From Bridesmaids to Babycakes - the Darlington Rundown

Even with a bum knee Denny Hamlin whipped "the track too tough to tame". 

Twice. 

In the same weekend.

But more went on at Darlington than Hamlin's coup de maitre.  Much more.  Below are my takeaways from the weekend that was.  Oh, and note to NASCAR - give Darlington a second date already!

If the crew chief ain't happy, ain't nobody happy: When crew chief Chad Knaus is testy early on, you know things aren't peachy in the Lowe's garage.  At one point, Knaus told his driver just to wreck the car if he hit anything else so they could call it a night.  I bet Knaus will be more careful what he wishes for in the future. It wasn't long after this directive that Jimmie Johnson's night effectively ended when he slammed into the wall courtesy of A.J. Allmendinger.  It's team Johnson's third DNF of the season.  Looks like the shine may be coming off that golden horseshoe.

Truex channels Mikey:  For a moment on Saturday, I thought the No. 56 NAPA Toyota was once again being piloted by the hapless Michael Waltrip.  After all, Martin Truex Jr. doesn't usually hit everything and everyone in his path .  But Darlington's a different animal altogether, and ol' Truex had some trouble keeping his nose clean Sunday night.  Where's that NAPA know-how when you need it?

So close, yet so far: Jeff Gordon has had the car to beat more than once this season, but he just can't end on a winning note.  This time it was bad timing on a pit stop that lost Gordon track position.  Last week it was poor restarts.  So far, Gordon has finished second twice. I just hope for Jeff's sake there's no truth to that old adage - "three times a bridesmaid, never a bride". 

Worst to first: Kyle Busch isn't the first driver to come from last place to p1 during a race. And though he didn't keep the top spot, Busch battled through a cut tire, a hole in the nose and the unforgiving Darlington gauntlet to run up front after starting in the way back. Kudos to Kyle for making the most of an unsavory situation.

Talk of the track: Before the race started, I found it pretty darn amusing that Tony Stewart's spotter called him "babycakes" via the team radio.  (I'd like to see a member of the print media try that one). However it was Dale Earnhardt Jr's scanner that provided the most entertaining chatter of the night.  At one point, Junior regaled all listeners with an explanation of how his visor tearoff somehow got wrapped around his steering wheel, making his glove adhere to the wheel. Then there was the comedic give-and-take between Junior and crew chief Lance McGrew.  But it was No. 88 spotter T.J. Majors who provided the snarky icing on the cake. When Allmendinger hit Johnson, Majors said he was hearing it was a brake problem on the No. 43 car. Then, "I'm not sure if it's brakes or brains".  Touche.

What the what?: Someone in the FOX wardrobe department needs to do a better job at selecting ties for Darrell Waltrip.  Though often attired in Easter egg hues, DW's Saturday neckwear was, well, more strange than usual.  The floral and butterfly combo was enough to distract viewers from what Waltrip was saying.  But on second thought, maybe that was the whole point.

Photo info: The sun sets on Darlington Raceway - Associated Press

Tough Hamlin Doesn't Need No Stinkin' Tires

If you weren't a believer in Denny Hamlin before, tonight's Nationwide race may have changed your mind.

Running the No. 20 car with first-time JGR crew chief Kevin Kidd, Hamlin made the Lady who's usually too tough to tame look like a shrinking violet.

Kidd's unexpected call to stay out during a late-race caution secured the No.20 car's position. But it was pole-sitter Hamlin who turned that call into a genius move.

While most of the field pinned their hopes on four new tires, Hamlin simply aced the last restart - leaving the second-place Kyle Busch scrambling for headway and viewers astonished that Rowdy the Restart King was being dethroned before their eyes.

In the end, it was checkers for Hamlin and p2 for Busch.

Yet Hamlin won the night in more ways than one. His interview with ESPN reporter Jamie Little in Victory Lane was the most humble, conversational, and relaxed we've seen in a while. He gave due recognition to his crew chief, shared appreciative words for his Mother (who was in attendance) and talked about the importance of the charity for which he was racing.

Not quite the tense, mouthy Hamlin you may remember from 2009.

Last year, during his feud with Brad Keselowski, it seemed Hamlin was trying like the dickens to perpetuate a tough guy image - like the sullen kid on the playground who answers every taunt and tease with a stiff left hook.

And, all things considered, this tack wasn't too surprising. Hamlin has often been overshadowed and out-hyped by his teammate Busch. And to the onlooker, it seems he has occasionally struggled to find his footing and even his identity in the NASCAR garage.

But there's no need to feign toughness now. Hamlin has proven his grit by driving through the pain of a recent ACL surgery to snatch two Sprint Cup victories and now this Nationwide win.

And even if you're not a Hamlin fan, you've got to admit - that's not too shabby.

Photo info - via Twitter posted by @11mommalou (Denny Hamlin's mother)

How To Kick Those Off-Season Blues

So the 2009 NASCAR season is officially over. The awards have been doled out. The drivers have left Vegas. And the fans are left all alone, to stare wistfully at their diecast collection and count off the calendar days 'til Daytona.

While I can't promise that the off-season will be as fulfilling as say, a weekend at Bristol, there are indeed a few ways to maintain your body's minimum racing requirement during this oh-so dark time.

Get comfy: Kick off your shoes, settle into your favorite chair and pop in a DVD. Okay, so this isn't quite the same as watching a live race, but now might be a good time to rewatch all those old standbys like Days of Thunder, Talladega Nights, Stroker Ace and even Disney's Cars. For a more realistic viewing experience, check out Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story, NASCAR: The Ride of Their Lives, Daytona 500 - 50 Years of the Great American Race, NASCAR -The IMAX Experience, or 3 - The Dale Earnhardt Story.

Go virtual: For the gamers out there, there's hours of fun to be had with NASCAR Kart Racing and NASCAR 09 . And, if your friends are suffering from the off-season blues like you, why not throw a mock tailgate party while you hit the virtual track? You could even serve Fresh Start (or as I like to call them "Green Flag") Brownies for a little something sweet. But if you take virtual racing a little more seriously (and you're willing to purchase a steering wheel and a monthly payment plan), then bite the bullet and sign up for iRacing.com. It's the NASCAR-sanctioned, premier online motorsports simulator that even pro drivers use.

Get real: If virtual racing just won't cut it, then get in the stock car yourself. It just so happens that the Richard Petty Driving Experience is currently offering $59 holiday ride-a-long experiences at 20 tracks across the country. That's 45 percent off the regular price. Reservations for ride-alongs are not required, and you'll ride shotgun for three laps around the track at speeds up to 165 mph. If you prefer to get behind the wheel yourself, well that's a little more pricey. But it is Christmas - you never know what Santa might leave in your stocking.

Take a trip: Lots of NASCAR-sanctioned tracks offer tours and several of them have museums and other fun exhibits which are open to the public. Of course, it may make you weep with longing to visit a track during the off-season, but in the long run it will give you just the fix you need. Plus, on race day, who has time to watch the NASCAR IMAX movie at Daytona or visit the Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum? Look at your current downtime as an opportunity and not an obstacle. And if you're fortunate enough to live near the Charlotte area, be sure to tour your favorite team's headquarters.

Tweet and Retweet: I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you're not on Twitter, then you're missing out. Lots of drivers are sharing their off-season plans about now and if anything big breaks (like an announcment by Danica), you'll be the first to know if you have a Twitter account.

Read Up: Now's an opportune time to catch up on your NASCAR reading. And fortunately for fans, there are plenty of racing books from which to choose. Here are a couple of my picks: Then Junior Said to Jeff--: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told by veteran NACAR reporter Jim McLaurin and Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR by Neal Thompson.

So buck up little race fan. The Daytona 500 begins in just 69 days. And until then, here's a little Vegas video to tide you over.