FIVE LAPS: Martinsville Monday
Lap 1: Props to Denny Hamlin for winning Sunday. And props to anyone who sat through the thing outside. (Roanoke's Aaron McFarling shows his respect here.) I half expected the jet blowers to have snowplows strapped to the front just in case. And was it actually drizzling during the race?
Lap 2: If you want pictures, our friends in Roanoke did it up right. Go here.
More after the jump.
Lap 3: The Dude on Mike Wallace's kid, who came home 18th and, maybe more impressively, on the lead lap in the truck race Saturday at the M: "Chrissy Wallace's debut at Martinsville this past Saturday was irrefutable proof she is the real deal." Read it here.
Lap 4: Sunday Rewind: Dustin Long's story on Vickers' pit crew. That might help explain why Vickers has been running reasonably well this season. Yesterday, the Red Cow car was in and out of the top 10 all day till the gas tank ran dry with three laps left.
Lap 5: Here's another way of looking at Sunday's finish:
1. Gibbs
2. Hendrick
3. Childress
4. Hendrick
5. Gibbs
6. Hendrick
7. Hendrick
8. Roush
9. Roush
10. Childress
11. Roush
12. Childress
And here's another view of your standings:
1. Childress
2. Childress
3. Roush
4. Hendrick
5. Gibbs
6. Gibbs
7. Evernham
8. Gibbs
9. Hendrick
10. Hendrick
11. Penske
12. Childress
If the past is any guide, nine or 10 of these 12 will make the Chase. The guys chasing these guys are (in order from 13 to 20): DEI, Roush, Roush, Penske, Ganassi, Red Bull, Roush and Evernham. In other words, it's Big Teams chasing other Big Teams. There's a certain mind-numbing similarity to both lists. It makes me wonder why the teams not on either list even bother anymore.