5 things we learned this weekend
Reading between the lines -- Wondering what's going on within the No. 88 camp? You're not alone.
Things seemed a lot better between driver and crew chief after Saturday night's result at Darlington (18th) as Dale Earnhardt Jr. climbed back into the top 12 in the standings. But before the race and during the 500-mile outing, you could have fooled everybody by saying things are going well between Junior and Lance McGrew.
When asked before the race why he looked to be out to lunch in the previous race: "I don't know. I'm just the driver. Go in there and talk to Lance."
On his Friday practice crash: "We didn't run good at all here last year and I didn't run with Lance, so we kind of came here with something totally different and we were too free and ended up wrecking that car."
Radio chatter on Lap 206, Dale Jr.: "There are two distinct ends in case you didn't know." McGrew: "I'm so glad you're on the radio with all this knowledge."
You get the picture.
After the race, Earnhardt spoke from the other side of the spectrum, saying "I enjoy working with Lance every week." And according to Jeff Gluck of SBNation.com, the driver and crew chief were yukking it up after the race with a small group of media.
If results are good the next few weeks, expect this to be a non-story. But if Dale Jr. starts falling down the standings, don't be surprised if the criticism becomes more intense, both from the driver and every armchair analyst in NASCAR nation.
Title pretender sure looks like a contender -- Over the last few years, the title of "Jimmie Johnson's biggest title rival" has weighed heavily on the shoulders of some drivers (See: Carl Edwards in 2009). Early in 2010, that proved true for Denny Hamlin, but not anymore. His win Saturday night continues a stretch of six races where he has three wins (Martinsville and Texas were the others), an additional top-five (Talladega) and only one real stumble (30th at Phoenix, his first race after knee surgery to repair a torn ACL). Most important, at least for his chances to live up to the preseason title, Hamlin and Co. seem to have another gear to hit before they are running on all cylinders, They are waiting until it counts most -- like during the Chase for the Sprint Cup -- before reaching for it.
H e's not alone -- While Hamlin is stealing the headlines with his wins, he's not the only driver showing his potential. Kurt Busch scored his third finish of eighth or better in the last four weeks at Darlington, brother Kyle (Denny's teammate) is riding a five-race streak of top-10 results, Jeff Gordon recorded his fifth top five of the season, and championship leader Kevin Harvick extended his lead at the top with his eighth top 10 of 2010.
Oh by the way, the guy they are all aiming for had his worst finish of the season -- and of his career at Darlington -- as he struggled all Saturday night before getting wrecked out by AJ Allmendinger.
It's still way too early to take the crown off Jimmie Johnson's head, but the tide seems to be shifting.
Ford focus - Where's that panic button when you need it? Entering the weekend, Ford had 28 wins in Cup competition at Darlington, including three since 2001. But on a night when all three rival manufacturers were represented in the top three on the results page, 13th-place Matt Kenseth carried the banner for the blue oval. Just as telling about the Ford camps struggles, none of the 12 drivers carrying its banner led a lap on race day. If this was just a one-race occurrence, that would be one thing. But considering the make hasn't won since Talladega last year, and its roster of drivers is brimming with talent, it's definitely a cause for concern.
Points matter - We are 15 races from the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup, but the fight for 12th is getting fierce. Six drivers, including two-time champion Tony Stewart and ex-CART champion and Formula One winner Juan Pablo Montoya, are within 59 points of the last spot for NASCAR's postseason. Keep watching that bunch, it's sure to get good.
4 things you may have missed Racing the clock - NASCAR's official tire supplier, Goodyear, will have to play a guessing game when it comes to developing tires for the Daytona 500 next year. Lee Spencer explains.
Domino effect - It all started with Kasey Kahne, then Kurt Busch followed suit. Now, the third high-priced free agent in the 2010 pool looks set to sign a new deal -- or so says one team owner.
Something smells - As if six straight finishes of 15th or worse wasn't enough to make Tony Stewart sweat, he'll really start feeling the heat after hearing a sponsor that has been with him for over the decade is ditching him.
Oh Canada! - JR Motorsports looks North of the border to find a driver for the Nationwide Series road course races.
3 on top
Denny Hamlin - If his recent form continues, don't be surprised if you see a rash of drivers tearing their ACL's and going under the knife.
Jamie McMurray - Doing his best to prove he's not just a restrictor-plate one-trick pony. A few more runs like Saturday's and he'll accomplish the feat.
Kurt Busch - Saturday at Darlington was Busch the elder's fourth top-five finish of the year, equaling his number of finishes of 20th or worse. Can the real Kurt Busch please stand up?
2 quotes from around the garage
"We didn't expect to have the success. We thought we could contend for race wins, maybe get one here or there the first 12. We really wanted to come on right after Indy, was our goal, to turn the light switch on and really go for it." - Denny Hamlin.
"The brake rotor exploded. The last 40 or 50 laps we were struggling with brake problems and just no brakes. We took all the brake cooling off and thought maybe we were gonna fix it, and when that yellow came out I went to hit the brakes to slow down and the brake rotors exploded. I'm not sure which one, but I was just trying to aim for the bottom and try to miss everybody. I'm sorry to Jimmie." - AJ Allmendinger after his wild ride Saturday night.
1 last thing
NASCAR's top teams and drivers are all heading up to Dover, Del., for next weekend's racing action, but the eyes of the sport will be firmly on Charlotte, N.C., as the NASCAR Hall of Fame opens to the public this Tuesday (May 11).
Can't be in two places at once? Fear not, the FOX family has you covered.
SPEED will have extensive coverage of the opening of the HOF Tuesday from 9 a.m. to noon ET. They will then head up the road to Dover and cover all the action this weekend before FOX takes over on Sunday for coverage of Racing from Dover beginning at noon ET.
Of course, FOXSports.com will be your home for online coverage all week long, with extensive previews and analysis of both the Hall of Fame and all the racing action just a click of the mouse away.
