Dover looked like 2005 again. That was the year when Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin ran up front, often at the very front and battled each other for wins while every other team was left to fight for scraps. Granted Martin isn’t with Roush Racing, but it was the same four drivers taking turns leading laps and featuring tight, clean racing. That made it an especially good time to have my VCR make like Kyle Busch’s engine and drop dead. I usually record the Cup races and watch later in the day. Sadly with 130 laps left the tape cut out and I missed a fantastic three-way battle at the finish. So Biffle wins his second straight race after being on the verge of a win all season. Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson both handled their days with smart, businesslike manner. And Kyle Busch bid his championship chances adieu. Believe it or not, things might get wackier in the next few weeks. Kansas, Talladega and Lowe’s have historically featured crazy races with drastic changes to the points.
-
After the race Busch was his candid self, “At this point it doesn’t matter. Same thing happened two years ago — exact same thing. Wrecked at Loudon, blew up here. So, were did we end up — dead last.” Sure he was disappointed. Before anyone casts the first Crybaby stone, keep in mind that Busch has now seen an excellent chance at a Cup, a trophy that is very hard to win, get thrown away over something out of his control. I’d be a little frustrated too. He could have handled it better, but we have only a small view of what goes into a Cup season.
-
As for Biffle, I’m still undecided whether he is a legitimate contender. Two wins in two races is impressive, but Biffle is one of the best drivers at Dover and has also been very solid at Loudon in the past. I’m still not sure whether his team is good enough to put up top tens for the rest of the Chase. With the pace Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson have set, and with how well they’ve run during the season, Biffle will need to match it. Edwards is a near-lock for top 5′s at the 5 intermediate tracks and we all know what Johnson can do in the final 6 races. Biffle will be a factor at the 1.5 mile tracks and Phoenix, but what about Talladega and Martinsville?
-
If you were told the manufacturer breakdown of the top ten went 3 Ford’s, 6 Chevy’s, and one Toyota. Raise your hand if you thought Michael Waltrip would be the Toyota driver? Alright, put your hand down, no one saw that coming.
-
Roush’s domination may have been more commanding if Jamie McMurray hadn’t found Robby Gordon’s careening car. McMurray was one of the fastest cars in the first part of the race, leading 35 laps. It was clearly McMurray’s best race of the season until Gordon got loose, spun and collected McMurray against the outside wall. He finished 36th.
-
Non-NASCAR observation of the weekend: Why is it that everytime NBC goes to Green Bay they shoot footage at cheese, bratwurst and sauerkraut factories? I suspect it’s just to get Madden going, but why only in Green Bay? You never see it in another city like a Budweiser brewery in St. Louis, a Pittsburgh steel mill, or a the local Duracell plant in Philly, but it never fails in Green Bay. It’s odd.
What’s your take? Can Biffle sustain this streak? Will Edwards or Johnson have a poor finish? Is anyone else interested in challenging the top three?“