by Darrell Waltrip

You had the lead cars racing each other. Turn 7 has always been a good passing lane so that's where most of the action was all day long. So I think that's where the double-file restarts really had an effect on the race. As I had mentioned the last couple weeks, I really didn't expect the double-file restarts to have any affect at Pocono or Michigan because those are big, wide race tracks. Where I was interested to see if it would come into play was starting at Sonoma and I believe it did. I think the guys handled it well and it added interest in the race. It created some excitement. And boy do we need that in our sport right now.

Now if we can just spice up the rest of the race then things are going to be really good. I have to tell you, the way things are shaking out right now, I think its going to be really exciting to continue to watch. Look how Kasey Kahne ran at Dover, Pocono and now pulling off a win at Sonoma has been impressive.

We now have Juan Pablo Montoya easing his way into the Chase. He's someone I have always felt was going to have a good year and possibly could make the Chase. He's in right now by only three points, but he's in.

I think between now and Richmond in September you are going to see from eighth spot to 15th spot change almost weekly. We only have 10 races left until the 2009 Chase begins. We also have some different race tracks coming up, so we will see how that affects the teams.

Around the track

Follow the action:

• Michigan schedule
• Michigan practices

Watch:

• Video Central

Picture perfect:

• Action at Watkins Glen

Read all about it:

• Dale Jr: Changes needed in NASCAR
• Vickers edges Martin for Cup pole

Analysis:

• White: Chasers feel the heat
• Spencer: Drivers to watch at Michigan

Tony Stewart has been the most impressive to me for his consistency, the way that car performs and runs. He's just got a great group around him, too. I think that's the group that's going to give Jimmy Johnson a run for the money when the Chase starts. With the way Tony has gotten his and Ryan's teams performing, I really believe that's going to be Jimmie's biggest obstacle once we get inside the Chase.

The other one you really have to tip your hat to on Sunday was Marcos Ambrose. If you remember, he qualified in the top five but blew a motor and had to start dead last Sunday, which on a road course is brutal. He and his crew chief Frankie Kerr had a good fuel strategy and they played it out to perfection. But the biggest thing that impressed me was how Marcos drove. He drove like a gentleman. He didn't run over anybody. He didn't run anyone out of his way. It was great to see the way he handled himself particularly after those restarts.

A lot of interesting stories came out of the race in Sonoma. Then you add in all the rumors that are swirling around off the race track about all the potential manufacturer swaps. Will Richard Petty Motorsports switch to Toyota? I don't know, but I think possibly one car will. Dodge's resources are stretched really thin right now.

The other manufacturers are struggling, too. You have all the issues that are going on with the Chevrolet teams. When a company takes bankruptcy like General Motors and Chrysler did, all existing contracts are voided. They don't have to honor any contract. You have to go back in and renegotiate. Some folks are going to be cut back and some folks cut completely out in the Nationwide and Truck series.

I said years ago when Toyota was coming into NASCAR that it was a good thing. To have a solid worldwide company want to invest in NASCAR was a good thing. If the other foreign manufacturers want to come in, I think it's good for the sport. With the way our sport is right now with this economy, everyone has to be willing to look at all options. What everyone is accustomed to in the past might not be the way it will be in the future. Our economy has to get healthy again which in turn will help our sport get healthy again.

So again, there are a lot of exciting storylines that we all need to follow. We have only 10 races to go for some of these teams to make the Chase and then 10 races in the Chase. Mark my words, watch eighth through 15th positions. Those are the cats that will be scratching and clawing to get in and stay in the Chase once the checkered flag falls Sept. 12 at Richmond.

That's going to be fun to watch.