Darlington Recap

Chad Knaus may have the biggest brain in the Sprint Cup garage. Saddled with a backup car that had never seen a lap on the Darlington track, Knaus and crew managed to get Jimmie Johnson and the Lowes Chevy from worst to nearly first by the end of the Southern 500. Working on the #48 during the first yellow flag, staying out on the track during the next caution put Johnson in position early. And with Johnson's skill and a little luck, they brought home a #2 finish for Hendrick Motorsports. That's what I call a good night.

A few more Darlington observations:
He don't need no rocking chair: With his second win of the season veteran Mark Martin conquered the "track too tough to tame" pretty handily. It's almost as if Martin was sending a not-so-subtle message "sit back boys and let me show you how it's done." Due to his victorious finish, Martin's currently sits in the top 12 in points.

Hand it to the kid: Joey Logano's taken a lot of flack for his lackluster start so far--and so has Joe Gibbs racing. But this week's tips from Cale Yarborough must have paid off because the kid looked downright impressive at a track that's toyed with much more experienced drivers than he. Perhaps JGR should have enlisted the help of Yarborough a bit sooner.

It won't be long now: The team at Stewart-Haas Racing put together another impressive race this week. Garnering 3rd and 4th place finishes, this team is on track to win big--and soon. I'd say in the next three races one of these cats will be in Victory Lane.

Where's the Karma when you need it?: Nothing like having your night ended by a teammate. Just ask Carl Edwards. Smacking the wall thanks to Greg Biffle, Edwards' night ended on a decidedly low note--32nd to be exact. Biffle, the culprit in question, snagged a respectable top 10. Sometimes Carl, life just isn't fair.

Earning his stripes: Brad Keselowski proved his mettle and also that Talladega was no fluke. With a seventh-place finish and a solid, well-run race (he started 31st), it looks like Brad K. is here to stay.

Puttin' the Southern Back in the 500

Thank goodness tradition counts for something somewhere. For a sport that's often slicked up, sometimes toned down and always cleverly marketed to the masses, NASCAR still does a remarkable job of recognizing the people, places and traditions that have made the sport what it is today.

There are so many folks with fond memories of Darlington and its Southern 500 -- from the Boy Scout troops near Florence who used to get free tickets to the race every Labor Day weekend, to the '60s farm kids in the Midlands who made the trek each year to see the likes of Fireball Roberts and Cale Yarborough race their hearts out.

For a Florida girl like me, merely the name "Southern 500" unlocks Polaroid memories from years gone by. My Dad's politically incorrect Confederate Flag beach towel wafting from the back of a vinyl lounge chair. Uncle J's "racy" stories of camping out with his buddies in a beat-up fifth wheel at Speedweeks. My Uncle E's anecdotes of the days he was a small-time racer on the tracks of Hollywood, Florida. The sounds of Waylon Jennings. The taste of fried okra. The haze of red dust on a dirt road.

In short, whether you were an eyewitness to Darlington's history or not, there's something about merely the name of this racing tradition that makes fans feel a little bit nostalgic, a little bit proud and a whole lot of happy.

Sure there will still be races at tracks in Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Fontana. But for this weekend at least, the South's gonna do it again.

Yee Haw! Martin's Back in 2010

Not that there was ever any doubt, but I wanted to let out a rebel yell when I heard today's official news that Mark Martin will return for a full Sprint Cup season in 2010.

But seriously, how could he not come back full-time? The guy's fifteenth in the points, been on the poll multiple times this year and then there was this teensy little victory at Phoenix. When you get down to the sugar and the shonuff, Martin is currently driving miles better than guys half his age. And at the races I've been to, he gets just as many cheers from the fans as Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In fact, it's increasingly hard to believe that Mark "The Kid" Martin almost retired from motorsports for good a couple years ago. NASCAR fans owe a huge debt of gratitude to team owner Rick Hendrick for convincing Martin to get back into a stock car full time.

Said Martin, "I'm in the best condition of my life, I'm recharged ... going to the racetrack every weekend is still really fun, and that's the key."

I'm glad he's still having fun. Because there are legions of fans out there who are still having fun watching him.

Keselowski to Earn His Stripes at Darlington

Still riding high after his explosive Talladega win two weeks ago, Brad Keselowski will be one to watch at Darlington.

Keselowski has never raced a Cup car at "the track too tough to tame"--but he does have two Nationwide races under his belt, earning a 15th-place finish at last Spring's race. But even given his limited Cup experience so far, Keselowski seems ready to tame just about anything. Just watch his on-camera interviews or read his comments online. Whatever you think of this up-and-coming star, there's no doubting his self-possession, innate confidence and obvious desire to win.

"I know it is going to be a challenge for me to qualify the GoDaddy.com Chevy this weekend. But I've never backed down from a challenge, and I definitely don't plan to this weekend. My GoDaddy.com team is bringing me a great car and I know with their help, we can get this No. 25 in the race and post a solid finish," said Keselowski.

Unlike Dega, Keselowski will be racing for team owner Rick Hendrick this weekend. And wouldn't it be something if he outran the rest of his Hendrick teammates to the finish line yet again?

Stranger things have happened.

Best Hee Haw Reference Ever

Kudos again to Greg Engle over at NASCAR Examiner for the best use of a Hee Haw reference in a sports blog.

His headline? "Gloom, despair and misery continues for Earnhardt Jr". OK, so Engle flubbed a bit and subbed the word misery for agony...but it's still Hee Haw through and through.

And in the spirit of the cornfield...Engle, we salute thee.

The Rematch That Wasn't

We all knew it would happen. On the one-year anniversary of the "spin heard 'round the world," Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were asked to relive last year's Richmond finish live on NASCAR Raceday. Both were questioned separately about the 2008 on-track altercation and both, of course, had different ideas about who was at fault.

And if the chorus of boos and hisses that erupted around the Speed TV stage were any indication, fans still put the blame on Busch and were hankering for some good old-fashioned revenge.

But for all the pre-race hype, the Richmond Rematch failed to materialize. Earnhardt never contended for the win (the best he ran all night was eleventh). And unlike last spring, Busch had a much easier path to the checkers. Opening up a sizable lead during the last few laps, there were no Chevys in his way as he scored his first Richmond victory.

For the Junior faithful, Richmond was a big disappointment in more ways than one. Not only did the rematch at RIR never come close to happening, the #88 team couldn't even get their car in decent enough shape to hang with the leaders for long green-flag runs. Add some serious communication issues on pit road and Junior quickly became a lap-down non-issue.

So Junior left Richmond without vindication, while Busch fans gleefully racked up more bragging rights. Not only did their favorite driver win Richmond on his birthday, he's also now poised to contend for the 2009 Championship.

And for the disappointed Junior Nation, that just adds insult to injury.

Carl Edwards Gets His Hands Dirty

Fresh from his death-defying crash at Talladega, Carl Edwards high-tailed it to our nation's capital and the Robert F. Lederer Youth Center Community Garden. While there on Thursday, the driver planted some veggies with the kids and encouraged fans to take the GroGood pledge "to grow a garden for the greater good" and provide fresh produce to the hungry.

And today at 4:45 p.m., Carl will speak at Richmond International Raceway to explain more about the four GroGood edible gardens planted at RIR. The gardens are a part of the GroGood Campaign and were created in partnership with The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Plant a Row for the Hungry and Feeding America. Each garden will provide fresh produce to those at risk for hunger in the Richmond area.

To launch the GroGood pledge campaign, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company will donate 1 million pounds of produce to Feeding America and call on Americans to help double that donation by pledging to grow and donate an additional 1 million pounds of fresh produce to help feed those at risk for hunger. Fans can get involved and take the GroGood pledge by visiting the ScottsMiracle-Gro display adjacent to the hospitality pavilion during race weekend or by visit http://www.grogood.com/.