by Lee Spencer

Updated: May 5, 2008, 6:30 PM EST 137 comments

add this RSS blog email print

Richmond International Raceway celebrated its 55th season this weekend with an event so capricious it would have been difficult to script. Denny Hamlin led a record-high 381 of the first 382 laps before a cut tire ended his domination and set the stage for a scintillating battle at the point between NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., and resident "Wild Thing" Kyle Busch, who is quickly winning the hearts of many an armchair racer.

Earnhardt took the lead, but was slowed on Lap 391 when Denny Hamlin parked his car on the outside wall of Turn 4. Hamlin's move, which was rewarded with a two-lap penalty by NASCAR, set up a five-lap shoot out to the finish until almost three circuits later when the No. 18 slid up into the No. 88 in Turn 3 and sent Earnhardt sailing into the wall.

For New Jersey fan Jimmy Pomponio, one of the more than 112,000 that filled the stands, the only thing that could have made Saturday night's Sprint Cup race more exciting would have been if Shrubby would have made it to the back bumper of eventual race winner Clint Bowyer and gone home with the victory. Pomponio was not alone. The thrill and unpredictability of racing is why NASCAR's short tracks sell out — even during a recession.

But that wasn't the only good thing that happened on the track this weekend. Let's take a look at all the positives — and negatives — from the weekend of racing at Richmond.

First, here's the good stuff:

1. NASCAR Officiating I: Parking Michael Waltrip for using his car to body slam Casey Mears into the Turn 3 wall on Lap 355 was absolutely the right call. Crew chief Chad Knaus, who grew up on short tracks, called the incident "amazing."

"I've never seen anything like that in my life," said the two-time defending championship crew chief.

Don't be surprised if NASCAR dishes out a penalty similar to Kurt Busch's last fall after he buzzed a member of the No. 20 team at Dover.

2. NASCAR Officiating II: Hamlin's two-laps in the penalty box for intentionally parking the No. 11 was also well deserved. His selfish stunt more than likely changed the outcome of the race.

3. The Clean Up Crew: It took nearly 22-minutes for safety crews to clear the carnage from the 11-car accident on Lap 230, but as far as I'm concern it's imperative to take whatever time in necessary to put the track back in racing order.

Now back to the drawing board ...

1. Jacques Debris: Never saw the critter on the racetrack, but he conveniently raised his head when the No. 48 needed a stop for adjustments on Lap 128. It might sound like another conspiracy hatched by the media, but several crews commented on the apparent injustice.

2. Playing Favorites II: Even race commentators remarked on the No. 48 sitting on pit road during the red-flag segment while other cars remained on the track. Although officials carefully monitored the team so no one could work on the car, having the ability to analyze the situation on pit road and prepare for repairs certainly gave that team an advantage over other teams that were in a similar situation.

3. No Excuses: There has been too much whining among the racers lately. Earnhardt's disappointment continued at Richmond, where he again had a winning car but did not produce the results he expected. If Earnhardt can take the highroad as his winless streak rises to 72 events entering Darlington, his competitors can follow suit.

Hamlin, who took a well-deserved period of adjustment before exiting his car on Saturday night, was philosophical describing his frustration of leading the most laps and losing in front of his hometown crowd. "You can't whine about it," Hamlin said. "It wasn't meant to be. God didn't want me to win today, and there's a better time to win, evidently."

It appears that Coach Joe Gibbs' message is rubbing off on his driver.