FanHouse Kobalt Tools 500

It wasn't a great week and change to be the assistant of Sprint Cup Series driver Kurt Busch after the Las Vegas native won the series' last outing two weeks ago at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Thanks to a nameless, peculiar victory lap Busch unveiled after the win by driving his No. 2 Penske Racing Dodge in reverse in the correct counter-clockwise fashion for a full lap, ideas poured from all corners of the NASCAR world on what the lap should be called.

And because, you know, that's what people in NASCAR do, Busch announced Friday that the lap's official title will be the "Unwind Lap".

Perhaps Jimmy Watts was just doing what he had always done as a firefighter for the Charlotte (N.C.) Fire Department on Sunday when he dashed across the unprotected frontstretch Atlanta Motor Speedway grass to retrieve an errant tire from his team's recently completed pit stop -- preventing a potentially harmful situation.

Regardless, the NASCAR gas man who helped bring out a caution that changed the complexion of the Kobalt Tools 500 and was suspended by NASCAR for the remainder of the event felt obligated Sunday evening to apologize for his actions.

He may have ended the day going backwards, but Kurt Busch did just about everything right to stay up front Sunday.

As a result, Busch earned his first victory of 2009 in the Sprint Cup Series' Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

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After two consecutive 40th-place finishes, Mark Martin desperately needs a rebound this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Lucky for him, thanks to a qualifying lap that made the driver "feel like a rookie," Martin will start Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 from the pole with Penske Racing's Kurt Busch alongside. Not bad for a driver that became the second-oldest pole winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup history.

Jimmie Johnson is already racing for the championship.

He went flying by my KOBALT Tools 500 pick with just 3 laps to go to score his 25th career win. Ugh! At least when Tony Stewart wins we get to see him climb the fence.

C'mon, Jimmie, do something! Anything.

Ok ... I gotta give it to him, he does do a pretty badass burnout. But really? If we're going to have to put up with this many wins, at least give us something to look forward to.

If I was less certain about Smoke's desire to put The Home Depot #20 back in victory lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway--or anywhere else--I'd be working on some theory that NASCAR conspired to ensure that the race sponsor's sponsored car on their pet team would win.

KOBALT Tools 500 Results | Standings

Unlike Brandon Whitt, Jeremy Mayfield, A.J. Allmendinger and Mike Bliss survived the "three strikes you're out" approach and went on to attempt to qualify for Sunday's Nextel Cup race.

Mayfield and Allmendinger failed ... for the fourth straight week. (Ray Evernham and CHAMP Car fans everywhere are laughing their [insert preferred body part here]s off.)

Kevin LePage is also 0 for 4.

Ward Burton, Kenny Wallace and Michael Waltrip have all failed to qualify in three out of four attempts.

The KOBALT Tools 500 will be Brian Vickers' second race of the season and Mike Bliss' first.

At what point does a team say, "We have a problem?"

At what point does a sponsor say, "We can't afford to keep pouring money into your team without getting a return on our investment?"

Team Red Bull has an obvious advantage sponsoring their own team.

But how long can it possibly be before 360 OTC Team Green, et. al. decide to pull the plug?

How long before Napa tells Michael Waltrip Racing that they'd like to sponsor one of their Toyotas that actually makes it into the field?

My guess? Not much longer.