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!

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew serves you up, New England-style, this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, served with a heaping helping of New England Clam Chowder. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Greg Biffle: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. It was appropriate that a Roush Fenway driver won this race on the Fenway Group's "home turf."

Jimmie Johnson: although he didn't quite have enough to overtake Biffle, he was still very strong and served notice he's not giving up the championship without a fight.

Carl Edwards: like Johnson, Cousin Carl served notice that he's hungry to win a championship. When does his car NOT run strong?

Jeff Burton: Mr. Consistency showed why he's so consistent. He spent much of the day in the top 10, eventually finishing fourth.

Kurt Busch: he started 20th and finished a strong sixth. His car got better as the race went on. What helped him is the fact that his new lead engineer came over from Helio Castroneves' IRL team and they hit on something.

Martin Truex, Jr.: like Busch, he started close to mid-pack and got stronger as the race went on. He started 18th and finished seventh.

Honorable Mention: Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick.

THE BAD

Ryan Newman: he dropped a cylinder early in the race and had to nurse the car throughout the race. He finished 14 laps down.

Kyle Busch: a sway bar in his car broke early in the race and he had to nurse it until the competition caution came out on Lap 35. His crew spent nearly 30 seconds making repairs, only to see it break again. By the time the crew got it fixed, he was several laps down in 43rd. A sub good to him for finishing 34th through attrition and not giving up on the car and crew.

Michael McDowell: this guy wrecked at least two cars in the race. When will NASCAR pull this guy aside and park him for the remainder of the race? Or better yet, when will someone wreck him and NASCAR look the other way? In my book, he's developing the reputation of being a dirty driver.

THE UGLY

The Little Big One: you knew something was going to happen when cars went five wide coming off Turn 4. Chad McCumbee got loose and collected Chaser Matt Kenseth, starting a multi-car wreck. It looked like something you would see at Talladega. The red flag was thrown to clear the debris and cars from the track, and lasted 10 minutes. The wreck severely damaged Kenseth's chances at winning his second title.

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

This week, the Crappafoni Pictures crew traveled to Chicagoland. Now that the race is over and the film has been edited, we present to you, deep dish pizza style, this week's The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as this week's winner, he automatically gets first billing. He led 165 of the 267 laps, but had to overcome Jimmie Johnson in a two-lap shootout at the end to win his seventh Cup race of the season. At the rate this season's going, he may be at this spot the rest of the season. 

Jimmie Johnson: his car got stronger as the race went on. Led 15 laps and may have won if not for the last caution (David Gilliland blowing an engine).

Kevin Harvick: night time was the right time for Happy. He started 13th and quickly worked his way up through the field; at one point he was in second place. He finished third, right on Johnson's back bumper. This was a MUCH needed result for Happy; he is currently in ninth place in the points.

Greg Biffle: led 43 laps in this race. At one point he was a lap down but got a much-needed long green flag run to get back into the top 10. Gambled on pit strategy to get track position and a caution shortly thereafter helped lock him in. Finished a strong fourth.

Tony Stewart: the announcement of his future seemed to relax him. He drove like the Smoke of old. Had a great car on short runs but faded on long runs. Spent all but three laps inside the top 10. He'll find Victory Lane soon.

Honorable Mention: Red Bull Racing, Ryan Newman, Roush Fenway Racing, Martin Truex, Jr., Jeff Gordon.

THE BAD

Michael McDowell: as the last place finisher, he gets this dubious distinction. He's a field filler.

Travis Kvapil: just when I was about to be sold on him, he comes up with this turkey of a race. Especially when he's so close to his native Wisconsin.

Sam Hornish, Jr.: he seemed to be out there admiring the track and its scenery a little longer than the other drivers out there. TRANSLATION: he was SLOW.

Terry Labonte: I know he's doing the best he can with crappy equipment. Let's face facts, PE has crappy equipment. He's probably thinking, I came out of retirement for THIS? The only positive is that he has younger brother Bobby for a teammate. Hell, I even put him in the Good category of an earlier GB&U.

THE UGLY

David Gilliland: blew an engine with 8 laps to go to bring out the final caution of the race. He blew it in the worst possible place: right after he passed the entrance to pit road.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: started second and went steadily backwards as the race went on. Although he finished on the lead lap, he was never a factor. His crew totally missed on the setup and when that happens, it's going to be a LONG evening. His car was tight and no matter how much they did to loosen it up, it stayed tight pretty much the whole race.

Denny Hamlin: his car lost power early in the race due to ignition issues. His crew changed the entire ignition system in the #11 FedEx Toyota. When he returned to the race, he was threatening to be the first driver in the Bad category. Through attrition, he gained a few spots, finishing 40th. Took a serious hit in the points due to Harvick, Kenseth, Biffle, and Stewart finishing in the top 10.

Clint Bowyer: he's going in the wrong direction in the points. A few weeks ago, he seemed to be a lock to be in the Chase. Now he's 13th in the standings after a 22nd place finish. Spent only two laps in the top 10. 

Jeff Burton: started third and quickly went backwards. At one point in the race, he was 37th. It took a free pass for Burton to get back on the lead lap. Did manage to finish 19th, but it could have been much worse.

Carl Edwards: was in contention for the win until his splitter broke. He lost a lap under green when he went to the pits to repair the splitter. He lost another lap due to the tremendous aerodynamic disadvantage this gave him.

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

A response to Report: Stewart to be granted release from JGR

Tony Stewart is to be granted his release from JGR. He will be going to Haas-CNC Racing, effective next season. He has to look to his future. He is leaving the only home he's had in NASCAR. In a sense, he's leaving the nest to spread his wings. In my opinion, I think it's a good move for him.

Here's why: he'll have a stake in ownership of this team. He can mold that team to his liking. He has a smart business acumen. Also, he has a contract with General Motors for his Sprint Car and World of Outlaws teams that he will have an easier time fulfilling. Haas-CNC has Hendrick horsepower under the hood, so he will have support from Rick Hendrick and to a smaller extent, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. He can also choose the driver he wants as his teammate.

Now who will be his teammate in this new venture? Several drivers have been rumored, among them Ryan Newman and Martin Truex, Jr. Personally, while many have suggested Newman, I think he will go with Truex, if Truex decides to leave DEI after the season, as has been rumored. I could be wrong; I have been before.

Smoke, if anyone can succeed as a Cup driver/owner, it's you. God speed in your venture, and welcome back to Chevrolet. 

Crappafoni Pictures presents to you in high definition this week's The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, served with California wines and cheeses. Enjoy!

THE GOOD

Kyle Busch: as the race winner, he gets first billing. Had the best car much of the day and as such he's earned his first road course win.

David Gilliland: an impressive career-best second place run by the native Californian, considering he's had a more down than up season.

Jeff Gordon: he turned a crappy car into a top-5 car at his home track. Home cooking has been good to him this week.

Clint Bowyer: excellent run. Was caught in the first caution by bad pit strategy. He decided to pit with his RCR teammates and the caution came out shortly afterward, locking him in excellent track position. 

Casey Mears: like Bowyer, used excellent pit strategy to lock himself in great track position. Took advantage of the wreck that his fellow Bakersfielder Kevin Harvick caused to gain even more positions.

Honorable Mention: Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth.   

THE BAD

Kevin Harvick: a bonehead move not only cost him a top 5 finish, but he's in danger of missing the Chase. His bonehead move was that he went into the turn too hard and took out THREE good cars. The silver lining is that he's coming to tracks that have been good to him throughout his career.

David Reutimann: never felt confident up in the wine country of California. A late race crash was the capper to his crappy week.

Robby Gordon: for someone that was expected to contend, he was never really a factor. Finished three laps down in 36th.

Brian Simo: a field filler. He was the first driver out of the race just 20 laps in. This will probably be the only time this year I'll mention him.

Boris Said: see Robby Gordon. He finished even worse than Gordon, finishing 41st, 18 laps down. 

THE UGLY

Marcos Ambrose: he had a GREAT run spoiled by an accident. The accident damaged his gear box and spewed oil and other liquids all over the track.

Kevin Harvick: rarely does a driver make both the Bad AND Ugly categories, but I must put Happy there. The Ugly being the result of dropping out of the top 12 and having to scramble to make the Chase. He'll make the Chase IF he doesn't make any bonehead moves the rest of the season. He needed a strong run at Sonoma and for the longest time it looked like he was going to be in the top 5.

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

Crappafoni Pictures proudly presents this week's version of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, presented with a Michigan twist.

THE GOOD

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: as the race winner, he automatically gets first billing. Congratulations on breaking a two-plus year winless streak! I've said that he'd win at a track that he wasn't expected to win at. Michigan qualifies for that! This was Chevrolet's first win at Michigan since June 2001, when Jeff Gordon piloted his Chevrolet into Victory Lane.

Kasey Kahne: had a strong car both early and late. Fuel strategy allowed him to finish a strong second.

Roush Fenway Racing: four cars in the top 10 will get you in this category. Jamie McMurray got a free pass, and his car got stronger as the race went on.

Red Bull Racing: Brian Vickers finished 4th, and A.J. Allmendinger finished 19th. Vickers may have had the car to beat had it not been for that last caution.

Tony Stewart: his car ran in the top 10 much of the day, culminating in a strong 5th place finish.

Elliott Sadler: finished strong in 9th. He had a strong car much of the day, spending much of it in the top 15.

Honorable Mention: Jimmie Johnson.

THE BAD

Dario Franchitti: as the last-place driver, he gets first billing in this dubious category. Better luck next week, D.

Juan Pablo Montoya: I think he unloaded a bad car and it got much worse as the race went on. He finished nine laps down.

Bill Elliott: the former champion has turned into a field filler. As recently as 2002 he was in the hunt for a championship. As much as I like Bill Elliott, I think it's time for him to hang up his helmet and enjoy retirement.

THE UGLY

Ryan Newman: the Daytona 500 winner had mechanical issues and spent a LOT of time in the garage. He finished in 42nd, 89 laps down.

Robby Gordon: a hard crash on Lap 152 ended his day early. He'll be a factor next week at Sonoma.

J.J. Yeley: had mechanical issues and spent time in the garage. He returned to the race to finish 87 laps down.

Dave Blaney: he brought out the first caution of the race when a rear axle broke. He returned to the race and actually picked up four positions through attrition. A sub-good for that.

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

Crappafoni Pictures presents to you the spaghetti western version of Richmond, with a mid-South flavor. Sit back and enjoy!

THE GOOD

Clint Bowyer: as the winner, he automatically gets first billing. He was the beneficiary of a late caution involving Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kyle Busch. On the restart, he sped away to let Mark Martin and Busch battle it out.

Mark Martin: speaking of Martin, he was consistently in the top 5 throughout the race. A very solid finish.

Jeff Gordon: he battled a very ill-handling car, at one point going a lap down. Battled back from that to finish in the top 10.

Richard Childress Racing: besides the winner, the other two cars (Kevin Harvick, 8th and Jeff Burton, 11th) had very solid finishes. As of tonight, all three of the RCR drivers are in the top 5 in the point standings.

Joe Gibbs Racing: has all three of its drivers in the top 8 in points. All three cars ran well tonight, particularly Denny Hamlin. Hamlin ran a near-perfect race until he had a tire go down very late in the race. Hamlin led a track-record 381 laps in tonight's race.

Honorable Mention: Martin Truex, Jr., Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Reed Sorenson.

THE BAD

J.J. Yeley: he was the one that started the big one on lap 230 when he went into the wall after making contact with another car. Cars behind him started checking up, creating an eleven car accident. I'm sure he feels pretty bad about it.

Michael Waltrip: he was parked by NASCAR after he and Casey Mears were involved in a wreck. Waltrip intentionally pushed Mears the length of a straightaway after the accident; hence Waltrip being in effect ejected by NASCAR. I have a special treat for Mikey tomorrow.

Matt Kenseth: his bad season continues. Was caught up in that 11-car crash on lap 230. Fortunately, he was able to improve a few positions once his crew fixed the car enough to warrant him going out and turning laps.

Jimmie Johnson: was never a factor in this race. Missed the setup on the car and never really recovered. Finished 30th, 9 laps down.

THE UGLY

The Big One: no, this isn't Talladega. But the 11-car accident on lap 230 sure had the makings of a Talladega-style accident. The accident brought out a red flag that lasted 21 minutes while the track was being cleaned up from liquids and assorted debris. Patrick Carpentier got the worst of it, getting hit multiple times from multiple angles. He'll be a hurtin' unit come tomorrow morning! 

Denny Hamlin: after leading a track-record 381 laps, he suffered a heartbreaking flat tire and tried to hang on as long as possible. Finally, the tire gave up and he parked himself on the high side of the track, bringing out a caution as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was catching up to Kyle Busch. NASCAR parked him for two laps for intentionally bringing out a caution. I say good for NASCAR! 

Michael Waltrip: seriously, WHAT THE F*** WERE YOU DOING pushing Casey Mears after he got loose and made contact with you, causing an accident? Then dumping him into the wall afterwards? YOU WERE NOT ON THE LEAD LAP!!! Mears WAS on the lead lap! And what the F*** were you doing RACING him in that situation?? I'm glad NASCAR parked your #### for the rest of the race. Then your #55 team should have to serve a one-race suspension for your antics. I have a special treat for you tomorrow. 

That's all I have for this race. Feel free to come on in with your nominees!