Food for Thought Down the Stretch

A few random thoughts and observations with four races remaining to qualify for the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup:

The "new and improved" Kyle Busch:

Well, he has to start somewhere with his attitude, so give Kyle Busch credit for climbing out of the race car and doing what he so far had been unable to do so often in the past – conduct a civil and polite interview. We in the NASCAR media are fortunate in our ability to approach our athletes immediately following an event, whereas in most sports, players retreat to the locker room for 30 minutes before facing the press.

Taking the good with the bad is part of a participant and a reporter's job but we've all (particularly the fans) been getting the proverbial short end of the stick this season – the lack of a decent interview with Kyle after numerous second-place finishes, let alone 15th- or 30th-place days. So, I have to tip my hat to Kyle for standing in front of the cameras the past couple of weeks and giving respectable responses, whether sincere or not.

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Who Is In or Out of The Chase?

It remains to be seen whether Kyle Busch's newfound positive attitude amps up his on-track performance, but I still think his chances of clinching a spot in the Chase are pretty stout. He currently sits 13th, 58 points out of 12th, heading into this weekend's race at Michigan.

The battle for the final spots is an intense one with everyone between ninth and 15th in points in jeopardy. Matt Kenseth, teetering on the edge in 12th, historically is strong at the two-mile track, so he may very well inch up to a more comfortable spot in the standings. Following Michigan, the Cup Series hits Bristol Motor Speedway, the infamous crap shoot where all hell can break loose and ramrod several drivers' Chase aspirations. If Greg Biffle, Kenseth or Mark Martin were to be swept up in a wreck, Busch, Brian Vickers and possibly Clint Bowyer could again have a viable shot at making the cut. Vickers has had flashes of brilliance this season and if he can score two or three top-five finishes and survive "Thunder Valley," he has a legitimate hope of getting in. I'm not as sold on Bowyer yet because his team tends to run hot and cold, but the next week or two should be quite telling for the No. 33 bunch.

Juan Pablo Montoya:

In only his third full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Juan Pablo Montoya has done an amazing job and finds himself comfortably in the seventh position. He has run hard, stayed on track and made minimal mistakes. His Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing team deserves a lot of credit for ramping up their performance and giving him solid equipment that doesn't break – all this amidst the growing pains of a merger. But the lion's share of the accolades goes to the driver who has made a very difficult transition from open wheel to stock cars as seamless as possible. If Montoya locks in for the title run, don't bet against him winning it all.

The Chase with no Harvick and Dale Jr.?

It's pretty amazing that two of the sport's most popular and successful superstars will be missing from the championship picture this season. The absence of Kevin Harvick isn't too shocking because the entire Richard Childress Racing organization has been off this year and the demise of their Chase hopes has been an ever-present scenario all season. However, Childress' four teams have improved over the past couple of weeks but still have a long road ahead of them.

As far as NASCAR's most popular driver, I am absolutely dumbfounded that despite what they've thrown at the No. 88 car, despite which teammates' setups they've put under it, despite who they've paired Dale Jr. with as a crew chief, not only is the performance missing, but the team continues to suffer mechanical problems of one nature of another.

How much of a role the driver plays in this debacle is a somewhat intangible factor. But look at what Montoya has done in what many might argue is not the best equipment in the garage. How much of a part has Dale Jr. himself played in his poor performance - not just in the races – but also in practice sessions and his ability to communicate the car's needs to the crew? I don't think anyone truly knows. But without a doubt, all three of his teammates are forces to be reckoned with every week and it's amazing he occupies the polar opposite on the competition spectrum.

Double-File Restarts at MIS:

From the media and fans' standpoint, the double-file restarts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have been nothing short of a lifesaver for the excitement level of the races. But these "shootout style" restarts at Michigan will bring an entirely new dynamic to the wide and "racy" track. I think each and every restart will be breathtaking. At Chicagoland Speedway a couple of weeks ago, anyone near the front had a shot at winning on the final restarts. Expect Michigan to be perhaps the wildest racing we've seen all season. Anyone in the top six or eight with three laps remaining could have a viable shot at the checkered flag. Who would have thought we'd see three and four-wide racing on restarts?

Especially now, with the Race to the Chase winding down, look for guys to take these type of chances for the win. After all, finishing first is what it's all about ... and it won't be long before we know who the 12 drivers battling for that chance will be.

Randy Pemberton is a 23-year veteran of motorsports journalism who currently serves as host of NASCAR in a Hurry and reporter for NASCAR Live on SPEED. He has hosted, produced, reported and written for numerous motorsports programs and specials over the years. Pemberton won the Russ Catlin Award of Excellence for broadcast journalism three times, in addition to being named a multi-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association award for spot news. Pemberton, who joined SPEED in 2007 after years with other networks, has produced, written and served as the talent for more than 500 feature packages for national television productions. For more information on Pemberton or to access the NASCAR on SPEED programming schedule, please visit www.speedtv.com.