Pocono.

Looking at the mid pack from the WSE’s rankings this week Denny Hamlin and former Bristol winner Jeff Burton are rated at 15 to 1. Two time race winner Matt Kenseth and Clint Bowyer are 20 to 1 while the duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Kasey Kahne are ranked at 25 to 1.

At the lower end of the rankings you will find Bristol winner Dale Earnhardt Jr and Joey Logano at 30 to1. Also in this group is Mark Martin who is a two time winner and leads the Sprint Cup top five and top ten finish stats at Bristol. Martin is 12th in the standings and it’s possible that he may consider a points racing posture to insure a Chase berth in three weeks.

Jamie McMurray has a solo ranking of 35 to 1 this week while the trio of Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr and David Reutimann closes the WSE list at 40 to 1.

Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants to remind you that these posted numbers are for information and entertainment purposes and they do not encourage or condone the placing of wagers on their races. If you follow that philosophy then you’re a fantasy gambler. A fantasy bet doesn’t cost you anything, they make great water cooler conversations at work and they won’t get you in any trouble at home. But if you prefer reality over fantasy, a good choice might turn out to be placing a Benjamin on Jeff Gordon at 12 to 1 and then place a back up Benjamin on Kurt Busch at 7 to 1.

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THE RACE BREAKDOWN

The Irwin Tools 500 is 500 laps/266.5 miles around the Bristol Motor Speedway’s .533 mile concrete oval.

The track features challenging progressive banking, 24 to 30 degrees in the turns and 4 to 9 degrees on the straight-aways. The turns are connected by short straight-aways measuring 650 feet long by 43 feet wide.

Entering and exiting pit road is also very challenging at Bristol because the speedway has two of them divided into 22 stalls on the front stretch and 21 stalls on the back stretch. Under green flag conditions the drivers will have to enter the pits off of turn two and then drive all the way around to return to the track off of turn one. The pit stalls are also going to be a challenge for the Sprint Cup teams. They only measure 25.5 feet long by 15.5 feet wide. The pit road speed is a strictly enforced 30 MPH.

The grandstands are also highly unique at the Bristol Motor Speedway. They literally stretch all the way around the race track and can accommodate 160,000 fans.

The Irwin Tools 500 is a landmark event because it will be the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the speedway.

The race has 49 entries vying for the 43 starting positions. 15 of those entries are on the go or go home list meaning they are not automatically guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of the top 35 in NASCAR owner’s points. These teams will have to rely on qualifying speed to make the race.

The defending race winner from 2009 is Kyle Busch. Jimmie Johnson won the first Bristol race of 2010 last March.

Darrell Waltrip leads the all time win list at Bristol with 12. Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch lead the modern day active drivers with five wins each.

In the manufacturer’s win stats Chevrolet tops the list with 42 trips to the Bristol victory lane followed by Ford at 33, Dodge at 6 and Toyota at two.

Mark Martin owns the finish stats at Bristol with 16 top fives and 23 top tens.

Martin also has the most pole positions there with nine.

Ryan Newman owns the track qualifying record, 128.709 MPH, set in March of 2003.

The Irwin Tools 500 will be broadcast live Saturday night by ABC Sports beginning at 730 pm eastern time. Race rebroadcasts will be Monday morning, 230 am et, on ESPN2 and Wednesday afternoon, 12 pm et, on SPEED.

At least we hope the race will be broadcast Saturday evening. The weather forecast calls for cloudy skies on Saturday with a 40% chance of isolated thunder showers and daytime highs of 88 degrees. The Sunday forecast calls for a 50% chance of scattered thunder storms. If Monday becomes a necessity there is only a 10% chance of rain under cloudy skies.

Note: The quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kevin Harvick: Harvick won for the third time this year, conquering the Carfax 400 in Michigan while becoming the first driver to clinch a spot in the Chase For The Cup. Harvick stayed on the track during the final caution while most cars pitted for tires, and passed Denny Hamlin with 10 to go. Harvick’s closest pursuer in the points in Jeff Gordon, who is 293 out of first.

“That points lead is impressive,” Harvick said, “if I must say so myself. Now everyone wants to call me the Cup favorite. After all these points, I’ve finally made a point.”

“I can think of no better way to announce Budweiser as my 2011 sponsor than with a win. Regardless of what happens from now until Homestead in November, I’ll be wearing a ‘crown’ next year.”

2. Denny Hamlin: Despite qualifying 33rd, Hamlin finished second at Michigan, site of his June 13th win, the last of his five victories this year. Hamlin battled Kevin Harvick after both opted not to pit during a late caution, but Harvick pulled away for this win after clearing Hamlin with ten laps to go.

“I really wanted this win,” Hamlin said. “Not only for the ten bonus points, but also for the chance to see the cheesy headline ‘Mich-Again.’”

“Harvick was just too much for us. It was a mismatch on par with the Ryan Newman-Joey Logano argument after Sunday’s race. That was a Gillette Young Gun versus a Gillette Youngin.’ Newman looked downright peeved, while Logano was calm and collected, albeit with a tinge of fear that Newman was going to punch him. I imagine that’s exactly how Newman-Rusty Wallace conversations went years ago.”

3. Jimmie Johnson: Johnson qualified second at Michigan, and, after a quick start on Sunday, was plagued afterwards by a loose No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy, as well as uncharacteristic mishaps in the pits, on his way to a 12th-place finish. He is fifth in the Sprint Cup point standings, 386 behind Kevin Harvick.

“It seems I’ve been relegated to an ‘also-ran’ in the Chase For The Cup,” Johnson said. “Believe that if you like, but I think the more appropriate term would be an ‘also-run,’ because I won the Sprint Cup in 2006, also in 2007, also in 2008, and also in 2009.”

“Right now, Kevin Harvick’s got everything going his way. He just won a race, his wife satiates his kinky role-playing desires by wearing his clothes, and he’s got a huge new sponsor for next year. Budweiser sponsorship is quite a coup. You know, Bud is brewed from the finest hops and barley in the world, and its alcohol content by volume is 5%, which is exactly the chance I give Harvick of winning the Cup.”

4. Jeff Gordon: After a poor qualifying effort, Gordon started 36th at Michigan, but quickly marched to the front and had a top-10 in sight before a cut tire ruined his day. The flat tire caused right-side damage, and after repairs, Gordon restarted well back. He finished 27th, and although second in the points, he has yet to win this year.

“Winning isn’t everything,” Gordon said. “In fact, for me, winning isn’t anything. We’re just suffering through a spell where nothing is going right. It’s like the old saying: ‘If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d never have been married to a woman named Brooke.”

“Despite my slump, I have no intentions of hanging up the driving gloves anytime soon. It may remedy a flat, but ‘re-tiring’ has no appeal to me.”

5. Tony Stewart: Stewart was leading with just over 30 laps to go in the Carfax 400 when a debris caution left him with a critical decision: pit for tires or stay out and maintain track position. Stewart chose the latter, as did Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin, and Harvick made the most of it, taking the win after outdueling Stewart and Hamlin.

“I think heeding debris cautions should be optional for drivers,” Stewart said. “I’m fairly certain not all debris cautions are necessary, particular those in which the clean-up crew uses a broom and a dust pan.”

“I was impressed with Ryan Newman’s handling of the Joey Logano situation. He handled it in exactly the opposite manner that I would have—he listened intently, then shoved Logano. With me, it’s shove first, listen later, in the NASCAR hauler. But seriously, how can you keep your hands off Logano? He’s adorable.”

6. Kurt Busch: Busch blew an engine 30 laps into Sunday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan, with a cloud of smoke and spray of oil heralding an early exit from the race. He finished 40th, only his second DNF of the year, and tumbled six places in the Sprint Cup point standings, from fourth to tenth.

“Yes, that was quite a free fall in the standings,” Busch said. “So much so that I was tempted to yell ‘Geronimo!’ Take it from someone who’s been unceremoniously ‘dropped’ on a number of occasions, it was quite a fall.

You could say I went down faster than beer out of a Miller Lite Vortex bottle.”

7. Carl Edwards: Edwards led a parade of Roush Fenway Racing cars in the top 5 at Michigan, finishing third, followed by teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth in fourth and fifth, respectively. Edwards vaulted three places in the point standings to seventh, and is a comfortable 266 ahead of Mark Martin in 13th.

“Jack’s back,” Edwards said. “And so is Roush Fenway. Just a few weeks ago, this team was all but written off. But things have changed. Usually, when I speak of ‘amazing turnarounds,’ it involves me sending Brad Keselowski spinning, or sailing, backwards down the track.”

“And you’ve probably heard that I’ve said this team could still win the Cup championship. I refuse to acknowledge Kevin Harvick as the favorite to win the Sprint Cup, not because I don’t like him, but because I don’t think that team can sustain their consistency through the Chase. Take it from someone who knows—there will be another ‘choke’ in Harvick’s garage.”

8. Greg Biffle: Biffle led 66 of the first 83 laps at Michigan, dominating early in the Carfax 400 before intermittent handling issues kept him from the front thereafter. After taking four tires during the race’s final caution, the 3M Ford picked off ten cars on the way to a fourth-place finish. He maintained the 11th spot in the standings, and leads Mark Martin in 13th by 193.

“I think I speak for everyone,” Biffle said, “when I say that Saving Abel’s rendition of the national anthem was downright awful. It was so bad, it made ears bleed, which I’m sure brought back painful memories for boxing legend and race grand marshal Evander Holyfield.”

9. Kyle Busch: Busch saw a promising day at Michigan quickly disintegrate when he nailed the wall on lap 159, damaging the right side of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry. Busch settled for a disappointing 18th and dropped one place in the Sprint Cup point standings to eighth, 425 out of first. With only two top-10 finishes in his last nine races, Busch knows he must find some momentum before the Chase starts.

“I think that accident would be called a ‘Battery’ ram,” Busch said. “It’s a mishap that is certainly symbolic—it seems that each year, as we near the Chase, we ‘hit a wall.’

10. Jeff Burton: Burton plowed into Jeff Gordon when the No. 24 cut a tire on lap 154, damaging the front of Burton’s No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet. Burton restarted well back in the field and finished 24th, which set him back four places in the point standings to sixth, where he trails Kevin Harvick by 414.

“I think Budweiser and Kevin Harvick will form a great partnership,” Burton said. “That was evident in Tuesday’s press conference when Kevin made the first of what will surely be many ‘Bud pole’ jokes.”

“The Budweiser brand and colors will now be associated with Kevin’s smartly aggressive driving and take-no-prisoners attitude. Next year, if Kevin pisses someone off on the track, they’ll have no choice but to see ‘red.’”

The Cup Series return to the Irish hills of Michigan also marked the return of Jack Roush, injured in a plane crash, to the track as well as the resurgence of Richard Childress Racing.  Here is what is surprising and not surprising from the race at MIS this past weekend.

Surprising: Not since 1990 when the late Dale Earnhardt won had Richard Childress Racing been to victory lane at Michigan.   But all that changed when RCR driver and points leader Kevin Harvick powered his No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet to the checkered flag. This was Harvick’s first win at a two mile plus race track without a restrictor plate since Indy in 2003.

Not Surprising: With that victory and the points lead solidly in hand, Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress Racing positioned themselves perfectly to welcome the Budweiser sponsorship to their car in 2011. All of the stars seem to be aligning for Harvick with his new sponsor, a new contract, and a position in the championship Chase now officially locked in.

Surprising:  Kurt Busch in the blue deuce for Penske Racing had been riding high recently. He was unpleasantly surprised, however, when his engine failed early in the race due to a valve breakage. This was Busch’s second DNF and he was also NASCAR’s biggest loser, dropping six positions in the point standings, from fourth to tenth.

Not Surprising: Brother Kyle Busch had an eventful race as he so often does, at one point brushing the wall hard and suffering damage to his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota. Yet he battled back for a finish matching the number of his car, taking the checkered flag in the 18^th position. Unlike his brother, Kyle Busch just lost one position in the Chase standings, dropping him to eighth.

Surprising:   With an uncertain future at Richard Petty Motorsports but with the memory of his Pocono Truck win still fresh in the back of his mind, Elliott Sadler had a great run in his No. 19 Henry Ford Museum: Racing in America Ford. Sadler came in 9^th after starting back in the field in 23^rd.

Not Surprising:   RPM teammate Kasey Kahne did not fare as well as Sadler. While he started from the pole, he brought his No. 9 Budweiser Ford to the finish line in 14^th, deeming his run “disappointing.”

Surprising: Lanky Joey Logano and ripped Ryan Newman got into a tussle on and off the track. On lap 148, the two drivers were battling for position and wrecked one another. Newman, battling for one of the final positions in the Chase, finished a miserable 23^rd, while Logano, who is out of Chase contention, salvaged a top ten finish.

Not Surprising: The two drivers continued their on track disagreement into the garage area, with Logano confronting Newman and accusing him of driving him “too hard”. Newman, showing no patience for the youngster, especially after being touched by the gesticulating young man, shared a few choice words, encouraging Logano to learn how to drive himself.

Surprising:   It was surprising how badly the Hendrick Motorsports drivers fared at Michigan. Jeff Gordon, celebrating his own birthday as well as the birth of his son Leo, started in the back but had a strong car, at one point running at the front of the field. But tire troubles plagued him throughout the latter part of the race and he finished 27^th.

Not Surprising:   Unfortunately for the Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans, the Irish hills did not smile on the driver of the No. 88 National Guard AMP Energy Chevrolet. Junior finished 19^th but can take solace that he was the second best finisher of his four HMS teammates.

Surprising: Hendrick Motorsports driver Mark Martin also struggled, getting into the wall early in the race. He finished behind Jeff Gordon in 28^th and with that finish fell out of Chase contention to the 13^th position in the point standings.

Not Surprising: With the ‘Cat in the Hat’ back on top of the pit box where he belongs, the Roushketeers had a great run in his honor and at his home track. Roush Fenway drivers Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth finished in the third, fourth and fifth positions respectively. Even young driver David Ragan ran well, finishing 11^th and earning a congratulatory phone call from Roush himself.

Surprising: Denny Hamlin re-emerged and brought his No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota home in the runner up position. Hamlin was one of the biggest point gainers, moving up to the third position in the points right behind Harvick and Gordon.

Not Surprising: In the throes of the hot and sticky summer, it is no surprise that Smoke has started to reappear. Tony Stewart, as he so often does, has started to heat up his season, finishing sixth in his No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet. With that top ten finish, Stewart also moved up four positions in the Chase standings to fourth.

The Cup Series will go short track racing under the lights at Bristol this weekend. The IRWIN Tools Night Race will run on Saturday, August 21^st at 7:30 PM on ABC. 

Kevin Harvick won at Michigan, locked his place in the Chase, and has moved to within 20 bonus points of Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin when they reset things next month. All in all, the boy has got some pretty good reason to be…er…well, Happy.

Harvick is also our hottest driver over the past ten events, with a pair of wins, but Tony Stewart has almost matched him in points. In fact, over the span Smoke has managed a top ten in all but one, with the lone exception of that 25th place finish at Daytona in July.

When it comes to hot drivers, Carl Edwards does not come to mind, but there he is. Six straight top tens can do that for you. Appearing out of nowhere, or so it seemed, to finish third at Michigan is just one example of why he is a bonafide contender.

While some are going up, others are taking a plunge the other direction. Mark Martin has dived behind Clint Bowyer for that last playoff spot and there doesn’t seem to be any water left in his pool. If you are hoping the likes of David Reutimann, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Jamie McMurray or Ryan Newman might make the Chase, I wouldn’t be holding my breath. A Top Ten in Bristol might help save the day or at least delay things. Better yet, maybe a top five. Kyle Busch should make the Chase, but right now he has all the momentum of a ball and chain.

Here is a look at our hottest 20 drivers over the past 10 races…

1 (2) Kevin Harvick – 1502 pts – 2 wins, 7 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens
Whose a Happy boy? Whose a Happy boy?

2 (1) Tony Stewart – 1500 pts – 5 Top Fives, 9 Top Tens
A top ten in nine of the past ten.

3 (5) Carl Edwards – 1384 pts – 4 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
Showed up like Rosie Ruiz to claim third at Michigan.

4 (3) Jeff Gordon – 1347 pts – 5 Top Fives, 7 Top Tens
Race was all cute and cuddly until he checked the diaper.

5 (6) Jeff Burton – 1329 pts – 2 Top Fives, 6 Top Tens
Pit crew might be walking funny this week.

6 (9) Jimmie Johnson – 1320 pts – 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
Slump will end when the Chase begins.

7 (8) Denny Hamlin – 1315 pts – 2 Wins, 4 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
Eight races without a win. Oh, the humanity!

8 (7) Kasey Kahne – 1265 pts – 3 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
Captain Hook isn’t the only one hearing the clock ticking.

8 (17) Greg Biffle – 1265 pts – 1 Win, 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
Like Batman, Biff, bam, boom and he’s back.

10 (10) Clint Bowyer – 1212 pts – 2 Top Fives, 4 Top Tens
A Chase place is his, for now.

11 (21) Juan Pablo Montoya – 1211 pts – 1 Wins, 1 Top Five, 4 Top Tens
This team has come to love the Juan their with.

12 (4) Kurt Busch – 1209 pts – 3 Top Fives, 5 Top Tens
Having a wall banger before the race is bad, doing one during it is worse.

13 (16) Matt Kenseth – 1180 pts – 1 Top Five, 1 Top Ten
Jack returns and so does his boys.

14 (13) A.J. Allmendinger – 1176 pts – 1 Top Five, 3 Top Tens
Two single digit finishes doesn’t get the job done.

15 (11) David Reutimann – 1168 pts – 1 Win, 1 Top Five, 1 Top Ten
Chicago was a dream, the last four were reality.

16 (19) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 1133 pts – 1 Top Five, 3 Top Tens
While he might not be good, you can always find someone worse

17 (12) Jamie McMurray – 1129 pts – 1 Win, 2 Top Fives, 3 Top Tens
Won the 500 and the Brickyard, what more do you want?

18 (14) Kyle Busch – 1106 pts – 1 Top Five, 2 Top Tens
Bristol might be the medicine the doctor ordered.

19 (18) Ryan Newman – 1105 pts – 1 Top Ten
When  push comes to shove, Logano is there for you.

20 (15) Mark Martin – 1085 pts – 1 Top Ten
On your Mark, get set, Gone!

So, what did we learn at Michigan?

Well, we learned why Kevin Harvick is so darned happy. He is first in the standings, the hottest driver in recent weeks, and the first to lock his way into the Chase. So, why not add his third win of the season to the mix? Those ten Chase bonus points for the victory has him only 20 behind Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin when they re-set the points next month.

We learned it was not a good day to be a Hendrick driver. Johnson looked good early, but found himself slipping back in the second half of the event to finish a fortunate 12th. He was the best of the lot. Mark Martin creased the wall early, and his 28th place result was one behind Jeff Gordon, who had a tire go down at the three-quarter pole. As for Dale Earnhardt Jr, he was 19th on a day we noticed David Ragan a heck of a lot more.

We learned that those who led the first half of the event were not necessarily the guys we saw up there at the end. Harvick, Greg Biffle (4th) and Tony Stewart (6th) proved to be the exceptions. Denny Hamlin came from the outback at the start to be the runner-up, while emerging from somewhere in the twilight zone was Carl Edwards to earn third.

We learned that Ryan Newman was not happy with Joey Logano. We don’t know if their post-race argument, including a shove from the veteran, was about the racing deal that saw Newman go for a spin or if it resulted from Logano trying to criticize the Rocketman’s driving style. If he thought Newman drove aggressively, he now knows the man also argues the same way.

We learned it was a good day for Jack Roush to make his return after his latest plane crash. Biffle and Matt Kenseth finished right behind Edwards, while Ragan was 11th. With Roush now surviving two such accidents in just over eight years, I suggest he might wish to avoid future such landings and take up parachuting. Going up is fine, but he needs a new plan coming down.

We learned that Kurt Busch could have used a different engine. Maybe one that might last more than 60 miles before blowing up. Two DNF’s in his last three is not good, but even though he fell to tenth in the standings, he is in a Chase place by a good 200 points.

We learned that Clint Bowyer would regain the final invitation to the fall ball, though by just 35 points over Martin with three races to go before the deadline. Newman, Jamie McMurray, Kasey Kahne, and Junior are also close enough to grab it if all goes very well for them at Bristol. I suggest, however, that no one hold their breath on that happening.

One of the circuits marquee tracks is next on the schedule, a place Johnson claimed the prize in the spring and where Kyle Busch swept the pair in 2009. It is where legends visit Victory Lane, including three Hall of Famers and seventeen Cup champions since 1961. Bristol is indeed hallowed ground.