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Making Mincemeat Out Of Someone Else’s Mistake: How Johnson Keeps Doing It

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Sunday’s final laps at Texas, after the 400 miles of throw-up preceding it, felt like a heavyweight throw-down. Brad Keselowski, the Sprint Cup challenger up front spent each lap landing frantic punches, unafraid to give the champion inside the No. 48 a few uppercuts to his unyielding confidence. Keselowski’s crew chief, Paul Wolfe, pulled the best Chad Knaus impression possible by going against the grain with a two-tire strategy, earning them track position with a car capable of a Five-Time TKO. Mentally, Keselowski jumped inside Johnson’s head, accelerating early on a restart and then physically slamming the No. 2 Dodge into the Lowe’s Chevrolet, shattering sheet metal while making it clear that when both run side-by-side, a title on the line all bets are off. For Johnson, who’s won five championships without playing the contact game, it’s a world of uncontrolled aggression where he is competent but not comfortable.

Ten Years Is All It Takes

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So I’ve been having one of those waxing nostalgic types of weeks. You know, the ones where you sit and take stock of where you are, where you’ve been, and where you’ve going; a look at history is always healthy when you’re trying to plan out your future. It’s the type of moment that hits most stock car folk in the ninth month of a grueling season, the November ending to a 36-race marathon that always seems to have fans, drivers, everyone involved ready to drop heading to the finish line. (A topic for another day.)

Mirror Driving: Offense Or Defense, NASCAR’s Win Starved Vets & Regan’s Rise

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*Jimmie Johnson’s win at Martinsville propels him into the points lead with three races to go in the season — will the change from defensive mode to offensive for opponent Brad Keselowski change the outlook from here on out?*

Phil: Well, I think they’ll both be on the offensive this weekend in Texas.
Summer: I’ve been saying for a few months now that Jimmie Johnson will win the championship and I’m sticking by that.

Did You Notice? … How To Reconstruct A NASCAR Marriage, Money Mismanagement And Ageless Wonders

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*Did You Notice?…* The most predictable driver / crew chief failure has finally reached its miserable conclusion? Jeff Burton and Drew Blickensderfer, one of those couples destined for divorce the minute you knew they were walking down the aisle together, have finally parted ways. In Blick’s place comes the man Burton’s needed most all along, Luke Lambert, who will clearly define the future success of a 2013 program that, in Burton’s eyes at least, has become “make or break.”

The Lambert-Burton marriage, reconciled after a year apart, was one of the silliest breakups in NASCAR Sprint Cup history. OK, Jordan and Pippen they weren’t – not yet – but these two were clearly on the path towards long-term success.

5 Points to Ponder: Haloes, Half-a-Ride and an Historical Ending?

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*ONE: ESPN’s “Miracle” Grasping at Straws*

Considering Martinsville was the hardest track left on the schedule for Brad Keselowski, given both his limited experience at the speedway and the strength of fellow title contender Jimmie Johnson’s setup at the paperclip oval, there was definitely a reason to celebrate finishing sixth on Sunday. Keselowski scored his career-best result there, kept heavyweight Johnson within two points despite giving up a win this late in the Chase, and even survived a late-race gamble to stay out that nearly backfired when all but two cars opted to take tires during the final cycle of pit stops.

Having said that, ESPN’s post-race interview was certainly making Keselowski’s performance out to be a bit more…dramatic…than it was. It was called the “Miracle At Martinsville,” all because Keselowski climbed from 32nd to finish sixth.

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.

Did You Notice?… Earnhardt’s Financial Flaw, NASCAR Tire Testing For Two And Quick Hits

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*Did You Notice?…* Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is coming back with no real incentive to do so? Yes, you can tell me all you want about how Earnhardt loves to race, there’s still four chances to win and an outside shot to sneak back inside the top 10 in points, an improvement that would give the driver a little extra TV time at the Las Vegas Championship banquet. At heart, these men are racers, the passion for their craft pushing them to get back in the driver’s seat as quickly as possible. But outside of Martinsville, the No. 88 hasn’t exactly had the history as of late to suggest wins will come at Texas, Phoenix, or Homestead. Momentum for 2013 is a moot point, both in setup notes and at-track finishes as a new car will wipe the slate clean come Daytona. And while Earnhardt could assist teammate Jimmie Johnson with setup information, their relationship being better than Johnson and Regan Smith’s, it’s arguable that Smith was producing better results, driving quickly into the top 10 at Charlotte before blowing the engine and slotting in seventh at Kansas, the team’s best all-around performance since Michigan in August.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Kansas

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Admit it. You laughed when you heard people say that Kansas would be the “wild card” in this Chase. Well, we don’t think that the mechanics back at the shop are laughing now — especially those fabricators charged with rebuilding sheet metal. Heck, even the car in Victory Lane was damaged after Sunday!

Matt Kenseth’s Ford, its chassis bent and bruised had what amounted to a “Kansas stripe” in Victory Lane but still took home the trophy anyway in this race of survival.