Can lightning strike twice for the team of Joe Gibbs Racing in less then a month? Well we all remember when Kyle Busch celebrated his 24th birthday in victory lane at Richmond Speedway on May 2nd.  And what made that night even more special, was the fact that Kyle became only the second driver in NASCAR history to accomplish the feat by winning a Sprint cup race on his birthday, and this was also his first win at the track while doing so.  Now when you look back to the All-Star race that was just run this past Saturday night, it's also ironic that Tony Stewart who raced for Gibbs just last season also celebrated a birthday just this past Wednesday, and he to got his first win as an owner/driver during a race that he has never won before.

As we get ready to enter the longest race of the season this coming Sunday. Just what significance does the number 19 have within the organization going into Sunday's race at Lowes Motor speedway, besides that being where Joey Logano started last week in the showdown before being voted into the All-Star race by the fans? For those of us that were watching, Logano ended up finishing eighth, 11 spots up from where he originally started which was not a bad finish considering last years rookie of the year winner Regan Smith, never even made it into the race. Now while turning back the hands of time, and looking back to where not only Smith was at this point of the season, (33) in the point standings with no top 10's or top 5 finishes, but also runner up Sam Hornish Jr was just below Smith sitting, (34) in the point standings with no top 10's or top 5 finishes either.

Logano himself is sitting (30) in the point standings, and also has 2 top 10's while leading the race for the 2009 rookie of the year honors over Scott Speed who is only 12 points away. So as we continue to look at the numbers, this could possibly be the week that Logano picks up his first Sprint cup victory if all of his numbers line up correctly.  Logano will be celebrating his 19th birthday on Sunday, which gives him the chance to not only join Kyle on the list of drivers who have won on their birthdays, but also a chance to become the first driver to get his first win on his birthday. The # 20 team will be bringing chassis #209 along with a Mark Cronquist built power plant.  

Logano raced this chassis twice this season, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (13th) and Atlanta Motor Speedway (30th), to go along with the experience that crew chief Greg Zipadelli's brings to the table. Zipadelli's record in 20 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway while ex JGR driver Tony Stewart drove the #20 car was, one win, six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, which should serve as confidence for the younger Logano who will be making only his second start on the speedway.  "I am getting comfortable with these cars now and I think that has shown over the last month.  Zippy and I are communicating better too.  At the start of the season when I would say the car was tight, he was trying to figure out how tight it really was.  That's stuff that just takes time but I really think we are getting there now," said Logano.

Now while most of the talk around the garage area was pointed at the fact that since NASCAR suspended testing for the season, just how much more important was it to try to make it into the  All-Star race to gain that valuable track time for this weekends upcoming race? "Since we didn't get the opportunity to test, the 140 laps I ran in The Home Depot Toyota were so important. Last weekend was huge for this team.  Not only did we have a good car, I think better than an eighth-place car, but we learned a lot as a team. I feel like a different driver now than when I started the season.  We've progressed so much over the last 11 races, that where I was once happy to get a top-20 I think I'd be disappointed now," said a very confident Logano.

Looking back to his last three point races before last weekend's showdown, and the All-Star race, Logano finished 9th at Talladega, 19th at Richmond, and 9th at Darlington.  Those sure are a lot of nines for a driver who will be turning 19 on Saturday night. So just how significant will this number play out while Logano faces the longest race of his young NASCAR career?  Will the racing gods shine down on him, and be generous like they were to Kyle just a few short weeks ago on his 24th birthday? Logano has also made huge strides while racing in the series, and it was more then evident when he was voted in by the fans to participate in the All-Star race, while beating out some big name drivers. 

And let's not forget that this is also Memorial weekend, and just how fitting it would be to see all these numbers line up on a weekend that is set aside for just that, remembering. There will be a lot of pressure on this young drivers shoulder this weekend, but when you think about it every weekend brings Logano a new challenge as well as the pressure that goes along with it. "I'm not sure what to think about 600 miles.  That's a lot of miles and a long race." Im Out 

With the all-star race already in the books, some things just never change. NASCAR's most popular driver is once again being crucified, and all for the sake because a few just don't understand what a true NASCAR driver is all about. The all-star haters are once again out if full force, trying in vain to bring down a driver and burn him like some old newspaper. When you begin to sit back and read exactly what is going through these so-called fans minds, it's easy to make heads and tails of what there exact prerogative is, because it has taken on its own identity like some old crusty re-run that is usually shown around the holiday season.

As a true fan of the sport, and looking at the facts instead of some made for comedy bloggers dream, Dale Earnhardt Jr earned his way into the all-star race that was held on Saturday night. Earnhardt wasn't voted into the race, nor did he have to race his way in, and far be it for NASCAR to just allow him in because of his last name. But instead because of his win last year at Michigan, and the fact that he is also an all-star champion were only two of the reasons why Earnhardt was able to line up with the rest of NASCAR's best to take the green flag. The bottom line is, he earned his way in.

So why is it that this modern day l*y*n*c*h mob, continues to try and tear down a driver who had earned every right to be represented on Saturday? Could it be because their so-called theories are starting to crumble like some year old girl scout cookie? Or have the foundations that they thought would hold up, all of sudden taken a turn for the worse, and have started to slip slide away like some rain soaked hillside? It's really amazing how the few that have chosen to go down that route, have found themselves in a butt kicking contest with only one leg.

It's not that hard to realize that truth along with fact, will always withstand the test of time. And the test of time has once again prevailed in a lop-sided victory for a driver who has done nothing wrong, but instead he just continues to get more popular because of all the hype that has been very graciously thrown his way, whether good or bad. And once again it continues to show this season, as he leads all drivers going for his 7th most popular driver award in a row. Not once has he let his emotions get the best of him, and he has yet to show any negativity towards those that choose to try and send him to an early retirement. Try as you must, but until you can bring some meat with that argument, you're better off just going back to square one, because so far you have barely made it to square two.

For all of you that have felt in the past 5 or 6 weeks that it was necessary to try and belittle a driver who is just out there doing his job, maybe its time that you took a good long look at what the word career means first, before you end up putting your other foot in your mouth. A career is defined as something that is progressive, or in other words its not 1, 2 or even 5 years, or the few months that some of you think constitutes a career. Now to put it in a way that even the most volatile hater can understand, a career has a beginning and an end, and it doesn't end because a driver is having a bad year. We can go down the list of the many drivers who are still searching for success, but because they haven't found it yet, that don't mean that someday they might. So to try and gauge Earnhardt's career off the mistakes that he has made so far this season is lets just say........very ridiculous.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. started his NASCAR series career back in 1996, when he first raced in what was known as the Busch series. Unlike most of the other drivers that came up through the lower series, Earnhardt made a name for himself, while at the same time showing that he had what it would take to compete at the cup level once he felt that he was ready to make the transition. Now looking at the drivers who participated in the all-star race this season, since after all these were NASCAR's top drivers that got the chance to compete. Only 8 drivers out of the 21 that were entered have gotten the chance to experience the feeling of winning one of NASCAR's more prestigious events.

1. Jeff Gordon (95, 97, 01)
2. Mark Martin (98, 05)
3. Jimmie Johnson (03, 06)
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (00)
5. Ryan Newman (02)
6. Matt Kenseth (04)
7. Kevin Harvick (07)
8. Kasey Kahne (08)

Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kevin Harvick are the only two all-star drivers with two Nationwide championships a piece, with Earnhardt Jr as the only driver that has back-to-back championships. All together there were only six Nationwide champions that were represented in the all-star race.

• Dale Earnhardt Jr (98, 99)
• Kevin Harvick (01, 06)
• Bobby Labonte (91)
• Greg Biffle (02)
• Carl Edwards (07)
• Clint Bowyer (08)

Not even Mark Martin who leads the series with the most wins has ever won a championship. Now speaking of Nationwide wins, where exactly does Earnhardt fit in with the rest of the drivers who have won their share of Nationwide races that also participated in the all-star race on Saturday night?

1. Mark Martin (47)
2. Kyle Busch (28)
3. Kevin Harvick (24)
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr (22)
5. Jeff Burton (22)
6. Matt Kenseth (19)

As Earnhardt would finally get his chance to enter into a world that is set aside for the best that the sport has to offer. He would immediately make his presence known by winning the Direct TV 500 at Texas, in only his 6th start as a Winston cup rookie. He would then go on to win the all-star race, which was known as the Winston back then by defeating all the big name drivers to become the first rookie to ever win this prestigious event. Earnhardt Jr has since put himself in some very good company, while picking up 18 wins that has secured him a spot within the top 10 of active drivers. Here is the top 10 win list of drivers who participated in the all-star race for 2009.

1. Jeff Gordon (82)
2. Jimmie Johnson (41)
3. Mark Martin (37)
4. Tony Stewart (33)
5. Bobby Labonte (21)
6. Jeff Burton (21)
7. Kurt Busch (19)
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (18)
9. Matt Kenseth (18)
10. Carl Edwards (16)

Out of the 21 drivers who qualified for the all-star race either through a previous race win, by being a past champion, by finishing first or second in the open, or by fan vote. There were only six past Daytona 500 champions in the field, and once again Earnhardt is proudly represented along with the other past winners.

1. Jeff Gordon (97, 99, 05)
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (04)
3. Jimmie Johnson (06)
4. Kevin Harvick (07)
5. Ryan Newman (08)
6. Matt Kenseth (09)

Along with the past Daytona 500 champions, there were only six cup champions that were also represented on Saturday night.

1. Jeff Gordon (95, 97, 98, 01)
2. Jimmie Johnson (06, 07, 08)
3. Tony Stewart (02, 05)
4. Bobby Labonte (00)
5. Matt Kenseth (03)
6. Kurt Busch (04)

It's no big secret that Earnhardt is having his share of problems so far this season, and it's no secret that he is not performing to the so-called standards that some of you think he should be. But where does NASCAR state that a driver has to follow a certain set of standards in order to race in the series? Because from the talk that has been floating around the web, a lot of you feel that he has no business on the track. Now looking back to what could easily be NASCAR's top 6 most important lists of accomplishments. Now isn't there some sort of validity that all of the negativity that is directed towards Earnhardt comes without any real merit from those who choose to scorn a driver, especially when he is the only active driver that is missing on just one list?

To try and say that he is riding off of his dads coattail, is probably the most far fetched statement that has been said, especially when Dale Sr died in 2001, one year after Dale Jr came into the series. The last 7 years he has not only had to conquer the death of his own infamous father, but he also had to conquer life itself without that one man that he looked up to as a father, coach, and also a mentor. So the truth of the matter is, Earnhardt's accomplishments in the last 7 years are all of his own doing. How do you follow in ones footsteps, when there is no longer that person to lay them down in front of you? How can you hear those words of encouragement, when they are no longer there because they were taken to the grave when Earnhardt Sr took his last breath?

With the hand that has been dealt to him, little "E" has already shown his fans as well as his peers, that he is very true to who he is. Earnhardt has made the path that he now follows; it was cut with his own two hands. "You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your own success, that's life. You've got to deal with it, good and bad. We'll be all right. I mean, if we make the chase, we make it. If we don't, we don't. I'm just going to keep driving and have a good time doing it. I don't really think about carrying on the family racing name, I'm just so proud of my family and, I'm proud of my father and grandfather and what they've done." Im Out

"The mindset going into it is that you don't have to worry about points and you know that everybody is going to be on the edge a little more.  I'm not going to say it's acceptable to crash cars, but I think a lot of people go into that race knowing that there's a good possibility that you can get wrecked because guys are going to take more chances than they normally would." After hearing these words, you have to like the chances given the fact that these words came straight out of Tony Stewart's mouth. They weren't words of wisdom, and they were far from words of encouragement, but instead they were words coming from a driver who knows exactly how to race these kids of events. "This is a wrestling match on a mile-and-a-half track, and that's something that you just don't normally see.  It's a Saturday night short track race at Charlotte.  It makes it very, very interesting."

Who else in the garage today knows more about the word "chance," then Stewart himself? After all, it was Stewart who left the comforts of Joe Gibbs Racing to pursue what only a few have tried, and that is to take a chance that only one other driver/owner has been able to accomplish in the 60+ year history of the sport, and that's to be the king of the mountain by winning the cup championship. Alan Kulwicki is the only driver/owner in NASCAR history to ever win the championship, when he accomplished the feat back in 1992. You have to wonder how Stewart will approach this race since he has yet to win one, and everyone knows that winning is always nice. But ever since NASCAR banned testing to start the 09 season, will winning the race be as important as getting valuable information in order to get ready for the 600 which is only a week away?

With NASCAR having banned testing at all tracks that host its top-three national touring series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide, and Camping World Truck - time on the track in actual race conditions is impossible to come by, with the lone exception being Saturday night's All-Star Race. This has to be on the back of Stewarts mind, more so because his team will be the only one that did not have the benefits of running last season when testing was still allowed. Everybody wants to win and everybody still uses it for a test for next weekend, while winning is at the forefront of each driver's mind, gaining valuable information for how their car will react in the following weekend's Coca-Cola 600 is just as important.  With 400 laps being run on the same track, what's learned in the All-Star Race's 100 laps is applicable to what drivers will face in the longest race on the Sprint Cup schedule.

"It's an event for the fans and that's something that's very important to us, but there's a lot of bragging rights too.  Charlotte is an area where 95 percent of the Cup teams are based, so when you go there, you want to run well.  You're able to have guys come from the shop that don't get a chance to travel," said Stewart.  "They don't get a chance to come to the racetrack very often and see the fruits of their labor, so for them to come to the All-Star Race and see their cars run, especially when you have a good night, it really pumps up your organization.  You do it for your fans, but at the same time, you do it for your organization and your team.  That's why the All-Star Race is important."

Saturday nights race will another big step for Stewart/Haas racing. Tony has been on top of his game, along with Newman who has had top 5 finishes in his last 3 races while moving up the point standings, and is now sitting 8th only 17 points behind Kyle Busch. Reality has taken on a whole new meaning this season for Stewart, especially when it comes to making the decisions that will most benefit the team. Does he race for the million dollars, or does he race for bigger picture which is maybe winning a championship in his first year as an owner/driver? "Absolutely, it always is.  If your car is driving well, you're running for a million dollars.  But if your car isn't driving well, you're learning from that and applying it to the 600 instead.  I've always looked at it as however your car is driving in the All-Star race is relatively true to how your car is going to drive in the 600.  It's a really good test because it's really the only time we have to run at night in race conditions."

Tony will continue to bring the desire, the heart, and the soul that has made him a two time cup champion. His newfound love of finally owning his own team is reminiscent of a song that was sung by the Carpenters, "We've only just begun." Stewart is way ahead of the game, and he is showing a lot of promise in only his first year, and he has not shown any signs that he is ready to slow down just yet. "I want to win everything every time, so I want to win the All-Star Race and all the races that come after it." Im Out

As we get ready to drop the green flag, on what should be another night of wild racing under the lights at Lowes Motor speedway. Expectations will be running high, as well as the adrenaline that will be exploding through each one of the 21 driver's veins, as they race for the $1,022,975.00 that will be up for grabs to the winner. Gone will be the so-called points racing that has plagued the sport since the institution of the chase back in 2004, and of course this will also be a night when there will be no field fillers to hold up the action. Instead there will only be 21 drivers who will do battle with one another, each one hoping that they will reign supreme after the 10 lap battle royal that will take place as this years last segment.

NASCAR decided to add a little more excitement, as well as give this race its own special mystique this season to make it a truly one-of-a-kind event.  "You jump into the all-star race and it's just a whole different atmosphere and attitude. ... This race is just an entirely different animal. ... You can bet that things will surely get heated up and there will be fireworks for sure," said Kurt Busch whose best finish in 7 previous starts is a second back in 2003.  Ryan Newman who was the last rookie to win this race back in 2002 while driving a Dodge for Penske Motorsports, has since changed teams to start off the 2009 season while hooking up with Stewart/Haas Racing added these words of his own. "The atmosphere is entirely different at the all-star race than at most all of the other races throughout the season. Sparks fly."

A few weeks ago the fans witnessed one the most spectacular finishes at Talladega, when Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski got together just before crossing the finish line which sent Edwards #99 Ford up into the catch fence as Keselowski crossed the stripe for his first ever Sprint cup victory. It was that win which put Brad into the starting line-up for Saturdays night's main event, so far being the only rookie in the race unless Scott Speed or Joey Logano can either get voted, or race their way. "I thought winning Talladega was awesome, but when I found out I would be in the all-star event ... I mean, who wouldn't want the chance to race for a million dollars?"

This year's event will also have four, two-time winners;

Driver: Jimmie Johnson
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
All-Star Appearances: 7
Best Finish: 1st (2003 and '06)
Why He's In: Won at Phoenix, April 2008:
"This race is an all-star event so in my opinion you need to do something exceptional to get into it and I think our system works. And there's a high car count, so that's exciting."

Driver: Jeff Burton
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Car: No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet
All-Star Appearances: 11
Best Finish: 4th (1998, 2007)
Why He's In: Won at Bristol, April 2008
"Every sport needs an all-star event. Our all-star event, I think, is the best all-star event - period. End of story. Every other all-star event, the intensity goes down. Our all-star event, the intensity goes up."

Driver: Bobby Labonte
Team: Hall of Fame Racing
Car: No. 96 ASK.com Ford
All-Star Appearances: 14
Best Finish: 2nd (1997 and '98)
Why He's In: Won 2000 series championship
"I was pleased where we ended up (18th) at Darlington. That car was so tight, I hope we can get a handle on that for (the all-star race)"

Driver: Mark Martin
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 5 Kellogg's/CARQUEST Chevrolet
All-Star Appearances: 19
Best Finish: 1st (1998 and 2005)
Why He's In: Won at Phoenix in April
"This is the all-star race. Even though it has rendered frustration for me from time to time, the format has also rendered me great rewards at other times."

There is also a three-time winner who will line up for the green flag tomorrow night;

Driver: Jeff Gordon
Team: Hendrick Motorsports
Car: No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet
All-Star Appearances: 15
Best Finish: 1st (1995, '97, 2001)
Why He's In: Won at Texas in April
"The All-Star race is a spectacular event ... everybody in that race is a proven winner ... you don't get into that race easily. "

And of course how could we ever forget last winner who was voted in by you the fans;

Driver: Kasey Kahne
Team: Richard Petty Motorsports
Car: No. 9 Budweiser Dodge
All-Star Appearances: 5
Best Finish: 1st (2008)
Why He's In: Won 2008 Coca-Cola 600
"Absolutely, it's all about the fans. We couldn't have won last year without the fans voting us into the race. The drivers and crews are out there to thank the fans and put on a good show for them."

So now that we have looked at the past winners who have won more then one All-Star race. How do those drivers that have only won once, or the ones that have yet to taste the thrill of victory, but instead have felt the agony defeat look ahead to the challenge that is set before them? Especially since the race will have a new format, taking on the look of some Saturday night short track racing program. Here is how the All-Star event will take place;

• First segment - 50 laps
• Second segment - 20 laps
• Third segment - 20 laps
• Final segment - 10 laps

So as the 18 drivers that are already locked in, along with the 2 that will transfer from the showdown, and the 1 sole driver who will represent this years fan favorite take to the 7,920 feet of the asphalt covered demon knowing that the race will resemble more of a slugfest, then the ordinary race that will be run the following weekend. Those final 10 laps will tell a story of which driver has the biggest heart, along with the  will to be on top of his game, knowing they will be the most hard fought laps of the season. Clint Bowyer was able to sum up the night in these few easy words. "It should be a wild finish, that's for sure.  A million bucks on the line with 10 to go, fans can't ask for more than that. " Im Out