Stewart shines in All-Star race; Mayfield talks

Thoughts and observations from the all-star race and analyzing the Mayfield saga.

First the race and then Mayfield

# As long as Kyle Busch is in an all-star event it's always going to be interesting.

Busch went from fourth to first on a restart in the final segment (although the move didn't count when Jimmie Johnson spun, forcing a complete restart). Then Busch was in the middle of a three-wide situation a few laps later.  Jeff Gordon was on the inside, Busch in the middle and Ryan Newman on the outside. Busch and Gordon hit. Busch bounced into Newman and bounced back into Gordon, who spun and came back up the track and hit the wall. Gordon publicly didn't lay the blame on anyone for that incident.

Kyle went on to finish 7th but avoided reporters after the race so his thoughts on the race? We don't know.

This isn't the first time Busch has avoided reporters. In a way, he can do what he chooses but what do you think about that? If you are a Busch fan does it bother you not to hear from him when things don't go his way? Or does it matter? it's become a growing topic. Does this matter or is too much being made of it?

# Matt Kenseth said he screwed up at the end, allowing Tony Stewart to pass him with less than 2 laps left.

Kenseth said his car was not as good at the bottom but that he went down there to block Stewart. In the half a lap before he lost the lead, Kenseth went low in turns 3 and 4 and the car's handling went away. Stewart gained  momentum, made a charge down the frontstretch and dived under Kenseth in turns 1 and 2 as Kenseth went into that corner high to the surprise of Stewart.

"I was prepared to go at least to the middle or to the top and run somewhere different because I knew I wasn't going to be able to follow him through there again,'' Stewart said. "And on the entry, he ran up high, and I was like "Wow, I can't believe he's giving me the bottom again. I got down there, got in the gas real quick and got by.''

Said Kenseth: "He just rolled right by me pretty much like I was tied to a tree,''

# Thank goodness for the final segment going back to 10 laps (from 25). There was not a pass for the lead on the track until the final segment started (that means they ran 90 laps without a pass on the track for the lead). Then chaos. The final 10 laps saved this event or else talk would have been about another boring all-star race. Not after those 10 laps.

# Joey Logano, who won the fan vote to get into the all-star race on what it was like out there: "I had a blast tonight. It was the most fun I've had in a Cup race so far, that's for sure. The last 10 laps were really cool. Everyone was going for the gusto out there. That was really cool.''

# On to the Jeremy Mayfield issue.

If Mayfield is found to be wrong about what NASCAR has told him about why he tested positive in his drug test, his career for all intents and purposes, will be over.

Mayfield said that NASCAR had not informed him what he tested positive for. Although NASCAR officials said that Mayfield was told 3 times about what the substance was.

If Mayfield is in the right, his voice needs to be heard. If he's wrong or deceiving everyone, he's in big trouble. NASCAR will punish him severley.

Here's what Mayfield said at the track.

Here's NASCAR's statement.

You decide.

# Here's the finishing order with money won

1. Tony Stewart ......... $1,058,656

2. Matt Kenseth ............$243,646

3. Kurt Busch ................$148.646

4. Denny Hamlin ..........$108.621

5. Carl Edwards ...........$103,621

6. Mark Martin ................$98,621

7. Kyle Busch ...............$118,471

8. Joey Logano ..............$92,471

9. Jamie McMurray ........$91,471

10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ..$90,471

11. Bobby Labonte ........$89,446

12. Clint Bowyer ;............$88,446

13. Jimmie Johnson ..$162,446

14, Kasey Kahne ...........$86,946

15. Kevin Harvick ...........$86,346

16. Sam Hornish Jr. ......$86,071

17. Brad Keselowski ....$85,971

18. Ryan Newman ........$85,971

19. Jeff Gordon ...........$210,771

20. Jeff Burton ...............$85,671

21. Greg Biffle ...............$85,571

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