The Ninth NASCAR Day of Christmas: 9 Car-a-Swappin'

Uncertainty.

That's the word that best describes the state of Richard Petty Motorsports in 2010.

It was a tough year for The King and those in his employ.  They went from four cars to two.  Lost their primo driver.  And they suffered through layoffs and cutbacks in the process.

But there is one bright spot on what has lately been a dim horizon - and that's the 100-watt smile of Marcos Ambrose.

Ambrose will drive the No. 9 Ford for RPM next season.  He takes the wheel from Aric Almirola, who drove the car when Kasey Kahne made a late-season jump to Red Bull Racing.

And Ambrose's infectious personality and determination to succeed may be just the shot in the arm the organization needs to regain momentum.

"I feel like I've got all the ingredients I need," Ambrose told the Associated Press in August. "I wanted to eliminate any question marks about the stuff around me and people around me."

"I feel like I can win four championships like Jimmie Johnson has done," he continued.

Time will tell if the racer from down under can top the five-time champ.

But one thing is certain - Richard Petty Motorsports is back in the game.

O Canada - Thank You for Montreal

Boris Said celebrates after winning the NAPA Auto Parts 200.

Just when you think a race will be a snoozefest, it turns into one of the most exciting finishes in recent memory.

More than an hour into the Nationwide Series NAPA Auto Parts 200, most of the race was being run under caution. At one point, the longest green flag run was two-and-a-half laps. The yellow flags were a bore - and it seemed like an afternoon NASCAR nap might be in order.

But then the race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve came alive. There was three-wide racing, cars scrambling through the grass, bumping and running, solid hits, and hold-your-breath misses.

And it all ended with a finish more blistering than the Montreal sun.

In a green white checker finish, Boris Said took the lead away from Robby Gordon when Gordon ran out of fuel. Said was then passed by a hard-charging Max Papis, only to pass Papis back and battle him down the stretch for a by-the-nose win.

Said survived the Montreal gauntlet. But early frontrunners Marcos Ambrose and Carl Edwards did not. Though the pair combined to lead the most laps, they ended the day in the garage with mechanical failure.

Meanwhile Canadian racing hero and local favorite Jacques Villeneuve finished third on the track named for his father.

It was one heckuva race. And any NASCAR fan with funds enough and time should consider planning a trip to the 2011 Nationwide event in Montreal.

I know I am.

Montoya and Pattie - Victors at Last

Juan Pablo Montoya and Brian Pattie finally did it.

After a few weeks of shoulda woulda couldas, Montoya wheeled his No. 42 Chevrolet in dominating fashion Sunday, fending off Marcos Ambrose for a win at Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at The Glen.  The win marks Montoya's second in Sprint Cup competition and Pattie's first as a Sprint Cup crew chief.

While the racing between Montoya and Ambrose was hot, heavy and riveting early on, Ambrose's car slowed in the final laps allowing Montoya to cruise to a much-deserved victory.

In fact, it was a victory that was so long in coming, that Pattie got a bit choked up after his driver took the checkers.

"It means a lot," Pattie told the press after the race. "Some of the team left Tuesday after work to drive up here because they love it (Watkins Glen) so much. It couldn't happen at a better place."

The trophy also came with a little redemption after the team's disappointing run at the Brickyard 400 - a race in which Pattie made a four-tire call that cost Montoya the win. Pattie's call also threw a wrench into his relationship with Montoya.

Today Montoya apologized for the heated radio exchange at Pocono, in which he yelled "screw you" after Pattie suggested Montoya practice pit stops in Charlotte.

"You know, as competitive as I am, he's as competitive with the race car,"  Montoya said in the post-race press conference.

"I think we both come here every weekend with one goal:  win. When the wins slip away, either my fault, his fault, I think the fault doesn't really matter. When you go home empty-handed, it's frustrating.

The good news is that the No. 42 team is empty-handed no more.  And today's win also gives the team a guaranteed spot in the 2011 Sprint All-Star Race.

Said Montoya, "To come out here today and get the job done the way we did today, it was big."

And that's an understatement.

Richmond in the Rear View

If the spring race at Talladega was Christmas morning for race fans, then Saturday's contest at Richmond was Thanksgiving at the in-laws - nice enough and somewhat satisfying, but not as good as Mama makes it.

In what is usually an exciting showdown with fender-bangin' and last-minute slidin', Saturday night's race at RIR didn't quite live up to the hype (or the Dega comparison).

Still, for all the opportunities to catch some shuteye during the broadcast, there were a few developments of note at Richmond this weekend:

Kyle Busch - the Official Restart King - It was only a matter of time before Rowdy ended up in Victory Lane again.  And how fitting that KB's first checkers of the season would be the result of beating Jeff Gordon on a late-race restart.  Gotta hand it to Rowdy, if he's near the front, he gets it done.

MWR outruns HMS - The boys at Michael Waltrip Racing haven't had too much to smile about in 2010. But Richmond may have turned those frowns upside down - both Martin Truex, Jr. and Marcos Ambrose earned Top 10 finishes, while David Reutimann eked out a p15.  Compare that to the Hendrick Motorsports crew who finished 2nd, 10th, 25th and 32nd. Proof of the apocalypse?

Has JJ found his kryptonite? - Ever since the return of the spoiler, Jimmie Johnson hasn't had the most stellar of finishes. Richmond was tough on the No. 48 team. After a miserable night in the pits, Johnson barely saved the car as it slid across the finish line into10th place.  If the spoiler isn't to blame, maybe his tiff with Gordon is.  Ol' Jeff's earlier rantings just might be messing with four-time's head.

Jeff Gordon makes nice - Speaking of Jeff, After Rick Hendrick reportedly put the smackdown on the brewing feud between teammates Gordon and Johnson, all was nicey-nice at Richmond. The pair never got together on the track and Gordon's attitude post-race was all rainbows and sunshine.  We'll see how long it takes for the drivers to go at it again.  Darlington, anyone?

RCR lookin' good - At the end of last year, Richard Childress Racing was making a comeback. They just didn't have enough races left to prove it.  Now that the 2010 season is well underway, it's clear that something is clicking over at RCR.  Harvick has already snagged one victory this season and Jeff Burton hasn't been running too badly either. Also consider they finished third and fourth (respectively) at Richmond. And now that Harvick is the points leader - I'm thinking Happy just might smash "four-time's" plans to make it five.

Bristol Winners and Losers

There were more winners at Bristol this weekend than Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, and more losers than Greg Biffle and Joey Logano.

Below are my picks for the folks who won out this race weekend, and those who can claim the title of Bristol's biggest losers.

Winners:
Mark Martin and Ryan Newman finally had a little luck and ended on a high note, putting them well inside the top 35 points standings. The champ, Jimmie Johnson, managed to sneak into the chase (was there ever any doubt?). And Marcos Ambrose put together an impressive race, finishing in the top ten for Michael Waltrip racing.

Losers:
Aric Almirola and Paul Menard still have to qualify on time at Martinsville. And poor Travis Kvapil desperately needed a good race, but he ended 39th in owners points, in addition to losing his ride (hopefully temporarily) to boot.

Winners: Ned Jarrett was a welcome familiar face in the broadcast group, joining his boy Dale and former colleague Dr. Jerry Punch as they called the Saturday night Legends race. And don't forget old-timer L.D. Ottinger who ran the wheels off his race car on Saturday night.

Losers: Digger--did I miss something, or was there no Digger episode this week? And Mr. Excitement Jimmy Spencer...he ran well during the Legends race, but he sure lived up to his nickname during practice when he wrecked fan favorite Junior Johnson.

Winners: The fans who attended Saturday's races. Both the Nationwide and Legends races were sheer entertainment a darn good time.

Losers: I hate to call fans losers, but the fans who attended Sunday's race witnessed one of the most boring Bristol races ever. Here's hoping the August race will be better!