On a day where the weather forecast was originally calling for rain, it turned out to be a bright and sunny day at the Dover International Speedway.
More surprising is the fact that the "Monster Mile" didn't claim as many victims as expected. In comparison to Saturday's Nationwide race, the monster's appetite was rather light.
That didn't mean that surprises were not in store.
The big surprise...the tires. One advantage to a concrete race track is it is easy to see where the rubber was building up in the corners, and where the best line would be. However, the surprise was the fact that the tire that Goodyear brought rubbered-in too much.
Cars began sliding around as if they were on air hockey table. It soon became obvious that tires would be critical as the race continued.
Then came surprise number two, the amount of tires to choose when it mattered most. On one hand, four tires on a concrete track seems like the most logical move.
Not today. It was a two tire call, and nearly a no-tire call, that won the race. The two dominant drivers of the race, Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards, each took four tires on the final stop. Unfortunately, six cars ahead of them took two and one elected to stay out.
The two-tire call by Jimmy Fennig on the No. 17 car of Matt Kenseth proved to be the difference. Kenseth got the lead from Mark Martin, who elected to stay on track, and cruised to his second win of the season.
A win by Kenseth also gave two writers their second win of the season. Three writers are still winless on the year, but everyone made good picks for this week.
Here's a look at the standings following Sunday's FedEx 400:
Kelly Crandall (412) Matt Kenseth WON (2)
Sal Sigala Jr. (403) Jimmie Johnson finished ninth (2)
Billy Fellin (373) Jimmie Johnson finished ninth (2)
Misan Ayuka (366) Matt Kenseth WON (2)
Christopher Leone (359) Martin Truex Jr. finished eighth (2)
Kara Martin (352) Denny Hamlin finished 16th (1)
Dustin Parks (350) Carl Edwards finished seventh (0)
Rob Tiongson (347) Jimmie Johnson finished ninth (1)
Michael Hirshbein (341) Kyle Busch finished fourth (2)
Ryan O'Hara (335) Kyle Busch finished fourth (1)
James Broomhead (333) Carl Edwards finished seventh (0)
Summer Dreyer (318) Jimmie Johnson finished ninth (0)
Next Race: It's time to have a little fun, as the next race on the docket is the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The rules are a little bit different, and the race itself is completely unlike anything run during the season.
So, why not have a little twist on the usual Fan Vs. Fan Pool.
Writers, this is what I ask of your for Saturday night's race. We WILL NOT be picking the winning driver. Instead, it will be a trip down memory lane. What I am asking is for you to choose your favorite All-Star Race moment in NASCAR. It could be the Pass in the Grass, Gordon's one-time-only run in T-Rex, or the ever popular "One Hot Night" just to name a few.
This is going to take some creativity, but why not. There's no points on the line for the drivers, although the $1 million to win isn't too bad either. So writers, have your choices for your favorite All-Star Race moment sent in by Thursday, May 19, at 9 p.m. ET.
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