Any Given Sunday

They are the very best at what they do. The Superstars of their sport. A safe bet. A sure deal. On any given Sunday they can dominate under any circumstances. They are Mr. Consistent, and here he is again this year. 

For the 2006 season, Kenseth had an average finish of 9.8. That is a .10 off last years Cup Champion, #48 Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth had 5 races he finished outside of the top 20, and an impressive 19 top ten finishes for the 2006 season. (14 of them were top 5.) One race was the difference between the Cup Champion of 2006, and #17 Matt Kenseth. 

#17 Matt Kenseth continues his dominance and consistency into the 2007 season. With a sweep in this weekends two top series in NASCAR, he is poised to start quick, build momentum, stay fast, and finish strong. Just like last year, the #17 is been seen rubbing paint with Gordon, racing hard with Stewart, and standing tall in Victory Lane. Mr. Consistent just introduced himself to the 2007 Nextel Cup this weekend in California.

Finally! We are here. 5 suspended Crew Chiefs, 175 total points reduced, and a winning duel car starting from the back. The 2007 Nextel Cup Season is already in top RPM's, and the green flag is going to drop.

I can't remember another Daytona 500 that had this many story lines going into it. When it comes to qualifying for the 500; rules will be bent, strategy will be played, and the Big One is always going to happen. We set the stage, then we drive over it.

Put all that into your rearview mirror. When the Daytona 500 goes green, none fo that matters anymore. It's all about staying in one piece, who you can make friends with in the draft, bump drafting, and avoiding that wreck. And for the Daytona 500 of the 2007 Nextel Cup Season, it's all about #20 Tony Stewart.

The prize purse is 18 million, with last place paying $226,000. Gentleman, Start Your Engines!

Junior has the Intimidation Factor

It started with Teresa Earnhardt in the Wall Street Journal saying, "Right now the ball's in [Junior's] court to decide on whether he wants to be a NASCAR driver or whether he wants to be a public personality.”  

It didn’t take long to make that explode into a rumor that Junior would ditch the #8, and be piloting the Chevy #3 made infamous by his father. There is not a gear-head alive that doesn’t miss seeing the #3 black Monte Carlo intimidating the rest of league in their rearview mirror. And Junior has made it clear that he wants to drive the #3 before the end of his own career.  

It’s all just marketing. It’s what NASCAR is all about. The scenario revolves around Junior’s contract coming to an end with DEI at the end of 2007, owned and operated by his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt. She goes on record with some laundry in hopes to motivate June Bug to get focused. Junior replies with his contract negotiation.  

The negotiations are huge. Not only is it a company in Juniors name sake, he is fully aware that he is that whole team. #8 pays the bills in that garage. #8 wants a stake of his own team. The Earnhardt name needs to be marketed, and every marketing plan has an image. That image is Junior. Period! Negotiation over.

You have to give Teresa credit for trying. For playing the game. It’s fun when you think about it. 

The truth is Junior will stay in the Red. The money, and the Budweiser. Richard Childress Racing has promised Junior that the only time the #3 will make a public appearance; he would be behind the wheel. (Racing for RCR of…, cough. I mean, of course.) But that is further down the road for June Bug. Right now, it's business. Junior will get a piece of Dale Earnhardt Inc. when he signs with them in the next few weeks.

There is only one driver in the league that is negotiation free. You can struggle, but it is a hard right turn. Just the notion of Junior packing up all that Budweiser money and being greeted with open arms on any team in the league makes any negotiation factor a void. When you have the most popular driver in the league, and his name is Earnhardt, you have nothing to negotiate with. You can try, but the ‘Intimidation Factor’ alone is deal breaker.

Very few rookies drive into the top series of NASCAR with much more then the respect they deserved just by getting there. All the hard work you put into your career got you a ride, but not a meal ticket. With the exception of anyone with the name Earnhardt, you will be caring your own bags till you’re strong enough to lift some hardware over your head. Just ask the #24 how long it had taken him to gain the respect of the NASCAR Nation. So, how can it be that someone comes into his first year in the league and be referred to as Mister?

It’s not what you know; it’s who knows you! Mr. Montoya may not know much about the world of stock car racing, but the world, and all forms of racing knows Mr. Montoya. This is no ordinary rookie. Juan Pablo Montoya is not just any driver leaving any old series for the bright lights of NASCAR. This is a former Indy 500 Champion. He also won the Cart FedEx Championship Series his rookie year. This is a driver who has been notorious for stealing poles, stealing wins, and straight stealing notoriety. Sounds exactly what NASCAR wants to steal.

And that series he left for NASCAR? Just the most expensive form of racing in the world. When Montoya announced he was leaving the good life of Formula One, to the roller skate race of NASCAR, the world was shocked.

Everyone but his new boss, his new sponsors, and NASCAR at least. Ganassi Racings new star is not only bright, but his spark has already been witnessed in every market except America. The rest of the world has already introduced themselves to Juan Pablo Montoya, and now NASCAR, and his sponsors want him to introduce them to the rest of the world.

Montoya finished his F1 career with 7 wins, 13 poles, and finished 3rd in the league: twice in his career that spanned from 2001 to 2006. In his rookie year he got his first win, grabbed 3 poles, and made the podium an impressive 4 times.

Now we are 32 days away from the start of another rookie year from Juan Pablo Montoya. One in which the learning curve is high, but his expectations might be higher. He will be considered a huge threat on tracks like The Glen and Infineon. And his test-times at Daytona were amazing. Making those smiles coming from the faces of his sponsors and all the NASCAR executives, well, priceless. That yellow stripe on his bumper is going to shine. And everyone will get paid to shine it.

2007 NEXTEL CUP

The first sign of the 2007 Nextel Cup Season is the phone ringing. I get the same call, around the same time of every year. The other end of the line is a dear old friend, and we repeat the same dialog from the year before. There is sign of life in Daytona.

This is the week that everyone in the NASCAR Nations phones starts ringing as well. It’s time to get back on track. Not only is the off-season short, it’s basically non-existent. The Daytona 500 is not only the Super Bowl of the Nextel Cup season; it’s the first race of the season.

In a single word, Daytona is a ‘Dream.’

In three words, Daytona is a ‘lot of work.’

Why is the biggest race of the year, the first race of the year? The short answer is history, but the truth is in the logistics.

Since 1959, ‘The Great American Race,’ has been held as the biggest event in Stock Car racing. It holds the largest prize purse, along with the highest prestige. To win the Daytona 500, is to have your name go down in history. Just to make the race is a cornerstone in any driver’s career. To succeed brings longevity. To fail, still brings fame.

But like every dream, it takes a ton of work just to get there. The preparations for the Daytona 500 can sometimes be measured by a lifetime. Most of the small details take almost 3 months to work out. In simple terms, that means there is no off-season. The best have no time to rest.

Most drivers do sneak in a vacation, but every top team in NASCAR keeps the garage lights on year round. Once the season starts, there is no room for error in making week-to-week adjustments. You have to prepare for every track on the schedule. You need to work out the logistics of ever-single race.

Besides tradition, and making it the most unique season of all professional sports, The Daytona 500 doesn’t fit anywhere else on the schedule. The biggest race of the year, takes the most time to prepare for. 3 months, or a lifetime at least.

So it’s that time of the year again. The team haulers have pulled up to Daytona for testing. The cars will be unloaded, and the drivers will be strapped in. A bit too early to make predictions of the green flag of the 2007 season, but it’s already getting too late to be behind in testing. Whichever way you look at it: the 2007 NASCAR season, and the phones have come to life.

"And if I don't see ya, in a long, long while
I'll try to find you
Left of the Dial"

~The Replacements

Lust for Life 2.0

Deserving #48

 The doubters, the diggers, and the dumb don’t believe. Hands down, the #48 won the Cup. It takes nothing less then perfection in this league to even come close. And that is exactly what this team brought to the track every week. Sure, your going to find the wall some weekends, but everyone else will too. It is how you race the week after you wreck. It is how you put your car in the top ten for the closing laps of every race. How you give your team a chance to win 36 times. It’s perfection, or planning every minute for it. Jimmie Johnson was Mr. Perfect all year.

17 of the first 21 races, he finished in the top 10. DAMN. 3 races into the season, he had 2 wins, and a 2nd place finish. They ended with 5 wins, and an average finish of 9.7 for the season.

The #48 dominated the Superspeedways all year. Not only did JJ win the Daytona 500, he won the Aarons 499 in Talladega. He came really close to winning the second Dega race as well, till Vickers decided to clean the #48, and the #8 in the last lap. His worst finish, in one piece, on a restrictor plate track this year was 9th in the Firecracker 400. (24th place resulted after his wreck with Junior in the 2nd race at Talladega.)

But it was the Brickyard that made it so convincing.  After winning the 2 biggest races in the year, they only have one thing left to do. Out of the ten races in the Chase, he finished 2nd or better in 5 of them. This was, as close to a perfect season you can get in the top level of NASCAR.

Congratulations Mr. Perfect. The 2006 Nextel Cup belongs to the #48 team.

Chasing the Chase

We made it. It's been a pressure stresser. From the green in Daytona to the checkers in Homestead, we have seen it all. Some drivers had big hopes for 2006. Who would have thought we would see a season like Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle gave us? Has anyone seen Carl's driver this year, and his 'won't shave till Carl takes the checkers?' Poor guy. And The Bif! What happened? The #16 was never in one piece for very long this year. For a few, this season could not come to an end any faster then we race.

Others still have work to do. Mainly the one that has arguably worked harder then all the rest all year. #48 has seen it's share of tv time, and picture patient victory lanes. He's flirted with the Cup before, but never has he come on this strong. He had made a huge crush off the green in that small race to start the season, and had the moves to end in afternoon at the Brickyard with a kiss. Miami seems destine for perfection for #48. Mr. Perfect races for 3/3 in 2006.

The Chase. One Race. The season comes down to one chance. One moment to throw down and go home. Put this season in the rearview with some smoke. Leave it all on the track at Homestead. While there can only be one Championship crowned for the season, the last race holds so much for so many.

The Contenders

Jimmie Johnson #48 - (Rank: 1st) -300 odds for Cup

He has been the league leader for most of the year. He started off hot, winning the Daytona 500. He stayed hot for the first quarter of the season. He came up huge and won the Brickyard 400. The #48 turned it on again at the end. Pretty much every time it counted JJ ended the day in Victory Lane. The only track that he wasn't fast enough was Lowes. A small price to pay for the Cup. He has placed 2nd in the league for two of the last three years. Has always came close, but never brought home Homestead. Jimmie has won plenty of headlines, but will still race for one more. 

Matt Kenseth #17 - (Rank: 2nd, -63 points behind) - 4/1 odds for Cup

The #17 never under performs anyone but themselves. They have such a high standard on that team. Even when they are struggling they always seem to stick around and race.  There Wisconsin boys, and we won't even hold that against them. Back in the day, Kenseth and crew chief Robbie Reiser were rivals. Now in the press, they are starting to look like that again. If the #48 takes the pressure drop, Kenseth will be there to catch the Cup. It wouldn't suprise anyone in the garage.

My Shine -

The Chase Curse has nothing between Reiser and Kenseth. It stems from Roush Racing. That team looks shaken up right now, and the #17 is the only thing close to together. I give Kenseth a good 40% shot at taking home Homestead. He needs a slip up from JJ to do it, but I can see Kenseth taking the title most any day of the week. 

Fortunate Few 

Kevin Harvick #29 - (Rank: 3rd, -90 points behind) - 20/1 odds for Cup

Harvick could have easily won both the Busch Series Championship, and the Nextel Cup Championship. He has come on strong when it counts, and if everyone had not done so well last week in Phoenix, it would have been a completely different story right now for the #29 team. With two cars in the Chase from RCR, this team has come back strong. Strong enough to make Harvick resign before his contract was up. Strong enough to bring Burton back into victory lane. The hats are off all around the garage for the job they have done.  

Let's think how they got there. Last year Harvick was found with a gas tank before qualifying that would appear to be full. When in fact it was to make the car lighter during qualifying. Happy was not happy about being caught. This year both the #29 and #31 were found with questionable rims. (Starting to see a pattern for success in NASCAR?) Hey, all the more power to them. If your not working for the slightest edge, your not doing your job. I expect RCR to be working a lot in the off-season. 

Denny Hamlin #11 - (Rank: 4th, -90 points behind) - 20/1 odds for Cup

Read that again. 4th place in the league, and 20/1 odds. Rookie. What more can you say about Game Boy? Maybe, 'welcome to the Chase.' Joe Gibbs Racing has been a power team in NASCAR. With Tony Stewart on your team, a top sponsor in your pocket, and a garage that is as dependable as Gibbs himself, you can only dream of all the good things this kid is going to bring for years to come.

If he can avoid the sophomore slump next season, he is going to take over the NASCAR nation quickly. In my opinion he has more natural talent as a driver, then anyone I can remember. He has arguably the best crew chief in the league, Mike Ford. Being a part of Joe Gibbs Racing, with his teammate Tony Stewart, has him learning fast. And no one in his rookie class can be compared to him. Game Boy could win the whole damn Cup this year, if his luck can continue. He is that much of a real deal.  Joe Gibbs has put together an incredible team, with the #11 Fed Ex Chevrolet. He still has some work to do to keep his spot on top, but someone is going to have to wreck him to take it. Game Boy is my Dark Horse pick to take the Cup! (This was an exact quote by me in midseason. It still sticks.)

Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 - (Rank: 5th, -115 points behind) - 12/1 odds for Cup

No one can say anything about the year Junior has had. He has raced hard every week. He has overcame wrecks, engine failure, enemies, the flu, you name it, Junior has raced it. He has really been clutch for his team. Where most stars at Juniors level would have a big head about their weight in their sport, he still comes off as June Bug. The first to admit when they are slow, and the first to ask for a beer straight off the checkers. He got a win in Richmond, and made the Chase. A huge improvement from last year, but the team still is missing that edge. They are just a bit shy of being that threat they set out this year to be. But just like anyone with the name Earnhardt will be a favorite at Daytona, he will be considered a favorite for the Cup for that first race next year as well. next year.

My Shine -

It was almost like everyone was just holding their breath about the #8 in the Chase. All the drivers, fans, NASCAR officials, even the beer vendors. Everyone didn't really want to talk too much about him, because he was hanging in there. The #8 had just as bad of luck as the rest of the Chasers, but Junior has that incredible survivor factor to him. He is still the face of NASCAR, and as long as they race every week, there will be Junior fans to watch them. For myself, I had a blast watching him all year. When the day comes that Junior wins the Cup, everything will be right in the NASCAR Nation.

Queue the Hungry Girl

Yes, there is still some work that Jimmie Johnson has to do before he is crowned king, but it seems like its about as tough as making reservations for the after party. It’s not going to take much. Compared to winning the Daytona 500, and the Brickyard 400, it will be like a joyride.

The way that the #48 has been running most of the year, and how strong they are running now when it matters, it should be that easy. All year they have been fast, and have proven that they in fact, deserve the Cup. Just by winning the two biggest races of the year was enough.

Give credit to crew chief Chad Knaus for bringing a top 10 car to the track every weekend. Also for not being afraid to make adjustments even if the car was running well. To predict the changes in the track conditions, and dial the car for strong finishes.

JJ deserves a ton of credit as well. He really seemed to look more mature at the end of this season. Where he has notoriously fallen short in years past, he has raced smart. When it came down to having to drive ruthlessly for the win, he threw down. It’s his year, it’s his time, and in a matter of days, it’s his Championship.

It's been over three months now that the NASCAR Nation have been talking about it. Especially since Dover, and the beautiful win by the #31 in the second race in the Chase. Can Burton win the Cup? Seriously! And if he does, what will the NASCAR Nation do? What would be the controversy? We have talked about it enough to make our minds race. And we continue to do so.

It's been the talk of the town since he made that clean pass on Kenseth, after giving us one of the greatest shows of the season in the closing laps of Dover. He made headlines. He made heads turn. He made everybody realize how great of a season he really had. He has performed flawlessly, on a resurging team, and he made us all believe that he was the one in charge while they did it. This is the Jeff Burton we all have known and loved, but we had forgotten. The Jeff Burton that came on to the scene by storm, as a young gun, who looked liked one of the best drivers since Jeff Gordon. Now look at him. It's all still there. Within the 5 races in the Chase, he has a 7th place finish, a win, a 5th place in Kansas, a rare 27th place in Talladega, and a 3rd place finish last week at Lowes. This looks like Championship numbers to me. Even that Talladega stat is deceiving. He got 5 bonus points for leading that race. He is the current Chase leader, with a 45-point lead over Mr. Consistent. What does that make Burton? A true contender!

This is how these conversations unfold. Each time dialog is shared about the #31, it always turns really convincing. Burton looks like a Champion. The Chase is between the #31 and #17. Jeff Burton will take the Cup! That's it. It's settled.

Then there is that few seconds of silence that feels like hours pass. Jeff Burton? Really?

Here is a veteran, a class act, a good sport, somewhat of an old schooler, and a fine driver in anyone's book. Everybody would be more then happy to see him win the Championship. It would be one of the biggest justices served to NASCAR this close to Mark Martin winning the Cup. It would be one of the golden moments in NASCAR history. The #31 has what it takes to get it done! No one would have a problem with crowning Burton king of 2006.

But that's the problem. No problem. No trash talking the other fans driver. Who can trash talk Jeff Burton? Not even the media can go there. His teammates love him, his crew would throw there bodies in front of an opposing car at full speed for the guy. And my friends, the same ones that make fun of my mom, they don't have a word against him.

To outsiders of the sport, the fans are known for having their drivers, but their notorious for hating on the others. It's part of the NASCAR fans profile. It's part of a Championship run conversation. It has nothing to do with Jeff Burton. No one hates the guy. That's why we are left racing around in circles about the subject.

This is where we come out of the forth turn, back on to the front stretch. That is not how NASCAR happens. Tony Stewart wins the Cup, and half of the fans start throwing stuff. Gordon runs away with the Chase, and we are forced to hear his fans rub June Bugs name in the mud. A Busch brother wins, and we boycott next seasons Daytona 500. It is how it's always been. There is no way Jeff Burton can win the Cup.

A collective sigh is then shared every time the conversation gets to this point. Until someone breaks the mind twisting silence, and it starts all over again from the green.

Can Jeff Burton Win the Cup? Seriously!

Dover Down

It was Dover Downer for most Chasers this weekend in Delaware. Some huge names may have just been dropped off the short list. While no one is mathematically out of it, they need a ton of speed to even have another chance. Just like everybody else, Monday came too soon.

Mix fire with water, and watch the steam. Kasey ‘The Rain’ Kahne watched all his Championship hopes go up in Smoke. Literally. 11 laps into the race, it was over. It was Tony Stewart getting loose and wrecking, and taking Kahne with him. Smoke didn’t want to ruin any Chasers chances, but had no control over taking Kasey out. Putting the #9 in the garage for over an hour. Right as he exited the car, the TV reporters had their shot. The look of despair. The declaration of done. Kasey sits in 9th place in the standings, -182 points from the league leader.

“We’re done.” Were also the first words out of Kyle Busch when asked what his chances of a Championship were after engine failure retired him from the race in Dover. (TNT Sports) With a rare Hendrick Motorsports engine trouble, Shrub suffered his second blow in two Chase playoff races. Leaving nothing left of his Championship chances. And 10th place and –224 points behind, proves it.

Junior had another tough week behind the wheel of the #8. “It’s another frustrating day.” (Fox Sports) He held on to the top line, and looked good coming out of the corners, but tire trouble kept him losing ground all afternoon, and losing ground of any hope for the Cup at the same time. In 6th place and –102 points out of it, nothing short of dominating will be needed to give him a chance this year.

Jimmie Johnson continues losing his dream of the Cup. After last weeks wreck, he showed up this week with a solid car, but pit trouble put him in 40th place, and had too many positions to make up in one afternoon. It also looks like too much ground for him to make up, to be considered for a Championship. Sitting in 8th place, and –136 points off the top, the chances are fading as fast the #48 was for most of the year.

That could be it for all of them. The list of contenders may have just got shorter. Dover Downer already feels like a Monday hangover. It’s time to go back to work.

The Chase for the Championship takes on the Monster Mile this weekend. The headlines are heating up as fast as the cars. We have the RCR team under the microscope of the media, along with the Gordon campaign, to set the stage for the second race in the playoffs. Jimmie Johnson is coming off a wreck from the week before, and a giant slip in the standings. His teammate Kyle Busch is also down on his luck. In addition, Gordon has the whole Hendrick team walking on pins and needles. Between the two teams, they make up the difference between Fast and Last.

It's a unique track with its offset lines, and high speeds in all four corners. The Monster Mile wins confidence, and momentum into a Championship run. Drivers don't have the benefit of friends on this short track, and afternoons can be short if you make the smallest mistake anywhere on the track.

Racers Race: Dover Down

At this point in the season, it's a tough call between who is Fast or Last. The Nextel Cup is so much more then a title. It is careers on display on every given weekend. While all minds are on the Championship, the Racers Race takes a look at the big picture. The Fast and Last Edition is a peak into the moving picture.

#31 Jeff Burton and #29 Kevin Harvick - RCR is a team that has taken this year to top speed. Turning around the franchise to a combination of experience and edge. Burton has been everything that he was ever once dreamed of being. The mind, the performance, and the soul. Harvick brings the attitude of going big, and not compromising for anything less. With two drivers in the Chase, RCR brings the history of NASCAR back up front, just by showing up. This last week they made headlines for their book bending, but in my book, that is a sign of focus. A mental edge of clarity in the bright lights. Each of them walk the line between Chance and Champion, and both won't settle for anything between Fast and Last.

#9 Kasey Kahne and #19 Elliott Sadler - Evernham Racing has there foot back in the door with Kahne in the Chase. And they also worked a huge talent of Sadler into the chemistry. A move that will put this team into the big three for the next five years. Kahne made a statement by breaking into the Chase with all out heart and soul. After 5 wins this year, respect came last. And Sadler has nothing more then a single Pole start to mark this season stats, but came out as one of the fastest in this years Silly Season. Together, the big picture is blinding.

#24 Jeff Gordon and #25 Brian Vickers - It's about time these two held center stage. Gordon has done his share to stay in the headlines, and it would seem that no one ever gets tired of talking about #24. Gordon has a huge turning point in his career just miles ahead of himself, and on any given day he can have the momentum to take him there. Vickers had it easy on the Hendrick team, with Gordon, Johnson, and Kyle Busch as teammates. But with Toyota, and their checkbook entering the league next year, Vickers decided to take the high road with the Red Bull leap. Both teammates have been racing each other like a preview of next year, and the rival of the quick and sick.

When the race at Dover rolls into Victory Lane, the big picture will roll with it. At this point in the season, every move makes the difference between Fast and Last!

Tony Stewart Misses the Chase

There will be no post season for the #20 Home Depot Team. The defending champ, just got stripped from that title as well. The 2006 Chase line-up is set, but there is still questions that need to be answered. Does the Chase need Tony Stewart? Is this another example of why NASCAR needs to expand the Chase points window? And, how important is it to NASCAR to have all their top stars in the Chase? I'm sure Tony Stewart got all these questions asked to him after the final race to the Chase in Richmond, and I am sure I saw Smoke coming out of his ears as he did.

No, the Chase doesn't need Tony Stewart in the 2006 Chase. If the truth was that all the top stars in NASCAR were in this years Chase, then Smoke should be in there. But the fact is plenty of top drivers missed the cut this year. Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, and Kurt Busch missed the Chase, and all of them have to be considered great drivers in todays league. That is what makes this format so exciting! They take the best of the best, and race them for the Championship. Tony Stewart had a great year, but not a championship year. He had his injury to deal with, along with 3 DNF's, and his fair share of enemies that kept him out of the top ten drivers of the league at this point.

Yes, this is another example of why NASCAR does have to make some changes to the Chase window. Since the Chase format was introduced, the 400 point window has not come into play yet. They need to reward more points for race wins, and expand that window to 500 points. By expanding the point window, they are not giving any free DNF's to top drivers, it would just put less focus on the top team in the league. This year was a perfect example, after Jimmie Johnson ran away as the league leader from the first race of the year, it had taken Matt Kenseth till last week to catch him. A great team can go all year without engine problems, but a smaller team would never have that chance. The league cannot use Hendrick Motorsports, or Roush Racing as it's yardstick. It is just not fair to the rest of the league.

It is important to have the top stars of NASCAR in the Chase. And that is exactly what we have this year. The best of the best this year are all going to be racing for the Cup in the last ten races of the year. Not all the stars made the Chase, but the best of the stars did. The 10th place, and last driver to make the Chase, was Kasey Kahne. The #9 has a league high of 5 wins this year. Kahne matches Stewarts 3 DNF's, but has 3 more wins then the defending champ. The league, and all the sports fans have to agree that Kasey deserves to be in the Chase more then Smoke. As with the rest of the 2006 Chasers. This years Chase proves how tough this league has become. To make the Chase, you need to be the best in the league. As it looks right now, the best are in there. Tony Stewart is the best of the ones that didn't make the cut. But NASCAR has to happy with the stars that did make this years post season.

Even though Stewart was clearly upset that he missed the Chase, and was clearly upset with his team and performance of his car. With a name like Smoke, you don't have to look far to wonder where it came from. But through all the heated words, and frustrated dialog, and smoke signals, even Stewart himself admitted to the best factor of the Chase format. "This is proof of how tough this series is and how tough it is just to make this Chase." (FOX Sports) The Chase does need some minor adjustments, and this year holds all the answers to those questions that need to be asked. Most of them can be read through the Smoke signals.

Kasey Kahne knew going into this weekend he had a lot of work to do. Being perfect was still not good enough to get him into the Chase quite yet, but a sweep in both Busch and Nextel Series this weekend, gives him massive momentum going into the final race of the Sticky Six.

Friday night it was pit strategy to get him a win in the Busch Series. Evernham wanted him in a Busch car to prepare Kasey and the team for a make-or-break the next night in the Cup. The move proved how smart this team has been this year. Before Friday nights green flag had dropped, Kasey knew he wanted that top line for the whole weekend. No doubt that line was fast, and the whole team proved they had the set-up to run it. Even major temperature changes of the track, didn't have them make too many adjustments. The Busch series ended with an amazing performance, and was just the tip of the iceberg for The Rain Man.

Saturday was a tough race. With temperatures over 100 degrees, and the sun being blinding through turn 3 for over half the night, didn't come close to the biggest obstacle of the race. A penalty for speeding on pit row, was all Kasey's mistake. It was a sign that he was a little too anxious trying to protect his lead. The #9 was forced to start on the back of the longest line. He had to start from the 24th position on lap 159 of 250.

It wasn't long to realize how dominating that EMS-128 chassis really is, after Kahne raced back up to the front with that same high line. (That car has to be being babied around the garage and hauler, because it has won 5 out of the 6 races it has run this year.) Soon enough, there was only one car left between Kahne and the checkers. Reed Sorenson made a pit gamble, and had a large lead with 4 laps to go of the night. Sorenson lost in that gamble of fuel mileage when he came up short in distance, and Kasey caught the lead right before the white flag. By the time he got the checkers, the world witnessed another dominating performance from that teams favorite car.

Perfect wasn't good enough for Kasey Kahne to rest easy on his performance. The win was not enough to break the top ten in points, because everyone in the top ten had great nights under the California Stars. The leader board was a typical who's-who in the Chase for the Championship. We have one more race left that Kahne will have to perform perfectly. One more night in Richmond, that Kasey Kahne can prove he is ready to race for a Championship. One more night. One more race. One more week to have to prove to be perfect.

As we watch the 2006 Nextel Cup season reach its arch, I can’t help but think we maybe missing an important character role to complete the storied season.

His younger brother, Kyle Busch confuses me. He had the pedigree, the youth, and the look. He was poised to take his third year in the league where his brother left off. He started the year great: right on Tony Stewart’s bad side. Maybe it was Smoke’s fault for smacking some sense in him too early in the season. In Charlotte I caught a glimpse, because he shined. That Hans device-throwing trick, with the NASCAR official handling him like a rag doll was plot perfect. But it wasn’t enough to throw him over the character arch.

The last weekend in Bristol, with the closing laps looming, I made that most famous mistake in sports writing. I readied a story line. I waited for a caution to be thrown, so that the restart would bring Kyle Busch into the rearview mirror of Kenseth. It was going to be, #17 vs. A Bristol Busch Brother-Part II. Even Kyle anticipated my disappointment with his post race interview on TNT.

"I wish we could have gotten to Kenseth. That would have been a heck of a show. I've got plenty of door dings out there and I'm not sure I could have done it clean." But his fallow up was as disappointing as the race finish. "So I'm probably glad I didn't get there, really."

Really? Why would Shrub say that? Little Busch, you’re completely cheating us of our story. Maybe you’re too young for the dark hat. You may have to work harder at it then your brother had to. But you have the talent, and I know it’s strong within you.

So, what do we do? We don’t have a story yet. The plot is too thin. Tony Stewart is not heavy enough this year to hold the weight of the bad guy. Don’t even think about Carl Edwards as your character for the villain. Kevin Harvick, who? No one in the league is having a good enough year to play this important role. The Busch brothers have all the potential in the world to give us that performance we need. I have never been so mad at the Busch Brothers.