Earnhardt nation is smiling wide after watching their beloved wheelman hold off rookie Denny Hamlin for the Crown Royal 400 victory at Richmond.
Earnhardt Jr is by far the most popular driver on the Nextel Cup circuit, and each time he wins, a jubilant sea of red stick around for post-race celebrations.
It was a great weekend for the extended Earnhardt family, as Richard Childress Racing driver Kevin Harvick won his third Busch Series event since last month. Harvick also dominated the Nextel Cup event, but he was no match for his rival Earnhardt Jr during the closing laps.
The Crown Royal 400 at Richmond was a breath of fresh air for plummeting Nextel Cup stars Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman. Biffle and Newman were 23rd and 26th in the Nextle Cup standings heading into the event, but after a fourth place finish for Biffle, and an eighth place finish for Newman, both drivers picked up three spots in the Nextel Cup standings. I'll go out on a limb here and say that Newman and Biffle will be factors in the race to the Chase for the Championship.
The rookie race appears to be evolving into a two-man race. Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer are beginning to disaffiliate themselves from the rest of the rookie crop as they both recorded their third top tens of 2006. Martin Truex Jr, Reed Sorenson, and J.J. Yeley just do not seem consistent enough to mount a serious challenge.
Could Hamlin and Bowyer be on the verge of matching the 2002 rookie class of Ryan Newman and Jimmie Johnson?
It's really cool to hear Hamlin talk about being a fan in the grandstands just less than two years ago. That just goes to show you how much some of these kids really do love and respect the sport.
It was a forgettable night for Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, and Bobby Labonte. Each of those former champions spent some time in the top five before adversity struck.
The most interesting quote of the week came for FOX analyst Darrell Waltrip.
"I'm not so sure Penske Racing doesn't miss Rusty Wallace. He was a senior leader keeping them on course, and Rusty's retirement could be part of Penske's problem."
Where was DW at when Wallace and Newman were trading gibes? I think Penske Racing's troubles are just pure bad luck.
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