For the last two weeks all we heard about was tires, tires and tires. When all the pomp and circumstance ended, we had a race. It’s every driver’s goal to win at Indianapolis, but only one driver got to kiss the bricks.

Check out this week’s winners and losers.

Winners

Jimmie Johnson

You can never count this team out. Jimmie Johnson ran up front all day long, at times he was faster than the leader. On the final yellow, Johnson made a move to take the lead from Mark Martin with just over 20 to go.

Johnson was happy with his car all day long; they made adjustments on the car for when Johnson was in traffic. Johnson had great pit stops and was able to adjust on the car very well. Johnson won last year’s race on pit road; he won this year’s on the track.

Johnson made history and became the first back-to-back winner at Indianapolis.

Johnson is just heating up and we are not even in the Chase, is that really surprising?

 Points: Second

Mark Martin

Well are we shocked? Mark Martin up front at the end and ready to pounce. Martin won the pole and was up front all day long. Martin did not want to make many changes to the car all day long.

He played follow the leader until a late caution had him in the lead, but Johnson pass on the restart shuffled him back to second and once again he was hunting down the leader.

 Martin has never won at Indianapolis, and he was so close, finishing second.

Points: Ninth

Juan Pablo Montoya

 It is not surprising to me that Juan Pablo Montoya ran so well here this weekend, he has been quietly building top five and top 10 finishes in the last month.

They couldn’t afford to finish outside the top 15 starting back at Pocono in June. Well they have done exactly what they needed to do. Montoya was the best car out there all day long, he led the most laps and his pit crew did their on pit road.

They were so good they never adjustment all day long. On the final pit stop, a speeding ticket forced them to pit under green to serve the penalty.

 His chance at the win was over.He finished 11th

Montoya swore on his family’s life that he was not speeding, but NASCAR could swear on the computer that he was.

Points: 10th

Kevin Harvick

It hasn’t been the year Kevin Harvick and Richard Childress had hoped.From mechanical issues, accidents, and just plain bad luck, to say 2009 has been a struggle is an understatement.

Harvick unloaded on Friday with a strong car in both practices and had a decent starting spot. Harvick moved forward early and soon was battling in the top 10. They were able to adjust well on the car.

They looked really strong this weekend and probably the best we have seen the run all year. They ended up finishing sixth.

Unhappy Harvick has a reason to smile leaving Indy.

Points: 23rd

Losers

Denny Hamlin

As a favorite coming into this race because of his success on flat tracks, Denny Hamlin was looking to continue his streak of finishing in the top five, since Pocono.

Well, they moved forward but then a broken driveshaft right as he came to pit road forced them to the garage and ended their day way too early. They finished 34th.

Hamlin came back out just to log points as he was sitting in the top five in points coming in. Hamlin had worked himself into a safety zone in points, but still couldn’t afford to have poor finishes.

They should be able to rebound next week, but with no mulligans left before the chase. Hamlin was hoping to drive away from the danger zone in the chase instead he drove right into it.

Points: Sixth

Kyle Busch

 Kyle Busch at Chicagoland hit rock bottom finishing 33rd and on the edge of missing the chase, they couldn’t afford any more poor finishes. Before Sunday's race, he talked about being a better leader, for the organization.

Learning how to deal with the highs and lows of racing better. Well, after a stellar pit stop that rocketed them seven positions during a green flag stop, he started feeling a vibration and soon hit the wall hard.

Forced to the garage they had to work on the car to get back on the track. Now he is on the outside looking in on the chase after they finished 38th.

Busch might of thought that changing his attitude would change his finishes, he just can’t win.

Points: 14th

Carl Edwards

 You know Carl Edwards was a favorite coming into the race today, with his second place finish last year, had many thinking Edwards could notch his first win of 2009 this weekend. A poor qualifying had them starting in 41st.

 They struggled in traffic all day long and were never able to make it to the front. Edwards wasn’t very happy with the car and with not that many cautions were never able take a gamble on pit road to gain track position.

There is something missing from this team, something they have lost or fallen behind on, they don’t make mistakes during qualifying and they usually are able to adjust better in traffic. His point’s position coming in gives him a cushion but a 15th place finish is still disappointing.

The difference between Edwards last year and Edwards this year is track position and he is losing that battle.

Points: Fifth

Elliott Sadler

Well we hadn’t even gone green and Elliott Sadler was having engine problems. By lap one his engine issues caused Robby Gordon to spin out and Sadler was black flagged.

They went to the garage and worked on the car and Sadler saw his day end before it began.

 He finished 40th.

Sadler who was willing to file a lawsuit early this year over his contract situation, isn’t showing many why he should be back in that ride in 2010. Sadler is struggling and can’t seem to find the handling on this car like his teammates have found.

Sadler might not be only fighting his car right now, but he could be fighting for a ride next season if things don’t turn around.

Points: 25th

Lucky Dog…

Joey Logano had never run a lap on this track until this weekend. You wouldn’t have known with his 12th place finish on Sunday. After starting from the rear Logano worked his way through traffic and was battling for a top 10 finish late. For Logano all he wants to do is find a way to keep getting better, but he slowly becoming a contender. Points: 19th.

 Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a great run going and was running in the top 10 all day long. They brought a brand new car for this weekend and looked like a good finish was heading their way. Late in the race they blew an engine and saw what could have been a sure top 10 finish turn into a 36th place finish. There has been a steady improvement from these guys in recent weeks, even if the finishes don’t show it. Points: 22nd.

Final Lap…

There was so much anticipation coming into Indianapolis this weekend, with the talk of tires and records that could be broken or made. But with all that, there was still a race, and the freight train style racing didn’t just disappear because they were at the storied track.

It was disappointing to be honest, there was not much passing and the leader pulled away with ease. I miss the days when the passing was all around the track, and NASCAR was at its best.

 I won't stop watching NASCAR, but a change is needed.

NASCAR can’t blame anyone for this poor display of racing on Sunday, and like Goodyear got to work last year, NASCAR needs to do something and soon.

Speaking of Goodyear, nice job to them. They brought a great tire this weekend and redeemed themselves from last years debacle.

Goodyear held up their end of the deal on improving the tire at Indianapolis. With all the slack they took last year, they deserve a job well done this year.

Back to Pocono!

It was hot and humid all weekend long. Heat was playing a factor for the drivers. It was typical Daytona racing, and the action was as hot as the temperature.

So check out this week's winners and losers.

Winners

Tony Stewart

Well, you know, this shouldn't be a surprise at this point. Tony Stewart had the best car all night long. He was up front and never lost the race of pit road.

His guys were on top of it all night long, going seven for seven winning the race off of pit road. Stewart ran up front all night long and never needed to adjust on the car.

On the final laps, Kyle Busch had the lead and attempted to block Stewart, but ended up going sideways and slamming hard into the outside wall.

Stewart seemed to beat himself up, but when he looks at the replay, he will realize he did nothing wrong. Busch tried to block but lost control, Stewart didn't really do anything wrong.

Stewart is a lock for the chase, and with two wins he is setting himself up for Loudon.

Points: First

Marcos Ambrose

I am going to be honest-this one is more impressive than Stewart winning.

Why? Because Marcos Ambrose is a single-car organization, he had no teammates to help him, and he's not all that experienced at plate tracks.

Ambrose ran well within the top 15 all day long and patiently made his way through the field. He avoided the multiple wrecks, and the team had great pit stops all night long.

I think the fact that they finished in sixth proves that this team is for real. I, for one, thought for sure that he would have some good finishes on road courses and the short tracks, but he has shown he is able to handle the larger tracks.

Ambrose will not make the chase, but this one car organization is running better than Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr.

Points: 18th

Regan Smith

So, we know Regan Smith is good at restrictor plate races. Smith, who is running a part-time schedule in 2009, is on a streak of now 51 consecutive races of running at the end.

That means in every race he has run since his rookie year, Smith has finished.

Smith ran a good race today. He and his crew were able to avoid major wrecks. They had stellar pit stops, and were able to work the draft to their advantage. In the end, their 12th place finished was a well-earned finish.

Smith knows how to drive, and given the right equipment, he would run in the top 15 most weeks.

The economy hit rock bottom, and there went any oppurtunities he had.

Points: 38th

Denny Hamlin

Denny Hamlin did, and said, all the right things tonight. He led some laps, and was able to hold his own up front. When it counted, Hamlin lined up behind his teammate and helped push him to the lead. Unfortunately for Hamlin and Busch. neither saw victory lane.

Hamlin had a good car all night long. He was up front, and his team had solid stops. They ran into a bit of trouble on pit road, but were able to rebound.

Hamlin is always just a little bit short. He leads a lot of laps at plate races but can never seal the deal.

He finished third tonight.

One of these days, Hamlin will not be the one giving the final push to the win, he will be the one winning the race.

Points: Sixth

Brian Vickers

We didn't hear much about Brian Vickers tonight, and sometimes that's a good thing. The last time he was at Daytona, he was part of the controversial wreck involving Dale Earnhardt Jr. and some of the leaders.

Vickers was hoping this one would turn out a bit different.

Vickers ran in the top 15 all day long. He worked the draft, and was able to make the right moves, avoiding the numerous wrecks and spinouts.

Vickers seventh-place finish was much-needed. They were falling back in the points, but Vickers has shown that he can run well on plate races. Vickers' chase chances are over, but like we said last year he could build on finishes like these.

The way Vickers season is going, one week he looks like the driver we all expected to see a year ago, and then he has races where you wonder who is behind the wheel. Saturday was the latter.

Points: 17th

Losers

Mark Martin

This was the last thing Mark Martin needed. With three wins, if he makes the chase, he would be sitting in second to Kyle Busch in the standings. Right now, he wouldn't make the chase and he would be like Kasey Kahne in 2008, sitting on the outside looking in with multiple wins.

On Saturday, he was running up front when he started to back out of the throttle and did not realize that Matt Kenseth was on the outside. Kenseth tapped him and Martin went spinning hard into the inside wall.

Martin took full responsibility and said that he made the mistake. They went to the garage and got to work. With points so important, they were able to get back on the track and finished 38th.

Martin can't afford to have another race like this-not when the top 12 won't be changing much in the next eight weeks.

Points: 13th

Casey Mears

Casey Mears had a strong car all weekend long. He was top five in speeds, and with qualifying rained out, he was going to have to work his way up front. He did just that. He was climbing to the top 10 when he got tapped and spun out.

He got damage to the back of the car and was forced to work on it in the garage. They finished a disappointing 34th. They had a lot of hope coming into this weekend.

Crew Chief Todd Berrier had found so much success at this track, that this race was circled on the calendar.

Mears is showing some signs of life and improvement. His finishes don't show that, but the improvement is there.

Points: 22nd

Kyle Busch

Say what you want about Kyle Busch, but he is willing to risk everything for a win.

In the final laps, Busch took the lead from Stewart and was in blocking mode. In an effort to block the hard-charging Stewart, Busch put a block on him and ended up sideways and went hard into the wall.

With nowhere to go, many drivers clipped or hit Busch in the process. Busch, clearly upset, got out of his car and started to storm off. Safety officials scrambled to get Busch in the car, and to get checked by the medical service.

It took four officials to get him in the car but he did end up there.

If Busch wants to blame anyone he needs to look in the mirror. Busch didn't want to comment after the race, which plays into the hands of his haters.

For everyone else, we all want to know what he was thinking?

Points: Eighth

David Reutimann

This wasn't what David Reutimann was hoping for on Saturday. Reutimann considers this track his home track and was hoping for a great finish, but they got caught up in someone else's mess and were forced to the garage to work on the car.

They did make it back onto the track and limped around the rest of the night. A 36th place finish was not what he wanted.

Already trying to rebound from a poor finish at Sonoma, they needed just to finish the race in a decent position.

Reutimann has used up his mulligans, now he needs top 10 finishes or his chase chances will not happen.

Points: 14th

Lucky Dog...

Jeff Gordon

I know what you are thinking-the favorite coming in, he led one lap, and finished 28th. How is he lucky?

He was involved in the first big wreck. Quickly, though, crew chief Steve LeTarte got to work using the caution laps to work on the car.

They were never good enough to contend up front, but when it mattered, they showed how tough they were when they battled back-no matter how disappointing the finish.

Points: Second

Ryan Newman

At one point, Newman was one lap down and barely keeping up. This team never gave up, and battled back for a 20th place finish.

He was another driver in the first big wreck, and they, too, worked on the car.

It wasn't flashy, but with points being so important, drivers in the hunt can't afford to not finish races.

Points: Seventh

Joey Logano

After finishing dead last here in February, anything higher than that would be an accomplishment. They ran very well today, and their 19th place finish doesn't tell the whole story.

They ran well within the top 10, and actually were in contention for most of the day.

During the last lap melee, Logano crashed hard into his teammate Busch, all but ending his chances at a better finish.

Points: 20th

Final laps...

What a race!

We know the critics will be out in full force in the coming days, pleading with NASCAR to do something about cars going airborne. But there is nothing they can do. Nothing NASCAR can really do, because these types of accidents will continue to happen.

I'm not saying I like seeing wrecks like we had tonight and at Talladega, but this is what we get with plate racing.

To be honest, I was more concerned about whether or not everyone walked away, but this is what we get with these cars, and these engines.

I do want to say these drivers are well aware of the procedures after a wreck-that includes Busch. No matter how upset you are, its policy to go see the medical staff at the track. You never know what type of injury you could have suffered.

Busch's antics on pit road just fuel his critics even more. There is no excuse for not following the rules.

Surprisingly, the points didn't change all that much. The only thing that changed was the points spread out more, and that's not good news for the guys on the outside looking in. For the guys who held a position in the top 12, they did exactly what they needed to do.

Next up my home track of Chicagoland, and the final race on TNT.

I know were heading into the next race but this is a late post due to the site being down..enjoy!

From the sunny skies of California to the cloudy, gloomy skies of New Hampshire, the drivers headed east to the miracle mile.

Check out the list of winners and losers.

Winners

Joey Logano

Well it took only 16 races for Joey Logano to find victory circle.

A great call and mother nature all were factors. With weather all around them Logano stayed out as long as they could. When NASCAR called a caution crew chief Greg Zipadelli, told Logano to save fuel.

Logano had a tough day before the final call, having a cut tire forcing them to pit. In the end that cut tire might have been his best friend. Logano will have many, many more wins in this series and this is a major confidence boost for a team that is still learning, still gelling.

The call was gutsy and that’s what it is going to take to win races in this series. Congrats to Logano and his whole team on his first career Sprint Cup win.

Points: 21st

Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon was in the catbird seat, wishing that the rain would come and hoping Logano would run out of fuel. The rain did come but Logano earned the victory. Gordon ran up front all day long.

Swapping the lead multiple times on restarts but always staying near or at the front. A stellar pit stop under green earned them what turned out to be a second place finish. It is runs like this that a team can build on.

This strong run could jump start the 24 crew and that’s bad news for the rest of the field; seeing that all the tracks coming up are Gordon’s bread and butter.

Points: Second

Sam Hornish Jr.

You know I thought earlier in the year when Sam Hornish Jr. had such great runs it would have been a something to build on. Instead the team started sliding backwards and seemed to go back to their old ways.

On Sunday Hornish ran well within the top 10 and was able to keep track position with strong pit stops. They were as high as fourth at one point. They had to settle for an eighth place finish.

A great run for team that could use it.

We keep thinking that the light has turned on for this team but they are as up and down as a rollercoaster, this week they were up.

Points: 25th

Casey Mears

I said it a few weeks back, for Casey Mears the crew chief switch has benefited him the most.Mears played the rain all day long. But they didn’t need luck; they ran well all day long.With a strong 11th place finish on Sunday this team.

This team had a good car in practice and they were able to build on that throughout the race. Mears was involved in the big one and came back to rebound.

A great sign for this team Mears seems to get so close to breaking through let’s see if he can continue this next week at Daytona.

Points: 20th

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

With the field being set by points for Sunday’s race it didn’t look god for this team. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team were not very good all weekend. When the green flag waved Earnhardt and his team went to work.

They adjusted the car and worked on it and played track position, they got as high as third at one point but a poor restart that they lost positions on forced them to battle back from there.

A 13th place finish isn’t really representative of how well they actually ran. Earnhardt is giving good feedback and they are building off each finish the good and the bad. This is something we have not seen very often with this team.

Earnhardt should be looking toward 2010; the chase is out of reach so it’s time to start logging notes for next year.

Points: 19th

Losers

Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman was just three laps short of pulling out a victory. They tried to gamble and run as long as they could. They were forced to pit when Newman ran out of fuel, then to make matters worse they stalled on pit road.

A 29th place finish is all they would be able to get. Newman struggled all day long on the track. They never could get the handling right and were never a factor.

They received the lucky dog at one point and never could get the car to Newman’s liking. While Newman point position is somewhat safe, he was sixth coming in he has dropped two positions in two weeks.

With the battle only tightening up in the weeks to come they still need to be careful and can’t afford to have many finishes like this. The rocket man is cooling off a bit from his climb in the standings; don’t expect this to last too long.

Points: Seventh

Tony Stewart

I don’t think I have put Tony Stewart on this list all year. But while their result of a fifth place finish is not bad. It’s the poor pit stop that put him there. While it wasn’t his fault that the pit stop was to slow, you win as a team and you lose as a team.

Stewart had a comfortable lead and should have come out of the pits with the lead. But instead Gordon won that battle off of pit road and Stewart had to battle his way back for the top five finish.

Now he probably wouldn’t have won because Logano would have ended up staying out, and the rain came but it’s mistakes like these that he might not be so lucky every time.

Points: First

Martin Truex Jr.

Martin Truex Jr. had every right to be ticked off. He had a fast car; and was moving forward. On a restart where Earnhardt struggled and Truex tried to check up, Kyle Busch tagged him and sent Truex hard into the wall.

Truex was obviously upset and with good right, he had what could have been a top five car end up in the garage and he finished 37th.

This was the first time we have seen lead lap cars taken out like this with the restart. That being said it doesn’t make Truex any happier.

Truex chase hopes all but ended today, and with a major announcement coming about his future Truex should be focusing on next year; no matter what team that is with. Points: 24th

Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards was probably glad to leave New Hampshire. He was running well within the top 10 early on but on their first pit stop they struggled and were buried in traffic. After numerous cautions this team was forced to pit under green because of what was believed to be a loose wheel.

The strategy didn’t work and actually hurt them as they waited to see if a caution would come out to force the leaders to pit or if they would get bit by a loose wheel. For them they weren’t able to finish better than 19th when it all played out.

I still think while they have been good recently there is something still missing. Points:Fifth

Jimmie Johnson

It’s not very often I put Jimmie Johnson on this list. He led a race high 92 laps but on one of the numerous restarts, Johnson and Kurt Busch got into it. Johnson fell back to seventh as Kurt was able to maintain position.

In the moment it looked like Busch was getting a little payback after they played nice with the media after a Sonoma incident last week. Johnson was unable to recover and had to settle for a ninth place finish.

Johnson wasn’t completely happy with the car all day long but he was able to drive it to the front, the skirmish with Busch hurt them the most.

Johnson will of course rebound but I would be a bit concerned that unlike in the past this team is struggling a bit on setups and when they miss they don’t seem to be able to rebound as well as in the past.

That being said he is still the favorite.

Points: Third

Lucky Dog…

Brad Keselowski while this time it was not a win and weather played a factor this team did run fairly well.They took advantage of the wave around and were able to make adjustments on the car and finish seventh. Points: 40th

Juan Pablo Montoya it wasn’t flashy and while he had a great car he never could get to the front. Montoya did exactly what he needed to maintain his position in the points which is exactly what he needs to do. Points: 12th

John Andretti a surprising 16th place finish was a boost for this team. They used the double file restarts and pit strategy to gain positions. It was a great run for the team something they can use going into Daytona. Points: 36th

Final lap…

This was the first real chance to see how double file restarts would work on a short track. For some guys it worked out well, for others not so much. It was great to see guys battling for the lead which is what the fans want.

With all the expectation on this kid, Logano has shown a lot of maturity and growth. It won’t always be pretty but a win is a win.

Drivers in the chase and those looking in are going to use what they gained today for the start of the chase when they come back in September. So running well today was key for down the road.

The points race is tight throughout the standings and with no driver pulling away from the field in terms of wins this could be one of the best championship runs we have seen in a long time.

One down nine to go until the points are set; on to Daytona where anything can happen

Remember when Darrell Waltrip won the Daytona 500?

In victory circle he exclaimed, "I won the Daytona 500!!" You couldn't help but laugh at him-or with him-but the pure joy of winning NASCAR's most prized trophy oozed through the television.

It's a memory that is etched into the brains of race fans everywhere. When you think about Daytona 500, often that image of Waltrip dancing in victory lane comes to mind.

Fast forward to 2009 with fans unable to afford to travel to races, and tuning out on TV. The current boxier car style left limitations on teams and the racing hasn't been what the fans want.

NASCAR needed something to get the fans excited again.

Storylines abound coming into Speedweeks 2009. Big name drivers not winning the year before, one driver dominating the sport in 2008 and the possibility for a record breaking title run.

But as a fan, I was still waiting for something more.

Slowly over time the joy and excitement of winning a race became just  plain boring experience, everyone doing the same thing like robots-until this season.

All of sudden victory lane became exciting again.

It started with the Daytona 500. It was rain-shortened and while the fans hoped NASCAR would ride out the rain they called the race with Matt Kenseth leading the pack.

Kenseth sat in his car waiting for the call.When the call was made and he climbed out into the soaking rain his face told the story.

Tears filling his eyes, all he could say was, "It's going to be really wet out here because I'm crying like a baby."

"I've had a lot of great opportunities in my life-from my family getting me in racing and all the sponsors that we have that have stuck by us and made this happen in an up-and-down economy. Winning the Daytona 500 is definitely a dream moment. It's just an unbelievable feeling."

With tears flowing and emotions raw, Kenseth couldn't help but cry in what was the biggest win of his career.

Only a few weeks later Kyle Busch, who dominated in 2008, came to his home track in Las Vegas, a track he had not won at in the Sprint Cup Series. He drove from the back of the field to win the race.

"I tell you what, this is pretty cool," Busch said in the victory circle. "I didn't know exactly what it would mean, but coming to the checkered flag, there were knots in my stomach. It's bigger than winning the Daytona 500. I said it wasn't going to be, but it is."

That's big for a guy who doesn't like to settle for second at any track.

One week later Busch's older brother Kurt, who struggled in 2008, started 2009 off strong when he dominated at Atlanta.

When he got out of the car you could see the smile on his face and the tremendous amount of relief he was feeling. Busch and his team were ecstatic, after all the struggles and digging in and looking for ways to improve on the track after a dismal 2008.

Winning at Atlanta validated all the offseason work and changes.

A few weeks later, another winless streak ended, one that had talks of retirement and a driver losing his edge. Jeff Gordon came into Texas, a track that was a demon for Gordon, never winning at the mile and a half track.

Gordon beat Carl Edwards off of pit road on the final stop and held off teammate Jimmie Johnson to pull off a victory even he didn't expect to happen.

Gordon hadn't won in 47 races but for the first time in a long time Gordon looked like a kid again, the excitement of winning at the track that had taunted him for so long. "It was the coolest. It was like winning for the very first time," Gordon said.

"Things have changed since I won a race ... That's the first time I've ever carried a checkered flag in NASCAR. I used to do that in quarter-midgets when I was eight."

The very next week Mark Martin rebounded from a rough start to the season. His team was just looking for good finishes but instead Martin walked away with the trophy at Phoenix, his first win since 2005.

Martin couldn't wipe the smile off his face and he couldn't have been giddier about winning. He continually praised his car owner, Rick Hendrick, for giving him a chance to run full-time again.

At Talladega, Nationwide driver Brad Keselowski pulled off a win that nobody expected. Starting from the rear, Keselowski worked his way through the field and avoided the "big one".

A late race pass on leader Edwards, had Edwards going airborne in a spectacular finish that sent him running across the finish line, and sent Keselowski into victory circle.

Keselowski was so excited he forgot to thank his sponsors, but that was okay because Keselowski will never forget his first victory and how improbable it was.

Finally at the Coca-Cola 600 in May, rain delayed over 24 hours of racing and brought on multiple red flags for rain showers. The final red flag found David Reutimann in the lead when he chose not to pit and the rest of the leaders did.

He sat in the rain, waiting by his car until the race was called. As Reutimann waited he had cameras on him, his expression never changed as he waited to hear from NASCAR his fate.

As the race was called you could sense joy of finally winning. Years of hard work and disapointment came to a head. It was not only his first win in Sprint Cup, but the first race win for his owner and driver Michael Waltrip.

You couldn't help but root for the guy, wanting him to pull out a victory that nobody thought could be.

Fans have been complaining about poor racing in recent years and often freight train-style runs. But if you are tuning out before the checkered flag you are missing some great moments in victory lane.

So far in 2009, winning is fun again. Grown men are jumping up and down with excitement. Winning in this series is not easy so when you win one it means a lot.

To see drivers who have won 82 times or one time act as if they have not won before, it's exciting. It makes watching those long green runs all worth it when the winner looks like he is having fun.

I love to see true emotion, whether it be on the track or in victory lane. For so long we saw the bows and the back flips and the burnouts but that's where it ended.

In victory lane it been about thanking sponsors and teams which is great and there's nothing wrong with it.

But for some reason victory lane had lost it magic up until this year

Now don't get me wrong. It hasn't been plain vanilla all the time but you get tired of watching every driver say and do the same thing.

Remember when Jeff Gordon won his first Daytona 500? He took a lot of slack for his outpouring of emotion. But it was honest and genuine, and true. It was a moment of pure joy.

It's moments like these that stand out, moments that we don't forget.

So often we get clouded with talk of points and the championship that it seems like the crossing the finish line is all about the number in the record book and not about the achievement of beating the best in your business.

Quotes: espn.com; sportsillustrated.com

So, for all you who don't like fuel strategy, the last couple weeks haven't been fun, and this week was no different. With only 110 laps to race for the checkers and many teams banking on only stopping twice, strategy and conserve were the words of the day. But, I am going to guess you watched anyway because of these three words: Double-file restarts. Check out which driver was king of the road course on Sunday. Winners Kasey Kahne Well, I think the majority of people's fantasy picks were a little bit thrown off with this victory. Kasey Kahne survived multiple late race cautions and held off one of the best road course racers in the series in Tony Stewart. Kahne and crew stayed on their own strategy and methodically worked their way around the 1.99 mile track all day long. Kahne didn't make a mistake late in the race that we have seen (even the best do at this track late in the race). This victory was Richard Petty's first win in 11 years. After watching others celebrate in victory lane all this time, finally "The King" got to drink some of those sweet Sonoma grapes. Kahne hopes this win will propel this team into the chase. Points: 13th Tony Stewart At this point, we shouldn't be surprised to see where he finished. Clearly, Tony Stewart had one of the best cars out there all day long. They ran their own race and worked traffic perfectly. Stewart might have been in victory lane, had he not struggled on the late restarts. Stewart is proving that his hot start this season was no fluke and, as the summer heats up, so will he. That's bad news for the field. Stewart needs wins if he wants to separate himself from the rest of the top five in the standings. Points: First Marcos Ambrose Marcos Ambrose had an eventful weekend. After nearly winning the pole, he loses an engine in the first practice. Then, in a scramble to get at least one lap in before the end of final practice, he runs into the back of Jimmie Johnson, causing damage to the nose of his car. Starting at the rear of the field, this team went off sequence in pitting and used everyone else's strategy to work their way to the front. With less than 20 to go, he found himself in the top five and battling for the win. Ambrose was unable to ever reach the front, but the team that saw an eventful Saturday turn into a productive Sunday. Ambrose doesn't mind the road courses; he just might be the first to ask NASCAR to add a few more. Points: 18th Half of Hendrick Motorsports Jeff Gordon Infineon is Jeff Gordon's home game. He leads the series with nine road course wins. On Sunday, Gordon never made it to the front. The strategy they attempted didn't work. A rare pit road speeding penalty cost them and forced them back in traffic. They finished ninth on Sunday. Gordon timed the restarts perfectly and even got a bit aggressive late in the race. He might not have won the race, but his top 10 finish today was key in keeping pace with Stewart. This wasn't Gordon's best Infineon run, but, in 2009, it's another top 10 that might be key when it comes down to the chase. Points: Second Jimmie Johnson Like his teammate Gordon, Jimmie Johnson was forced to battle back from a pit road speeding penalty. Unlike Gordon, he worked his way to the top five and was a contender for the win. Johnson, though, was the center of some controversy. Johnson was battling Kurt Busch for position, when Johnson tagged Busch and spun him out, costing Busch a chance for a top 10 finish. Johnson went on to finish fourth. Johnson (who is one of the cleanest racers on the circuit) did apologize for the move and showed remorse for it. Johnson is showing something he hasn't in the past, early season consistency that may be bad for the rest of the field. Points: Third Juan Pablo Montoya If Juan Pablo Montoya wants to make the chase, today was his best chance to show why he deserved to be in it. Montoya worked his way up from his 17th starting spot, and in less than 15 laps he was in the top 10. He quickly moved forward and ran with the leaders for the rest of the day. They worked strategy perfectly and had a great point's day. Montoya didn't win the race, but he was the biggest winner in terms of points. Montoya needs more runs like this to secure his spot in the chase. He can't afford to have anything less than top 15 finishes for the next 10 races. Montoya's crew chief said they were not racing for a win, but you have to wonder what that radio was like when Montoya was sitting fourth with 11 to go. Points: 12th Losers David Ragan You know David Ragan had a good run going, to be honest. He was well within the top 10 and had a solid finish going until lap 101. When battling Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his teammate Carl Edwards, Ragan spun and all but ended his day. It's hard to believe that this team is flirting with having to qualify on time if they continue to have finishes like this. Road courses were never his best tracks, but they needed a good points day to stay afloat. Ragan has to be wondering what happened that they are barely hanging on. Points: 30th Half of Richard Childress Racing Were just over halfway through the season (with 10 races to the chase). For RCR, it doesn't look good. Sunday didn't help this struggling organization in any way. Jeff Burton Jeff Burton wasn't very good today. Burton spun out early and struggled to keep up. He has never won at this track and wasn't a favorite this weekend, but he has been RCR best driver all year. On Sunday, he looked mediocre at best. For Burton, that can't be good enough. He needs to have strong runs the next 10 races, and, for him to make the chase, he has got to hope that the guys in front of him falter during that same stretch. Points: 15th Kevin Harvick Kevin Harvick had a good qualifying lap, something he hasn't had very often this season. He was well within the top 10 all day long, but, just like the first half of the season, Harvick can't seem to buy any luck this season. Late in the race, he watched what would have been a top 10 finish get ruined by a cut tire. He finished 29th. They couldn't afford anymore bad finishes, and now his chase chances are all but over. To me, they have been one of the biggest disappointments in 2009. It's time to look to the future. Could that still be with RCR? Points: 25th Kyle Busch 2009 has not been easy for Kyle Busch. Unlike last year, in which he seemed unbeatable, Busch has been inconsistent and we are seeing it with his finishes. Kyle won the outside pole, led some laps, but at road course nothing is a given. Busch got into Sam Hornish Jr. and then tagged by Hornish on the spin, effectively ending his day. He was a clear favorite coming into this race, and unfortunately finished 22nd. Another poor finish with 10 to go until the chase, he is points racing-something he didn't have to do last year at this time. Points: Ninth Lucky Dog... Joey Logano It wasn't flashy and it wasn't expected to. He qualified very well and ran his own race. On lap 87, Logano, who was running seventh, made contact with Scott Speed and from there on battled the rest of the day. He finished 19th. Points: 24th Jamie McMurray had another strong run today. He ran a smart race and did not get himself into trouble. He finished a strong 14th. With so much speculation about his future, solid runs like this might make Jack Roush rethink about who he ends up cutting RFR fold at the end of 2009. Points: 19th Carl Edwards is coming off a few good weeks with strong top 10 finishes; he was coming to a track where he struggled in the past. They worked strategy and found themselves within the top 10. They fell back late in the race, but a solid 13th place finish at a track he has struggled at in the past keeps momentum on his side. Points: Fifth Final Lap... I like road courses. I think if you are driving in this series, road courses are a test of not only skill but patience. I don't think that two road courses are enough in the series. I have said (for a long time) a road course should be in the chase. If you're going to put Talladega in the chase and say the driver at Homestead, who is leading the points at the checkers, is considered this sport's best in the playoffs, then a road course should be in the chase. It was great to see the Richard Petty back in victory lane. It's been a while. Let's hope this is not the last time we see the King and his company in victory lane in 2009. Double file restarts didn't cause the havoc that many predicted. There were some uh-oh moments, but the havoc that many predicted didn't happen. For the drivers that finished the race without incident, they were the ones breathing a sigh of relief. See you in New Hampshire-talk about a cross country road trip.