Denny Hamlin leads cars during the Crown Royal Presents the Dan Lowry 400 at Richmond International Raceway. (Jerry Markland/Getty Images Photo) » More Photos

Speaking of Hamlin, I think what he did – stopping in the outside groove on the track to bring out a caution – was far worse than anything Busch did. Granted, Hamlin had to be devastated by what happened to his tire and losing a sure victory on his home track, but there is no excuse for what he did on the track. It was poor sportsmanship, plain and simple, and it had a material impact on the outcome of the race. It showed a distinct lack of class.

Some other miscellaneous thoughts about Richmond:

Earnhardt continues to be the best of the four Hendrick Chevrolets, as he has since the start of the season. He will break his winless streak soon, and when he does, he well could go on a streak where he wins several in a row.

Jeff Gordon made a great save, driving from a 42nd starting spot to finish ninth. Gordon was a lap down for almost 100 laps, but finally got the Lucky Dog and got back on the lead lap, averting a potentially disastrous points night, although he’s still outside the top 12.

Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are the only two drivers to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup in each of the first four years the program has been in place. Johnson is seventh in points after 10 races and looks secure to make it again. Kenseth, on the other hand, is not. He’s 22nd, a full 204 points out of 12th place, and unless he has a big turnaround, Kenseth’s Chase hopes are in deep trouble.

There’s no question that the fastest cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series this year have been the Gibbs Toyotas. But Richard Childress Racing is stating a strong case for strong championship aspirations of its own this year. While the RCR Chevys frequently don’t start up front, their racecraft is excellent. Bowyer qualified 31st at Richmond and won, while Kevin Harvick finished eighth and Jeff Burton drove from a 33rd qualifying spot to finish 11th.

And so after a wild Saturday night in Richmond, it’s off to Darlington Raceway and what likely might prove to be an even wilder night under the lights. Stay tuned folks, the fun is just getting starting.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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