Notes, quotes & commentary after 501 laps around a Virginian paperclip. I get what NASCAR is trying do, I really do.
They want these races to be dramatic, to make good television and perhaps provide a sense of danger to fans like ESPN's Ed Hinton believes they crave. It's no different than any other sport, movie or story -- dramatic moments bring eyeballs.
But at some point, NASCAR needs to get a whole lot better at not allowing a stalled race car to sit in peril at the start/finish line in the name of a dramatic finish.
RICHMOND, Va. -- Fifty-year old Mark Martin continues to make a strong case for his emotional NASCAR championship run, winning the pole position for Saturday night's Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.
It's Martin's sixth pole of the year, tying him with Brian Vickers for the most in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series. His four wins is also tied for most of the season -- a victory total that equals his wins from 2000-2008 combined.
"This year, I've been getting some nice laps,'' Martin said in the ultimate understatement.
Join 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth on Friday at 12:15 PM ET for a live chat. Kenseth, who will drive the No. 17 R+L Carriers Ford Fushion in Saturday's Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, is ranked 12th in the championship standings. He is one of two drivers in position to have qualified for the Chase for the Championship playoff format every year since its 2004 inception.
Next Wednesday, Kenseth will join an elite lineup of the sport's best when he competes in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream at Eldora (Ohio) Speedway -- a charity race organized by Tony Stewart and broadcast live on HBO pay-per-view. Join this year's Daytona 500 winner on the chat as he answers your questions live.
Everyone had a feeling something had to give. And it has.
A week removed from Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, General Motors has pulled its factory support for teams in NASCAR's Nationwide and Camping World Truck series. And as the company evaluates its financial commitment to motorsports, there is concern that further cost-cutting may involve the Sprint Cup Series too. Several teams fielding Chevrolets in the Nationwide Series confirmed the news on Friday in statements.
"Obviously the automotive industry is dealing with unprecedented business challenges and we understand the need for restructuring to accommodate the need to reduce costs and maximize returns,'' said Kelley Earnhardt, general manager of JR Motorsports, a Nationwide team owned by her brother Dale Earnhardt Jr.
David Ragan's first NASCAR victory in 196 starts was the major story of Saturday's Nationwide race, but it definitely wasn't the biggest highlight. As Holly mentioned in her recap, a wild wreck by Matt Kenseth had every spectator in awe at Talladega.
After Kenseth lost control with 12 laps left, the car skidded on its roof, flipped three times and caught fire along the grass. Thankfully he was able to make a quick escape from the car as his pregnant wife, Katie, watched with bated breath.
Just weeks ago, the name Matt Kenseth was the only available substitute for '2009 Sprint Cup winner'.
The Roush Fenway Racing driver picked up the Harley J. Earl Trophy for winning the rain-soaked Daytona 500 and followed it up a week later with a 'W' in the season's second race at Auto Club Speedway.
Since then, however, Kenseth has fallen through the standings at a clip rivaling a Ryan Newman qualifying lap.
On a night when Hollywood was honoring its best just miles down the road, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series saw a mellowed star continue his rise back to the top.
A friend from Denver -- a new NASCAR fan -- called up the morning after the Daytona 500 disappointed and feeling like he got short-changed.
He said stopping the race 48 laps short felt like watching an NFL game being played in bad weather with the referees just deciding whoever was ahead in the third quarter got the win.
As I explained to him -- and as Daytona 500 winner Matt Kenseth has unfortunately felt obligated to explain on every talk show appearance he's made since earning his first 500 trophy -- everyone knows the game and Kenseth's team simply played it best.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It wasn't a full race, but for the driver from Cambridge, Wisc., it's still the Daytona 500.
Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford, won the rain-shortened 51st running of the Daytona 500 Sunday night after NASCAR stopped the event 48 laps from the scheduled distance.
I get what NASCAR is trying do, I really do.
RICHMOND, Va. -- Fifty-year old 
Join 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion 
Everyone had a feeling something had to give. And it has.
Just weeks ago, the name 
Less than a lap into Sunday's 
A friend from Denver -- a new NASCAR fan -- called up the morning after the Daytona 500 disappointed and feeling like he got short-changed. 
