For for the first time in 2009, Kyle Busch left a race weekend without a race-winning trophy in hand and didn't appear a bit pleased with the way that happened.
Kevin Harvick nudged Busch's No. 51 in turn four at Martinsville Speedway and passed him for the lead with 10 laps to go in the rain-postponed Camping World Truck Series Kroger 250 to win the event, but not before Busch fell deep in the field.
While trying to straighten out a fender by brushing the infield wall under caution, Busch crossed the pit road commitment line and earned a penalty for not pitting. Busch was relegated to a 17th-place finish in the Kroger 250, and afterwards, dashed directly towards the track's exit to the motor home lot.
The rain set in over the speedway just as CWTS qualifying was ending, but the session was completed with Rick Crawford earning the pole. Instead of taking his truck to the green flag for the Kroger 250 later in the day, he'll instead get that opportunity Monday at 12 p.m./EDT.
Friday afternoon, the skies over Martinsville, Va., didn't cooperate with NASCAR officials.
In town for the sixth race of the still young 2009 season, both the Sprint Cup Series and the Camping World Truck Series got in some needed practice time before rain showers halted activities at the 0.526-mile short track later in the afternoon -- scrubbing both Sprint Cup qualifying and a full CWTS final practice.
Thanks to the rain, point leader Jeff Gordon will start on Sunday's pole but Saturday activities might also be slowed by more precipitation.
There was much ado about nothing leaving Bristol Motor Speedway last Sunday. The top 35 owner points in the NASCARSprint Cup Series were reset for the first time this year following the Bristol race, guaranteeing a starting spot to the top 35 teams this weekend at Martinsville Speedway and forcing the outsiders to race their way in on time.
So, for those locked into the top 35, relief reigns at least for the next week. But my contention is the top 35 shouldn't even exist. Get rid of the whole system. I've thought that since the rule's inception but became even more incensed when things became completely convoluted entering the 2009 season.
Instead, the team was given all but a heavy dose of corporal punishment Wednesday afternoon thanks to NASCAR finding that the sheet metal on Vickers' No. 83 was too thin for NASCAR's specifications.
The lack of depth left Vickers with 150 less points (drops from 15th to 17th in the driver point standings) and without a car cheif (Craig Smokstad) or crew chief (Kevin Hamlin) for an unknown amount of time after both were suspended indefinitely by NASCAR.
Ouch.
However, the team took complete responsibility for the violation in a subsequent press release saying they wouldn't appeal the ruling and that they realize it's a "privilege" to compete in NASCAR. Ominous words for the person mainly behind this penalty were also included in the release as it said "necessary steps will be taken to rectify the situation and ensure it won't happen again".
All that being said, what in the world does it mean and why does it help for a team to have thin sheet metal?
More importantly, it gave Johnson -- yeah, that guy who's won two championships in-a-row -- a 149 point lead in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings after Jeff Burton was penalized for pitting outside the box late in the race.
NASCAR's two biggest names -- Earnhardt and Petty -- might fall under the same banner in the near future in the latest sign of how NASCAR's middle-of-the-road teams are struggling to keep pace with multi-car and mega-supported teams in the Sprint Cup Series.
While Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty never were true rivals on-track, the competition between each drivers' stats always persisted. Earnhardt never matched Petty's incredible 200-win total, but in 1992, he reached seven championships in NASCAR's top division to tie "The King".
"I think in this time, in this sport, anybody running from one team to three teams is talking to somebody, and anybody with four teams is trying to get to eight teams," said Loomis, vice president of race operations for Petty Enterprises.
Loomis likened it to what has been taking place throughout the financial world in recent weeks. Organizations such as Petty Enterprises and DEI, which are short on sponsorship dollar commitments for next season, are trying to align themselves with larger companies that are on more solid financial ground.
It's an interesting way to start for Speed -- at the circuit's smallest track that has roots deeper in NASCAR than ugly driver t-shirts -- but he'll do so anyway in the No. 84 Toyota from Red Bull Racing.
Speed is apparently ready for NASCAR, but the real question lies not in his awareness or readiness.
Rather, is NASCAR ready for Scott Speed?
He's brash, he's outspoken, and he's talented. He'll tell you how he feels, and doesn't mind who's feathers get ruffled along the way. Simply, he wants to win, and truly thinks he can be a champion rather quickly in stock car racing.
Ultimately, he's pretty darn close to being the open-wheel crossover driver version of the always oh-so-well-received Kyle Busch.
NASCAR might as well just forget to schedule qualifying-day activities after rain knocked out all on-track activity Friday at Martinsville Speedway for the eighth time this season.
That's got to be some sort of record, though I don't know for sure. (Brownie points to the first person to get the right answer!)
You know the drill -- Jimmie Johnson will be starting out front, Jeff Burton second, Greg Biffle third, and Carl Edwards fourth -- thanks to their position currently in the NASCAR owner point standings.
Who got the chopping block thanks to the unending precipitation? Well, that would be 1990 Daytona 500 champ Derrike Cope and Sterling Marlin. Both will be headed home after NASCAR's system of determining who races and who doesn't kept them out of the 43 car field.
For for the first time in 2009, Kyle Busch left a race weekend without a race-winning trophy in hand and didn't appear a bit pleased with the way that happened.
Don't say we didn't 
Friday afternoon, the skies over Martinsville, Va., didn't cooperate with NASCAR officials.
Brian Vickers
NASCAR's two biggest names -- Earnhardt and Petty -- might fall under the same banner in the near future in the latest sign of how NASCAR's middle-of-the-road teams are struggling to keep pace with multi-car and mega-supported teams in the 
Scott Speed
NASCAR might as well just forget to schedule qualifying-day activities after rain knocked out all on-track activity Friday at 
