FIVE LAPS: Post Phoenix
A look back at the madness:
Lap 1: That wasn't one of the estimated 16.5 million major league baseball games scheduled for 2008 on my TV when I tuned in Saturday night for the race, was it? It was? Really? Did Fox delay the start of the race so it could finish the game? And then did Fox switch to the race before the ball game was over? It did? E-Fox. Story here. (P.S. to USA Today: This was not a repeat of the Heidi fiasco. Not even close. So why mention it?)
Lap 2: Props to Chad Knaus for his win Saturday night. Not only did he draw a straight flush when he needed it, but also ... did you see him screw with Jimmie Johnson's head? Telling his driver that he's 20 seconds up instead of 10 seconds was a stroke of evil genius.
More nonsense after the jump.
Lap 3: Yes, I do like a fuel-milage race, thank you very much. Building a good engine is more about raw power. It's about the trade-off between power and fuel milage, and a good engine builder can get both out of his motors. Hendrick apparently can do both.
Lap 4: What has happened to Penske since the 500? Newman followed up his pole win with a dead-last finish Saturday, and he's clinging by the hairs that the Young Guns razor didn't get to the final spot in the Chase. Kurt Busch (he was second in the 500) hasn't cracked the top 10 since. He has one top-20 finish in the past 5 races, and that was 20th at Martinsville. Penske is rumored to have a third driver, but I haven't seen him in a while and don't remember who he is.
Lap 5: Matt Kenseth has a 14-year-old son?! Apparently so. Yes, he's racing.
Green-white-checkers: Speaking of the Penskes, Jaynelle of Track Talk spent Saturday in the No. 12 pits. It's a good read, so go read it. Pics are here.