At a track that is hard to pass, tough to handle, and in many aspects is not very exciting to some, there was a lot of drama at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
And to think, it all started before the command to start engines was given.
Kurt Busch was busy doing interviews and going around the track at introductions. Meanwhile, his car was through the tech inspection line...only to be pulled aside. His car failed the pre-race inspection, as the rear-end housing was not within guidelines for NASCAR. It was held to be fixed, resent through tech, and as the National Anthem was being completed, his car was being pushed, very fast mind you, to the line-up.
That lapse in setup ruined the No. 22 team's day as the car was not right at all through the afternoon. It meant a 22nd-place finish on the afternoon for the elder Busch brother.
Once again, fuel mileage became an issue but many drivers were pushing their luck too far. Guys like Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Greg Biffle all ran out when it came close to the finish. Biffle had enough to coast across in third, but both Hamlin and Bowyer ran dry well before, putting them well down in the line-up.
The one guy who had enough fuel to make it across the line was the guy who just a week ago did the same thing.
After going 0-for-26 in the regular season, the No. 14 team of Tony Stewart has begun the 2011 Chase with back-to-back victories. He is only the second driver to complete that feat in the history of the Chase.
In doing so, he has also taken the lead in the standings. Not bad for a driver just two weeks ago didn't think he was a contender.
The win also has given five writers a win this week in the pool. Combined with some bad runs, the standings have jumbled up quite a bit. Take a look where everyone is standing after the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire:
Christopher Leone (2096) Tony Stewart WON (4)
Ryan O'Hara (2089) Jeff Gordon finished fourth (2)
Sal Sigala Jr. (2083) Tony Stewart WON (5)
Michael Hirshbein (2081) Clint Bowyer finished 26th (6)
Misan Ayuka (2076) Ryan Newman finished 25th (4)
Billy Fellin (2073) Tony Stewart WON (3)
Rob Tiongson (2073) Tony Stewart WON (3)
Dustin Parks (2071) Tony Stewart WON (1)
James Broomhead (2061) Denny Hamlin finished 29th (2)
Kara Martin (2059) Denny Hamlin finished 29th (1)
Kelly Crandall (2052) Kurt Busch finished 22nd (3)
Next Race: It's the time of the Chase where NASCAR goes from one track of one mile in length to another. However, both tracks couldn't be more different.
The race next Sunday is on concrete, not asphalt. There's high banking all around the track, compared to a flat surface. The corners are tight and narrow, as compared to sweeping. Next Sunday there will not be any magic, but looming large outside the grandstands is a monster.
It's the "Monster Mile" at the Dover International Speedway next Sunday, a race that could be critical as the title hunt continues.
Writers, each week it becomes more difficult as another driver must be chosen. Your picks for the AAA 400 are due by Thursday, September 29, at 10 p.m. ET.
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