There were many storylines coming into the race—Jeff Gordon vs. Jimmie Johnson, and could Kevin Harvick take it two in a row? Who stole the storylines on Saturday night?

Check out the winners and losers of the Heath Calhoun 400.

Winners

Kyle Busch

For Busch, coming into Richmond there were a lot more questions than there were answers. He had not won a race since Bristol last fall, and his team struggled with inconsistency from the start of the race to the finish. When the checkered flag flew on Saturday night some of those questions were answered.

From the drop of the green flag, Busch pulled away from the field. He led 226 laps and spent 100 percent of the laps run in the top 15. Busch fell back halfway but it was during the final restart that Busch was able to pass Gordon and go on for the first-place win.

At Darlington, Busch has had success, but so too has he had his share of troubles. He earned a victory in 2008 but finished 34th in 2009. With an average finish of 20.4, Busch is looking for a little consistency on Saturday, to make it two wins in a row.

Points: Third

Jeff Gordon

If there was one driver in 2010 who consistency was never a doubt, and who doesn’t have the results to show for it—Gordon is it. His team has brought solid cars to the track every week; they have outperformed not only their teammates at times but the field in several races only to come up short.

Gordon began in fourth but quickly made his way to second, where he ran for the first half of the race. He took the lead just after the halfway point. Once again, it was a late caution that brought the field back to Gordon.

Within his first two attempts Gordon pulled away, before the final caution was waved. Busch, on the outside, was able to pass Gordon before they hit turn one. And he once again settled for second.

Darlington, meanwhile, is one of Gordon’s best tracks since 2005. He has finished in the top five every race since. Gordon has seven wins at the track with 17 top-five finishes and 20 top 10 finishes—Gordon knows how to tame the lady in black.

Points: Sixth

Carl Edwards

One lap. That’s all that Carl Edwards has led this season, and to many it is a surprise. To me it is not.

His team, over the course of this season, has been missing something. They can’t seem to find the same magic that they had in 2008. Saturday night was an impressive showing, and that just shows how long it’s been since we seen Edwards with a solid run.

Edwards ran in the top 15 for most of the race and finally led a lap for the first time this season. He was never a factor for the win but it was a solid top five run for this team. It was good to see them be able to stay on top of the changing track conditions.

On Saturday, Edwards will be looking to carry the same momentum, but it will take some work. He has an average finish of 17.4 at Darlington, but just like Busch his results are mixed. Edwards is going to need to do what he did at Richmond International Raceway, and adjust to the race track.

Points:11th

Heath Calhoun

Let’s be honest: Heath Calhoun is the biggest winner on this list.

Calhoun lost both his legs in a convoy attack in Iraq. Calhoun could have given up, but instead has become an inspiration to a lot of people.

Calhoun does not let the injuries dictate his life and has taken life by the horns. From golfing to running, Calhoun is determined to live life to the fullest with his family—a lesson all of us could be reminded of once in a while.

Thank you.

Losers

Tony Stewart

When you come to Richmond International Raceway, you expect to see Tony Stewart up front and leading laps. Instead what we saw was a team that seems just a little off. But no worries Stewart fans, the summer is just heating up hopefully Saturday was the last of those performances for a while.

Stewart was never a threat for the lead, in fact he dropped back early in the race, and the long green flag run caught him down a lap early. Struggles with the changing track changing prevented Stewart's team from getting the car the way he needed. The result was a 23rd place finish.

Stewart has run pretty well at Darlington, with an average finish of 10.4. Since 2005 he has only led one lap at the track, though, something that he hopes to change this weekend. Stewart finished third here in 2009.

Points: 15th

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Here is another driver that when you come to Richmond International Raceway you expect to see up front and contending for the win. Instead what we saw is a repeat performance of so many races in 2009 with precisely the same results.

Rather than contending for a win, as I expected, Earnhardt and his team fell behind early and got caught a lap down on the first long green run. Crew chief Lance McGrew opted not to take advantage of the wave around, and because of that, never could get back on the lead lap. He finished 32nd.

I think Earnhardt will run much better this weekend. It was only one bad race and he has shown he can run well at Darlington. With an average finish of 10.4 since 2005, when Earnhardt qualifies well he tends to finish well, as he did in 2008 when he started second and finished fourth.

Points: 13th

Denny Hamlin

There were multiple times during the race where I actually searched for Denny Hamlin. At what he considers to be his home track, he was barely a factor. It was all the more disappointing considering he has at times dominated the track.

Hamlin and his team did not qualify very well, and that alone should have raised concerns.Typically, as the race goes on, and the team works on the car, their performance gradually improves. And yet they struggled the entire night with the handling of the car, and at times, were barely on the lead lap. He finished in a disappointing 11th place.

Heading to Darlington, in four starts, his average finish is 8.0 and his worse finish is 13th (last spring). Hamlin runs very well at the track and led 194 laps in four starts there. Hamlin and his crew need a solid race and this could be the track to do it.

Points: Seventh

Final lap…

I have heard the critics and what they thought about Saturday’s night race:

“It was boring.”

“It was too long.”

“There was no action.”

I couldn’t disagree more. At a short track, cars are going to get lapped—and early on at that. Some cars will just be hooked up and pulled away. That’s racing.

The race was entertaining—there was plenty of passing, even with the lapped down cars. There were comers and goers, and as usual this season, the final laps were exciting.

Now they head to Darlington, South Carolina, and the oval shaped track tagged “too tough to tame.”

It is for a reason. The only way around this track is inches off the wall.

The good drivers hit the wall and continue, the great drivers leave the track with cars with barely a scratch. For example, Mark Martin’s car last year. This is not an easy track and it is nothing like anything else these teams are subjected to all year long. Drivers will be racing the race track and not the competitors early on.

My picks to watch are Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski.

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Check out the winners and losers of the Bubba Burger 250.

Winners

Brad Keselowski

It didn’t take long for Brad Keselowski to quiet the naysayers who questioned the validity of his win at Talladega. Keselowski came out and dominated the race on Friday night, he led 189 laps enroute to his eighth victory in the NNS and first this season.

It was pretty impressive what Keselowski did on Friday night. Not only was the setup on his car near perfect his crew was getting it done on pit road. A late race caution saw him hit pit road only Kyle Busch stayed out along with Justin Allgaier. In the end four tires prevailed, as Keselowski passed Busch, Allgaier and Greg Biffle who only took two tires.

At Darlington Raceway Keselowski will be looking to make it three wins in a row. He will have some work to do as his average finish is 20.7 in his three previous starts at the track. Keselowski is more than capable to run well at Darlington if he can qualify well.

Points: First

Kelly Bires

It was only a few weeks ago that Kelly Bires was released from JR Motorsports he was back in a ride with Braun Racing.In 2009 while he was not running full time he ran a couple races for Braun Racing and admitted to working well with the team.

On Friday night he started 25th and quickly moved forward and ran just outside the top 10 for most of the night. Bires and the team did a good job of keeping up with the track, he finished 11th.

It’s a shame Bires doesn’t have a ride early this season he got caught up in wrecks not of making and then found himself out of a ride. Bires has the talent to run well and contend if he can just find the chemistry between himself and a crew chief.

Points: 26th

Willie Allen

It’s not easy to focus on racing when the small things have your attention. On Thursday, Willie Allen’s father passed away the night before the race. Allen drove with his wife overnight from Tennessee to Richmond just in time for practice.

Early in the race he was moving forward after starting last, but when Michael Annett got loose underneath him, Allen spun out and had to hit pit road for tires. On the very next caution he got the lucky dog.  He ended up going another lap and finishing 27th.  

The finish might not have been what he wanted but he drove for his father and finished the race. That alone gives him a nod on this week’s winners.

Losers

Clint Bowyer

Of all the drivers doing double duty I thought for sure that Clint Bowyer would be up front early and often. Instead a poor qualifying run had him battling from the very beginning of the race. It was not the race Bowyer was hoping for.

Bowyer really struggled in traffic and the long green flag run after the tow quick cautions cost them. Unable to hit pit road to make adjustments and the leader Keselowski lapping the field at a torrid pace, Bowyer was one lap down early and actually ended up two laps down.  At a track where he has found success he finished 23rd.

At Darlington Bowyer’s numbers are pretty decent. In fact his average finish is 8.5 and his average running position was 9.4. Bowyer runs up front at Darlington and I think if this team can get the setup right he could be a contender Friday.

Points: NA

Trevor Bayne

I had a lot of high hopes for Trevor Bayne. I really thought he would have a strong run tonight. After starting in sixth he quickly dropped back and what looked promising early turned into one to forget fairly early.

Bayne just was never able to get his hands around the car and with the long green runs he was unable to work on the car he fell two laps off the pace and finished 21st.  Not what he was looking to do especially after his strong qualifying lap.

Bayne will be heading to Darlington Raceway for the first time. It is not an easy track to run and we have seen veterans struggle on the track. Welcome to the Darlington.

Points: 12th

Justin Allgaier

We are seeing a different Justin Allgaier this season, in fact I think we’re seeing a very hungry driver. Allgaier has not been afraid to beat and bang with the Sprint Cup drivers and he doesn’t back down.

On Friday night that was no different, he was the most aggressive on the restarts taking it three wide. He made no apologies and is showing there is no sophomore slump in his future. It was the final caution and restart that hurt him the most. After running in the top five all night long he opted to stay out on older tires, on the restart he paid dearly getting shuffled back to 15th.

Not the finish he was hoping for or deserved. At Darlington this weekend it will be his second visit to the track. Last season he had a solid run and finish of fifth. It was very impressive run and finish at a track that has been known to test the best this sport has ever seen.

Points: fourth   

Final lap…

Friday night’s race was a great race. Keselowski dominated that race and showed just why he is a championship threat. Now they head to Darlington which will be no picnic for the many of these drivers.

Looking in from the outside the egg shaped oval doesn’t look difficult to drive. The track is aging and the drive off the corners means it feels like you are driving into the walls and for some they do exactly that.

My picks to watch on Friday are Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards and Brian Scott.

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The question was there, would this years finish at Talladega be just as dramatic?

Check out the winners and losers of the Aaron’s 499.

Winners

Kevin Harvick

It had been a long time since Kevin Harvick had won points paying event in the NSCS. In fact it has been since the Daytona 500 in 2007 since we saw him in victory circle.

Harvick wasn’t up front all day and his team really stuck to their plan of riding in the back until about 50 to go.

With three green, white checkers everyone knew things were about to get crazy on the track. Two big accidents later and on the final attempt to finish under green leader Jamie McMurray and Harvick pulled away from the field.

Harvick timed his pass perfectly and the two crossed the finish line side by side, with Harvick taking the checkers.

After being in the news for sponsorship changes last week, Harvick did the one thing a driver can do to bring in sponsorship interest, that’s winning the race.

Harvick carries all the momentum coming to Richmond International Raceway, his most recent win at the track was in 2006. He has a strong average finish of 9.1 at the short track, it was this race a year ago after starting seventh he finished 34^th .

Points: Second

Jamie McMurray

In the last few restrictor plate races, Jamie McMurray has proven to be the guy in the spot when it matters the most. Sunday, he once again proved that when it comes to tracks like Talladega, he will be there at the end.

McMurray was another driver who did not run up front all day long. Early on, both him and teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, both lost the draft.

McMurray though was patient all day long and really only once or twice ran near the front.Their plan was to go with 50 to go.

He was leading the race on the final of three attempts and was even leading coming to the line.

A late pass by Harvick had McMurray finishing second. He was going for three restrictor plate wins in a row, dating back to the fall race in 2009.

At RIR he has an average finish of 27.1 with only two top 10 finishes, one of which was the spring race last season. 

He has not led a lap at RIR but on Saturday night he will be hoping to lead the one that counts, the last one.

Points: 17th

David Ragan

2010 is a very important year for David Ragan, he needs to show results on the track.

After just missing the Chase in 2008, Ragan has been a non factor since. On Sunday, at a track where he collected his first Nationwide series win a year a go, Ragan delivered.

He ran in the top 10 for most of the day and he was able to avoid the trouble at the end of the race. Ragan finished a seasons best sixth and his best finish since Texas in the fall.

Ragan ran in top 10 all day long, he led eight laps on Sunday.

Ragan needs to put together more top 10 runs; it might be difficult this weekend at RIR where his average finish is 21.3.  Ragan’s best finish at RIR is sixth in 2007.

He is more than capable of contending for wins it’s all a matter of putting the pieces together.

Points: 22^nd

Losers

Paul Menard

If there was one driver to watch on Sunday Paul Menard was it. He has had a strong start to the season and up until Phoenix was sitting in the top 12 in points. Sunday his day ended way too early and quickly.

Menard was running mid pack when contact between Kyle Busch and Johnny Sauter, sent Sauter spinning down the track and right into Menard. He suffered damage to his car and the team made repairs but the damage was done. He finished 25^th .

Menard is looking to turn this stretch around with a strong run and finish on Saturday. He is another driver looking to improve his average finish of 27.5 at RIR. His best finish was 16^th in 2007, but he finished 30^th here last Spring. 

This is a different team in 2010 and I do think they will be able to run up front.

Points: 19^th

Regan Smith

It is funny how this sport works. For most drivers there is always a track they love to run at whether it is past success or they have a real feel for the car.

Regan Smith, Talladega has become a track where Smith has run well at. His finishes though are another story.

Sunday was looking to be a good day, Smith led some laps and showed he was able to work his way from the back to the front.  He had just lost the lead when smoke came billowing out of the back of his car, his engine expired.  He finished 38^th .

I know you can’t predict on what ifs but I really think that had Smith not suffered engine problems he would have been contending for the win.  Now they turn their attention to RIR, in three starts his average finish is 28^th . Not very impressive but that’s only three starts prior to this weekend.

Points: 33^rd

Ryan Newman

Of all the drivers that don’t look forward to Talladega, Ryan Newman might be leading the pack. He hasn’t finished on the lead lap in the last three races at Talladega.  

Last season both races saw him suffer hard hits in the final stages of the race.

Sunday, Newman was running mid pack for most of the day. His plan was to make a run in the final stages of the race.

On the second attempt to finish under green, Newman and Logano had a run on the outside. They took it four wide when Logano clipped Newman and sent him spinning down in front of the field. Newman finished 35^th .

At RIR he has an 11.3 average finish at the track, also he runs in the top 15 over 80 percent of the time.  

Newman should have a solid race on Saturday. This team has showed steady improvement with each race this season. I would not be surprised to see him up front leading some laps.

Points: 18th

Final Lap

I have to say the race on Sunday was one of the best races this season. That says a lot since we haven’t had one bad race in 2010. We saw a record amount of lead changes, the perfect pass for the win.  Of course we saw some big wrecks that late in the race changed the game.

Now they head to RIR for a 400 lap race under the lights. There have been some incredible races here in the past. I would expect no different this weekend. This season has been full of surprises and Saturday night will be no different.

My picks to watch on Saturday are: Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton. What do they all have in common? They have all been close to winning this season but could not close the deal.

Will one of them be in victory lane Saturday, find out by watching the Heath Calhoun 400 is Saturday 7:30ET on FOX.

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Mother Nature once again pushed back the running of the NASCAR Nationwide race on Saturday to Sunday. That didn’t slow the action on Sunday, when the drivers hit the track for some of the best racing all year.

Check out the winners and losers of the Aaron’s 312.

Winners

Brad Keselowski

Since Brad Keselowski’s move from JR Motorsports to Penske Racing,Keselowski in the NNS has been close to victory lane. In fact he finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway to his teammate Justin Allgaier.

Sunday was looking like more of the same, as Keselowski was able to push people to lead and be pushed, but he couldn’t hold it for long. Coming to the white flag he had dropped back, but a huge push from Joey Logano rocketed both of them in front of Kevin Harvick, Jamie McMuuray and Clint Bowyer, who were running one, two and three.

McMurray tried to block but was too late and attempted to get back line that set off a chain reaction crash. NASCAR ruled that the field had taken the white flag and Keselowski had won. Keselowski on Sunday did exactly what you are suppose to do and found himself in victory lane.

Richmond International Raceway has not been kind to him in the past. His average finish is 21.6 and his best finishes at the track came last year, where in both races he finished fourth. Each week this season Keselowski has been a factor for the win; I don’t expect that to change much on Friday night.

Points: First

Kenny Wallace

If you listened to the race broadcast on TV Sunday there was one driver never mentioned, Kenny Wallace. It’s easy to miss people at restrictor plate tracks with all the constant action going on, nut Wallace ran quite the race to finish 11th.

He had a good day for most until the last lap crash and crossed the finish line driving a wrecked race car. Wallace has gone week-to-week to get sponsorship for his cars. He has been doing it the hard way this season and deserved this spot this week.

Now heading to RIR, his average finish since 2005 is 25.3 but his average start is 24th. If he could qualify better that would help him a lot. With only two finishes of 30th or worse, he tends to run inside the top 20 most of the race.

I give Wallace a lot of credit; when most drivers would be frustrated by the economy they might reduce their schedule or not race at all. Wallace continues no matter what, that is one reason why he has so many fans.

Points: 18th

John Borneman III

I have been writing this series now for two seasons and not once have I ever been able to talk about John Borneman III. He does not have many NNS starts and when he has run, he has not found a lot of success. With used equipment and an underfunded team, Borneman had a career best of fifth Sunday.

Like Wallace, he was another driver that nobody talked about. He spent most the race mid pack just riding around, which is the only thing you can do at Talladega. In the final lap when McMurray was turned Borneman avoided the wrecking and brought his car back in one piece.

The emotion was evident for Borneman, who just wants to race. He knows that the economy has dictated his future in the sport, so when he can get in car he competes. He may not ever finish in the top-five again, but Sunday’s results were a victory for himself, his team, and his family.

It’s interviews like that where the driver can barely control his emotions; it’s a reminder for all of us that while the “Kyle Busch’s” of NASCAR race every week, there is a guy like Borneman just praying to get a shot.

Points: NA

Losers

Jamie McMurray

In the last couple restrictor plate races McMurray has proved he knows how to win. In his second week in the No. 88 car, McMurray ran up front or in the top 10 for most of the day.

It was his mistake coming to the checkered flag that cost him not only a top-five finish but caused a wreck that destroyed a lot of good race cars. He was running in second after taking the white flag. When the outside lane got a good run, he attempted to block the move but couldn’t. When he tried to get back in line Bowyer clipped him and sent him spinning.

That spin set off a wreck that saw a car in the air and on fire. McMurray took full responsibility for the wreck after the race. He finished 14th but could have finished a lot better.

His last NNS start at RIR was in 2007, he has an average finish of 22nd .He has no top-10 finishes at RIR, something he hopes to change this weekend.

Points: NA

Steve Wallace

While everyone has been talking about Denny Hamlin and his recovery from a torn ACL, the NNS has its own injured soldier in Steve Wallace, who has a broken foot and is still racing. His day was short on Sunday when he got swept up in the first big wreck of the race.

Wallace has not once complained about being in any discomfort, for he has gotten in the car every weekend. Sunday’s hit was pretty hard. He finished 39th. Not the finish he was looking for or needed.

It has been a pretty up-and-down season for Wallace. He has run well enough for top-10 finishes but gets caught up in other people’s wrecks.

At RIR his average finish is 17.1, but he has an average start of 26.6. With it being a short track, if you start in the back you can be lapped fairly quickly if you don’t have the car to work in traffic. His best finish is fifth in the fall race in 2008.

Points: 14th

Justin Allgaier

After running in the top 10 on Sunday, Justin Allgaier did not get the finish he was expecting or even earned. He was one of the few cars that could fall back in traffic but then work his way right back into the top five.

After surviving all day long Allgaier was just 2.66 miles away from the finish when the late race wreck saw him get swept up and take a hard lick into another car. This was particularly scary because Dennis Setzer’s car went into the fence and was on fire and came down on Allgaier’s car. He walked away fine but disappointed in the 15th place.

At RIR his results have been mixed. In his first start there last season he finished 38th but back in the fall he finished eighth. If Allgaier qualifies better for the race on Friday night his results should improve.

He has proved that second times a charm when coming back to racetracks.

Points: Fourth

Final Lap….

What we saw on Sunday was exactly what you get when you come to Talladega: lots of hard racing and big wrecks. For some fans what they saw Sunday at the end of the race is exactly why they don’t like Talladega, and for others it is exactly why they do. It’s hard to not like that track, so much of those races are won on strategy but the cost for some teams to tow home wrecked race cars is too high.

Now on to the Richmond International Raceway where the action is always tight and even here we can see some large wrecks. Pit road is tight; when all 43 cars on pit road especially early in the race, contact will be made.

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Winners

Denny Hamlin

For Denny Hamlin he was not even a factor all day long. Playing hurt, Hamlin was there when it counted on the final restart and was able to hold off a hard-charging Jimmie Johnson.

Hamlin was did not lead until the very end. They struggled with handling on the car starting in the back of the field.

Steadily, they worked their way to the front of the pack when it counted.  Hamlin’s second win in three weeks proves that all this talk about his knee was just that; talk.

It has been hit and miss for Hamlin at Talladega. He suffered a hard hit here in the fall race in 2009 and another poor finish last spring.

He has an average running position of 14.2 and has led laps at the Alabama track, but he can’t seem to be there when it counts. 

His knee will be a non factor as you ride wide open at Talladega but can he follow up his win last weekend with a win on a restrictor plate track.

Points: Eleventh

Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

In case you did not know it Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is sitting in the top 10 in points and led a good portion of the race on Monday. Yes, Earnhardt is showing glimpses of what he could do and he is showing up to the track each week with better and better cars.

On Monday he led 46 laps on Monday and found himself in the top five with less than 20 to go. With older tires he lost positions on the restart but really ran a very solid race. He finished eighth. It’s nice to see to Earnhardt running well and his cars getting better, faster as the race goes on.

Now we head to Talladega where he has found a lot of success. He finished second in last year’s race and really is one of the best at being there when it matters. His average finish is 20.7 but his average running position is 14.5.

Points: Seventh

Matt Kenseth

Monday was an up and down day for Matt Kenseth. At one point he was one lap down and close to being lapped again. The late-race accident really gave this team new life and they found themselves in the top 10 and battling for the win.

Kenseth finished 20th after late race troubles but the finish was much better than it would have been.

They never really had the car dialed in the way Kenseth wanted or needed. Somewhat surprising seeing how Roush Fenway and the Fords have run very well at this track in the past.

This weekend, Kenseth heads to Talladega with an average finish of 17.1 at the track. He has an average running position of 15.3, Kenseth could be a factor on Sunday that is if he can survive the big one something he couldn’t do last spring.

Points: Second

Losers

Brian Vickers

The race on Monday for Brian Vickers was not exactly how he hoped it would go. In fact it was the exact opposite of how he wanted it to go.

After last week’s issues at Phoenix, Vickers was out of the top 12 and was looking to rebound this weekend. Well, there was a miscommunication.

Of the first three cautions on the day Vickers was the two of the first three. The first one was on lap 77, with a right rear going down.

He hit the wall hard and caused damage to the back of his car. Then on lap 100 he lost another tire and went straight to the garage.

Vickers did not need tire issues and really needed to finish the race and get as many points as possible. Instead he found himself in the garage.

Talladega is not a track coming into it you’re looking to just finish the race, but for Vickers he needs to stop the bleeding after consecutive poor finishes.

Vickers has found success here and in fact has a solid average finish of 16.3. With a drivers rating of 89.3, I think Vickers could be in the catbird seat coming to the white flag.

Points: 19th

Sam Hornish Jr.

In recent weeks Sam Hornish Jr. has shown some muscle during qualifying. Only during the race Hornish quickly begins to fade and we saw that on Monday. He battled a very loose condition early and was never able to battle for the lead.

Hornish quickly dropped back as the green flag waved. He caused a caution when he spun out and hit pit road. Hornish just was never able to get his hands wrapped around the handling of the car all day long. He finished 19th.

Now we head to Talladega where your qualifying results only matter on pit road, Hornish is looking to find some success, with his best finish of 34th in three starts. Hornish needs to just finish the race and bring the car home in one piece, which won’t be easy.

Points: 29th

Jeff Gordon

For Jeff Gordon, he had this race won prior to the caution for David Reutimann engine issue. Gordon had once again the best car out there on Monday and once again a late caution hurt them.

Gordon was in a fighting mood on Monday, especially with his teammate Jimmie Johnson. The two made contact and both expressed their displeasure with each other over the radio. Gordon continued and took the lead back.

On lap 317, Gordon and Tony Stewart made contact and sent Gordon hard into the wall. His day was over as he finished 31st after leading over 100 laps. Gordon fans should be encouraged; this team is bringing fast, strong cars every week to the track.

Now we head to a track that at one point Gordon has owned in Talladega. His average finish is 20.5 and has not finished better than 19th since his last win in 2007. That’s not to say he has not ran up front, he has gotten caught up in wrecks with every finish.

Points: Fifth

Final lap…

If there was any track on the circuit that teams circle on the calendar it is Talladega. At this point in the season you know the equipment you have and you know how you stack up against your competitors.

For the drivers sitting in the top five in points, you can afford a bad finish, although it’s not what you want.

Everyone else really needs to survive this weekend especially if you are on the outside looking in on the top 12. I am not saying ride around all day but you have to be smart and make sure your there in the end.

My first dark horse pick for this weekend is Tony Stewart, who second to Gordon, has an average finish of 16.1 but he has led at least a lap in every race but one since 2005. Stewart knows how to save his equipment and be there when it counts.

My second dark horse is Paul Menard. Actually I picked him to win this race, not because this race is anyone’s to win.  He has shown he is able to finish races at Talladega.

2010 has been a very different season for Menard and I think he is more than capable of winning this race on Sunday.

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Winners

Kyle Busch

After running 500 miles and finishing third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series race earlier in the day, Busch quickly found his way to the lead and began to pull away from the field.

Busch had a dominant car once again at TMS, as he was hunting for five wins in a row. He had no competition on Monday afternoon and was able to pull away from the field. His team was getting it done on pit road; they were the fastest crew, stop after stop.

Busch owns TMS but Talladega has proven to be hit or miss for Busch. In the last four years, Busch has an average finish of 21.6.  Busch had his best finish at Talladega in 2006 when he finished third, with his worst finish of 39th coming that very next season.

Busch is looking to make it three NNS wins in a row, but his recent history at Talladega might see that streak ended.

Points: First

Justin Allgaier

Justin Allgaier started outside the Top 10, but he quickly made his way in and was battling for the Top Five all day long. He was one of the few NNS only drivers to run in the Top 10 all day long.

Allgaier had some slight damage on his car after contact was made with Jamie McMurray, but even so he was holding his own in the Top 10. The late contact dropped him to a 11th place finish.

At Talladega, Allgaier has only one start at the Alabama track, so his numbers are not all that impressive. He started 28th last spring and finished 32nd. Allgaier is sitting in the Top Five in points and has shown he is a championship contender.

Talladega will be a real test for him just to survive.

Points: Fourth

Losers

Justin Lofton

Justin Lofton was having a solid run going early in the race. He thought he had a really good car and was running in the Top 15. He and Trevor Bayne were racing for 15th when Bayne came down and sent Lofton hard into the wall.

Lofton was clearly disappointed, and as Bayne drove by, he gestured to Bayne. Lofton had a lot of hope for how good his car was, so his finish was extremely disappointing. The rookie is just trying to run laps and learn these cars, instead he was heading home way too early on Monday.

He most likely won’t be back in the car until at least Charlotte, but he will be back behind the wheel at Kansas in the Camping World Truck Series.

Clint Bowyer

He was one of the double duty drivers on Monday and after qualifying second, he was running in the Top 10. On the restart following Lofton’s wreck, Bowyer and Kevin Harvick made contact going three wide.

Bowyer was very upset with Harvick for the move early in the race. Bowyer was also involved in the wreck earlier in the day, in a similar fashion. Bowyer was driving the car for Jon Wes Townley, who has missed the last two races.

Bowyer will be in this car at Talladega and his average finish is not something to call home about. With an average finish of 18.6 and an average start of 5.2, Bowyer needs to finish the race.

Points: 47th

Final lap

If the postponement hurt any drivers in the NNS, it was the underfunded teams that were hurt the most, especially in the pocket book. Staying an extra two days gets costly, and then you have the quick turnaround this next weekend at Talladega.

It is hard to pick a winner for Talladega because you could be leading coming into turn two and end up 30th crossing the line. It is all about getting the right guy behind you to push you to the win.

The Aarons 312 is Saturday at 3:30 ET on ABC.

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Which driver took the checkered? Check out the winners and losers of the Subway Fit Fresh 600.

Winners

Ryan Newman

The season began for Ryan Newman like it did it did in 2009.  His turnaround though has come much sooner than it did last season. Newman is buried deep, mid pack in the points, but has had resurgence in the last couple races, starting at Martinsville.

Newman started and quickly made his way into the top and even in the top five. He gave good feedback and the pit crew got it done on pit road. Pit road was what won them this race when the caution came out for Scott Riggs with just three laps to go.

Newman took two tires and came out second, leader Jeff Gordon spun his tires handing Newman his first win since the 2008 Daytona 500. Newman hopes to continue his momentum in Texas Motor Speedway this weekend.

TMS has not been very kind to Newman, with an average finish of 21.1.He does have only two top five finishes at the track.

This weekend the team will have their work cut out for them on Sunday.

Points: 16th

Robby Gordon

I keep trying to remember the last time Robby Gordon ran as well as he ran on Saturday night.  Gordon said in pre-race he had a good car, a top 15 car, and he had just that.

Gordon did not have a very good qualifying lap, he started in the back in 33^rd .

It did not take him long though, he was in the top 15 by lap 100. Gordon’s car was fast and he was laying down quick laps as the run went on.

This was the best overall race in more than a year. His pit crew did a great job and Gordon ran a very smart, decisive race.

Gordon did something he needed to do and that was finishing the race because he was sitting on the outside of the top 35 going into Phoenix. He finished 14^th .

Now at Texas, Gordon has a lot of work to do. Since 2005 he has no finish better than 24^th .Gordon will have to do better than is 31.6 average finish if he wants to duplicate his run from PIR.

Points: 34^th

A.J. Allmendinger

The weekend at PIR turned out to be very successful for A.J. Allmendinger, even though he did not end up in victory lane. Allmendinger earned the pole and led the first part of the race. He was looking solid but as night time fell, Allmendinger struggled with the handling of the car.

He ran between 10^th and 15^th for most of the second half of the race and finished a solid 15^th . The team really did a good job of making adjustments late in the race as Allmendinger began to challenge for a top 10 finish.

At TMS he has only had four starts, with an average finish of 22.6. His best finish of 10^th came last fall.

Points:23^rd

Losers

Kurt Busch

On lap 15, Kurt Busch got loose and went up the track and slid right into Kasey Kahne. Kahne backed into the wall, and Busch suffered severe damage to the right front of his car after making contact with Denny Hamlin.

Busch hit road they worked on repairs they were able to stay on the lead lap but the damage to their car was going to hurt them for the rest of the night. The team continued to hit pit road to fix the damage to the car.

On lap 136, Busch hit the wall with a cut tire and then coasted to pit road. Not the day he was looking for. He finished a disappointing 35th.

At TMS, it has been pretty kind to Busch including a win here last fall. Busch average finish is 15.1 and he actually runs in the top 15 for most of the race with an average running position of 13.7. Busch lost the most last weekend at PIR in the standings.

Points: 14^th

Denny Hamlin

Hamlin was not even sure how long he would run the race. He was in obvious discomfort following his knee surgery during the off week. Hamlin was going to go as long as he could and it turned out to be the entire race.

The race did not go as they hoped; Hamlin suffered damage in the first caution with Busch and then had breaking issues and battery issues. He lost two laps after his car stalled exiting pit road.

Hamlin stayed in the car even though Casey Mears was available.

Hamlin finished 30^th .

He has said that he expects to run the entire race this weekend at TMS. Hamlin has not won there, but he has come close including in the fall where he finished second. His average finish is 10.6 here, with three top five’s and six top 10’s.

He’s going to need a solid run to rebound in the points this weekend.

Points: 18^th

Jeff Burton

Jeff Burton really should not have been on this side of list, he had a very fast race car. He ended here because of a mistake on pit road, pitting outside the box. A one lap penalty was accessed and Burton found himself battling the rest of the race.

As usual at PIR a long green flag run caught Burton one lap down and with so many cars on the lead lap prior to the run he was never able to get that lap back. He finished 25^th . It was another disappointing finish after having another strong race car.

Heading to TMS, Burton has found success. He has one win and has not finished outside the top 15 since 2006. He has three top fives and nine top 10 finishes. I expect Burton to rebound after the pit road error at PIR.

Points: Seventh

Final lap…

A lot has been said about how FOX handled the post-race interviews, but they were in a box. The extended race went longer than expected and the affiliates wanted to cut to the local news. FOX was not going to win no matter what they did after the checkered flag.

The race as a whole was fairly entertaining. We saw some great side by side racing. The great thing about night races, we get to see the transitions from day time to night time and which teams can make that adjustment.

Now the series heads to TMS for the Samsung 500 on Sunday. TMS is a wicked fast track. Teams are really wide open here and we always see great finishes.

My dark horse picks for Sunday is Juan Pablo Montoya. In the last season he has proven to be a factor on every style track. He has strong runs going but mistakes have cost him better finishes. I think Sunday you will have to watch out for Montoya, who is hungry for his first oval win.

My second driver to watch is Jeff Gordon. Let’s face it in the last two weeks Gordon has let victory slip from his fingers. It was a year ago that Gordon won his first race at TMS. This team has been up front when it counted and I don’t expect much to change this weekend.

The Samsung 500 is 3 ET on FOX.

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Check out the winners and losers.

Winners

Kyle Busch

If Kyle Busch had not won the race, he would have been much lower on the list. Instead, his charge to the front and to victory lane landed him atop this list and in victory lane. Getting to victory lane was not easy for Busch, but once again he got it done.

Busch had the best car on track on Friday night. The race took a turn when on a restart Busch did not go, which led to a multi car chain reaction crash. Busch was then told he was second lining up next to Brad Keselowski, which infuriated him. On the ensuing restart, Busch beat the leader to the line; NASCAR issued him a penalty of a pass through penalty under green.

A late caution was exactly what this team needed. Busch made his way to the lead and pulled away. For Busch, there is no bad track. At Texas Motor Speedway, Busch has won the last four events at the track. With an average finish of sixth, if you want to win at Texas, you will have to beat Busch.

Points: Third

Kelly Bires

There is one driver who is not getting a lot of attention on the track. Kelly Bires is running in the shadow of his part time teammate and is trying to live up the expectations of his car's former driver. For Bires, it has not been easy.

He has struggled in qualifying, but somehow and someway finds himself in the top 10 at some point in the race. Friday was no different for Bires. He started 16^th and quietly worked his way into the top 10. He was in front of the melee on lap 138.

Bires is trying to recover in the points and running a race like he did on Friday night was very important. He suffered damage on pit road when he and Justin Allgaier made contact. He finished 17^th after running in the top 10 most of the night.

TMS is not Bires' best track. He only has three starts prior to this weekend. He has an average finish of 19.3. Bires will be looking to improve that on Saturday along with his continued climb in the standings.

Points: 20^th

Clint Bowyer

After getting in the car to replace Jon Wes Townley after a hard practice wreck, Bowyer started 21^st on Friday night. He was moving forward, but on lap 31, his car died in turn two. He was able to get it re-fired, but not after he lost a lap.

Not exactly what him or his team were looking for. With the pace that was being set, he was way back in 37^th and one lap down; it was going to be a very long night for this crew. The team stayed after it got their lap back and Bowyer quickly was moving forward.

On lap 138, he got caught up in the multi-car wreck on the restart, causing damage to the front of his car. That being said, Bowyer still finished 11^th . Impressive run for him after how his night started. No word on who will be driving the car this weekend, as Richard Childress Racing announced, Townley will sit this week.

Losers

Michael Annett

After having a solid top 10 finish last weekend at Nashville Super Speedway, Michael Annett found himself bringing out two of the first three cautions. The first time was a spin early in the race. The second caution was because of his brake issues. His day over, the team headed to the garage.

I said it last week: if this team can get consistent runs, he can get good, solid finishes. Issues like this only set this driver back. Now he heads to Texas with a 33^rd place finish.

Annett at TMS has had a decent record, but he only has two starts there. His average finish 16.5 at the track is decent. His best finish is 11^th at this race a year ago. Annett needs a solid run this weekend and that means a top 10 finish.

Points: 13^th

Jason Leffler

It was not like he needed anymore bad luck, but Jason Leffler found himself with power steering issues. Leffler hit pit road on the caution for Michael Annett and the team was under the hood trying to get it fixed.

Power steering issues, but pitting on the first caution allowed them to stay out on the second caution gain a lot of the track position they lost hitting pit road. The team ran between 10^th and 15^th for most of the first half of the race.

They were running just outside the top 10 when on lap 138, he got caught up in the large wreck. He suffered damage to the front of his car. He hit pit road to make repairs on the car and ended up finishing 19^th .  Leffler can’t buy luck this season and he heads to Texas hoping to turn his luck around.

At TMS, he has an average finish of 15.0 since 2005 at the track. His best finish was last fall where he finished third and probably ran his best overall race at the track.

Points: 14^th

Joey Logano

Joey Logano had a great race car late in the race. He had the fastest car on track in the final stages. The late caution sent them to pit road. Contact between himself and teammate Busch caused damage to the front of his car. He came out with the lead.

He did not hold it long, the damage to his car was too much and he quickly dropped back. He finished 10^th and once again came so close to another victory this season, only to watch someone else in victory lane.

He has run well at TMS even without collecting a win. His average finish in three starts is 13.3. His best finish was fourth in Nov. of 2008. I think Logano is tired of watching his teammate hoist the trophy.

Points: Seventh

Final lap…

On Friday night, we got another great race this season. The NNS championship points are shaping up to be a real battle early. With the NNS regulars not laying down for the cup regulars early in this season, the battle for the championship will be close. Saturday afternoon should be no different.

TMS is a high speed track. One tiny mistake can cost you a solid finish. My other driver to watch is Allgaier; his finish at PIR is not how he ran. He had a solid, top five car, but the incident with Bires cost him. He has had a breakout season so far, with one win, two top fives, and three top 10s; Allgaier has been a factor every week.

My second driver is Brad Keselowski. He has had one of the best cars every week. He has been close to victory this season. I think TMS will be the place he finally breaks through. He is leading the standings early and has shown he can run with Busch and Kevin Harvick.

The O’Reilly 300 is Saturday, 3 p.m. on ESPN 2.

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Last weekend the NASCAR Nationwide Series and Nashville Super Speedway were celebrating 10 years of racing.

NSS has seen multiple first-time winners, from Greg Biffle to Brad Keselowski. On Saturday, would a first-time winner leave the track with the coveted trophy?

Check out the winners and losers of the Nashville 300.

Winners

Kevin Harvick

This season, if you’re going to win a race, you are going to have to beat Kevin Harvick. Saturday he had a good car, but he did not have the best car. That being said, he still found his way to victory lane.

He ran in the top 10 for most of the day, following the dominant cars of Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski. He was always within a few seconds of the lead, but a late pit stop and strategy for two tires only had Harvick out front. Harvick was able to hold off a hard-charging Reed Sorenson for the win.

It has been impressive what he has done this season. Also you can factor in that he is not even running the entire season in the NNS.

Points: Fifth

Reed Sorenson

It was a rough offseason for Reed Sorenson. He lost his NASCAR Sprint Cup ride, and with no guaranteed NNS ride, he was on the sidelines. Just prior to the start of the season he was named a part-time driver for Braun Racing and the No. 32.

He had a great run on Saturday. He was running in the top 10 all day long. He was really giving great feedback, and his team was getting it done on pit road. They got cycled around with the caution just after the green flag stops on lap 105; he was just outside the top 10.

What a great run for Sorenson today. They had a great car, and he was really proving why he deserves to be in a car. He finished an impressive second. Sorenson is auditioning for not only a full-time ride in the NNS but also a ride in the NSCS. Runs like he had on Saturday only help his cause.

Points: 34th

Michael Annett

In case you did not know it, Michael Annett had a very good day. In fact, he probably ran one of the best races in his career. He really did a great job on the track, struggling with at times a very loose race car.

Annett ran in the top 10 all day long. He fell behind on the final restart with guys with just a little bit faster cars, but he finished ninth.

It was a great run for Annett on Saturday. He has had a few runs like this last season. He really has developed into a solid driver. Now they need to put it together and run in the top 10 on a more consistent basis.

Points: 10th

Losers

Steve Wallace

Steve Wallace was looking to rebound after the accident at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was running well early in the race but got shuffled back with green flag pit stops and then when the caution came out during the stops.

On the restart he got caught three wide when his teammate Brendan Gaughan got loose underneath him and sent him into the wall. The wreck took out five cars and sent Wallace limping back to pit road. It was a tough break for this team after what happened at BMS. He finished 36th.

Wallace has never been shy about how he feels or just how aggressive he is on the race track. In this case he was doing the right thing in trying to give guys room, and he got caught up in the wreck. They will have to regroup for next weekend.

Points: 11th

Jason Leffler

It has been a difficult start to the season for Jason Leffler. His only top-10 finish was a ninth at Bristol Motor Speedway. They just cannot seem to put together consistent runs.

On Saturday Leffler and James Buescher were battling for position when Buescher got loose underneath and tagged Leffler. Leffler spun hard into the wall and suffered severe damage to his car and went to the garage to make repairs. They were trying to make repairs on the car to get back out there and get as many points as possible.

They did get back on the track, but on lap 145 he came up on Buescher and put him in the wall. NASCAR saw it as overaggressive driving and parked Leffler. He finished 39th.

Not the start they were looking for, especially at a track where Leffler has found past success. The team will have to regroup and head to Phoenix.

Points: 15th

Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.

When Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. was picked to run the No. 6 car this season, there were a lot of expectations for him. The team, though, did not have a full season of sponsorship, and they could not buy a break this season. Saturday was no different for them.

He was running mid pack for most of the day, and after making contact with a runaway tire on pit road, with a tire rub he was trying to come back to pit road when he got run over by Joe Nemecheck. Stenhouse spun hard into the wall. His day was over; he finished 31st.

This team was on the bubble of the top 30 in the standings. This was a tough pill to swallow heading into next weekend at Phoenix.

Points: 32nd

Final Lap...

Well, Saturday’s race was pretty good. There was plenty of drama to go along with it. NASCAR's announcement this week of a three-race probation for Leffler was consistent with what they did with Carl Edwards. Leffler says there are no hard feelings and what happened last weekend is over.

This weekend they head to the flat, one-mile track in Phoenix. It drives like a short track, and the changing track conditions will really have the crew chiefs on the box all night long.

The Bashas Supermarkets 200 is Friday, 9 ET on ESPN2.

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Check out the winners and losers of the Nashville 200.

Winners

Kyle Busch

For the first time for his organization he won the pole. He quickly pulled away from the field and was setting a blistering pace. Before we hit lap 50 Busch was setting a torrid pace early. On the second run of the race Busch began struggling with the handling of the race car, which cost him the lead.

He got the lead back taking advantage of traffic. He also locked up leading the most laps on Friday night. His only challengers were Kevin Harvick who finished second and Timothy Peters. Busch’s truck was the best car out there and he brought his truck home to victory lane.

No Busch did not have a repeat performance of last year's win, he took home the trophy in one piece. Congrats to Kyle Busch and Kyle Busch Motorsports on your first win.

Points: 10th

Timothy Peters

Peters was leading the standings coming into the race and was proving that he was going to be a factor every week. Friday night was no different for them. After starting on the outside pole Peters was running in the top five and after the first round of pit stops under caution he quickly moved forward on the restart.

Peters ran in the top five all night long but lost ground under the only green flag stops of the night. He wasn’t able to make it back to the lead but it was another top five finish for Peters in fourth.

Peters does not have sponsorship even though he is running up front and contending for wins. If you were looking for a guy to watch this season, Peters is that guy.

Points: 1st

Losers

Brett Butler

Not the start Brett Butler was looking for on Friday. He cut a tire early in the race and found himself the first car one lap down. Butler suffered injuries when the fiberglass exploded. He suffered cuts on his face and in his eyes. He hit pit road multiple times and found himself over 10 laps down.

A very tough night he struggled with radio issues, multiple pit stops and the injuries to his face. Give him credit he finished the race even with all the discomfort he was in. He finished 33rd.

Some wondered why he did not get out of the car sooner, but he had a sponsor for the entire race and really wanted to finish.

Points: 20th

Johnny Sauter

After getting wrecked last week at Martinsville, Johnny Sauter was looking to just get a solid finish. After qualifying, Sauter was forced to the rear after an unapproved adjustment. With the pace that was being set by Busch after their first pit stop, Sauter found himself one lap down.

The team was really struggling with traffic even though they had a good truck. This was not the run they were hoping for on Friday night.

Not what Sauter was looking for tonight. He was never able to find a rhythm starting in the back. He was running just outside the top 10 in 11th, but they had no opportunities to get their lap back. He finished 11th.

Points: 14th

Final lap

You can always expect a great show when the Camping World Truck Series hits the track. Friday night was no different.  The trucks tonight got really spread out which with just 16 laps to go there was only nine trucks on the lead lap.

It seemed that lap down cars were really affecting the leaders trying to make passes. It affected battles for the lead and all the way back.  Overall it was a pretty good show.

The next race is May 2 at Kansas Speedway at 12:30 ET on Speed.

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