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The first triple-header NASCAR weekend at Kentucky Speedway was certainly bigger than a blip on the radar, but unfortunately, it wasn't really much bigger than that.
Thursday night saw a familiar series to the track - the Camping World Truck Series, which was the first major NASCAR series to race at this track - contest the UNOH (University of Northwestern Ohio) 225. Johnny Sauter came off of having the victory taken from him at Texas and qualified on the pole, only to DNF with transmission problems. An accident on lap 146 took out Brazilians Nelson Piquet Jr. and Miguel Paludo, the former having a legitimate shot at the win and having led at least one lap. In the end, it was the familiar sight of Kyle Busch leading at the checkered flag, with Parker Kligerman the best series regular just behind in second. Despite the DNF, Johnny Sauter still leads the points standings.
Friday night's Nationwide Series Feed The Children 300 saw series regular Elliott Sadler sit on pole and have the dominant car in a race that only saw 8 lead changes. Once again, though, fuel mileage would come into play. Cup regulars Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick would battle it out for the win in the closing laps. A mistake coming onto pit road when he wasn't intending to cost Harvick any chance at the win, handing it to Keselowski. Sadler was one of those who had to pit late, but would salvage sixth place and valuable points. Enough, in fact, to retake the points lead from Reed Sorenson.
Saturday night's Quaker State 400 was the event the locals had been waiting for - the debut Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway. Busch brothers Kyle and Kurt would share the front row - in that order - and had the dominant cars in the early laps. A competition caution flew on lap 32 due to an overnight rain. For much of the race afterwards, Kyle was the dominant car, although Brad Keselowski was more than a handful for Busch in the middle stretches of the race. Big moments abound throughout the field. On lap 200, Jamie McMurray had a massive engine failure that left him stranded in the middle of Turn 1. This would bring out a caution that eventually brought fuel mileage into question yet again. That got thrown out the window, however, on lap 255 when Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew a left front tire after making a splash-and-go. On the restart, Clint Bowyer saw his race go south with a crash in Turn 2. In the end, the race went the scheduled distance with Kyle Busch taking the win and the points lead.
The trucks head to Iowa next weekend, while the cars romp through New Hampshire.

Edit: This review also includes the New Hampshire/Iowa race weekend.
Saturday had two races at two separate tracks. Up first was the Nationwide Series New England 200 saw Brad Keselowski on pole. But there was no stopping Kyle Busch, who after winning two out of three races in Kentucky, claimed his 100th win in NASCAR's top 3 series (29 in Truck, 49 in Nationwide, and 22 in Sprint Cup).
That night saw the running of the Camping World Truck Series Coca-Cola 200 at Iowa Speedway. Relative new-comer David Mayhew took pole driving the #2 truck for Kevin Harvick Inc., and would even see time at the front. But it was Austin Dillon who had the dominant truck. Just past the halfway point, Justin Marks and Jack Smith tangled on the front straight that resulted in damage to the pit wall, necessitating a red flag for repairs. In the end, Matt Crafton would hold off Dillon for his first win of the season.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Lenox Industrial Tools 301 had an all Stewart-Haas Racing front row of Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart. Tire problems were common that day, victims including Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. Once again, fuel mileage factored into deciding the outcome. One duo not affected were the front row starters, who finished in the same order in which they started.

Another off-weekend for Sprint Cup means another truck/Nationwide doubleheader in Nashville. And once again, it was a Friday night/Saturday night deal.
Friday night's Camping World Truck Series Lucas Deep Clean 200 had no Cup drivers in the field, leaving the door wide open for a series regular to win. Austin Dillon sat on pole and dominated a race that only saw three caution periods, including a green flag run of 96 laps. In the end, no one had anything for Austin Dillon, as he cruised to victory and did a belly-slide in the infield grass. Second place finisher Johnny Sauter leads Dillon by four points in the standings.
Saturday night's Nationwide Series Federated Auto Parts 300 was another fast-paced event with only three caution periods. Unlike last night, there were Cup drivers in the Nationwide field, albeit only two. Brad Keselowski won the pole, and when the green flag dropped, he and Carl Edwards disappeared into a race of their own. Electrical issues, however, would hamper Brad's challenge for the win, which basically ended any hope of a real race right there. No one else had anything for Edwards, who went on to win. Roush Fenway teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the best non-Cup driver with a second place finish, truck winner Austin Dillon took third in his Nationwide debut, and points leader Reed Sorenson finished in eighth. In spite of the electrical issues, Keselowski still salvaged 12th.
Indianapolis awaits all three series next weekend, with the trucks and Nationwide cars at Lucas Oil Raceway, and the Sprint Cup cars at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Indianapolis weekend saw a fantastic send off for Lucas Oil Raceway with two amazing race outcomes.
Friday night's Camping World Truck Series AAA Insurance 200 began the double-header finale. Austin Dillon took pole and led part of the race. There was a threat of rain in the area, but it never really had much of an effect. All four caution periods occurred within the first half of the race, leaving fuel mileage to once again play a role. In the end, it was Timothy Peters who saved enough fuel to win. Dillon ran out of fuel and just barely made it home in ninth, one lap down. It was, however, good enough to put him within four points of point leader Johnny Sauter, whose truck broke a sway bar and doomed him to a finish of 23rd, four laps down.
Saturday night's Nationwide Series was Part 2 of the short-track sendoff before the series moves to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next year. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won the pole and had the dominant car for much of the event. In fact, in the closing laps of the race, a Roush Fenway 1-2-3 looked possible. But it began to crumble when, during a late caution, Carl Edwards got caught speeding in the pits, relegating him back to 11th. He would eventually finish fifth. Trevor Bayne was running second when his engine blew. And then Brad Keselowski made a daring pass in Turn 3 that knocked Stenhouse back to third. The big moment in the closing laps came when Michael Annett, Steve Wallace, and Tim Andrews tangled in a nasty wreck that brought out the red flag. In the end, no one had anything for Keselowski, who went on to win the race. Stenhouse was the highest-placed non-Cup driver in third, good enough to take the points lead.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Brickyard 400 was certainly a strategically complex race. David Ragan won the pole and led part of the race, albeit not the first lap, as Kasey Kahne led much of the early stages. The strategy game began rather early, a move that would eventually mire Kahne back in traffic and put Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the front. A Hendrick 1-2-3 surfaced for several laps with Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson at the front. The last caution fell on lap 121, well outside the window of being able to go the rest of the way without stopping. Some teams pitted, others who weren't in their window stayed out and later pitted under green after several laps. Fuel mileage again came into play, as several of the front runners late in the race had to save fuel. Paul Menard was able to save enough fuel and even start to up his pace, but he had to fend off a hard-charging Gordon, who after getting fresh tires and fuel, was closing fast. But not fast enough, as Menard held to take his first career Sprint Cup win. Carl Edwards retained the points lead despite a 14th place finish.
The trucks and Cup cars head to Pocono next, while the Nationwide cars return to Iowa.
In other news, Brad Keselowski was injured in a high-speed crash during a test session at Road Atlanta. He has since been cleared to race at Pocono. But it was one BIG shunt!
http://www.nascar.com/news/110803/bkese ... index.html
http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationwide ... index.html
Also, Nashville Superspeedway is off the NASCAR schedule for next season.
http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationwide ... index.html

Wet weather and crazy finishes set the tone for this past weekend in NASCAR.
We kick off with a Saturday doubleheader. Up first, the Camping World Truck Series Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service 125, which saw an all-Cup front row of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. Rain forced a red flag after 17 laps and would not let up for the remainder of the day, forcing the restart to Sunday morning. Parker Kligerman was leading when the rain came and got his bonus point for leading a lap. But after the restart, Harvick had the truck to beat, with Busch not far behind. There were few major incidents, and in the end, after a green-white-checkered attempt, Harvick emerged victorious. James Buescher was the best series regular, in third. Johnny Sauter had the points lead intact with a fifth-place finish, but a rule infraction costs him six points, dropping him to second in points behind sixth-place finisher Austin Dillon.
http://www.nascar.com/news/110809/jsaut ... index.html
Also run that day was the ARCA series Pennsylvania 125, which saw this wild wreck on lap 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5uQGyTUWqI
That night, the Nationwide Series U.S. Cellular 250 took place at Iowa Speedway. Elliott n claimed the pole and led, but just like last time, it quickly became an all-Roush Fenway deal between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Carl Edwards. This one saw a finish for the ages. Watch and find out for yourself.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsHaQag0 ... re=related
Stenhouse hangs on to points lead.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Good Sam RV Insurance 500 was very much a mix of the other two races that weekend. Joey Logano won the pole and led the early going. On lap 14, his teammate Kyle Busch spun coming off of Turn 3 and ended up in pit entry.
Turn 3 also caught out David Ragan, who wadded up the back of his car. The rain began to fall on lap 124, resulting in yet another red flag. This time, however, it fell after halfway, which would have made it official. But the track got dried and the racing resumed. Only one other caution fell after that, the result of a shunt between Kasey Kahne and Juan Pablo Montoya coming out of Turn 1. On the restart, Brad Keselowski, less than a week after injuring his feet in a frightening crash during testing at Road Atlanta, seized the lead and never looked back, holding off Kyle Busch for the win while his teammate (and Kyle's older brother) Kurt traded paint with Jimmie Johnson on the Long Pond Straight on the last lap. Points leader Carl Edwards finished in seventh.
The cars will do some right-and-left-turning next week, as they head to Watkins Glen.

It was one left-and-right turn after another this past weekend, as NASCAR ventured to upstate New York's finger-lakes region for racing at Watkins Glen International.
Saturday's Nationwide Series Zippo 200 was a family affair as Busch brother Kurt and Kyle occupied the front row in that order. The race itself was dominated by Sprint Cup drivers. So much so, that no Nationwide driver led a single lap. As a result, not bonus points were handed out. That's not to say they weren't getting any attention. Championship contender Reed Sorenson had problems in the pits and fellow title rival Ricky Stenhouse Jr. had his problems on the track, including a spin that dropped him down the field. In the end, no one had anything for Kurt Busch, who took the checkered flag on a G-W-C attempt ahead of Jimmie Johnson (who rebounded after a pit problem resulted in a penalty), Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Paul Menard. Best Nationwide regular was Aric Almirola in eighth, behind first points-eligible driver Ron Fellows. Stenhouse's 15th place finish still kept him on top of the points standings.
Sunday's Spring Cup Series Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips at the Glen saw more Busch domination, starting with Kyle taking the pole and setting a new track record in the process. Unfortunately, rain would move the race from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning. But it was certainly worth the wait. There was considerably more drama in the Cup race than there was Saturday in the Nationwide race. Big wrecks abounded, beginning when Kurt Busch blew a tire in Turn 5, sending him into the tire barrier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ru9E1QbmpkM
Later on, Denny Hamlin had a huge high-speed shunt at Turn 1 that reminded many of Jimmie Johnson's crash at that same point in a Nationwide car 12 years earlier.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ-ZQxY0OMg
And if that weren't enough, a G-W-C would see even more carnage when contact between Boris Said and David Ragan triggered a massive accident!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoLqfhgFj-w
The clip also reveals a first-time winner, while a third place finish moves Kyle Busch into the points lead.
The trucks join the Cup cars in yours truly's backyard at Michigan International Speedway next weekend while the Nationwide cars head north of the border to Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villenueve.

Cup regulars in trucks and road course ringers were very much part of the story this past weekend in NASCAR.
It all began with a Saturday double at two separate tracks. Up first was the Camping World Truck Series VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway. Points leader Austin Dillon won the pole and lead at least one lap during the race, as did championship rival Johnny Sauter. Cup regulars Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were on hand to challenge. Busch's day ended early with radiator problems. Both main points contenders had problems. Sauter spun off of Turn 2, touched the inside wall, and in trying to get back to the pits, blew the right front tire and did some damage to the bodywork. Dillon looked set to capitalize and extend his points lead, but it backfired when Parker Kligerman spun right in front of him, leaving him with nowhere to go but straight into him. Dillon was out, while Sauter was able to continue. The incident set up a G-W-C, with Harvick winning. With Sauter finishing ahead of Dillon, he now has the points lead.
North of the border on the same day was the Nationwide Series Napa 200 at Circuit Gilles Villenueve in Montreal. Jacques Villenueve put the #22 Penske-owned Dodge on pole and for much of the race, he was the car to beat. That is, until some damage forced him to pit for repairs, resulting in a 27th place finish, two laps down. Contact with Steve Wallace ended Patrick Carpentier's final race early and resulted in Carpentier's crew chief Jerry Baxter reaching into Wallace's car after the race and pulling on Steve's hair. He has since apologized.
http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationwide ... index.html
After all that, and after four failed attempts, Marcos Ambrose finally got a win at Montreal. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. retains the points lead.
Back at MIS, Sunday saw the running of the Sprint Cup Series Pure Michigan 400. It was a Roush lockout of the front row courtesy of Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Engine problems would plague Carl Edwards and a cut tire and crash damage took a toll on Denny Hamlin, the latter coming off a nasty crash the previous week at Watkins Glen. As a result, both drivers took a hit in the points standings. Not taking a big hit was Kyle Busch, who came from 17th on the grid and held off Jimmie Johnson on a G-W-C attempt for the win that kept him in the points lead.
Bristol and Thunder Valley await all three series next weekend. Can Kyle Busch repeat his sweep of last year and continue his winning streak at The World's Fastest Half-Mile? We shall see.

No weekend sweep for Kyle Busch at Bristol, although there was a sweep of another kind.
The short track mayhem began on Wednesday night with the Camping World Truck Series O'Reilly 200, which followed the Whelen Modified Series UNOH Perfect Storm 150. Elliott Sadler won pole, but saw his hopes of a win dashed when he and Kyle Busch tangled near the halfway point. Busch ended up in the wall with considerable damage, prompting him to retaliate by spinning Sadler out. Busch was out with the damage suffered in the incident while Sadler salvaged a ninth-place finish. Filling in the void for KHI was team owner Kevin Harvick, who had never won a truck race at Bristol. Until that night. Behind him was points leader Johnny Sauter.
Friday night saw Part 2 of the short track triple-header with the Nationwide Series Food City 250. It was an all Joe Gibbs Racing front row with Kyle Busch and Joey Logano starting and finishing in that order. None of the series regulars saw time at the front, so no bonus points were handed out. Best non-Cup driver was fifth place finisher Aric Almirola, while points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came home in 11th.
Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series Irwin Tools Night Race rounded out the triple header. Modified winner Ryan Newman sat on pole and led much of the early laps, although Jeff Gordon proved to be a worthy adversary, as he also led much of the early laps. Strategy was very much a factor in the late laps in the race, which only saw only six cautions, far less than what was typical of the track before the progressive banking was put in. Some of the faster cars ended up stuck midfield on the final restart on lap 420. The benefactor was Brad Keselowski, who had a quick car all night and was helped with good pit strategy. And he held on to win for the third time this year and second time since his testing crash at Road Atlanta. A fourth place finish moved Jimmie Johnson into a tie for the points lead with Kyle Busch, who finished 14th.
The Sprint Summer Showdown will be part of another triple header at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Paul Menard, and Marcos Amborse are eligible for the $3 million prize - $1 million each for winning driver, charity of driver's choice, and a lucky fan. This should be interesting.

Fuel mileage, tire issues, and rain delays sum up NASCAR's third Labor Day weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway and its first Labor Day triple-header at the track.
Friday night's Camping World Truck Series Good Sam Club 200 kicked things off. Ricky Carmichael got his first career truck pole, but never led a lap during the race, so no bonus point for him. Sprint Cup regulars Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch had the dominant trucks that night. In fact, the only truck regular to lead a lap was Austin Dillon. That is, until the late stages of the race, when fuel mileage came into play. Many of the front-runners had to stop for fuel, while others who had pitted earlier attempted to stay out. Ron Hornaday wasn't much of a factor all night until race's end. Having made his last stop early, he decided to tough it out to the end on fuel. Which he did successfully. That win moved Hornaday from ninth to fifth in points, while 10th place gave James Buescher the points lead.
Saturday night's Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 was practically an all Carl Edwards kind of night. He qualified on pole, led the most laps, and still had to overcome some adversity en route to the win. Which he did. Just like in the truck race, there were few
major incidents, although tires were an issue. Third place helped Ricky Stenhouse Jr. keep the points lead.
Tropical storm Lee's arrival on Sunday forced the delay of the Sprint Cup Series Advocare 500 until Tuesday. Again, they were very few major incidents, most notable being a spin by Bobby Labonte off of Turn 4 and a crash on the back straight involving him. Kasey Kahne won the pole, but fell out of the race with engine problems after 269 laps. Jeff Gordon had the dominant car for much of the race, and would have to hold off a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson to get his 85th career Cup win. Second place put Johnson into the points lead.
The last race weekend before the Chase brings us to Richmond.
In other news, the trucks will mark NASCAR's return to Rockingham's North Carolina Motor Speedway.
http://www.nascar.com/news/110907/racin ... index.html

The field for the Chase is set! But let's look at how we got here. It's quite a crazy, complicated story.
Friday night's Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 was attended by our very own Brander (I don't know how to spell the second half of his username) and saw Brad Keselowski make his Nationwide return in stunning style by qualifying on the pole. He led a part of the early laps, but wasn't much of a factor afterwards. Especially after a tangle with Danica Patrick that relegated him to a 19th place finish, one lap down. Both finished ahead of Kevin Harvick, who was in a bit of an aggressive mood that night. He put Jason Leffler into the fence early on, got brake-checked by Leffler later in the race, and had two run-ins with Trevor Bayne, who ended up in the Turn 3 wall after tangling with Harvick.
http://nationwide.nascar.com/nationwide ... index.html
In the end, Kyle Busch held off Bayne's teammates Carl Edwards and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the win, the latter of three maintaining the points lead as a result.
Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series Wonderful Pistachios 400 would set the field for the Chase. And a wild race it was. David Reutimann qualified on pole, but never got to lead a single lap. The mayhem came early. Clint Bowyer spun in Turn 4 after an overtaking attempt failed and created a mass of damaged/wrecked cars in his wake. Among them were Chase spot contenders Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin. Both cars suffered damage and would pit numerous times during the lengthy caution period. Jr. fell a lap down three times during the race, but got the Free Pass three times to remain on the lead lap. Fifteen cautions came out during the course of the race. The final one came on lap 385 when Paul Menard spun on the pit straight, wiping out the lead that Jeff Gordon had built over Menard's teammate, Kevin Harvick. This incident has aroused some suspicion, and NASCAR president Mike Helton is investigating the matter.
http://www.nascar.com/news/110916/mhelt ... index.html
In the end, Harvick beat Gordon off of pit road under the caution and had the quicker car on the short run to the checkered.
The Chase field is as follows:
Kyle Busch
Kevin Harvick
Jeff Gordon
Matt Kenseth
Carl Edwards
Jimmie Johnson
Kurt Busch
Ryan Newman
Tony Stewart
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Brad Keselowski
Denny Hamlin

The Chase begins next weekend as all three series visit Chicagoland Speedway.

The Chase is on! And it certainly kicked off in style!
Friday night's Camping World Truck Series Fast Five 225 had Steve Arpin on pole, but was dominated by Cup regulars Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch. Only three cautions flew all night, mostly for debris, so fuel mileage definitely came into play. Many drivers, including Harvick and Busch, had to make late splash-and-go stops. Strategy put Austin Dillon out front when it mattered most, earning him the win and another bellyslide in the grass. And a much better one than what he did in Nashville. 11th-place finisher James Buescher retains the points lead.
Saturday afternoon saw the Nationwide Series run the Dollar General 300. Brian Scott and Brad Keselowski on the front row in that order. Both of them led during the course of the race, with Keselowski having the dominant car, although Carl Edwards gave a challenge. Like the trucks, the Nationwide race had only three debris-related cautions, making fuel mileage an issue. This doomed Edwards' chances for the win when he ran too far on a tank after halfway and lost time restarting the car in the pits, handing Keselowski an easy win. Scott was the best-placed non-Cup driver, while 8th place kept Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the points lead.
Rain delayed the Sprint Cup Geico 400 to Monday. The Geico caveman served as grand marshal, and saw Matt Kenseth take pole. He did lead and get his bonus point for doing so, but would finish 21st, one lap down. Six cautions flew, again mostly for debris, and once again, fuel mileage was an issue down the stretch. In the end, Tony Stewart held off a hard-charging Kevin Harvick for the win while several others ran out of fuel on the final lap, moving guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, and Brad Keselowski into the top five. Second place moved Harvick into the points lead.
The Cup and truck drivers return to New Hampshire next.

Week #2 of the Chase proved to be another cracker race weekend in more ways than one.
Saturday saw a Whelen Modified Tour/Camping World Truck Series doubleheader. The F.W. Webb 175 was a bit of a bore, with only two debris cautions and five lead changes, most during green flag pit stops. Kyle Busch qualified on pole and led the most laps en route to the win. Second-place finisher Austin Dillon was the best series regular and re-takes the points lead.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 was noticeably more dramatic. Ryan Newman took the pole and managed to lead a lap, but would fade to 25th at the finish. All but one of the three cautions were for debris, and that was the result of a spin by Matt Kenseth in Turn 2. Once again, fuel mileage became an issue. Clint Bowyer looked poised to repeat his win here last year when, with two laps to go, he ran out of fuel, handing the lead and eventual win to the man who suffered the same fate last year, Tony Stewart, who's now 2-0 in the 2011 Chase. And with that win, Stewart becomes the new points leader.
The trucks accompany the Indycar series to Kentucky next weekend while the cars return to Dover and The Monster Mile.

Chase week #3 can be summed up as more eventful than the previous two.
Saturday night saw the Camping World Truck Series contest the Kentucky 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Austin Dillon sat on pole and was a factor for much of the race, which saw seven cautions, some for more than just debris. Nine drivers led during the course of the race, but it was Ron Hornaday who led when it mattered most, taking his 50th career truck win. Pole man Dillon would finish second and retain the points lead.
Saturday afternoon at Dover was the sight of the Nationwide Series OneMain Financial 200. Series regular Elliott Sadler qualified on pole and got credit for leading at least one lap. In fact, he and Mike Wallace were the only two drivers to get a bonus point for leading a lap. All other lap leaders were Cup regulars, including race-winner Carl Edwards. Teammate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was the best-placed non-Cup driver in sixth and widens his points lead over Sadler as a result.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series AAA 400 saw plenty of action. Martin Truex Jr. won the pole and led some of the early laps, but an ill-handling car doomed him to finish in 30th place, four laps down. Many Chase contenders had problems. Tony Stewart, winner of the first two Chase races, had a bad-handling car that kept him from a three-peat. A broken sway bar mount, followed by a loose wheel, ruined Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s day. Eleven drivers led a lap in a race that saw 10 cautions, some for on-track incidents, including a crash by Mike Bliss on the backstretch on lap 353. In the end, it was Kurt Busch who prevailed on The Monster Mile, moving him up from 9th to 4th in points. Second place finisher Jimmie Johnson also moved up in points, from 10th to 5th. Kevin Harvick and Carl Edwards are now tied for the points lead.
The cars head to Kansas next weekend, first time for the Nationwide Series there this season, second time for the Sprint Cup Series.

It was a return to the heartland for one of NASCAR's top series and a first visit of the year for another.
Saturday witnessed the running of the Nationwide Series Kansas Lottery 300. It was an all-Cup regular front row occupied by Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski. Both of them proved to be very tough to beat, with Keselowski having the dominant car. Only three non-Cup drivers led a lap all race: Aric Almirola, Jason Leffler, and Jeremy Clements. Six caution periods occurred that day, and Keselowski emerged victorious, with Edwards in second. Best non-Cup driver was third-place finisher Elliott Sadler, who closed the gap to points leader Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who finished fifth.
Race 4 in the the Chase for the Sprint Cup was the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday. Greg Biffle led an all-Roush-Fenway front row to the green flag, with teammate Carl Edwards alongside. Two cautions flew within the first 100 laps, then four more in the last 72. Fuel mileage came dangerously close to affecting the outcome, but the late cautions thwarted that possibility. Jimmie Johnson, who started the race in 19th, had the dominant car, but would have to work hard for the win due to all the late cautions and different pit strategies that played out. A green-white-checkered would factor in when Jeff Gordon's engine blew inside of 10 laps to go, extending the race distance from 267 laps to 272 laps. The final two laps saw Johnson hold off Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski for the win, which moved him up to third in the points standings, 1 behind Kevin Harvick and 4 behind Edwards.
Both series head to Charlotte for the equivalent of NASCAR's home-coming event.

When NASCAR's two car-based series returned to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the first race seemed to be a bit of a déja vu from last weekend. Friday night's Nationwide Series Dollar General 300 was just that, for the most part. Paul Menard qualified on pole, but it was Brad Keselowski who had the car to beat for much of the night. That is, until a flat rear tire coming out of Turn 2 on lap 171 and almost sideswiped Kyle Busch. Busch got by cleanly, while Keselowski spun on the apron in Turn 4, bringing out a caution. Seven cautions came out that night, and three Nationwide regulars - Elliott Sadler, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and rookie Timmy Hill - got to lead a lap. But none of them led the one that really mattered, as Carl Edwards held off Kyle Busch on a late restart to take the checkered flag. The aforementioned Elliott Sadler was the highest-placed non-Cup driver in fourth place and closes Ricky Stenhouse Jr.'s points lead to 15.
Saturday night's Sprint Cup Series Bank of America 500 had an all-Chase driver front row at the start featuring Tony Stewart and Matt Kenseth. Stewart led much of the very early laps until Greg Biffle surged past and established himself as the driver to beat in the early laps. As the race went on, Kyle Busch eventually commandeered the top spot and would prove tough to beat. Drama once again got the upper hand with more than one Chase driver. Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled an ill-handling car for much of the night, finishing in 19th, one lap down. Jeff Gordon had a close call in traffic with a spin in Turn 2. But the driver who took the biggest hit of the night - literally and figuratively - was Jimmie Johnson, who while trying to pass Ryan Newman, spun at the same point his teammate did, and pounded the outside wall hard on lap 316. In the waning laps, outside pole man Matt Kenseth made a bid for the lead against Kyle Busch after a late restart, and would hang on for the win. But considering the Busch had to start from the back, he also put in an impressive drive that night. A third place finish kept Carl Edwards in the points lead.
The Nationwide drivers have the next two weeks off while the Cup and truck drivers head for the wild card Chase race venue: big, bad Talladega.

The drafting technique that just won't die made its presence known once again at Talladega.
In Saturday's Camping World Truck Series Coca-Cola 250, that much was certainly evident. James Buescher started from the pole and got credit for leading at least one lap, but it was the KHI duo of Mike Wallace (the winner of the inaugural Daytona truck race) and Ron Hornaday who were the dominant tandem-draft duo. Parker Kligerman and Todd Bodine looked to be strong challengers until a bump draft went awry in the tri-oval, spinning Kligerman. Most of the cautions that day were for one or two-truck wrecks or for debris, as The Big One didn't show itself. In the end, Wallace and Hornaday couldn't be caught and finished 1-2 in that order. Polesitter Buescher's third place finish moves him to within 3 points of championship leader Austin Dillon.
Sunday's Sprint Cup Series Good Sam Club 500 saw more of the same. Mark Martin won pole in a qualifying session that saw all of his teammates qualify in the top 6. As with the truck race, most of the on-track incidents involved only a few cars, including some big hits for the likes of Bobby Labonte and Kurt Busch in one incident, and Regan Smith in another that brought out the final caution. A G-W-C type finish for the scheduled distance would come down to who got the best restart. RCR teammate Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton got the jump and broke away to a degree where they could afford to battle it out coming to the line. At the line, it was Bowyer who prevailed. The big gainer in the points on the day was Brad Keselowski, who finished 4th and closed to within 18 points of leader Carl Edwards, who after riding around at the back all day, finished 11th.
Both series head to Martinsville for Halloween weekend, which has already gotten off to a shaky start for the man called "5-time".
http://www.nascar.com/news/111028/jjohn ... index.html