There really is nothing like short-track racing. Couple that with the bright lights, and the star-filled sky and it's exactly what NASCAR fans enjoy the most.
Classic racing done by the top drivers in the business. That's exactly what everyone got when they watched the Sprint Cup Series compete on the 0.75-mile track in Richmond, Virginia.
It had everything. A couple drivers that had multiple incidents, including one choosing to visit the NASCAR hauler. One driver had a night so bad, he cursed the car, the team, and the organization. It got to the point where one sentence included both a monkey and a football in one breath (I encourage you to make your own joke at that line).
In the end, one driver that was expected to run extremely well got the job done. After leading nearly 5/8ths of the race, it was Kyle Busch getting an early birthday present (his birthday is Monday) by taking his second victory of the season in the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400.
It was also the third consecutive win for Busch in the spring race at Richmond, and the fifth straight at the track for Joe Gibbs Racing.
What his win also gave was a great run of victories for our writers. Seven talented writers picked up victories this week, most of which were their first of the 2011 season. At the same time, only three writers finished outside the top-five, as everyone had a very good week in their predictions.
Here's a look at how the standings have shaken out after the intense action at the Richmond International Raceway:
Sal Sigala Jr. (334) Kyle Busch WON (2)
Kelly Crandall (331) Kyle Busch WON (1)
Billy Fellin (304) Kyle Busch WON (2)
Kara Martin (292) Kyle Busch WON (1)
Christopher Leone (288) Kyle Busch WON (2)
Misan Ayuka (283) Kyle Busch WON (1)
Dustin Parks (278) Denny Hamlin finished second (0)
Rob Tiongson (278) Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 19th (1)
Ryan O'Hara (262) Jeff Gordon finished 39th (1)
Michael Hirshbein (257) Kyle Busch WON (2)
James Broomhead (252) Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 19th (0)
Summer Dreyer (249) Denny Hamlin finished second (0)
NEXT RACE: Richmond is the last short-track race on the schedule for quite a while, but that doesn't mean that some tracks on the schedule won't have those characteristics. Case in point, next week.
It's a speedway that races like a short track, and one that goes by many nicknames. A track that got it's famous configuration because of a pond outside turn four, and has since become infamous because of how one drives the track.
It's another one-lane track, but the prefered line here is against the wall. It's a track where every driver earns their stripes...their DARLINGTON STRIPES.
Writers, the "Lady In Black" is calling all your names. You won't have to physically attack the track that's "Too Tough To Tame," but you will have to figure out who to choose for victory.
Picks for the SHOWTIME Southern 500 at the Darlington Raceway are due by Thursday, May 5, at 9 p.m. ET.
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