Nascar and Racing Kyle Busch

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.

Despite turning in a four-win 2009 season and leading Kyle Busch to a series best eight victories last year, Steve Addington (far right, with Busch) is being replaced by Dave Rogers as crew chief of Busch's No. 18 Toyota beginning with the Nov. 8 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.

Addington, 45, who has served as crew chief of the No. 18 car for five years, will be reassigned within the Joe Gibbs Racing organization, according to a news release from the team on Tuesday.

"We evaluate all of our teams on an ongoing basis and believe this is a change that will make the 18 team stronger as we prepare for next season,'' said JGR President J.D. Gibbs. "We think highly of Steve and the job he has done and we look forward to him remaining a part of the JGR family."

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Brad Keselowski held off points leader Kyle Busch on the final lap to win the Kroger On Track For the Cure 250 in a green-white-checker finish in Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Memphis Motorsports Park.

Keselowski was leading when a caution came out with two laps to go because Stephen Wallace spun after tangling with Matt Kenseth. Wallace banged into Kenseth's car after the race and the two had words on pit road.

Keselowski held onto the lead through the overtime segment. Busch finished second and leads Carl Edwards by 215 points in the standings.

---

---

Tony Stewart may be working spots for Burger King at the moment, but at the end of Sunday's race, he was making chicken salad.

"It was making chicken salad out of chicken you know what," said Stewart after finishing 5th. "We were pretty fortunate to get a couple of breaks there when we needed them."

The 'breaks' Stewart was talking about including getting back on the lead lap after falling behind thanks to a miscue on pit road. You could also toss in the fact that he kept his Chase hopes alive by not taking a finish deep in the field.

Casey Mears has had a downright awful season in 2009, but it got a little bit better on Sunday.

Race: Pepsi 500
Where: Auto Club Speedway, Fontana, Calif.
Time: Sunday 3 p.m./EST
TV/Radio: ABC, Motor Racing Network
Twitter: Updates @ FanHouseRacing
Forecast: Mid-70s, Clear
Distance: 250 laps (500 miles)
Pole Winner: Denny Hamlin
2008 Winner: Jimmie Johnson


A nice bout with the flu has Kyle Busch reeling this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Busch was leading yesterday's Nationwide Series race when he came to pit road under caution to have Denny Hamlin relieve him of his driving duties.

Please follow Joey Logano's actions and keep your hands and feet inside this ride we call Sprint Cup Notes & Quotes at all times.

Michael Waltrip's crash on lap 86 didn't look too vicious compared to Joey Logano's tumbling crash on lap 31, but when you take into account the angle of impact and sudden stop Waltrip's No. 55 experienced, it would easily be the most dangerous of the two.

His Toyota suffered a blown right front tire that uncontrollably rocketed Waltrip into the outside wall. After getting out of his damaged machine, Waltrip was feeling awful thankful for the safety improvements NASCAR has implemented in the past few years.

RICHMOND, Va. -- If the Chase for the Championship can live up to the race that launched it, NASCAR will be must-see TV for these last 10 races of the season. So let the games begin.

The 12-driver playoff field wasn't set until the final lap of Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway ending with a storybook scenario complete with heroes and villains, white and black hats, sentimental favorites and potential spoilers.

Mark Martin is in. Kyle Busch is out. Brian Vickers made it. Matt Kenseth did not.

---

---

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Denny Hamlin suffered his fair share of heartbreak at Richmond International Raceway, the home track where he so desperately wanted a win.

He finally got it Saturday night, but the victory celebration was muted. Kyle Busch, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, fell eight points short of making the Chase for the championship in the tightest deciding race since the format was launched in 2004.

---

---

RICHMOND, Va. -- With all the publicity surrounding allegations of cheating and race fixing in Formula One and drag racing this week, it begs the question, would NASCAR drivers ever purposely "help" a teammate win a race, improve a position or gain in the championship standings?

Is it even wrong? Or is it simply a long-practiced element of competition?

"I've already thought about that in regards to my teammates and if there's anything I can do to help my teammates, I'd do it," said Carl Edwards, who has two Roush Fenway teammates still trying to clinch a spot in the Chase for the Championship in Saturday's Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond International Raceway.

They've fought on-track and tossed fighting words at each other off-track, but now Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch are more focused on the fight ahead of them this weekend at Richmond International Raceway.

Busch, a winner of four races this season, and Vickers, a winner of one, stand the best chance to fight their way into the top-12 of NASCAR's point standings at the end of the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 Saturday night. By doing so, they'd secure themselves a spot in the coveted Chase for the Sprint Cup and a chance to race for the title.

But judging by performance of previous drivers on the edge of making it in during Richmond's final opportunity, their chances are 50/50 at best.