Garrett Duke

Well the race is now over and we are no better than we were when we started...at least when it is concerning Stewart and Edwards. Stewart is still trailing Edwards by three points. NASCAR has got to be loving this since the chase and the points are so close together. Closest they have been together. By the start of the race it looked like there would be a lot of cautions and there was quite the few, but not as much as it was looking to be. Geoffery Bodine casued three cautions with spin outs before taking it to the garage. Matt Kenseth who won the pole for the race and led a lot of laps before slipping back for some reason. And then Brian Vickers felt neccessary to pay Kenseth back for Martinsville and wrecked him pretty good to take him out of the race. Kyle Busch had engine problems during practice and had to replace the engine to take him to the end of the pack...only for his engine to blow and to be taken out of the race. Tony Stewart led ALOT of laps and did good to f inish third...Carl Edwards led a lot of laps as well and came home second. Kasey Kahne went on to win the race...Gordon's future team mate next season. Talking of next season...am REAL ready for next season to start. Was a very FRUSTRATING race for this 24 fan. Gordon lost his brakes and pretty much limped across the finish line in 32 six laps down and now is 11th in points. :mad: Here is the top ten finishing positions... 1. Kasey Kahne 2. Carl Edwards 3. Tony Stewart 4. Jeff Burton 5. Ryan Newman 6. AJ Allmindinger (who stole David Ragen's crew after his crew messed up...) 7. David Reutimann 8. Marcos Ambrose 9. Paul Menard 10. Clint Bowyer Here is the unofficial points after the race: 1. Carl Edwards 2. Tony Stewart (-3) 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Brad Keselowski 5. Jimmie Johnson 6. Matt Kenseth 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Kurt Busch 9. Ryan Newman 10. Denny Hamlin 11. Jeff Gordon 12. Kyle Busch Am so ready for Daytona 500 in February for a fresh new season for the team 24 and Jeff Gordon. Really frustrated with the race and even more so to see him sitting outside of the top ten in points. This chase has been nothing but a lot of bad luck for Jeff Gordon and team 24...and a lot of good luck to Tony Stewart who had a so -so regular season. The boys will be racing at Homestead, Miami. One of the two race tracks where Gordon has NOT won at before and I am hoping for his first next week. Carl Edwards has won the past two races at Homestead...and is a track where Stewart has NOT won at either. It is also the track where they will be handing over the championship trophy to the driver in the number one position in points. And this year, they will be handing it over to someone other than Jimmie Johnson who has taken home the last five championship trophies. (Know I am in the minority to feel this way, but am sad to see his streak come to an end...) I am hoping that it will be going home with Carl Edwards and team 99. He is a great driver and a great guy. Always smiling and always positive. Through all this he has had nothing but good things to say about Stewart. As has Stewart about Carl. This is a great championship chase with Carl and Tony so close to each other...only three points seperating them and we are left with only ONE race remaining of the season. And then my NASCAR withdrawl will kick in...

Green flag just dropped and already an accident on lap one...David Ragen and Ragen Smith got collected in a wreck when they tried passing Kasey Kahne for eigthth place...lucky for Kahne they didn't collect him. Will be holding my breath that Gordon and Johnson will not get involved in ANY of the MANY accidents that is predicted to be of today's race. Am watching it on TV and have Race Buddy on the computer -am following Jimmie Johnson since they have no Jeff Gordon camera on today. LET'S GO JEFF GORDON AND TEAM 24!!!!!!!!!!!!! And now we are onto the second caution on lap 7 (right after they went back to green) when Geoff Bodnine spun out - by himself. Ragen Smith went to the garage...but with the caution David Ragen got back on the lead lap. Stay tuned to my post race review...

Though I am not a fan of Coke drinks, do love this commercial. Then again, I like most if not all NASCAR commercials.

"Somebody Like You" Keith Urban Awesome song by an awesome artist. Love this song...in fact, love this entire album this song is on.

Well it is finally race day!!!!! The Sprint Cup race is at Phoenix today...though the weather is none too promising. It rained this morning and watching the prerace show they said it was raining on and off...looks cloudy on TV. Am really HOPING for no rain come race time! Jeff Gordon won the Phoenix race at the beginning of the 2011 season and right after had helped with the first dig of the track. The track has been redone and so it leaves the drivers and their teams with large question marks. They said that in the Nationwide Series race that it was slick and there was a lot of accidents that took out mulitple cars in most of them...and now that it has rained out, it will make it more slick than it was last night's race. Here is the starting top ten line up: 1. Matt Kenseth 2. AJ Allmindinger 3. Marcos Ambrose 4. Mark Martin 5. Martin Truex Jr 6. Jamie McMurray 7. David Reutimann 8. Tony Stewart 9. Carl Edwards 10. Kasey Kahne Well with there only two races remaining...including today's race at Phoenix, today could be a big race day for the points. Tony Stewart trails Carl Edwards by 3 points right now...will Tony overcome Carl or will Carl stretch out his point lead over Stewart? Or will they be involved in one of the accidents? Well I am planning on watching to find out and will make sure to write my review afterwards. Am really HOPING that Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson will come out of the race untouched by any accidents...as well as Carl Edwards. But more so...am hoping for a safe and fun race. They just said that by 3:15 at Phoenix time they have sixty percent chance of rain and wind with thunderstorms at night. Go figure...they go to the dessert and it's suppose to rain. Well I am hoping for the forty percent not to rain - will be greatly upset if I have to miss the nineth race of the chase knowing there is only ONE race left of the season. LET'S GO JEFF GORDON AND TEAM 24!!!!!! LET'S SWEEP THE PHOENIX RACES IN '11!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Country Music or not y'all are gonna love this one! Mark Wills coming in driving our beloved General Lee plus his statement of his first love was Daisy Duke. Love this song...miss Mark and his music.

Very true Hoss...financially what NASCAR fined him didn't make a dent in Kyle's pocket book, but ironically Kyle probably costed himself more than what NASCAR fined him. Kyle owns his own truck that he races in the truck race - in other words, the truck he wrecked trying to wreck Hornday was his own truck that he PAYS for. Can't remember the damage off hand right now and I have no patience for my slow computer right now to look it up, but am sure his truck had to gather some damage that he will have to pay for in order to race this weekend. I am definately not a Kyle Busch fan, but do believe he has matured a lot this year than how he has been in the past. Friday was a huge step backwards in all of that, so I personally feel NASCAR gave him the correct punishment. Not with the fine or the probation, but with parking him. That is the highest penalty that NASCAR has placed upon a driver. (In fact I remember several years ago when Tony Stewart punched a Busch Series driver (am wanting to say it was Kurt Busch, but could be wrong about that...)...and NASCAR ALLOWED him to race in the Sprint Cup race because to take him out of the race would have knocked him out of the championship pursuit. So at least NASCAR decided to park Busch despite him being in the chase...) I am sure getting parked like that and watching McDowell drive his car was enough of an eye opener as anything else NASCAR could have done...

The fine and the probation will mean little to him...being parked is what will have the most affect on Kyle, I think.

Well NASCAR has stepped in again on the Kyle Busch issue...they fined him fifty thousand dollars and put him on probation through Dec. 31, 2011. (He was put on probation through the end of the year last year after the fall Texas race after he flipped off the official who was holding him back for a lap penalty for speeding...must be something about Texas ) Kyle had dropped four positions by being out of Sunday's Sprint Cup race...am sure that is what will make the most effect on Kyle.

Well the Texas race just got over and it was quite the race. First two hundred laps were pretty uneventful. First of all...Kyle Busch was replaced by Michael McDowell and sadly he didn't do too well. Sad for McDowell who is a start and park driver who needs all the good finishes he can get to get more money, more sponsor, and be able to become a full time driver. At one point had locked the tires when he missed the pit rorad entry. It was a Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards show all day. Tony led the most laps today and went onto win his fourth race of the chase...and year. Carl Edwards came home second and is now only three points ahead of Tony Stewart. Jimmie Johnson was in the top ten for most of the race until he spun out by himself. Jeff Burton led some laps towards the end before running out of gas with five laps to go. Jeff Gordon and Dale Jr had good finishes as well...Gordon came home sixth and Jr seventh. Here is the top ten finishes of the race: 1. Tony Stewart 2. Carl Edwards 3. Kasey Kahne 4. Matt Kenseth 5. Greg Biffle 6. Jeff Gordon 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Martin Truex Jr 9. Clint Bowyer 10. AJ Allmindinger Here is the unofficial top twelve points as of now: 1. Carl Edwards 2. Tony Stewart (-3) 3. Kevin Harvick (-32) 4. Matt Kenseth 5. Brad Keselowski 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Jeff Gordon 9. Kurt Busch 10. Denny Hamlin 11. Kyle Busch 12. Ryan Newman Still don't understand how Tony Stewart didn't do anything all regular season...even said he didn't deserve to be in the chase if he was going to race that bad. Then he goes on to win the first two races of the chase and now two more races in a row... We now have two more races remaining of the season. Phoenix is next Sunday where they will be facing the unknown with the repaved track. After Phoenix is Homestead...

Well I am sitting here watcing the Prerace show and they are talking about Kyle Busch and all that is going on. Sounds like he will have to go back in tomorrow (on Monday) to talk to NASCAR president Mike Helton and there MAY be farther penalities coming. Helton wouldn't say on the air or at least said they have yet to make a decision about that as of yet. Also Mars inc...M&Ms which is Kyle Busch's main sponsor and they say they are very displeased with Kyle Busch's actions. One of the announcers said that if Mars INC pulls out as Kyle's sponsor (M&M's...Snickers...) that that would affect 400 people at Gibbs racing. This may be a a bigger story than just Kyle being parked for today's race... Talking of which Michael McDowell will race for him while Kyle Busch will be sitting on his crew box to watch the race and be with his crew. He was parked but not suspended from the track.

Sitting in the driver's seat with the seat tilted back slightly, Bo Duke stares through the windshield at the trees and bushes that surrounds them. Every muscle within him is yelling at him to get up and move. Get up and walk. Run. Dance. Do something other than just is and do nothing as they have been doing the past twenty minutes. Yet, Luke's stern eyes seem to be planted on him in full knowledge of his unwillingness to sit still for another minute. Watching him as if he will pounce on him if he even thinks of raising a finger. So instead of doing something, Bo forces his cramped body to remain still in hope of any second of Luke saying those magical words of let's go. Yet he remains silent. Only to feed upon his already high emotions. Hours ago he had met his hero. Well his second hero. No one was better than Luke in his eyes, but Gordon was close in Bo's eyes. Hours ago his dream had come true only it had come with a heavy baggaged that prevented Bo to ask all of his unanswered questions. It stomped out any excitement he would have had if he had met Gordon under normal consequences. But this is Hazzard and Hazzard is anything but normal. So instead of talking to Gordon for advice, of getting to know Gordon on a personal level, and perhaps getting an autograph, Bo sits in The General while Gordon is in jail. "C'mon Luke. I can't sit here any more. I sit here any longer I'm going to go crazy. I sit here any longer I may no longer be able to move not much help you and this pointless plan of your's. How in the world are we helping Gordon by sitting in The General which is hidden in the middle of nowhere?!" Bo yells in frustration and Luke looks away, "I give you the credit that you are the brains of the family. That you come up with great ideas. But I hate to break it to you, Lukas, this is the dumbest and worst idea you've ever had! I think I could come up with something better than just sitting here and doing nothing. If that's not bad enough...you're giving Gordon and everyone else the impression that we are weak and scared of the law. Maybe you are, but I'm not!" "Are you done yet?" Luke snaps after Bo is quiet for a moment, "We went through this. We are waiting. As I am waiting for your most genius idea that you keep saying you can think of." "I don't have an idea. But I could think of one better than just sitting here. We could break him out tonight...make a distraction of some sort and go in and rescue him. Something other than doing nothing!" Bo defends himself feeling his muscles cramp within him as he forces himself to sit still at Luke's request. "We are not doing nothing. We are waiting and you know why and all the details. We have went over this. And your distraction idea is horrible. Never would work out. So sit back. Close your eyes. Take a nap. Just do anything but sit there and gripe at me as you've done ever since Gordon went with Rosco," Luke states turning to look out his window, his clear indication that their conversation was now over. Bo breathes out heavily as silence fills the car once more and his thoughts return to their situation and what has happened thus far. "Well well well lookie what I found all the way out here," Cooter's cheerful voice makes both cousins jump in surprise even though it was him that they were waiting for, "if I didn't know better, I'd think the two of you were hiding." Cooter reaches Bo's open window, "But you two wouldn't be hiding, now would you? I mean who would you be hidng from?" "I told you this was a horrible idea," Bo states to Luke who only shakes his head at him. "Hi Cooter. Took you long enough to get here," Luke states casually, "spent all this time listening to him yelling and ranting on just how smarter he is than me." Cooter eyes Bo in feigned shock. "Wow. Really? Now that's something you don't hear every day," he gives a crazy laugh. "Very funny you two. You think you're just too cute, now don't you?" Bo questions, "Well y'all aren't." Cooter shrugs. "If you say so. But hey you'll never guess who's rumored to be in jail in Hazzard right now," he grows serious. "You gonna guess?" he gives them a brief second before continueing, "Jeff Gordon. As in NASCAR Jeff Gordon. Guess your favorite driver ain't so clean after all, huh Bo?" "Shut up Cooter," Bo snaps impatiently, "that's why we called you. To get your help in on this. Gordon was driving in town when Rosco ran into him. Now Rosco is charging him for hitting him and all these other charges. We helped him escape once and had him hidden until genius over here talked Gordon into surrendering to Rosco. And now we have been sitting here for over a half hour waiting on you to show up." Cooter shrugs. "Well y'all I tol' you. I had a call I was attending to. I couldn't just drop what I was doing to lend y'all a helping hand. Though I am looking forward to helping to unfoil Hogg's plan he must have with Gordon. Once I heard he had locked up I could already see Hogg's fat wheels in his head turning to see how he could milk Gordon for all the money he's worth. Didn't believe it though when I heard it...you two just confirmed it." He goes silent as he leans in through the window. "So what can I do to help you two boys with this plan of your's?" "Well I was thinkin' Cooter..."Luke starts.

Great song...JMM puts so much emotion into this song.

Love this song...and this video. Though he did seem to forget about the Chicago Bears when talking about football teams and stadiums. Don't know how anyone could do that, but since it is Kenny Chesney and he is as awesome as he is, I will let it slide. This time. HA HA. Warning though...he does say the "B" word in this song at least once.. Not keen on swearing, but do love this song - then again Kenny Chesney is one of my FAVORITE singers so I may be biased. I love his music. Have to admit...loving sports as I do, never thought of it as being a way of escaping reality, but watching the video and him talking of the different football teams, made me realize or think that could be another way of escaping reality as Kenny sings about.

Well last night in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race review I wrote how Kyle Busch had gotten in an accident with Ron Hornaday when Hornday went up the track and got into Busch. Well under caution, for that accident, Kyle Busch had purposefully ran into Hornaday and spinning him hard into the wall. NASCAR then parked Kyle for the rest of the race...well all that happened on lap 14. Ron Hornaday was third in points and now sits fourth after last nights wreck...he was only 15 points behind the leader and now is 48 points behind the leader with only ONE race remaining of the season. In other words, Kyle Busch killed his championship hopes last night. I understand Kyle being upset over being wrecked (according to him, this is the fourth race in a row he's been wrecked) but the accident wasn't all that bad of one and as the announcers had said, they could have fixed the trucks up and went on to race for the win. But Kyle made sure that was not an option when he retaliated as he did. All Kyle had to lose out on was a win, where as Ron is now out of the championship hunt all because Kyle had to retaliate. I'd kinda understand it a little bit more if they had fourteen laps to go or five laps to go, but fourteen laps into the race is redicoulous if you ask me. They had a lot of time to fix their trucks up at that point. . . Anyway, NASCAR not only had parked Kyle for the rest of that race...but they have now parked him for tonight's Nationwide Series race and tomorrow's Sprint Cup race at Texas. This is the first time that NASCAR has parked a driver in another series race since '07 when they parked ROBBIE Gordon (NOT Jeff Gordon) at Pocono for what he had done in the Nationwide Series Montreal race. Denny Hamlin will be racing for Kyle tonight in the Nationwide Series race and Michael McDowell will be racing the 18 car in the SPrint Cup race tomorrow. Which means Kyle will not get the point for the championship (though think he is pretty much out of the championship hunt in the Sprint Cup) on Sunday's race. The points will probably go to McDowell and be going towards Joe Gibbs car owner points. A couple of years ago NASCAR had let go of the reins a bit with their "Boys have at it" sort of racing. As was stated in the article I read, Mike Helton, NASCAR president, had said all along that there would be a line somewhere that NASCAR would have to step in if drivers had taken it too far. Helton said that Kyle had crossed that line last night when he retaliated on Hornaday and killed his championship hopes as he did. Well I don't know anyone here feels about Kyle Busch or about this situation, but I feel NASCAR did what they had to have done. Over the years Kyle Busch has matured a lot and had said so last night before seeing this. Obviously he still needs to grow up some or learn from his mistakes or something. I am glad to see NASCAR finally stepping in and handing him penalties so that he can deal with the consequences of his actions as Hornaday has been forced to do. But all that is of my opinion...what's your's?

Well I just stated that Kyle Busch has matured...well he kinda proved me wrong in the truck series race tonight. He was racing with Ron Hornaday who is a truck series regular and going for the championship right now. Bucsh owns his own truck in that series, but doesn't always drive it. And since the drivers can only go for one championship (so Kyle or Edwards or anyone else who races in Sprint/Nationwide/truck can only collect championship points for one series and not go for more than one championship) Kyle was only going for the win. Not the points as Hornaday was. Well Hornaday went up the track and side swiped Kyle which brought out the caution. I understand Kyle being upset. But as the announsers had said, both trucks were still driveable after that and could have went on for at least a decent finish. Well thanks to Kyle that was not an option. Kyle purposely wrecked Hornaday under CAUTION and slammed him in the wall to take Hornaday out of the race. Kyle then got parked by NASCAR and was sent to the trailer to talk to the officials. Am assuming penalties MAY be coming from this. Kyle may have just ended his championship run just because he got upset of Hornday sliding up the track to hit him on accident. Kevin Harvick went onto win the race...but he also owns Hornaday's truck so am sure it kinda ruined the win for him too. Harvick and Busch got into it with each other in the Sprint cup race this past May which led to them both getting put on probation. Doubt that has anything to do with it, but ironic that it involves them both again. Kyle Busch and Ron Hornaday incident Sorry I know this is for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but had to put this here after posting that Kyle has matured...or seems to have in the Sprint Series. Feel bad for Hornaday. But am hoping that Kyle and everyone else will race respectfully on Sunday. . .

Gotta love Brad's sense of humor. Sadly I couldn't find a video of it other than just a picture. . .

Can't remember if I used this one or not, but this is the one that came to mind with this. Hope y'all don't mind a repeat if I did use it before. Love this song...Love TK's music. Just awesome!

The next Sprint Cup NASCAR race is Sunday at 3:00 PM EST on ESPN...seventh race of the chase. In other words once Sunday's race is over on Sunday night, there is only two races remaining of the season. Right now it is looking like the two drivers that is currently going for the championship is Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart...though there could be an upset if they have a horrible race and Kevin Harvick (3rd), Brad Keselowski (4th) and maybe Matt Kenseth (5th) has great races. As for me, I am really hoping that Carl Edwards will be taking home the 2011 NASCAR championship. Here is the top ten starting drivers on Sunday's race: 1. Greg Biffle (YAY Biff!) 2. David Ragen 3. Matt Kenseth 4. Paul Menard 5. Tony Stewart 6. David Reutimann 7. Carl Edwards 8. Brad Keselowski 9. Kasey Kahne 10. Regan Smith (JJ starts 11th...Gordon starts 23rd Jr starts 16th...) Well we are at Texas...only reminding me of last Texas race when Gordon and Jeff Burton got into it on the track after Burton wrecked Gordon under a caution... Still remember watching the wreck...being upset and blaming Burton yet knowing how Burton is a very respectable driver and isn't one to wreck anyone on purpose as it seemed he did at the time. Was surprised while watching Gordon walking upset down the track and seeing him shoving Burton. Both are veteran drivers that have a lot of class to them (if all that makes sense). Was glad when they got made their call and talked it over to know that Burton had understood Gordon's point of view. Am really hoping that there is NOT a repeat this year. Also last year...Kyle Busch had gotten caught speeding in pit row and when he got held for a lap, he flipped off the official to be held for two extra laps. Plus probation for the rest of the 2010 year and a penalty. (I really think he has matured a lot since last year. . ) As always am looking for the race to start!

Yeah...he's in a lot of trouble now. He thought he was in trouble with NASCAR, now he's dealing with the police. One would think he would have learned when he got kicked out of NASCAR to straighten out. I find it hard to believe someone would work so hard to accomplish their dream and only to ruin it by drugs and other such choices. So not worth it. . . Never heard about his dog biting that mail person...he just has a whole bunch of problems. Problems he created for the most part...except for the dog maybe. Thanks Hoss for the other allegations included. There was a whole bunch of allegations going from him and his step mom and NASCAR. Was not pretty, but do not feel one bit sorry for Mayfield. He did it to himself. Sadly. I had liked him as a driver until all this started to unfold...wasn't one of my favorites, but was a driver I wished well for. Though have more NASCAR news...David Reutimann who drives for Michael Waltrip has been released from Waltrip racing...looks like Mark Martin may have found a racing home for next season racing part time for Michael Waltrip.

Well don't know how much this is NASCAR related anymore, but it is a former NASCAR driver. Don't know if anyone other than me remembers who Jeremy Mayfield is... In 2009 Jeremy Mayfield failed a drug test...that may have been the first year they started the drug tests...but don't quote me on that. Anyway he claimed it was due to the allergy medicine he was taking and even went onto fail another drug test later on it seems. (Sounds safe...driving 200 mph on durgs. I say that SARCASTICALLY! He could have seriously hurt or wose himself or any other 42 drivers on the track...how dumb can one be?!) There was awhole bunch of charges going back and forth from Mayfield and NASCAR with all of this...(if you all want, I could look them up. I don't want to state what they were from memory in fear of getting some of it wrong...) Anyway...he was suspended from NASCAR for all this. Well now he has been arrested when law authorities found 1.5 grams of meth when they were searching his house...where they also found a hundred thousand dollars in stolen goods. (And just read on Yahoo!"s NASCAR page...that they found 50 firearms!) He is now out on bail...

Very cute and creative. bet he got lots of candy like that...

Thank-you TRP Coltrane on the scary news...am so relieved to hear Mr H and his wife are Ok after the scary accident. Hendrick and his wife know very well just how horrorifying plane accidents can be after several family members were killed in one years ago.

The race has just gotten over and I really don't even know where to start on this review. Think we had as much cautions as we did in Talledega last weekend. As said before Gordon was involved in a wreck ccaused by Dale jr on lap seven. Had a lot of pit stops to recover and by halfway, Gordon was in the lead. Today was Gordon's 650th NASCAR Sprint Cup start...he led a lot of laps, making it over 3000 laps led at Martinsville. He came home third today...disappointing seeing how close he came to winning it, but also a great race and third is a great finish compared to his past chase races for Jeff Gordon. There seemed to be two or three drivers that was consistant throughout the race. One was that Brian Vickers was involved in 90percent of the accidents and Dale Jr ran into a lot of drivers. Jr was very aggressive today and came home seventh today. Good finish for Jr. Johnson spent most of the race in the top ten but eventually made it into the win...only for Tony Stewart to pass him with three laps to go went on to pass him and win the race. Stewart had almost went a lap down at one moment - his third win of the sason...third win of the chase. Edwards who was the point leader going inot the race had a off and on race today. He had gotten lapped by Gordon at one point...came home nineth. Is now 8 points ahead of Stewart in points (Stewart just said that Edwards will NOT have it easy the next remaining three races. . .) As I said, there was ALOT of accidents today. Eighteen cautions and all for accidents. Towards the end of the race, Matt Kenseth (who was second in points) and Kyle Busch got in an accident. Kenseth took it into the garage for 23 laps. Kyle Busch was in a hurry in pit road and they didnt' get the lugnuts on. Once he got out on the track his tire FELL off and he had to drive around with only three tires. Did feel bad for Kyle, but it was funny. Montoya was in a lot of accidents. Love Jimmie Johnson and Gordon...both very classy drivers. Johnson could have wrecked Stewart to win the race, but didn't wreck him. Good for Johnson for not falling upon wrecking to win as others may have done... Here is the top ten finishing drivers: 1. Tony Stewart 2. Jimmie Johnson 3. Jeff Gordon (Very happy with third after the accident...was ready to call his day done after all his pit stops. Great finish by team 24!!!!) 4. Kevin Harvick 5. Denny Hamlin (led a lot of laps)6. Jeff Burton (Last week's second place finish was his first top five finish of the year...)7. Dale Earnhardt Jr 8. Martin Truex Jr 9. Carl Edwards 10. Ryan Newman Here is the unofficial top twelve in points: 1. Carl Edwards 2. Tony Stewart (-8) 3. Kevin Harvick 4. Brad Keselowski 5. Matt Kenseth 6. Jimmie Johnson 7. Kyle Busch 8. Kurt Busch 9. Dale Earnhardt Jr 10. Jeff Gordon 11. Denny Hamlin 12. Ryan Newman We now have three races remaining...Texas next Sunday, then Phoenix, and the final race at Homestead. The top five drivers are still within distance of the championship...who y'all going for? I am really hoping for Carl Edwards to take it home after Homestead. Three races remaining...am I the only one sad to see the season coming to an end? Or am I the only one already looking forward to the 2012 Daytona 500 and a fresh start to a new season?