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Thinkin’ Out Loud: 2012 Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

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During the pit stops for a lap 476 caution, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. stayed out while Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and the rest of the lead lap cars came in for two tires. Johnson restarted behind Keselowski and worked him over for four laps before taking the lead for good. In the end, Keselowski ended up about where he would have finished with tires, while some of the other top contenders on the day ended up falling back to unsatisfying results.

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 TUMS Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville

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There were a few typical Martinsville skirmishes on Sunday. Kurt Busch called Kevin Harvick “half-assed” when Harvick refused to cut him some slack as Busch wanted to move into the bottom groove and Harvick got into him instead spinning him around. Johnson was upset with Mears after Mears got into his right front, wrenching the steering wheel from his hands, though no damage was done. Montoya was upset with Johnson, who shoved his way underneath the No. 42 in the closing laps, sending him up the track.

Pace Laps: NASCAR Chase Down to Two?, Bernard Gets the Axe, & Big-Time Buescher

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*Sprint Cup: Title Race Down To Two?* Headed into Martinsville, the question on everyone’s mind was whether either Clint Bowyer or Kasey Kahne could close in on the top three title contenders: point leader Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin. That question was answered with a fairly convincing “no” on Sunday. Not only did Bowyer and Kahne fail to gain any significant ground on the top spot, but Hamlin saw his Chase hopes plummet when an electrical malfunction cost him 34 laps to Johnson, who won the race from the pole. Hamlin is now fifth on the charts, a dismal 46 markers behind new leader Johnson.

Perception Creates An Imperfect Reality: Sixth Place vs. Title No. 6

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Three races left in the Sprint Cup season. Two drivers left in Chase contention. And one big problem for NASCAR: a title battle fans believe might be over.

Make no mistake; Brad Keselowski is doing everything possible to change that. The Miller Lite Miracle was something special at Martinsville, Kes turning a 32nd-place starting spot into a sixth-place finish, one for the moral victory column. How exceptional was that for NASCAR’s King of the Twitterverse (and perhaps a reconnection to relevancy)? In five previous starts at the paperclip, @Keselowski’s best finish was ninth. Until a last-ditch effort to win, staying out during the race’s penultimate caution, the driver of the No. 2 Dodge had led a grand total of two laps at NASCAR’s shortest track.

Under Pressure: Is There Enough Urgency In NASCAR?

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With just four races left in the season, four drivers have a realistic chance to win the title. For points leader Brad Keselowski, who holds a slim seven-point advantage over five-time champion Jimmie Johnson, as well as for Johnson, Denny Hamlin, and Clint Bowyer, the pressure to perform is intense, and it shows in the way the contenders have raced in recent weeks. Keselowski, Hamlin and Bowyer all have Chase wins, but it hasn’t been a Sunday drive for any of them. Playing the fuel strategy has bitten the group. Johnson backed the No. 48 into the wall last week, overdriving after a caution during a cycle of pit stops trapped him in the back of the pack. The Big One at Talladega hit them hard.

They’re racing with everything they have, every week.

Tracking the Trucks: Kroger 200

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*In A Nutshell:* Denny Hamlin pushed and shoved his way past Matt Crafton with five laps to go to take the win in the Kroger 200 over a charging Nelson Piquet, Jr. Hamlin drove the No. 51 Toyota by Crafton after the final restart of the race to take home his second career Camping World Truck Series win in 15 starts. Hamlin had to come from the back of the pack after missing the drivers’ meeting due to Sprint Cup practice. Both of Hamlin’s wins have come at Martinsville Speedway; he also won the fall race last year. Joey Coulter, Crafton, and Scott Riggs rounded out the top 5.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Returns To NASCAR… Not A Moment Too Soon

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Almost three weeks ago, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. climbed out of his wrecked race car at Talladega after a late race wreck had ruined his day, ended his faint chances at a series title and apparently scrambled his brain. After suffering a concussion during the tire test at Kansas a few weeks earlier, and then a second one at Talladega, the most popular driver in NASCAR was left with a decision that no race car driver, or athlete for that matter, ever wants to have to face: his mortality. Suddenly, scary health news turned the iron will of a race car driver vulnerable, a future left shaky due to brain trauma that, if left untreated could leave a lifetime risk of permanent damage. So after taking that look in the mirror, Earnhardt decided to take the doctors’ advice and stay out of the car for at least two weeks. It was two of the longest weeks of his life, agony from the couch while having to watch someone else drive the No. 88. But in hindsight it was the right thing to do — for both Earnhardt and for the sport.