Since the repaving of Bristol, Richmond has become one of the best races of the year. Drivers can run multiple grooves and the racing is the best we see all year. Check out who's this week's winners and losers at Richmond.

Winners

Kyle Busch

A Birthday and a weekend sweep at Richmond. Kyle Busch came so close last year to winning at Richmond.

This year he wasn't very good early on he struggled on the long runs, but as always this team was able to improve as the night wore on and were able to pull out a victory.

Busch and team continued to improve their car and took advantage of the field when some went off sequence for track position, Busch battled his way to the lead and never lost it.

Happy Birthday!

When will the fans realize the more you boo the happier this kid is.

Points: Fifth

Jeff Burton

At one point this team had wrecked with Dale Earnhardt Jr., oddly the wreck made them better.

For them to pull off a top five finish is impressive. Had there been a few cautions in the last 25 laps this team might have been able to catch eventual winner Busch.

Burton might be the one to look out for the next couple weeks all at track where he has ran well.

He is the highest sitting RCR driver in the points.

Points: Seventh

Ryan Newman

It wasn't just a few weeks ago when this team looked liked they wouldn't even break the top 20 let alone the top 12. Leaving Richmond in the top 12 is important and this team is in the top 12 and looking for more.

The US Army Chevy was one of the three best cars out there on Saturday, had they not hit Mark Martin and lost those positions he would have had a shot at the win.

Instead they had to battle back for a top five finish.

If you wondered if he questioned his move from Penske Racing to Stewart Haas Racing that big smile on his face after his top five finish should answer that question.

Points: 10th

Jeff Gordon

It wasn't pretty; actually at times it was downright awful. Jeff Gordon was frustrated from the start. No matter what this team tried the car wouldn't hook up.

So with track position key and the 24 crew unable to pass in traffic they stayed out on a late caution and never hit pit road again. Busch ended up passing him to take the lead for good, but the 24 on much older tires didn't have much of a shot to hold off Busch.

He ended up finishing eighth.This team needed this run to change momentum.

Their short track program needs work but overall this finish stopped the bleeding after a two race skid of finishes 20th or worse this finish should be welcomed.

After a stellar pit stop that took the team from a fifth place car to a second place car, Gordon asked, "How the hell did we get to second?" It was that kind of night.

Points: First

Losers

Kevin Harvick

Talladega aside Kevin Harvick has had a bad season. Since his win in the shootout this team has been on a downward spiral. There have not been many bright spots this season, they have switched crew chiefs with struggling Casey Mears and the struggles continued on Saturday.

They were in the top 10 for most of the day until he blew a tire and essentially ended their day. This team can't afford to keep losing points.

Too many other drivers are having good years for Harvick to bounce back he needs to knock off some strong finishes and some collect some wins otherwise he will be on the outside looking in come this fall.

Harvick is probably wondering what it will take for this team to find some good luck.

Points: 23rd

Denny Hamlin

For the second year in a row this team led the most laps but couldn't close the deal. Last year it was a flat tire, this year it was a pit road mistake. This mistake was costly; they were never able to recover and had to settle for another disappointing finish of 14th.

The pit road mistake cost them but the adjustment they made also sent them backwards while teammate Busch was moving forward.

Before the costly stop they were darn near impossible to catch.

How many more races will Hamlin dominate only to be unable to close the deal late?

Points: Fourth

Jimmie Johnson

Jimmie Johnson worked so hard last week to avoid the big one and he ends up getting caught up in the second big one. Coming into Richmond he was one of the favorites.

Strong practice runs, and an okay qualifying this team was looking for a rebound. Well Richmond would not be the place.

They struggled all night long. They had a poor pit stop, then a penalty and the day went downhill from there. They had brake issues and then got caught up in accident ending their day and sending them home with another finish outside the top 20 with a 36th place finish.

Darlington isn't their best track but they must be licking their chops for Lowes a track he has owned.

Points: Sixth

Lucky Dog

There were a few drivers who should've and could've been on the winners list:

-Casey Mears, its only one race but this team fell off the lead lap and battled back for a top 10 finish. This was a strong run for a driver that has been struggling. Points: 20th

-Kurt Busch, he had a strong run going until they fell behind on adjustments and finished 12th. But this team is clearly a contender and will be a force to reckon with this season. Points: Second

-Marcos Ambrose, after he was involved in a accident this team rallied and pulled off top top 15 finish in 11th. Clearly this team is running well, if they can find some consistency then who knows where they could end up. Points: 19th

Final Lap...

So Richmond sort of lived up to its reputation, the racing was good but we have seen better at this track. I was impressed with the drivers that were able to bounce back after spinning out, or being involved in accidents.

Richmond is usually a signal of the chase nearly 80 percent of the drivers in the top 12 will make the chase come the checkered flag come Richmond in the fall.

If that is true there will be some big name drivers looking in. Drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Mark Martin and few others. This means it's time to get on it.

Now on to Darlington and the lady in black, Kyle Busch won the race last year, and will be looking to make it two in a row.

Race Grade: B...coverage was okay, but this by far wasn't the best race we have seen at Richmond.

Well, that's Talladega!! With three huge crashes that changed the complexion of the race, and the points. Check out who made this week's winners and losers.

Winners

Brad Keselowski

Well, technically this is a Hendrick race car; James Finch bought the engine and the car from HMS, so technically its four in a row. What a race for this team. A few times they looked like they would cause caution and then to go from 10th to second in less than four laps and then to win the race. 

He didn't mean to wreck Edwards, he didn't want to go below the yellow line and he had nowhere to go. He apologized but to be honest he did nothing wrong.

He's not a full time racer yet, but I think that Mr. Hendrick needs to work really hard at locking him into a ride soon, because he has the talent to run in this series, it's just a matter of for which team.

Points: 41st

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

He finally ran the near perfect race. I say near perfect cause he didn't win. He was excellent on pit road and was one of the best cars all day on the track.

It's a race like this that can build momentum for them, and they needed a strong run.

It was Earnhardt's race to lose and he lost it to his prodigy, but his finish today could help them next week at Richmond a race he nearly won last year.

Points: 15th

The Rookies: Joey Logano and Scott Speed

At a race track where it doesn't matter how many times you have ran at Talladega you can be a part of the big one or multiple big ones, and these two drivers avoided all three and finished within the top 10.  This was an impressive thing to do.  

Logano and Speed ran up front all day and both knew seeing that they were rookies many veterans wouldn't line up behind them, so instead both worked with drivers and helped draft and push to the lead.

They might not have led a lap today but both earned the respect of other drivers, something many won't forget come this fall.

Logano: 33rd

Speed: 36th

Casey Mears

It's nice to put this team in the winners this week. They were caught early in the first big one, but repaired the damage and ran with the leaders all day long. They had solid pit stops and worked well with other drivers.

The draft is so unpredictable that most finishes don't tell you how they ran but this 16th-place finish is a strong run for a team that has struggled to run so far this year. This might be the finish they needed to help turn this season around.

Points: 21st

Clint Bowyer

It took till lap 186 to get the car fixed, but with two laps to go Clint Bowyer and team fixed the car and was able to complete the final two laps and continue his streak of 82 consecutive races of running at the end.

If you saw this car after the wreck you would have never figured they would get this car on the track. As a team they were able to pull out a modern day record of finishing a every race.

On to Richmond a track they pulled out an improbable win last year. Points: Eighth

Losers

Jeff Gordon

Since their win before Easter break they have a finish of 25th and 37th. They were involved in the early wreck and spent the first 56 laps or so repairing the car.

They came back out and rode around with Kevin Harvick. At one point there was discussion to park for the day with 55 to go, but Gordon seemed hesitant to do that and stayed out and attrition started happening.

Instead of dropping multiple positions had they parked for the day, they only lost one position and only five points off the lead, basically bonus points for leading a lap.

They need a strong run at Richmond to get back on track.

Points: Second

Kyle Busch

I bet Kyle Busch is wishing it was 2008, he was unbeatable last year at this point, and this year this team can't seem to find a rhythm on the track.  

This was another race where Busch was leading the race and looked like he would be the one to beat.

But in trying to protect the lead he lost control and spun out, he amazingly hit nothing in front of the entire field. But fell off the lead lap and finished a disappointing 25th.

Points: Sixth

Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards figured he would try and avoid the big ones by riding along in the back all day; he did that last fall and knocked out his teammates and much of the front of the pack.

With ten to go, Edwards was in the top 10. Edwards hooked up with eventual winner Keselowski and moved toward the front; on the white flag he had the lead.

Keselowski attempted the outside but Edwards went on to block and Keselowski went toward the inside, Edwards tried to block but Keselowski run was to strong and he spun out and literally went up into the fence in the tri-oval. Thankfully Edwards walked away from this dangerous and scary wreck.

Points: Seventh

Final Lap...

Drivers and fans hold their breath for 188 laps around here, and it takes one move, one tap, one mistake and the big one can occur.

Hopefully all the fans that were injured will be okay, who knows what would have happened had this ended differently but thankfully that scenario didn't happen.

The COT did its job in protecting the driver, had this been the old car we could have been reading a different story right now.

This fall race happens four races from the finale, and there will be crashes like we saw today, and the leader of the points coming in better hope they survive Talladega. 

The points like today will see a shake up, this week we have plenty of time to rebound.

On to Richmond, a short track that has the best racing we see all year.

You were not alone if back in July of last year the announcement came that Mark Martin would be returning back to full time cup made you wonder: really?

It's OK you naysayers there were a few writers both amateur and professional that wondered that while this move looks good on the resume, at age 50 did Martin still have it?

For the rest of us, Saturday's win was just a little validation for what we were saying back in July.

Martin's decision to not only race full-time, but race for an organization that has won three championship in a row with driver Jimmie Johnson was possibly one the best moves in his hall of fame career.

Hendrick Motorsports already has a superstar lineup of four-time champ Jeff Gordon, three-time champ Johnson, and NASCAR's most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

So yea, what was he thinking?

He was thinking he would fit right in that organization and win some races and compete for a championship for the final time.

And so far it has worked. Now it started off rough for this team, he won the pole for the Daytona 500, but finished outside the top 10. Consecutive rare engine failures saw this team barely in the top 35.

But in the last four races this team has started to put it together, surging from 34th points to now 13th in the standings in the last four races.

Saturday night he put the field on notice that this team was ready to contend. So much has been made about his age, with drivers talking about retirement in their late 30's, just having Martin in the car each week proves that age is just a number.

His teammates and boss have repeatedly said Martin's strict healthy lifestyle has really forced them to reexamine their own lifestyles and what they eat and their exercise habits.

I was one of the few who didn't want to count Martin out, his talent rises above his age. He is proving that with a win this past weekend. I expect him to win a few more races in 2009 and be a serious contender for the championship.

I have to admit after a rough start to the season, a little doubt crept in my mind about him making the chase, but winning a race this season, was going to happen.

The way HMS is starting off this season and the way they have battled through some issues on all four teams both on pit road and in the shop, this team looks to get the bad luck out early and have at least three of the four teams in the Chase.

Earnhardt currently sits 19th after a frustrating night at Phoenix. While he could still make a charge, he is going to need some help, win some races, and some other drivers begin to falter.

Martin's win was not only a great night for his team, his owner, and teammates, but for NASCAR. With NASCAR struggling to fill seats and keep fans interested at home, Martin's win gives fans that are looking for something to draw them back into the sport something to cheer about.

For fans searching for a driver with the grit and enthusiasm and passion that this sport was founded on Martin is just the guy.

He loved this sport enough to realize back in 2007 that his passion and energy had changed and was willing to give up a full-time ride and just drive part-time in 2008, meanwhile deciding whether or not he wanted to continue to drive.

Even on his worse days on the track, he is as grateful and thankful for his chance to drive for the best organization in the sport.

You can call him old, but he schooled the field on Saturday night, and that alone should make the rest of the competition nervous

Well Texas turned out to be one of the best races this season and it turned out how nobody expected. See which drivers were the Winners and which were the Losers.

 

Winners

 

Jeff Gordon

We all know how Texas has wronged Gordon, but Sunday was different. Early on this team led, but quickly struggled with a loose race car.

They fell behind on adjustments, but pit stops and a caution helped this team work on the car, and from that point on Gordon ran in the top six the rest of the day.

A late caution after Gordon had lost the lead to a charging Carl Edwards and then lost second to Tony Stewart allowed Gordon's crew to take advantage of Edwards's poor pit stop and regain the lead for good.

Gordon and company have been the best team all season, coming to the track each week with strong cars and finally closing the deal. The win gives Gordon his biggest points lead this season and the momentum heading into Phoenix in two weeks.

Points: First

 

Jimmie Johnson

In the first 100 laps Johnson didn't look good, in fact he looked awful. Once again this team used every opportunity to work on the car and nearly won the race. This team week in and week out proves why they have won three championships in a row.

A strong second place finish helped boost them in the points and allowed them to be sitting comfortably in the top 12 in points.

Heading to Phoenix, a track where Johnson won last fall, in dominating style.

Points: Second

 

David Reutimann

No he didn't win, but he did battle back from falling off the lead lap and came back to finish 11th.

They were running in the top five for most of the day. The key to this race for them was surviving pit road. They almost accomplished that but avoiding a collision on pit road and then pitting outside the box put them into a hole. They worked the rest of the day to finish on the lead lap.

They are one of the biggest surprises this year with their strong finishes  and are clearly ready to contend this year.

Points: 11th

 

Paul  Menard

Last week, Menard was struggling to stay in the top 35 in points. He just barely was in the top 35.  Fast forward to Texas, Menard was fast in practice, fast in qualifying and ran within the top 15 all day long.

This was a strong run, for a driver that needed a strong run. They head into the off week with momentum and a small cushion between the top 35 and himself.

Points: 32nd

 

Mark Martin

It wasn't just a few weeks ago Martin was teetering on the edge of falling outside the top 35 in points before Bristol. After consecutive top 10 finishes at the short tracks, Martin came to Texas hoping to prove why he was a contender this year.

Martin's poor qualifying effort forced him in the back of the pack, but he worked his way through traffic and was steadily in the top 15 for most of the race.

He never could get to the front of the pack but used pit strategy and worked on their car. Overall this was a good day for a team that is still rebounding in the points, from some tough luck early on this season.

Points: 18th

Losers

 

Kyle Busch

In 2008, Busch was just plain dominant. You could count on him being up front every week. Fast forward to 2009, he has had some strong races like Daytona and Bristol.

But then he has races like Martinsville and Texas, where they look nothing like the team that dominated at Bristol, or even the same team we saw last year.

Busch was never happy with this car, his frustration came to head when he and John Andretti wereracing each other and Busch-in retaliation for a move he apparently didn't like-rammed into the side of Andretti and effectively cutting his tire and forcing him to pit.

It was here when Busch's day was over. He struggled to get his laps back and settled for a 18th place finish.

Points: Seventh

 

Kevin Harvick

I thought this team was going to run better this weekend. They haven't been all that bad this year. They have been consistent, but they haven't led many laps and they haven't been able to get it done on pit road.

The only way to get it done on pit road is if you are a contender. That Harvick has not been.

Today he was bad from the start he dropped back immediately, and they never caught up. He was never even a factor.

This race team last year was consistent, but this year they seem to be struggling with the setups. They should be fine, but finishing 27th today; they were looking forward to the off weekend.

Points: 14th

 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

I think I got to optimistic when Earnhardt had a strong finish at Martinsville. They looked good on Friday during practice. They were at or near the top of the speed charts. A poor qualifying hurt them and they worked their way to the front.

But once again, Earnhardt struggled on pit road, making mistakes both by himself and the crew. He worked his way back to the front, but after a dust up with Busch on a restart his day quickly turned south. He hit the wall and was forced to pit. He finished 20th.

If Earnhardt could make no mistakes on pit road, who knows what would have happened today.

Points: 16th

 

Martin Truex Jr.

Many figured coming into 2009 would be a better year for this team. A merger with Ganassi Racing gave Truex another driver to work with on the track in Juan Pablo Montoya. Instead, 2009 has seen this team struggle right out the gate.

Texas was no different. They weren't very good in either practice, nor qualifying and certainly during the race.

They were lapped early and were never able to rebound. A disappointing finish of 25th leaves you wondering that because Montoya is running well every week, apparently there is still no sharing of information.

Points: 24th

 

Final Lap

Overall, the race was pretty good. There was plenty of lead changes and good racing throughout the field. The stands were filled with fans from every state, they weren't disappointed.

One thing that is hurting NASCAR is the fact that they are racing three weeks and another off week. I am sure the first off week could have been better placed in June instead of after four races.

With the Easter holiday, momentum coming out of Texas and the story of Gordon win will get sidetracked as fans focus on the holiday weekend.

With fans struggling to attend races and the flip flop of start times early what momentum they built the last couple weeks has now been stalled.

NASCAR needs to work on the scheduling this off season particularly the off weeks.

Happy Easter and Enjoy the off week see you at the season's first night race at Phoenix, April 18.

Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Cup Series champ, with his most recent title coming in 2001.

Gordon's last win came in October of 2007 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Though it has been 46 races since that victory, his next triumph may come at Texas, a track that Gordon has yet to win at in his illustrious career.

There is no doubt that 2009 has been the rebirth of a career that many had casted as over after a lackluster 2008 which produced a winless season and a seventh-place finish in the championship standings.

For an average driver, that would be considered a success. But Gordon is not average, and that is motivation to not only win a few races, but to add another championship.

At Texas, Gordon has been close. In April of 2007, he was leading with 20 laps to go, until he hit the wall and ended his shot at winning.

In another race in April of 2004, he was leading in the waning stages of the 500-miler until his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet dealt with an electrical failure that saw the four-time Cup champ go from the lead to third place.

Last fall, he came home in second place to race winner Carl Edwards, albeit the finish was on fuel mileage. Regardless, a top-five finish is a top-five finish.

On Sunday, the finish may be different. The No. 24 team has led laps in all but one race this year, and Gordon has not finished worse than 13th in six races.  

He has led 289 laps only six races into the season, and is on pace to lead over 1,000 laps. That projection will far exceed his 2008 total of 447 laps led.

His 2009 stats include an average finish of 5.2, and an average starting position of 10.7. The Vallejo, CA, native also leads the series with the most top 10 finishes (five) and  most top-fives (four).

Last season, Gordon struggled on intermediate tracks like Texas. In this very same race in 2008, he finished 43rd, which tied his worst career finish at any track, including this very same facility back in 1999. 

After watching him struggle at Texas, there were some murmurs about what was going on in the 24 camp. It was clear that No. 24 team was off in performance in 2008.

The team went to work and tested, with Gordon remarking how he had never in his career tested more than he did in 2008. The struggles continued late into the summer, even though they secured a spot in the Chase, hardly looking like championship material.

Throughout the Chase, fans watched as the team slowly showed signs of improvement. Gordon backed it up with finishes inside the top 10 in seven of the 10 races.

Coming into 2009, the expectations were there, but critics were not considering him to be a serious title threat.

Well, here we are six races into the young season, and he is leading the points and is a weekly contender for the win thus far.

If you watch this team on the track, they appear to have a different look, whether it is their "us against the world" mentality or a motivation in having something to prove to themselves, to the media, or to the fans.

Winning at Texas wouldn't just be any victory. It would be at a track that Gordon has yet to conquer, and a facility that has teased Gordon from reaching Victory Lane. A win on Sunday would be the true exclamation point that the No. 24 is back as a force to be reckoned with like in their glory days of the late 1990s.