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Five Points to Ponder: Imaginary Feuds, Keselowski’s Accusations, and Villainizing Villeneuve

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*ONE: The Jr/Jeff Feud…Move Along, Nothing to See Here*

If anyone needs further proof as to how uneventful a race Michigan was, even with the multitude of Hendrick Motorsports engine failures, just take a look at how much of an issue was made of the supposed Jeff Gordon vs. Dale Earnhardt Jr. feud. In case one missed the race (or dozed off during it), there was a moment on lap 82 where Jeff Gordon’s radio stated that he should have wrecked his teammate in the No. 88. Later in the afternoon, when Gordon went behind the wall with engine troubles, he elaborated that he was upset with his teammate pulling a four-wide move in the first half of the event and a slide-job to follow.

Call of the Wild: Who Will Get the Two Coveted Chase Spots?

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It never fails to amaze me how quickly the NASCAR season passes despite its immense longevity. Perhaps this is just simply a function of the passing of time – I keep getting older despite my best intentions – but can there really only be three races left until we start the oft ballyhooed 2012 Chase? It only seems like yesterday the one-man wrecking crew Juan Pablo Montoya smacked into the jet dryer at Daytona during the Great American Race. He’s been hitting just about everything else too, since. Ah, good times.

But I digress from my main point – a common theme for my columns these last five years I’ll admit.

Seizing A NASCAR Window Of Opportunity

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Greg Biffle and Rodney Dangerfield have about as much in common as Lindsay Lohan and Barack Obama. One races cars for a living; the other was an actor/comedian. The driver would kill for any type of fan following; Dangerfield spent his career leaving legions of fans laughing. And though Dangerfield died a few years back, Biffle is very much alive and remains in the midst of his NASCAR career.

However, the two men remain tied together, if only through one simple phrase…

“I don’t get no respect.”

The Big 6: Questions Answered After the 2012 Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan

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If Michigan proved anything, it was that the best car doesn’t always win. Ask Jimmie Johnson. But if you have a great car, you can sometimes still make a statement, regardless of what the results sheet says. This week, Sam Hornish Jr. did just that, though he wound up 12th when the smoke cleared. Hornish, who is contending for the Nationwide Series championship, made the decision to stay in Montreal until the conclusion of that race, forgoing all practice for the Sprint Cup race (Parker Kligerman practiced and qualified the No. 22.). Starting at the back on Sunday, Hornish made quick work of most of the field, despite his lack of practice, charging to the front and looking like his lightning-fast No. 22 would be a contender for the win.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Pocono

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To say the race at Pocono was crazy would be an understatement. From scoring errors, to torrential downpours, and crazy on-track action (at Pocono!) no fan could legitimately turn off the race because it was “boring”. Of course, we do want to express condolences and well wishes to the victims of the lightning strikes and their families.

Back on the racetrack, Jeff Gordon finally looked like, well, Jeff Gordon and was able to pull into Victory Lane since a witch doctor cast a spell on him. Or at least that’s what we think happened.

Did You Notice? … NASCAR’s Blind Earnhardt Prophecy, Diversity Disasters And Quick Hits

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*Did You Notice?…* How so many people in NASCAR are living on a prayer? Too bad even Jon Bon Jovi would know better than to believe Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is on the verge of “reviving” the sport. I know what you’re saying… who am I to shoot the messengers? After all, in the past 72 hours Earnhardt has been revered for his ability to rise for the top of the point standings for the first time in eight years; that, his win at Michigan and a rumored ability to walk on water on the way has made him a demigod during a week there hasn’t been much to write about.

But speculation, in this case can be replaced by simple fact, one quotation that more than any other explains why the 2012 version of Junior will never be the “national racing savior” for millions of disillusioned fans he once was on the verge of becoming.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Power Rankings: Top 15 After Indianapolis

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It was a Hendrick Motorsports kind of day last weekend in Indianapolis. Jimmie Johnson stole the show to win his fourth Brickyard 400, putting him in elite company at America’s most famous speedway. Meanwhile, looking at the “big picture” teammate Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the series point lead for the first time since the Fall of 2004. Is the apocalypse, supposedly predicted by the Mayans this year finally upon us? Or are Steve Letarte and Earnhardt just really, really good together — better than anyone could have ever imagined once they were joined at the hip by Rick Hendrick?