This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew is in the capital of NASCAR, Charlotte, for this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Served slow-cooked, with hickory-flavored BBQ sauce and corn on the cob. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Jeff Burton: as the winner of this race, he automatically gets first billing. He stated before the race that he needs to win races in order to have a shot at winning the championship. Tonight was an excellent start. Additional props go out to his pit crew; they were ON tonight. On every pit stop, they gained at least one position. And on three stops alone, they opted for gas only. Pit stops like that throughout the race WILL get it done. They also gained two positions in the points and now are less than 70 markers behind Jimmie Johnson. Great job, Jeff and the #31 crew!

Kasey Kahne: after the very last pit stop, his car came to life and he rapidly moved through the field. He just didn't have enough laps left to catch Burton. Still, second place is nothing to sneeze at.

The Busch Brothers: Kurt finished third and Kyle finished fourth. Like Kahne, Kurt Busch's car got stronger as the race went on. Kurt got as high as second before settling for third. Kyle started 11th and immediately charged to the front. He led 14 laps and got out of the Chase basement with that strong run. While I'm not normally into pink, Kyle's pink M&M's paint scheme was SWEET.

Jamie McMurray: he rounded out the top 5 and for once didn't have idiots surrounding him. When he has a strong car, and he did tonight, he knows how to run up front. A lot of his bad finishes are due to being in the wrong place at the wrong time and getting caught up in someone else's mess. Props to McMurray for not overdriving the car and knowing what kind of car he had.

Jimmie Johnson: he led the most laps in the race, 67, but faded a bit down the stretch as he was racing with Burton for the lead after the last caution. He used up too much of the car and faded from second to sixth. Still, he didn't take a major hit.

Mark Martin: not bad for a part-timer. He still knows how to run up front and still is competitive. Now that he'll be driving for Hendrick Motorsports in the #5 full time next season, look for him to win a race and make the Chase. He spent almost two-thirds of the race in the top 10.

Paint Schemes: Kyle Busch, Bobby Labonte, and Elliott Sadler sported pink paint schemes for breast cancer awareness. For further information, go to Susan G. Komen For The Cure. 

Honorable Mention: Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, David Ragan.

THE BAD

Carl Edwards: he had ignition issues that kept him on the pits for an extended period of time. When he returned to the track, he was 16 laps down in 40th place. A sub good to Edwards for gaining seven spots through attrition. While he took a major hit in the points, dropping from second to fourth, it could have been MUCH worse.

Casey Mears: he was the Field Filler of the Day. Zero laps led. Zero laps in the top 10. He finished three laps down.

Bill Elliott: I admire that he still has the fire in the belly to race, but the Wood Brothers are no longer among the top owners in NASCAR and haven't been since Kasey Kahne was in diapers. He was competitive as recently as 2003, but he's no longer competitive. With the Wood Brothers being a single car operation, it's much harder to be competitive in today's NASCAR. A sub good to Elliott for finishing eight spots higher than he started.

Dave Blaney: he narrowly misses winning the Field Filler of the Day because of his higher finish than Mears. Plus, he finished higher than he started. Like Mears, zero laps led, zero laps in the top 10.

THE UGLY

AJ Allmendinger: that was a doozy of a wreck he was involved in early in the race. He had a one-race deal with Michael Waltrip Racing and the race ended VERY early for him. He did lead one lap early on, a sub good for that.

Mike Skinner and Ken Schrader: the two veteran drivers tangled in a wreck in which neither gave the other position. It all started when Michael Waltrip made contact with Skinner as they were three wide down the stretch. As Skinner was regaining control, he made contact with Schrader, who wasn't yielding his position. Had Schrader yielded, there wouldn't have been a wreck.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: he cut a tire just before he was about to pit anyway, wrecked, and caused major damage to the #88 Chevrolet. While he didn't lose a position in the standings, he lost MAJOR points due to his 36th-place finish.

Matt Kenseth: he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got tangled up in a five-car accident on lap 194 that caused major damage to his #17 Ford. He finished 41st and dropped to 11th place in the standings.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours! 

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew presents to you The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, Philly Cheesesteak-style. Or you can have it with crab cakes, that works, too. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Greg Biffle: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. He spent most of the day in the top 10, and had the best car when it mattered.

Roush Fenway Racing: when you have drivers that finish 1-2-3, that will get you in this category every single time. In addition to Biffle, Matt Kenseth finished second and Carl Edwards finished third. David Ragan finished 18th, and Jamie McMurray had a GREAT run ruined by Robby Gordon. Gordon got loose and collected McMurray, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. McMurray would eventually finish 36th, but he led 35 laps and spent much of the race in the top 10.

Michael Waltrip: in the past, I've criticized him as a field filler, a danger to the other drivers out there, etc. I've even thrown him under the Bus. Not today. Despite starting 40th, he got stronger as the race went on and had by far his best finish of the season, finishing 10th. He was also helped by some good cars retiring early (Kyle Busch), mechanical issues (Denny Hamlin), and crashes. Good job, Michael!

Mark Martin: he started on the outside pole and finished fourth. Although he never led a lap, he spent almost the whole race in the top 10. He served notice that he'll be formidable as he runs full-time in the #5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports next season.

Jimmie Johnson: he started 20th and looked like he was going to visit Victory Lane, as a very risky gamble paid off. Then late in the race, he faded as the Roush Fenway trio got stronger.

Richard Childress Racing: I have to put all three RCR drivers in here together because all three finished in the top 10. Kevin Harvick, in particular, had an excellent day. He started 24th and finished sixth, and moved up five spots in the Chase standings. He even led a lap during a round of green flag pit stops. Clint Bowyer finished eighth, he led two laps, and spent 302 of the 400 laps in the top 10. Jeff Burton finished ninth, after starting in 21st position. 

Jeff Gordon: he started on the pole and led the first 30 laps of the race. He didn't lead after that, but didn't fade too far, either. Spent most of the race in the top 10, finishing seventh.

Honorable Mention: Tony Stewart, Dave Blaney, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte.

THE BAD

Kyle Busch: as the last-place finisher, he gets this dubious place. Although he was in the top 10 for much of the first half of the race, his engine gave up the ghost not even halfway into the race. Combine that with his bad finish at Loudon last week, and he's got over an entire race to make up. To make up nearly 300 points with eight races to go, and the way Carl Edwards is running, it's going to be next to impossible.

Robby Gordon: bad Robby--taking out a guy in Jamie McMurray that could have contended for the win. No wonder he was so pissed off at you by parking directly in front of you, then taking off. Good for him!

Sam Hornish, Jr.: he couldn't seem to stay out of the way. He was involved in TWO crashes. At least he didn't take out any of the front runners like Robby Gordon.

Joe Nemechek: another race, another wreck. What else is new?

Denny Hamlin: mechanical issues sidelined him for a number of laps. When he eventually returned to the track, he was multiple laps down, eventually finishing 38th.

THE UGLY

Kyle Busch/Denny Hamlin: engine and mechanical issues put a severe dent in their championship hopes. While Hamlin was able to return, and actually gain a few positions through attrition, Busch finished dead last.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: his car was bad from the drop of the green flag. No matter what his crew tried to do to make it better, it got worse. He brought out a caution shortly after he was lapped. What made it worse was that HE brought out the caution and didn't get the free pass.

Those are my nominees for the race. Feel free to come in with yours!

All throughout the world of sports, there are enough idiots, malcontents, and arrogance to so #### you, the Joe Six-Pack Fan, off so badly that you so want to call them out on it. Well, here is your forum to call out an individual, team, league, owner, executive, or fans by throwing them under the Bus. The lovely young lady will take your requests and call out their names. Then they will be thrown under the Bus. I've already given her my requests for the week. Here they are.

MLB

Bud Selig: just because he hasn't been thrown under in awhile doesn't mean I've forgot how clueless he is. He wants to institute instant replay DURING the season and the postseason. While I don't have a problem with replay per se, I have a HUGE problem with the timing of it. Why not wait until the offseason to implement it? Why not work through the logistics of replay BEFORE implementing it? Better yet, why didn't you implement it at the START of the season? This is a total knee-jerk reaction to some lousy calls by the men in blue. For the BAD timing of putting in instant replay, Selig gets thrown under the Bus.

Arizona Diamondbacks: just because I feel like it as a Dodgers fan. They still have to face the St. Louis Cardinals seven times in an 11-game span in mid to late September, including a four game roadie early in the final week of the season. Just because I feel like it, the D-backs go under the Bus.

NASCAR

Jeff Gordon's crew (sans Gordon): the #24 team is in free fall. While I think they'll limp into the Chase, they will be eliminated early. I don't see them being a factor. Gordon is spared while his crew get thrown Under The Bus.

Paul Menard: he is the quintessential field filler. Dave Blaney was passing cars and making a strong push towards the front when Menard clipped Ryan Newman. Newman in turn made contact with Blaney, whose #22 Cat Toyota got the worst of it. My early Christmas wish for Blaney: some good racing luck. In the meantime, Menard the Field Filler gets thrown Under The Bus.

NFL

Carolina Panthers: as much as I hate to do this to my team, I have to. They allowed 24 points in the FOURTH QUARTER in a preseason loss to the Eagles. Even though it's only preseason, this is disturbing. It means the backups aren't ready to play, or aren't good enough to play in the NFL. You can't let up on a team near the finish line; otherwise they will rally and beat you. Credit to the Eagles for not giving in to the temptation to play prevent defense, and for putting the pressure on the Panthers. But I still have to throw the Panthers under the Bus.

OLYMPICS

Spanish National Men's Basketball Team: their racist poses were beyond the pale. (They posed slant-eyed.) If it were Kobe Bryant or LeBron James doing this, it would be an international incident. But because it was the Spanish National Team, the silence is deafening. For their racism, they get thrown Under The Bus.

These are my nominations for the week. Feel free to come in with yours!

This week, Crappafoni Pictures brings you an Independence Day celebration of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, grilled BBQ style and served with all the fixin's and the beverage of your choice. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. An extra good for him for coming back from 37th to win. While he had a strong car all race, his car was the best at the end.

Carl Edwards: almost became first billing in this blog. Narrowly lost a drag race with Kyle Busch on the final lap.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: had a very strong car throughout the race, and between he and teammate Jeff Gordon, led 96 of the 162 laps in the race.

Mark Martin: his signing with Hendrick Motorsports must have buoyed his confidence, as he finished solidly in the top 5.

Patrick Carpentier: came out of nowhere to finish in the top 10, his first career top 10 on a superspeedway. Of the open wheelers, he seems to be adapting to NASCAR the best.

Joe Nemechek: Front Row Joe scored a HUGE top 5 finish, finishing fifth. It was huge not only for himself, but his team, as they were outside the top 35 in points and had to race their way in.

Honorable Mention: Johnny Sauter, David Ragan, Regan Smith.

THE BAD

Greg Biffle: as the 43rd place finisher, he gets the dubious first billing.

Jon Wood: had to race his way in and very early took his #21 Ford to the garage for major repairs. He returned to finish 7 laps down. He was actually running with the main pack after the major repairs and setup. Could the Wood Brothers go under in NASCAR's ever changing economic landscape?

THE UGLY

The Big One: this happened when Jimmie Johnson spun on the backstretch and collected several cars, among them David Reutimann, who tied a NASCAR record with FIVE free passes, eventually getting back on the lead lap. The cruel irony: Reutimann was back on the lead lap at the time of the accident.  

The Big One, Part II: THIS one happened on Lap 162 and it involved Michael Waltrip, Travis Kvapil, Sam Hornish Jr., and Dave Blaney. TBO, Part II ended the race with Kyle Busch being declared the winner.

TNT's "coverage": while I liked the split screen, there were several instances that they could have cut away from the commercials to report events on the track. One such instance involved Kyle Busch dropping off the pace to 37th at one point.

In honor of the last race on Fox, Crappafoni Pictures presents to you the Monster-sized version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the winner at Dover, he gets first billing. He had a stout car all day.

Roush Fenway Racing: four cars in the Top 10, with Jamie McMurray sneaking in to finish tenth. It wouldn't surprise me to see RFR have four drivers in the Chase.

Jeff Gordon: to finish on the lead lap today was astounding, especially with Kyle Busch as stout as he was. He may have cost himself a chance at a win when he stayed out too long on green flag pit stops late in the race.

Martin Truex, Jr.: while he wasn't a factor to win, he had a solid sixth place finish, being the last driver on the lead lap.

Jeff Burton: was consistent again, finishing eighth. He did finish a lap down because Busch was so strong.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson, Dave Blaney.

THE BAD

David Gilliland: he was the cause of the Talladega-esque 11-car crash early in the race when he got into the back of Elliott Sadler and sent him spinning. Mayhem then ensued. There were a LOT of torn up cars after that one. More on the crash later.

Denny Hamlin: he escalated the crash when he went full speed through the carnage as other drivers were trying to pick their way through. He took out a number of cars in the top 12 in points. More on him in a later blog.

TV Coverage: is it me, or am I sick of the lovefest with Kyle Busch? They were having orgasms when Busch was leading (and eventually won). Perhaps TNT will be more impartial.

Honorable Mention: field fillers (you guys know who you are).

THE UGLY

Lap 17: that wreck was Talladega-esque. Half of the top 12 in the points going in were involved. Denny Hamlin drove like a total ####, going FULL SPEED through the carnage and taking himself out and severely damaging several other cars. WHAT THE HELL WAS HE THINKING??

Kevin Harvick: his car looked like a dune buggy once he returned to the track. Yet through attrition, he gained a couple of spots. (a sub-good among the ugly)

Those are my nominees for the race! Feel free to chime in with yours!

Another Saturday night race is in the books. Crappafoni Pictures presents to you the spaghetti western version of Darlington, served with a Palmetto State twist. Welcome to the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Darlington style.

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the winner of the race, he gets first billing. Also had to overcome numerous issues in the pits, mainly involving lug nuts. Also had to overcome a pit penalty. At 23, he becomes the youngest driver to ever win at Darlington. He tamed the "Track Too Tough To Tame." 

Roush Fenway Racing: aside from Greg Biffle, the other four drivers finished in the top 20. Great run by them. Even Biffle led numerous laps before his transmission blew.

Jeff Gordon: very strong run by the four-time champion. Showed why he's a four-time champion by fighting an ill-handling car much of the race to finish third.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: a very strong run all race long. Had a top-five car and finished about where he should have. A win is coming very soon.

Travis Kvapil: he went old-school by displaying Fred Lorenzen's original paint scheme and did him proud, finishing in the top ten. Maybe Kvapil hit on a great idea..

Honorable Mention: Dave Blaney (his best run of the year), Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart/Juan Pablo Montoya (both made up a lap the hard way--by being faster than the leader and passing him near the end of the race).

THE BAD

Kyle Petty: as good a guy as Petty is (and he is one of sports' great humanitarians), it's time for him to step out of the car and run Petty Enterprises' racing operations. It pains me to say that because he is such a good guy.

Robby Gordon: had a bad car all evening and finished six laps down. Was hardly mentioned and seldom got "face time", meaning that his car was hardly shown on TV.

Reed Sorenson: a season of maddening inconsistency continues. He'll run well one week and horrid the next. He's got the talent to compete on a consistent basis, but he's got to learn to put together consecutive good races.

THE UGLY

Kevin Harvick: was running sixth when his car suddenly and inexplicably snapped loose and crashed, rearranging the car's rear end in the process. After major repairs, he finished 39th, 102 laps down. He also took a hit in the points standings as far as number of points. He only lost two positions in the standings. A silver lining: he keeps his streak of consecutive races without a DNF alive at 55 races. (He holds the record at 58, and if memory serves me correctly has finished 113 of his last 114 starts) 

Greg Biffle: was leading the race when he reported a vibration and came on to pit road. A few laps later, he was done, the victim of a transmission failure. He finished dead last.

Patrick Carpentier: was having a very strong run until he blew an engine; in fact, he led at one point in the race after starting 43rd. Give this guy time; he has shown flashes of talent.

Those are my nominations. Feel free to chime in with yours!