Running a fuel-mileage race stinks, but Johnson did what he needed to do to stay in contention for his sixth NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in seven years. Third in the race and second in points now. Time for Johnson to unleash his Jedi mind tricks?

Somewhat inconsistent in terms of finishes so far in the Chase, Hamlin was second at Charlotte to maintain relevance in the championship hunt.

It was a very, very good weekend for the Biff, who qualified on the pole and finished fourth, his best race of the Chase so far.

No title this year for the three-time champ, but he put on a whale of a rally from an early collision to finish 13th with a badly damaged car.

It’s been a tough season for Busch, who missed the Chase for the second time in five years with Joe Gibbs Racing. But he got a top five on Saturday.

Déjà vu all over again. For the umpteenth time this year, the driver was a lot better than the car he drove.

Speaking of Talladega, a concussion from a last-lap crash there has resulted in Earnhardt being parked for at least two weeks.

Tough weekend for Newman. After qualifying third, he lost an engine in practice and had to start from the back. He finished 20th.

A top-20 finish for McMurray was his first since Bristol, believe it or not.

Although his race was cut short by engine failure, Smith performed admirably filling in for Earnhardt Jr.